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

Investigation Part 11

 

The atmosphere inside the university was filled with the chatter and laughter of teenagers. They were discussing what to eat for lunch, what work they had in previous classes, or where they were going that evening. This was in contrast to the six people sitting at a wooden table in the middle of the garden, speechless, after hearing the news of their groupmate's passing.

 

A minute ago, "Is it true, Jay? Is Tar really dead?" Time looked alarmed at what he had just heard from Jay's mouth ten minutes ago.

 

"Um, that's what Brother Jade said." Jay looked up at the person sitting at the head of the table, who acted as if he knew nothing. This made him feel even more irritated that the other person chose to keep his mouth shut, even though it was a matter of life and death for his so-called friend. "Is that right, Kla?"

 

"Um"

 

“Just because you’re full? Why do you only say you’re full when you were there? Shouldn’t we hear this from your mouth, Kla?!”

 

“Isn’t it the same whether you know it from me or from someone else?!”

 

"Enough already. What's the point of arguing with each other? Jay, calm down a bit. As for Kla, stop annoying Jay already," Champ interrupted, trying to prevent his friends from arguing any further.

 

"It... How did it die?" Bell asked in a trembling voice.

 

"I don't know. Brother Jade said it's still in the legal process." Everyone else was reacting the same way. They were sitting there, holding their hands, thinking about a lot of things. "But there's one thing Brother Jade said. He said that Tar got some kind of letter."

 

“A letter? What letter?”

 

“Truth or Tare Letter,” Champ said to clear everyone’s mind.

 

"How do you know, Champ?"

 

Tar called me. He called me complaining about the letter, but I thought he was just hallucinating."

 

“What was in that letter?”

 

“I don’t know.” The whole table fell into silence once more. It was a silence where no one even looked at each other. It was a fear that was about to turn into suspicion.

 

"I'm going back first," Bell said, getting up in a fluster.

 

"We still have class this afternoon," Time called out to his friend, but Bell quickly left without turning around.

 

"I'm going to go smoke a cigarette," Champ said, walking out of the conversation, followed by Cherene, who ran after him.

 

"Kla, do you know how Tar died? Jay said he was there. You must know how he died. Was it an accident? Or was it a disease?”

 

“I don’t know. I didn’t see it. Is it okay? The police detained it for questioning. How would I know it’s dead?”

 

Sapling stood up before walking away again, leaving only Jay and Time sitting in the same place. This was their usual table. It used to be filled with laughter, teasing, and conversation, but now it was just an empty table filled with resentment, sadness, suspicion, and secrets.

 

At the police station, the once quiet interior of the police inspector's office was replaced by the grumbling of someone who had just opened the door.

 

“I want some coffee,” Khamin sighed before closing the file containing the details of what happened at the scene, including the testimonies of those in the club.

 

"There are no chains on my legs."

 

"Actually, there's an invisible chain. It's probably a chain called the "Chief." Jade walked up to Khamin's desk, held it up, then handed him the search warrant he had just received. But before Khamin could take it, he pulled his hand back, causing the people sitting there to roll their eyes.

 

"What else?"

 

"Let's go get some coffee on the way to the house of a kid named Tar."

 

They were standing in front of the station. “Okay.” Khamin stood up and walked out to the front of the station. But before he could reach the door, he was stopped by someone arguing.

 

"He started the trouble with me first!!!"

"You're the one who started it first!"

 

"You're the one!" Two young men were grabbed by the officers, each holding their arms, but they still tried to rush towards each other. Their faces were covered in bruises from their previous struggles.

 

"No need to stop it, dear. Let them fight." The two officers looked at the inspector, then at each other, in confusion. Then, they slowly released their hands from the two hot-headed teenagers. "Please, after you're done fighting, you can go help dress the wounds in the holding cell. Tomorrow morning, I'll call your parents to pick you up."

 

Khamin's calm tone, although not intimidating, carried a sense of pressure, prompting the two children to walk away and sit in their chairs at the emergency desk as usual.

 

“Please leave it to me, Sergeant.”

 

"Understood, Inspector." Khamin walked out to the parking lot, then stood and looked at Jade, who was walking along, smiling without pressing the door button.

 

“I just found out our station has such a cool inspector.”

 

“Stop acting like this, Mr Jade.”

 

“Have you stopped scolding the suspect and started scolding me instead?”

 

"If you're not going, throw the key here," Jade laughed softly before pressing the button to open the door for Khamin.

 

They both stopped at a coffee shop not far from the station. The interior was decorated in shades of blue, contrasting with white and light wood, creating a comfortable, luxurious atmosphere. The aroma of coffee and freshly baked pastries helped Khamin relax after hours of studying.

 

"I'll have an iced Americano. What do you want?" The young policeman finished ordering and then turned to the person standing behind him.

 

“Iced latte, I’ll pay for it myself.”

 

“Are you paying?”

 

“Um, consider it the cost of last night’s stay.”

 

"As you wish." Jade stood and looked at the person who was only ten centimetres shorter than himself before volunteering to take both cups of coffee and sit at the table.

 

"Why don't we go drink in the car?"

 

"Because we have something else to do." Jade picked up the folded document he had put in his pocket, spread it out on the table, then leaned back in his chair and drank his coffee.

 

“House rental documents?”

 

“Yes, in case you think I’m going to cheat you out of your accommodation, and in case you run away before the month is up.”

 

“So, you really want me to rent a room at your place?”

 

“I went to such lengths to sign the contract. I probably did it because I was free.”

 

“Don’t talk about work at home unless necessary. What does that mean?” Khamin read the residency requirements that the person opposite had typed in.

 

“I don’t like to talk about work at home. Home is a place to relax, so I don’t talk about work.”

 

"But I have to work."

 

To make it known, “I’m not forbidding you from bringing work home if you can read Thai fluently.” Khamin suddenly wanted to throw the coffee cup in his hand at the person opposite.

 

"If you have any problems, please tell me. What about this?"

 

“People who live together are considered to live together. If there is any problem, we should be able to rely on each other.”

 

“Don’t trust Jay too much. Is this even a rule?”

 

“Count.” Khamin shook his head slightly before continuing to read the entire document.

 

“Just ten thousand a month, and you don’t even print the water and electricity bills. Is that enough?”

 

"Sign it already. Don't ask too many questions." Jade handed Khamin a pen before lifting his coffee and finishing it. He watched the owner of the slender hands grumble, but he picked up the pen and signed it anyway. The corner of his thick lips smirked before he put the paper back in his pocket. He hadn't seriously thought about whether the other party would move out or pay the money, but if someone like Khamin didn't do anything properly, the other party wouldn't be comfortable staying.

 

After settling in with coffee and paperwork, the couple headed straight to Tar's house.

 

When they arrived at Tar's house, they informed Tar's mother of their purpose and handed her the search warrant. As soon as they were allowed inside, the two of them did not hesitate to search the house with sharp eyes. Meanwhile, she was crying on the living room sofa. Since receiving the news of her son's death, she had fainted several times. When she learned that this death was not normal, it was as if her soul had been removed.

 

Khamin and Jade walked up to Tar's room. They looked at each other before deciding to open the door and go in. Inside, the room was not very big, and no one had yet come to deal with the pile of clothes on the floor or the scattered papers on the desk. They both put on gloves before starting to pick up the items inside.

 

“Where do I start?” Jade asked as he walked over a shirt on the floor.

 

“Be careful where you search.”

 

“Look what I found.” Jade grabbed a box from under the bed and handed it to Khamin. It contained a variety of drugs with different usage methods.

 

“Put it in a bag and take it to the station for inspection.”

 

“Do you really think that letter is relevant?”

 

"I don't know. We'll have to find out first. If Tar was so quick to call and complain to that kid named Champ, I'm guessing there's some important information that could give us some insight." The two of them searched every nook and cranny, but found nothing.

 

Khamin sat, looking at the various papers scattered across the table. Some were information about medicine; some were university assignments. He sighed, his eyes starting to get dizzy from the hundreds of words. His slender hands put down the stack of papers before turning to open the drawers one by one.

 

"This kid must be quite the lover." Jade's voice came from behind Khamin after he opened the first drawer, causing the person sitting there to glare at him. The entire shelf was filled with various types and brands of condoms. After he finished teasing him, Jade turned to search the closet again with a laugh. The second drawer was full of learning tools, nothing unusual until Khamin opened the third drawer.

 

“Found it.” It was a white letter addressed to Tar. Khamin carefully picked it up and opened it, with Jade standing behind him. “I know why he was making such a fuss.”

 

Jade had looked at the photos Khamin had handed him before frowning in confusion. These photos couldn't have happened within the past two days, which meant the perpetrator had known about Tar's movements and behaviour for a long time. Khamin carefully read every word on the black paper before handing it all to Jade.

 

“That picture,” the slender hand pointed at the picture of the eight children. Two of them, Pui Fai and Tar, were cut into pieces. “I think you should call your younger brother, Mr Jade, to ask if he received the same letter.”

 

“I think we should call every child to ask if anyone has received the letter.”

 

“Let’s go back to the station first. We need to take this evidence to Mirin to check for fingerprints.”

 

“Um.” When they reached the bottom, they saw Tar’s mother still sitting there, looking at her son’s picture and sobbing as she had when they arrived.

 

“I have a few more questions I’d like to ask. Can I?” Khamin sat down across from her with Jade standing behind him.

 

"Again, yes...ok."

 

"Did Tar ever say or tell me anything strange about his letters or his friends?"

 

“No. He never mentioned it.”

 

“So, when he left the house before the incident, did he say anything?”

 

"He was irritated as usual. But...but I didn't think it would be the last day."

 

“Have there ever been any strange people or people you don’t know walking around your neighbourhood before?”

 

"No, no." Khamin nodded in understanding before handing her a tissue.

 

"Then I'll be taking my leave now. If I find out anything else, I'll have the staff call to let you know."

 

The two of them got into the car to prepare to return to the station. Meanwhile, Jade called his younger brother. After waiting a short while, the other end of the line answered in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

 

[What do you say?]

 

“Are you studying?”

 

[Okay, what's the matter?]

 

“Have you received any letters recently?”

 

[Letter? What letter?]

 

"Answer the question correctly"

 

[I don't have]

 

“Um, that's it.”

 

[Wait! Is this letter about Tar? Is it a Truth or Dare letter?]

 

“How do you know?”

 

[Champ said that Tar called to complain about this.]

 

"Has anyone in the group received a letter?"

 

Lately, they had been getting strange letters. The voices on the other end of the line made Jade gently bow his head to the steering wheel before looking at the signal to look ahead. There wasn't any.

 

Inside a condo trap in the heart of the city, a pair of hands clutched a grey envelope. The anxiety and fear arose because of a white letter placed on the kitchen counter. This morning, the condo's juristic person came up to inform him that many packages had not yet been picked up. When they were all placed in the trap, the owner did not bother to look because he was going to be late for his first class. Until he heard the heartbreaking story about a friend who had passed away, including the mysterious letter, he remembered that this morning, among the dozens of packages that people had carried in their bags to go to work,

 

There was a white letter included.