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been a long time.”
    “I wish it had been a bit longer.”
    “See, that’s what I remember about you, what a smart mouth you got. You just crease me up. A regular Bob Hope.” He grabbed me by the jaw and squeezed. I gasped and stepped back. “Just don’t get too smart, baby. Okay?”
    I nodded, as best I could. He released me and I fell back onto the bed, my hands to my face.
    “When was the last time? LA right? Sixty-three? You were going to be a star. What happened with that?”
    He didn’t expect an answer and I didn’t give him one.
    “I guess you didn’t expect to see me here.”
    I shook my head.
    “Same for me, baby. You were the last woman I expected to find in this greasy Asian shithole. What are you doing here?”
    “Why do you ask me questions when you already know the answers?”
    “Because I can’t believe what I’m hearing. The Magdalena Fuentes I know, she wouldn’t play housewife to some newspaper hack.”
    “We all change.”
    He looked pained. “What you done with your life, baby?”
    “Actually, I’m pretty happy, Angel.”
    “Where is this guy you’re married to, anyway?”
    “He’s not here.”
    “I can see that. What’s he doing in Saigon?”
    “He’s a journalist, Angel. He reports on news. This place is in the news a lot, if you’ve been paying attention.”
    “What sort of news is he looking for?”
    “I’d take a wild guess and say it has something to do with the war.”
    Angel leaned in, his face twisted into a grimace. How did I ever think he was beautiful once? “You tell him this from me. You tell him he’d better not be thinking of mentioning me or any of my associates in his next goddamn book or I’m going to bury his goddamn ass in the Saigon river.”
    “You can’t bury someone in water, Angel. They float.”
    “Not the way I’d do it.” He straightened up and smiled, pleased that for once he had a comeback. “It was good to see you again, baby. What about a drink tonight? We can talk about old times.”
    “I’m afraid I’m busy.”
    “Too bad.” He sauntered to the door. “Tell your prick of a husband what I said. He pokes around in my business, you’re going to be a widow.”
    He passed the room service waiter on the way out; he was standing with his back against the wall in the corridor, terrified. Angel took the croissant off the tray and stuffed it in his mouth. He gave her a half wave and left, his bodyguards shuffling behind him.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 8 

     
    It was late when Connor got home. I was in bed with the lights out, but I was wide awake, listening to the muted roar of traffic in the square, the thump of music from the bars on the Tu Do. He undressed and slipped into bed beside me, kissed my shoulder and then rolled away, thinking I was asleep.
    “Where have you been?”
    “Hi, honey. I didn’t know you were awake.” He rolled back. “Are you okay?”
    “I’m lonely.”
    A theatrical sigh. “I told you that you shouldn’t come. This isn’t a holiday, I’m working.”
    “It’s nearly midnight.”
    “The people I have to talk to don’t keep regular hours.”
    I switched on the bedside lamp. “If I find out you’ve been fucking a bar girl, I’ll kill you.”
    “Jesus,” he muttered, staring at the ceiling.
    “Well I don’t know what you’ve been doing. Dios mio , you reek of booze and cigarettes.”
    “I think I’m onto something big.”
    I thought about what Angel had said. I hoped not.
    “I mean it. You want to hear what I’ve got?”
    I didn’t really, but what choice did I have?
    “What is the largest restaurant and nightclub chain in the world?”
    “Is this some sort of game, Connor? I don’t get it.”
    “The largest catering business in the whole goddamn world is the US military. You ever thought about that? Do you understand the potential that leaves for graft?”
    “I thought you were here to cover the war.”
    “The war is a sideshow. The real story is the money, it always is.”