Natural Causes by Michael Palmer

Author:Michael Palmer [Palmer, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-307-78122-2
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2011-01-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

THIS PLACE MUST SERVE INCREDIBLE FOOD,” MATT said, “because it certainly isn’t staying open on its atmosphere.”

The operative description for the Szechuan Terrace was plastic. Plastic lanterns off the ceilings; plastic coverings on the tables; plastic bas-relief Chinese landscapes on the walls. Even the booths, themselves some sort of red vinyl, were separated by curtains of plastic.

Sarah and Matt had walked to Chinatown from her apartment. The air had cooled considerably, and they could see lightning to the east. But the breeze was pleasant, and the city vibrant.

It was nearing nine-thirty. The Szechuan Terrace was still perhaps a quarter full. Most of the patrons were Asian.

“Do you think that a measure of the goodness of a Chinese restaurant is how many Chinese are eating there?” Sarah whispered.

“Of course. Doesn’t everyone think that?”

“I used to before I spent all those years in the Far East. It turns out there are probably as many Asians with a taste for bad Chinese food as there are Americans with a taste for bad western food. It’s only a matter of time before someone opens a McEgg Roll in Beijing.”

Matt took a place at the long mahogany bar, while Sarah wandered nonchalantly past the booths and then back.

“No Andrew,” she said, sliding onto the vinyl-covered bar stool next to his.

“Just going by your description of this Truscott, this turnaround of his is very strange.”

“Not really. Andrew knows I could have caused him a great deal of trouble at the hospital and didn’t. I also picked up an abnormal lab result he had missed not too long ago. The patient might well have died on the table. Besides, Matt, what choice have we got? This Tommy Sze-to may be the key to everything.”

At ten minutes before ten, Sarah approached the cashier. He checked briefly with the waiters and then reported to her that no one of Andrew’s description had been in the restaurant. However, he added, the night had been very busy. There was a flicker of recognition in the man’s dark eyes at the mention of Tommy Sze-to, but he denied knowing of any such person.

“Nobody here remembers Andrew,” Sarah whispered to Matt. “But I think that guy knows who Sze-to is. He says he doesn’t, but his expression says otherwise.”

“But where in the hell is Andrew?”

“I don’t know, but I have this uneasy feeling right here under my sternum. Let’s wait ten more minutes.”

“I have a better idea.”

Matt went to the pay phone just inside the front doorway and consulted the phone book. Sarah noted that from where the phone was situated, Andrew would have been able to see Sze-to leave almost any of the booths. Her intuition was telling her that Truscott had overheard precisely the conversation he reported. But if so, she wondered uneasily, where is he now?

“S-z-e dash t-o.… Is that how you said the guy spells his last name?” Matt asked, returning to the bar.

“That’s what Andrew said.”

“Well, there are some Sze-tos in the book, but no Tommy.”

“I’m not surprised.

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