Nick followed Ah Ling to her quarters, where she produced an old imitation Samsonite suitcase from the back of her closet. He recognized it as the suitcase she used when she had gone back to China all those decades ago. Ah Ling opened the suitcase on the floor, and Nick saw that it contained stacks and stacks of different-colored fabrics, the kind she used to make the beautiful silk patchwork quilts that hung at the foot of the bed in every guest room. At the bottom of the suitcase was a bundle tied in dark blue satin fabric.
“When your Ah Ma was in the hospital, she asked Astrid to gather a few things from the vault and various hiding places she had. Astrid brought these down to me, to be kept for you. I don’t think your Ah Ma wanted any of your aunties getting their hands on these,” Ah Ling said, handing Nick the bundle. He undid the knotted satin and found a small rectangular leather box. Inside was a vintage pocket watch on a gold chain signed Patek, Philippe & Cie, a silk coin purse full of gold sovereigns, and a small stack of old letters tied in yellowed ribbon. At the bottom of the box lay a newer, crisper envelope with “Nicky” on the front in his grandmother’s elegant handwriting. Nick tore open the letter and began reading it immediately:
Dear Nicky,
I feel that time is running short and I don’t know whether I will see you again. There are so many things I had wished to tell you, but never found the chance or the courage. Here are some things I am entrusting to you. They do not belong to me, but to a gentleman named Jirasit Sirisindhu. Please return these things to him on my behalf. He lives in Thailand, and your auntie Cat will know how to find him. I am also entrusting you with this mission because you will want to meet Jirasit in person. When I am no longer here, he will be able to provide you with the resources that you will need. I know I can count on him to be of great help to you.
Love,
Your Ah Ma
“Thank you for safeguarding these things for me!” Nick said, kissing Ah Ling on the cheek as he left her room. He walked across the courtyard to the main house and went up the stairs to his bedroom, where he found Rachel working on her laptop.
“Good walk?” Rachel looked up.
“You’ll never believe this, but something rather remarkable just landed in my hands!” Nick waved the letter at her excitedly.
Nick sat on the edge of the bed and quickly read the letter to her.
Rachel’s brow furrowed as she listened to the cryptic letter. “I wonder what it all means? Do you know this guy? Jirasit?”
“I’ve never once heard my grandmother utter his name.”
“Let’s google him quickly,” Rachel said. She typed in the name and it popped up immediately.
“M.C. Jirasit Sirisindhu is a grandson of King Chulalongkorn of Thailand. He is an exceedingly reclusive figure but is said to be one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, with interests in banking, real estate, agriculture, fisheries, and—”
Nick’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Oh my God, don’t you see? ‘He will be able to provide you with the resources you need.’ He’s one of the richest men in the world—I think this man holds the key in helping us get Tyersall Park!”
“I’m not sure if I would read so much into this letter,” Rachel cautioned.
“No, no, you don’t know my grandmother like I do. She doesn’t do anything without precision. She wants me to go to Thailand and meet this man—it says right here that Auntie Cat in Bangkok will know how to find him. Rachel, this is the plan she had all along!”
“But what about the deal we’ve made with the Bings?”
“It’s only been a day, and we haven’t signed any contracts yet. It’s still not too late to rescind the deal, especially if this man can help us! We should catch the next flight to Thailand!”
“Actually, maybe you should catch the next flight out, and I should stay here to put the brakes on anything that comes up. We wouldn’t want your aunts signing anything until you’re back,” Rachel suggested.
“You’re absolutely right! Honey, you’re an angel—I’m not sure what I’d do without you!” Nick said breathlessly, grabbing his travel duffel from the cupboard.
CHAPTER FIVE
CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
After landing in Chiang Mai, the ancient Thai city known as the “rose of the north,” Nick was driven by Jeep to an estate nestled in the foothills of Doi Inthanon. Like so many of the great houses hidden in these parts, the walled compound was tucked away up a long, steep road and virtually invisible from the outside. But past the tall, fortresslike gate, Nick found himself in a sybaritic paradise that defied description.
The residence was comprised of eight wood-and-stone pavilions built in the traditional Royal Lanna Thai style around an artificial lake, all interconnected by a series of bridges and walkways. As Nick was led through the lush gardens and onto a wooden walkway that floated on the lake, a thin layer of mist hovered over the still waters, adding to the feeling that he had stepped back in time.
At an open pavilion overlooking the center of a lake, an elderly man nattily dressed in tweed trousers, a maroon cardigan, and a peak cap was sitting at a beautiful wooden table, cleaning the inside of an old Leica camera with a tiny brush. On the table rested three or four other old cameras in various states of repair.
The man looked up as Nick approached and grinned widely. Nick could see that the hair under his cap was snow-white, and though he must have been in his early nineties, his face still retained its handsome features. He put down the camera and got up with an agility that surprised Nick.
“Nicholas Young, what a pleasure! Did you have a good journey?” the man said in English tinged with the slightest British accent.
“Yes, Your Highness, thank you.”
“Please call me Jirasit. I hope I didn’t rouse you too early?”
“Not at all—it was great to get an early start, and your plane landed just as the sun was rising.”
“I had your aunt Catherine arrange it for you this way. I think the mountains are at their most beautiful right at dawn, and I must confess, I am a very early bird. At my age, I’m up by five and quite useless by midafternoon.”
Nick simply smiled, and Jirasit clasped Nick’s hands in his own. “I am glad we are meeting. I’ve heard so much about you over the years!”
“Really?”
“Yes, your grandmother was inordinately proud of you. She talked about you all the time. Come, sit, sit. Do you take tea or coffee?” Jirasit asked as a flurry of servants appeared with trays of refreshments and food.
“Coffee would be great.”
Jirasit uttered a few words in Thai as the servants began setting up an elaborate breakfast on the wide stone ledge of the pavilion. “You’ll have to excuse the mess, I have been indulging in my favorite pastime,” Jirasit said, as he moved his cameras to one side of the table to make room for the coffee service.
“That’s quite a collection you have there,” Nick said.
“Oh, they’re all rather obsolete at this point. I prefer shooting with my digital Canon EOS these days, but I do enjoy cleaning these old cameras. It’s very meditative.”