Page 6 of The Big Fix

I watched as the shadow man gestured to the surgeon to hand the file over. Crossing to his desk, he retrieved the file and handed it to me gently, reverently, and I appreciated the care. A slight wince told me he sympathized with my pain. Perhaps he too had lost a loved one.

As I reviewed the notes, I studied everything, especially the Polaroids taken prior to the autopsy. I scrutinized an extreme close-up of the face, needing that extra bit of evidence to be certain. I wanted to be right, hoped I was, but the beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt part soothed my soul. This was not my friends’ son, and I knew it down deep.

Checking the toxicology report, I flipped forward and then back, surprised by what was missing. “Are you still waiting for tests to come back?”

“We—”

“This is only a rudimentary toxicological work-up,” I stated, knowing I was right, certain he was aware of that as well. “Where’s the rest of it?”

“Everything is as it should be, Colonel Colter,” the shadow man finally spoke.

“Mr. Colter will suffice. I’m retired now.”

“My apologies. I’d heard the contrary,” the man said, feigning a chilly warmth as he stepped from the shadows and into the light. “I am Jùnjié Sun, liaison to the Ministry of Interior,” he said crisply.

As I shook his hand, I noted that it was a firm handclasp full of strength and confidence. He was Thai and looked to be in his thirties, and there was experience and intelligence in his eyes.

“I understand how grief can cloud perspective, but we have fully cooperated, have we not, Mr. Colter?”

“Yes, I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”

“No, I understand. You are a man of meticulous detail. But we fished the body from the canal, so there was no reason to run a comprehensive panel.”

I stared at the corpse, trying to figure out what it was that had alerted me to the wrongness of this man being Owen from the moment I saw him. A body in the water for three days made it difficult to be certain who you were looking at. And yet, at first glance, I knew. But how could I? If the tables were turned, could Owen have figured out it wasn’t me? I had to wonder.

“Hard as it may be to accept, sir, Mr. Moss’s companion has given sworn testimony that Mr. Moss was intoxicated when he fell into the canal. He was struck by a passing express boat before his companion could offer him aid. A search was made to no avail. It was three days before the body resurfaced.”

“May I have a moment with him?”

“Yes. Of course.” Sun nodded to the surgeon to give me some space.

Steeling myself, I leaned over the corpse as if it were nothing. I’d seen worse, made worse, and so I put my bare hands on the gray, bloated flesh. The smell of decay, like a putrid wet tree bark, singed my nostrils. Whoever this was, I would find out and make sure he got back to his people. I needed to get him home.

“How long until I can claim the body?” It was the right way to handle it, though that didn’t make the decision any easier. By taking the body, I was closing their investigation. I would get no help from them going forward. The thing was, this man could not be left behind.

“May I assume you’ve made the necessary arrangements on your end?”

I answered with a simple nod.

“For us, it is only a matter of signing a few forms and you can be off. Would you join me for a drink while the doctor sees to preparing the body for transport? I’ve taken an office here until the resolution of this matter.”

“Certainly.”

Sun led me toward an office at the opposite end of the hallway. Once inside, I took the nearest chair and made myself as comfortable as possible. Sun poured us both three fingers of bourbon. As usual, I sniffed the drink before putting the glass to my lips. I found the aroma unpleasant, but I didn’t want to appear unappreciative.

Sun sat behind the broad desk and smiled politely. “You’ve had quite the illustrious career, Colonel.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard it referred to that way, Mr. Sun.” Why was he spending time talking to me?

“I too served my country for a time. Not with such distinction as yours. Perhaps our paths crossed and we didn’t even know it.”

“You’d have known it,” I said flatly. “But unless you’ve been somewhere besides Asia, it’s doubtful.”

“Not even once?”

“I’ve visited, but never served in this part of the world.”

I wouldn’t have copped to it even if it were true. My special operations work was always sensitive in nature and not a thing for idle chitchat.