"Archer, Geoffrey - The Burma Legacy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Archer Geoffrey)

The pontoon ended at a long quay. On the far side was a yacht club with
a toilet and shower block. Next to it a restaurant, a cafВ and a small
supermarket. Because their initial connection with Squires had gone so
smoothly, Sam felt things could only get worse, a suspicion that intensified
when he sneaked a glance back down the pontoon.
"Shit . . ."
Nige was ambling along the decking behind them.
"Probably just needs the loo," Midge suggested under her breath.
"Or keeping an eye on us for his master."
They walked on.
"Oh my God . . ."
Sitting in the cafВ was the plain-clothes policeman who'd radioed their
berthing instructions. Dark trousers, striped shirt, portable VHP set on the
table in front of him, he might as well have been in uniform.
Midge looked away in despair. Too late to shoo the man away. Nige was
right behind. They walked quickly past the cafВ and pushed open the door
to the shop.
Thirty minutes later they returned to the boat carrying plastic bags of
provisions, including a couple of bottles of overpriced Australian fizz. The
sun had set by now and the sky was darkening. As they walked down the
pontoon they could see Squires" lean face watching them from the deck of
the Estelle. They sensed his suspicion, but when they drew near he held up
a long glass, clouded with condensation.
"Hot work! What you need is one of these."
"Great! Be over in a minute." Sam swung the bags onto their own deck.
"What's your poison, Beth?"
"I'm a beer girl, Vince." She gave him a cheery grin, trying to radiate a
confidence she didn't feel.
"Beer for you too, Steve?"
Sam gave a thumbs up.
They stowed the shopping below, squeezed the wine bottles into the
tiny fridge, then locked up again before stepping across to the other boat.
Jan, the prettier of the Thai women, gave Midge a warning glare. The
other held out a limp hand for them to shake.
"How long you guys got for your vacation?" Squires asked, handing each
a can of Singha Draft.
"A week," Sam told him. "Escaping the concrete of Singapore and
smelling real air for a change. You?"
"Same idea. Poodling around for a few days, seeing the new century in."
"What sort of business are you in, Vince?" Midge asked.
Sam flinched at the directness of her question.
"This and that." The ex-soldier narrowed his eyes. "Know this area?"
"First time here." Sam took a swig of his beer.
For a while they chatted about anchorages and inlets, the price of prawns
and which islands had provisioning and restaurants. A second beer followed
the first, but Sam noticed Squires had moved onto soft drinks. Nige and
Vicky took little part in the conversation, while Jan seemed more than a
hanger-on because Squires kept turning to her for approval.
After a while Nige got restless, nudging Vicky until she got up and
stepped into the saloon.