"That was quick."
"One of our policies here is to return to the old tradition of getting to know the person you marry. It sounds fundamental but what with all the upheavals — troops relocating, men dying, and roads being built through remote villages — there are families only too willing to put their daughters into the hands of a stranger who is better off than themselves..Our peasantry is getting poorer and more desperate.
"But I digress. On the night of the wedding at the girl's home in Champasak, the groom announced that he had to return to Vientiane in two days. Given the state of the road, that seemed like an insurmountable task. So he left with his bride directly after the ceremony. He had a truck, but our witness couldn't say what type it was, just that the village boys were all gathered around it oohing and aahing. That was the last the parents saw of their daughter. They didn't hear from her again."
"And that was the anecdote?"
"No, it came directly from the wife of the headman in Attapeu. She hadn't been able to get a laissez-passer in time for the wedding, but the next time she went to Champasak on Women's Association business she looked up the family and discovered they hadn't heard from their daughter."
"Did she remember the man's name?"
"Yes, it was the same as her eldest son's. Khamphan."
Siri whistled. "Another Phan. Anything else?"
"That's all she could remember. She's going back south tomorrow, and she's promised to look for the man's letter of introduction to her husband."
"I'm sure it'll be as fake as the last one. Doctor, I'd like to put the lady in touch with Inspector Phosy before she travels. Did she happen to say what the man looked like?"
"Tall, muscular, mid to late thirties, hair a little too long. Sound familiar?"
"Much too familiar, I'm afraid."
"It is all thoroughly depressing, isn't it?"
"Just the thought that he's out there killing innocent girls and we can't do anything to stop him makes me sick. You said there was another story?"
"Much more sketchy, this one. One of our members heard about a woman who attended a wedding just outside Pakxan. Country girl, sophisticated city man. He lived in Vientiane and planned to take her overseas."
"That's it?"
"Only that they left for a secret romantic honeymoon directly after the ceremony and vanished."
"Any time frame?"
"No, we're checking up on it."
"Did she recall when she heard the story or from whom?"
Pornsawan consulted her copious notes. "She said it was early last year — when she heard the story, I mean. I'll let you know what comes of this one."
"Excellent. You're sure the other reports — ?"
"I'll give you the lot. If you think there might be anything else, you can get back to me and I'll follow it up."
"You're doing a marvellous job, Comrade."
"I'm sure there'll be more."
"Thank you."
"Bo ben nyang."
He stood to leave and she walked him to the door.
"I must say you're looking good, considering your exploits at Si Muang Temple," she said.
Siri rolled his eyes. "How on earth could you have…? All right. Silly question. Yes, thank you. I'm fine."
"How's your Indian friend?"
"Doing well. Very soon he'll be well enough to roll about in mud, eat worms, and walk aimlessly around Nam Poo Fountain again."
"I'm sure he doesn't see it as aimless. We all have different goals. His are achievable."
"You're so right," Siri smiled.
"Oh, and Doctor, I have to let you know you have a growing fan club here at the Lao Patriotic Women's Association."
Siri blushed and headed out into the sunshine.
It was a little past one thirty when Siri arrived at Justice. One hour and fifteen minutes past, to be exact. His visit to police headquarters had taken longer than he'd anticipated. Manivone hurried him along the corridor.
"He's spewing fire, Doctor," she said, scurrying ahead. "I swear if he knew which end of a gun was forward, he'd shoot you."
"What did I do?"
"He was expecting you over an hour ago."
"I was expecting a comfortable retirement on full pay. You don't always get what you expect on this planet, Comrade Manivone."
"Well, I don't think he'll buy an argument like that right now. If you don't want a lecture, you're going to have to come up with a good excuse."
Siri briefly considered using 'Mr Geung ate my note', but settled on an excuse that better suited his personality. Manivone knocked on the judge's door and said, "Judge, Dr Siri is here."
She stepped back to let the doctor go past her only to find him gone. She went outside and looked around but saw neither hide nor hair of him.
"I'm sorry, Judge," she said. "He was right beside me. Honestly."
The judge was too enraged to speak. The pencil snapped between his fingers and half of it jumped up and hit him in the eye. He couldn't even get ire right. A minute later Manivone returned, this time pushing Siri in front of her. She heaved him into the room and closed the door behind him.
It only took Siri a few seconds to take in the scene and understand the reason for his summons. Judge Haeng and Vietnamese adviser Phat were sitting at their respective desks. But to one side, seated on the sticky vinyl guest sofa, were three upright gentlemen in grey, pale blue, and brown safari suits respectively. In front of them on the slightly inclining coffee table were several used cups and glasses, hard evidence of the amount of time they'd been there waiting for him. Siri recognized one of the men, Comrade Koomki from Housing.
Comrade Phat performed an 'I did my best' shrug and grinned at the papers in front of him.
"Siri," said Haeng in a much deeper voice than Siri had ever heard him use, "where the hell have you been?"
"To the toilet," Siri answered honestly. As was custom, he went along the line of sofa sitters and shook their hands. Though his own hand was damp, they had no choice but to respond.
"For two hours?" Haeng yelled at Siri's back.
"No, just now. I was taken short and happened to pass the WC, so I — "
"I called you here for one thirty."
"Right. I had something more important to do."
"You…?" The judge looked and half smiled at the visitors. "These comrades have been here since one fifteen."
"They refused to leave until you got here," said the Vietnamese with the slightest of smiles pencilled across the bottom of his face.
"It's good to see there's one government department with sufficient time on its hands that it can waste it doing nothing," Siri said and sat in front of Haeng's desk. "Not many of us have that luxury."
"Siri, this is a serious matter," growled the judge. "Comrade Koomki here is accusing you of — "
"I know what he's accusing me of: charity and kindness. Goodness knows we don't want any of that kind of behaviour in the new republic."
"Judge Haeng," said the little man, "if I may."
"Go ahead," said the judge.
"Although we have reservations as to the type of person staying at Dr Siri's house," Koomki began, "that is not the matter at hand. We have evidential proof that you, Dr Siri Paiboun, are not resident at government housing unit 22B742."