- About this teenage girl, said Detective Gran.
- Yes? said Dietmar.
- How can I talk to her?
- Talk?
- I want to talk to her.
- About what?
- Background information. About who she is. What she is doing.
- I see. I guess I can arrange something.
- How much?
- Two thousand baht. Plus two hundred for the room.
- Room?
- You must be discreet. Did you notice the place across the street?
- No?
- It is a Thai restaurant. Go in there, don’t sit down, just continue and go up the stairs.
- What is up there?
- Someone will meet you. The girl will be in the room.
- OK.
- Anything else?
- I hope people will not misunderstand. I do this for strictly for professional reasons.
- Don’t worry. You can have your interview. Nobody will say anything.
- Good.
- That will be 2200 baht, please.
—
- Ha ha ha! said Larson.
- Excuse me? said Duff’s mother.
- Only stupid tourists fall for this scam.
- It is not a scam. It is a bargain. Tell him he is wrong, DD.
- Eh, said Duff. - I don’t know.
- Don’t know?
- Not sure.
- Mr. Miller, said the mother. - You are a Bangkok veteran.
Robert Miller mumbled something.
- What?
Robert coughed. - Never heard of it, he said.
- I met this wonderful person at the Grand Palace, said the mother. - He told me about a special sale in a gem store. It is only once a year. The government lets Thai students buy stones at a quarter of normal price. Then they sell them at a profit when they go abroad.
- Did he have a sister in the UK? asked Larson.
- How did you know that?
- Har har har!
- How much? asked Duff.
- Fifty thousand baht. But I can sell them in the UK for two hundred!
- I want some coffee, said Robert.
- DD, give me some support here.
- The salad is excellent, said Duff. - I recommend it.
- Only stupid tourists! said Larson.
Ms Duff left the table.
September 21st, 2007 at 10:15 am
HA! I was right!! Mom and Karma… bagging on scammers then got scammed!