His team was here on some sort of bigwig telecommunications contract, so he got the five-star treatment to support his cover story. Grolier Services didn’t rate. As a small, independent business, we were relegated to a Best Western about a mile away. After seeing the place, I was considering how to increase our revenues. Or at least make it appear that way on paper. The bar was a replica of the original Long Bar at the Raffles hotel in Singapore where the Singapore Sling was invented, and where I’d spent some serious time while working with their Special Forces. Another life a long time ago. Comparing the one here to the real one was a little like comparing the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World to a real Caribbean island. It looked the same, but in a fake sort of way. Johnny showed up wearing a business suit, which made me laugh. I’m sure he’d have given up the hotel and slept in a hammock in the jungle if he could have gotten rid of the tie.
