Dare You To Death: Solve the Mystery, See the Death.

Investigation Part 10

Last night, after dinner, Khamin asked to go up to his room to take a shower and rest. He had no problem changing beds because he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. But the problem was the two brothers. They kept knocking on his door, especially the younger one. This morning was the same.

 

"P'Min, what are you doing?" A knock on the door made Khamin, who was getting dressed, turn to look. He hadn't even unpacked his clothes and belongings from his bag yet, because he wasn't sure if he'd actually be staying here. This room wasn't small, and it had a bed, a wardrobe, a multipurpose table, and a private bathroom. It was even more convenient and comfortable than his rental room. Plus, it wasn't too far from the station.

 

"What's up?"

 

“Let's come down to eat.”

 

"I know. I'll be downstairs." Khamin was wearing a black shirt and matching slacks. His wet hair, which had fallen flat on his face, had been dried and styled neatly as usual. As he opened the door to go downstairs, he happened to catch the eye of the other owner of the house.

 

Today, Jade wore a white T-shirt and faded jeans. He held a leather jacket over his shoulder in one hand. His black hair was dripping with water because he hadn't dried it off, even though he had a small towel draped around his neck.

 

“Looks like you’re going to insult me,” Khamin rolled his eyes at the first greeting of the day. “Get down.”

 

Khamin walked downstairs and went straight to the kitchen. He saw a young man in a student uniform setting the table. He turned to look at Jade, who was walking behind him, and spoke in a low voice.

 

“Have you told your younger brother yet?”

 

“Is it about your friend? Not yet.”

 

“So what should I do?”

 

"I told him this morning," Jade said, walking past Khamin and sitting at the table. When his younger brother saw him, he immediately complained to him.

 

"Brother Jade, why didn't you dry your hair first? The water kept dripping all over the floor, so I had to wipe it up."

 

"You've been complaining since the morning."

 

“Is it worth complaining about?”

 

"Jay, did your friend call and tell you anything?"

 

"What did you call me to tell me?" Jay turned to Khamin and smiled. "Min, come sit down."

 

“Hmm.” Khamin walked over and sat at the table in the left corner next to Jade's with a calm face. He said he would let his siblings discuss this matter among themselves.

 

"Tar story"

 

“Tar, is this about what you asked me yesterday?”

 

"Um"

 

“What’s the matter?” Jay frowned and sat down opposite him, staring at his brother without blinking.

 

"Did Tar contact you about anything yesterday?"

 

“No, he hasn’t contacted me. So, are you going to tell me what happened?”

 

"Tar died last night."

 

“What! It’s dead. It’s dead. How is he dead? I’m not playing, Brother Jade.”

 

“We are currently investigating the cause.” Khamin, seeing Jade s’s unconcerned expression, chose to explain instead, “We found Tar’s body last night at the club.

 

"But...but we just lost Fai." Jay looked shocked before he buried his face in his hands.

 

"Did Tar call or send any letters?" Jade chose to ask his younger brother again while drinking coffee.

 

“What letter?”

 

“Did you know that the seedlings were there too?”

 

"Ai Kla? Who did he go with?"

 

“Alone.” Jay’s puzzled expression made Khamin listen more intently to the two siblings’ conversation.

 

“Normally, he doesn’t go to clubs alone because it costs a lot. He once said that when he goes drinking and there’s no one to split the bill, he spends too much money.”

 

Jade glanced at Khamin, who was frowning slightly at the information he had just received. He remembered that besides the large set of liquor and mixers on the table, there were also a few snacks. The history of Tonkla, as he remembered it, was that his parents had left him with his aunt to care for him. He had to work part-time to support himself in school. His family wasn't well-off enough to spend lavishly as he pleased. So, going to a club and ordering that much alcohol would probably cost quite a bit of money.

 

"So... how did Tar die? Does anyone know about this?"

 

"I thought Tonkla had already called the others. The investigation into Tar's death is still ongoing, so I can't say much. I just want you to be careful."

 

“Be careful?”

 

"Um, I have work in the morning. I'm going to go first." Jade had finished his coffee and grabbed Khamin's car keys from the table before walking out of the house, leaving the owner of the keys to curse softly.

 

"I'll be going now. Just be careful where you go," Khamin said as a final word to the young man who was still sitting in a daze at the dining table. He chose to give him a light pat on the forehead to comfort him. In less than a week, he had lost two friends and was constantly having problems. This kid must be thinking too much.

 

When he walked out of the house, he saw that his car had been driven to a parking spot in front of the gate, and the driver was sitting comfortably behind the wheel. Khamin walked over to open the car door on the opposite side, shoved himself in, and immediately turned to Jade.

 

“Just tell your little brother the news. No need to be so cold.”

 

“What mood do you want me to tell you the news in? Cheerful?”

 

“Sigh, where are we going?”

 

"Go to the station. Mirin called to say the test results are in. She'll take you to the forensic department." Jade drove towards the police station. Actually, this place is considered another branch, like a support centre for the police station and the investigation unit. Although it's not as big as the Special Investigation Unit, it's considered complete. The only downside is that it's still under the Royal Thai Police Department. It's not separate. Still, officers must pass the entrance exam at the required standard and are then transferred to other stations. And that's why there are still issues with corruption, bribery, and various forms of embezzlement. He just hopes that the new inspector will be more honest in his profession than the previous ones.

 

When the pair arrived, Jade led Khamin towards the forensics department. No matter how many times they came, they always heard a commotion coming from the forensics department first. This time was no different. Jade opened the door and went in at the same moment that Manmai fell on his chest, forcing him to grab her waist to stop her.

 

“Manmai is so stubborn!”

 

"Rin, are you kidding me first?!"

 

"What are you arguing about?" Manmai looked up at the owner of the arm supporting her, then pointed at Mirin.

 

"Mirin is teasing, Captain." Khamin looked at the three people in front of him and realised that they must be quite close to each other to be so physical.

 

Jade pushed the silk curtain back to stand properly before looking at Mirin, who was walking straight towards him and grabbed the hand of the lovely young woman in his arms and took her away. A white gown was draped over his shoulder before the silk curtain was pulled into the inner room.

 

“Do you want to sit here and wait or go in together?”

 

"I'll go in too." Khamin followed Jade into the department. The last time he came, he could only wait in the reception room. He never thought that this place would have a room that looked like a small research centre. The room was clean and white, with cabinets for storing evidence. In the middle was a large counter with many papers and pictures on top. Around it were tables and counters at various spots along the wall. On top were microscopes and test bottles, lined up, along with many other things Khamin was unfamiliar with.

 

“This is the result of a general examination of the area. There are too many fingerprints, probably because the room has been used for such activities many times and hasn’t been cleaned very often. Finding the culprit from all of this will take quite a while. The captain will probably have to call in about fifty people for questioning,” Mirin pointed to the fingerprint results at the crime scene before sliding a list of names to Jade. “And here, there’s a thin layer of this on the deceased’s face. It must have dissipated quite a bit by the time we find it. It’s PCP1.”

 

“Keto?” Khamin asked after looking at the information on the paper.

 

“Yes, ketamine is a sedative. It's mostly used in medicine as an anaesthetic. The point is, this effect can also cause hallucinations. It comes in liquid, tablet, capsule, and powder form.”

 

“Is this the same drug the deceased took before he died?”

 

“This is the autopsy report from the forensic department that I requested. The drugs the deceased consumed before his death were marijuana mixed with morphine, which has a sedative effect. Therefore, they are different drugs.”

 

"Why would the perpetrator want the victim to hallucinate?" Khamin asked after hearing Mirin's results. If he was just going to kill, there was no need to go through all the trouble of using these drugs.

 

“Is there anything else?” Jade asked.

 

"There's also the matter of the objects at the scene found on the deceased's body: four metal rods, a long nail, and a piece of paper. None of them had any fingerprints. The paper was inked, so fingerprints cannot be examined. As for the cause of death and the wounds, the captain will have to speak with the forensic department. But I must say that there's very little evidence at the scene. The perpetrator didn't just do it casually; it was well-planned."

 

"If you have any further information, please contact me." Jade walked out of the room, leaving Khamin to look at the documents in his hand.

 

"Where can I find this medicine?"

 

"At the hospital, but if you buy it illegally, it's not difficult."

 

“Please help me find more information about the drugs I found.”

 

"Yes, Inspector." When Khamin followed Jade out, he found that the other party was talking with Sergeant Prai.

 

“Keep an eye on those kids. If you get any information, let me know. Just don’t let them know.”

 

"Yes, Captain. Uh... what if they're not in the same place?"

 

“Take the one you think has the weirdest behaviour.”

 

"I understand." After Sergeant Prai left, Khamin walked over to Jade to ask what he was wondering about.

 

“Did you send the sergeant to look after that group of six kids?”

 

"Um"

 

“Are you sure the murderer is one of them?”

 

“I don’t know if the murderer is one of them, but I’m sure the next victim is one of them.”

 

Khamin and Jade walked to the forensic department's entrance. The atmosphere was desolate, quiet, and deserted. The thing inside the room was what scared everyone, so they didn't walk around much.

 

"You're not afraid of ghosts, are you?" Jade leaned forward to ask Khamin until their faces were only inches apart.

 

"You're scarier than ghosts, don't you know?" Khamin didn't back down, but simply tilted his head to meet Jade's gaze with a nonchalant expression. This alone brought a smile to the corner of his lips.

 

"You're being so sweet; don't you care about me being alone, Captain?" A deep, slightly husky voice came from the doorway, causing Khamin to move.

 

The line of sight shifted from Jade's face to his. He saw a young man in a long lab coat with messy, unruly light brown hair that fell to his neck. His round, silver-rimmed glasses looked like they were about to fall off. His sweet, sharp face had a slight moustache. He even yawned twice.

 

"This is Thanakun, the only forensic doctor here," Jade introduced informally.

 

"Alone?"

 

“Um, I’ve asked the police department several times, and they’ve never responded to my request to send more people.”

 

"That's why I have to work alone. Hello, new lieutenant. It's nice to meet you finally." Thanakun walked in, grabbed Khamin's hand, shook it a few times, and then turned around and walked back into the room.

 

“It’s just the way it is. Don’t take it personally.”

 

"I haven't said anything yet."

 

"In case you're being arrogant."

 

"I can tell the difference."

 

Jade smiled slyly before reaching out to wrap his arms around Khamin's waist. "So, is this considered making friends?"

 

Jade bent over, and Khamin turned to smile widely, but it was a smile you could tell was sarcastic. A few seconds later, he was hit squarely in the stomach with an elbow.

 

"You're the only one, Mr Jade, that I don't discriminate against. Congratulations." 

 

The person who was holding his stomach looked up at Khamin, who had walked into the forensic room without waiting. He could only laugh because the inspector didn't seem to be holding back at all. After the pain subsided, he followed the path inside. The place was set up like a forensic department, with the front door opening into a reception room, followed by another door leading to the autopsy room.

 

Khamin stood watching Thanakun slide the body of the deceased out of the cold storage compartment. Tar's body, covered with a cloth, looked paler than when he had first seen it because it had already gone through various processes. The smell of formalin, the scent of blood, and the smell of the flesh changing with the condition made Khamin shake his head slightly. When everyone was finished, Thanakun began to describe the wounds one by one.

 

“There are several wounds. The ones that are the same are on my palms and both thighs. They were caused by a steel rod that pierced through the tissue from front to back. Some concrete pieces were mixed into the wall because the steel rod was stuck in it. These cuts were made with a wire attached to a razor-like blade. Although sharp, it can't cut through bone,” Thanakun pointed at the wound he was explaining. As he spoke, he yawned, causing Jade, who was leaning against a cabinet, to ask.

 

“Did you sleep?”

 

"What did you get to sleep with, Captain? We've only been flirting for less than ten minutes," Thanakun said, yawning again before continuing his explanation. "In the middle of your forehead, a long nail was driven through your skull to your brain tissue. The wound wasn't caused by a single hammering, but by repeated impacts that even penetrated your skull, which is why the wound is uneven."

 

“What is the cause of death?”

 

“It was shock due to excessive blood loss. The nail in his forehead was deeply embedded, but it wasn’t the cause of death.”

 

"What can be inspected internally?"

 

"I've sent tissue samples and blood samples for testing. I'll have to wait a week or two before I can report back. However, after examining the deceased's stomach, I found a significant amount of food, mostly liquid... alcohol."

 

"Let me know how it works." Jade looked at Khamin, who was lost in thought. "What is it?"

 

“Remember what Champ said about Tar calling to ask about the letter?”

 

"Can remember"

 

“It was also a Truth or Dare letter. What if that piece of paper had something to do with the letter?” Jade was also thinking about this. He didn't know Khamin would notice too.

 

"Then go check out Tar's house."

 

“You can request a search warrant, Mr Jade. I’ll be waiting in the room.”

 

"Are you using me?"

 

"Yes, I'm your boss," Khamin said, turning around with a calm expression before turning back to give Thanakun a small smile. "Thank you. If you need anything, please let me know. And get plenty of rest, okay?"

 

After Khamin walked out, Thanakun put Tar's body back in the original freezer, then walked over to push Jade's shoulder, since he saw the captain staring at the lieutenant without blinking.

 

“Cute.”

 

“Are you the other one?”

 

"Who else do you think would curse at you like this? I think this person is my type."

 

“My type?”

 

"My type." Jade gently pushed the person next to him before walking out with his hands in his pockets.

 

"Take the time to sleep."

 

He had to go to work, as the new inspector had instructed. It was a really nice gesture.