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

Investigation Part 4

 

At the police station in the early morning hours, aside from the officers on duty, there weren't many people walking around. Inside the room, there were probably four or five fourth-year students sitting in different corners, their faces serious, because two of them were in the interrogation room.

 

Jay and Time were the first two people selected to testify because, if they had gone in one at a time, there was a fear that those called later would dispute the accusations, making the case even more difficult.

 

Time was sitting in a separate room, as the police had said that some paperwork would be prepared and that he had to be separated from Jay for a while. Meanwhile, Jay was sitting in a room with a glass on one side leading to an observation room. After a short time, Khamin walked in, relaxed, and sat down across from Jay, handing him a bottle of water.

 

"Drink water first. Don't be stressed."

 

"Thank you"

 

“Are you still dizzy?”

 

"No," Khamin said, not making a scary face. It would only make the person being interrogated more panicked, potentially causing them to forget or become flustered, distorting the content they wanted to tell. "Where's my brother?"

 

“He’s waiting outside,” Jay said, nodding in understanding.

 

“Shall we begin? You seem quite familiar with police work.”

 

“I know quite a bit.”

 

“Before we had the party, what were you doing at the university?”

 

"I had the last day of the freshman orientation."

 

“About what time? Do you remember?”

 

“Around 4:30.”

 

“That room is usually locked, right? Where did you guys get the key?”

 

“That room is the faculty’s storage room. They often have secret gatherings there. 

 

Just bribe the guard, and you can use the key. Champ was the one who got the key,” Khamin nodded in understanding.

 

“What time do we start drinking?”

 

"If I remember correctly, I think it was around 8 p.m."

 

“Since when did you and your seven friends become so close?”

 

"For one year."

 

"It's been quite a while. Have you ever had any arguments or fights?"

 

“As friends, there are times when we have arguments, but we don’t fight so badly that we think about hurting each other like this.”

 

"Can you tell me about what happened last night when you were drinking?" 

 

The gentle tone made the person being questioned relax, become more aware, and feel less flustered. Jay felt a growing respect for the person in front of him, even though he didn't know them well.

 

“We started out drinking and talking about the future and other random things. After that, we played games.”

 

“What game?”

 

"Truth or Dare."

 

“I understand the joke.” Khamin didn’t rush into questioning, instead turning it into a pushover. He tried to keep the conversation both to the point and playful, avoiding the tension. “So what next?”

 

“We played games until around midnight, when we started to get drunk because we were punished by having to drink straight.”

 

"Do you remember when you lost consciousness?"

 

“It was probably around 1 a.m. I don’t remember much because I was so drunk.”

“Your brother said you called him, right?”

 

"Yes, I called to tell P'Jade  that I wouldn't be coming back, but I don't know what happened next."

 

“You said you were the last one to fall asleep. Are you sure that’s the case?”

 

"Yes, even though I was drunk, I remember seeing everyone lying on the floor, so I called P'Jade."

 

“Okay, so when did you wake up?”

 

“I’m not sure. I know that when I woke up, I felt really dizzy, so I went to wash my face and wake everyone up. I should have been fine then.”

 

"Tell me about your dizziness."

 

"It's just a normal hangover. Dizziness, a little nausea, a headache. Everything in my memory is blurry." Khamin nodded with doubt in his mind.

 

"Who was the first person to find out that Fai had died?"

 

"Ambulance, "I told Time to go plant cotton, and he started yelling that the cotton was dead. Bell and Cherene confirmed that, so I quickly called him.

 

"Your brother is a police officer. Why didn't he call me first if someone was really hurt?"

 

"I was going to call, but..."

 

"But?"

 

“But we called an ambulance first and waited for the ambulance to arrive. When the doctor confirmed that Fai had died, I called P'Jade .”

 

“Why didn’t you call your brother first?”

 

“…I’m just afraid that it’s our fault and it’ll be a big deal.” Khamin glanced at the mirror briefly before turning back to look at Jay.

 

“Who did you call for an ambulance? I can’t quite hear you.”

 

"I'll have Tonkla call."

 

“Okay, that’s all for today. If you have any further questions, we’ll talk about it again.”

 

"Don't you think it wasn't an accident?" Jay asked with a worried expression.

 

“So what do you think?”

 

“I...don't know.”

 

Khamin placed his hands on the table before leaning in closer, his sharp eyes staring at Jay like a helpless puppy.

 

“Everyone has something on their mind, something they don’t tell anyone, even their friends.” Khamin’s eyes changed after he finished speaking, before he walked out of the room and into the connected room.

 

Calm, in a closed room with a glass door on one side, connected to the interrogation room, Jade stood with his arms crossed, looking at his younger brother through the glass, his face expressionless.

 

“Did you write it all down, Sergeant Ken?”

 

“Yes, Inspector.”

 

“He didn’t tell us everything.” Khamin looked at the person who had sighed.

 

"Someone stopped him from calling." Jade crossed his arms and stared at his younger brother, who was sitting inside without taking his eyes off him.

 

“How do you know it wasn’t him who didn’t call?”

 

“I know my brother well.”

 

“I’ve already told you not to mix your personal feelings with the case, or else I’ll fire you.”

 

Sincerely, he returned, "What kind of personal feelings? Family feelings or... me and you feelings?" Jade turned to smile slyly at Khamin, but received only a small smile in return.

 

"I've never said I dislike you, but I won't let my feelings of dislike- dislike of you, dislike of you working with you, dislike of you getting close to you come out as complaints about the case. Don't worry."

 

"Tee, you're so talkative, Mr Khamin."

 

"You're so foul-mouthed, Mr Jade," said Sergeant Ken, who was sitting at his desk recording his testimony. He looked at his two superiors with excitement. He had never seen anyone argue with the captain so amicably, and it was rare for his captain to be scolded so harshly, even though men and women usually ran to him.

 

"Um... should I invite the next person to the room?" Sergeant Prai, who had just opened the door and found the captain and the station inspector staring at each other with determination, became so nervous that he didn't dare speak loudly.

 

"Please help me, Sergeant Prai," Khamin said, looking away from Jade to look at the door.

 

“Yes, Inspector.”

 

"I won't bother you anymore. How about we work together in a friendly manner?" Jade said, raising his hands in surrender.

 

“I hope you can do it for ten minutes.”

 

“What do you think caused them to act like that? Normally, when they’re all drunk and hungover, they wouldn’t all fall asleep at the same time. Jay usually has a pretty strong neck.” Khamin thought for a while before he spoke about what he had in mind.

 

"Midazolam"

 

“Why do you think it’s this medicine?”

 

"I'm just making assumptions, but I'll need to interview everyone else first, including sending the liquor glasses from the scene to the forensic department for examination."

 

“After the interrogation is over, I’ll go get the autopsy results from the hospital. Then, I’ll go get the information from the forensic department.”

 

“Hmm.” Khamin turned to look at the person who had just entered the interrogation room. The red-haired boy looked flustered, looking left and right, both hands clasped, his expression concerned. “You go now.”

 

"Want to see my skills?" Jade turned to smile at Khamin before resting his arm on the edge of the mirror.

 

"Yes, judging by your constant chatter, I'm curious to see if you have anything better to offer than your mouth. Please." Jade shrugged nonchalantly before walking towards the interrogation room.

 

As soon as Time heard the door opening, he was startled, so much so that Jade had to walk over and pat him on the shoulder, then hand him a bottle of water in a relaxed manner.

 

"Brother Jade! I didn't do anything. I really didn't do anything!"

 

"Calm down, Time. Calm down. The more helpful you are, the better off you'll be." Jade knew how panicky the kid in front of him was, having encountered him many times since he first entered university.

 

"And...and what about Jay?"

 

“He’s giving his statement in another room. Did you guys drink last night? What did you do before that?”

 

“W-well, before that, we had a ceremony to give gear to Nong. At that time, Fai was still in good condition, bro.”

 

“While we were drinking, did anyone do anything or behave in a way that was unusual?”

 

"No... but..." Time hesitated for a long time before speaking up. "I don't know if it's strange, but there was a time when we ran out of ice, so I went out to buy some at the 7-Eleven outside the university. When I came back, I saw Champ standing outside talking with Cherene. They seemed to be arguing, but when he saw me walking over, he just said he was smoking."

 

"Champ is Pui Fai's boyfriend, right?"

 

"Yes"

 

“Were you the first to capture Fai? Then why do you think she died?”

 

"W-well, Fon's body is really cold! Plus, when I put my hand under her nose, she couldn't breathe. But I didn't do anything right away!”

 

“You think you’re dead just by that? Didn’t you even bother to check his pulse or listen to his heart?”

 

"Who would be so conscious, bro? My friend is lying there, so cold, not breathing. It's a blessing that I didn't freak out and piss myself."

 

“So what were you doing around midnight?”

 

“I didn’t look at my watch or pick up my phone. Who knows? Maybe I was drunk and playing a game. It was time for us to take turns asking questions.”

 

“Ask? What game are you playing?”

 

“Truth or Dare,” Jade began, asking the same question that Khamin had asked Jay earlier. The two boys’ answers were all the same until they reached the question that Jade was still wondering about.

 

"Then why didn't you call the police or tell me when you found out Fai died?"

 

"It's Tar and Bell; they stopped Jay."

 

"Tar and Bell?"

 

"Yes, he was probably afraid of being accused." Things like shock, panic, and not knowing what to do are common. But if he's in a panic and wants to run away even though the dead person is a friend he's known for many years, that's when things get suspicious.

 

“I’ll ask you another question. Who was the one who mixed the drinks last night?”

 

"Tonkla," Jade nodded before having Sergeant Prai escort Time to a waiting room next to Jay, who had already finished questioning him. However, neither of them knew what their friend was doing, where he was, or what he had already testified about.

 

Khamin walked into the room to talk to Jade about Time's testimony. He wasn't concerned about the minor details that matched, but the additional information, such as Champ and Cherene's meeting outside, remained suspicious. And there was the matter of the kids named Tar and Bell. Another person who couldn't be overlooked was Tonkla, the person who mixed the drinks last night. That kid could put anything into other people's glasses without raising suspicion.

 

“Who next?”

 

"I think the kids named Tar and Bell seem the most anxious, whether it's fear, anxiety, or panic. They should be able to coax them."

 

“That's all right.”

 

Inside the lounge, the five children were sitting in separate corners. The longer the time passed, the more worried everyone became.

 

"Why is it taking so long? And when will I be able to go home?" Tar got up from the sofa and walked back and forth in the room under the watchful eyes of other people

 

"I'm not waiting any longer. I'm going to call my mom." Bell also got up, but before she could walk to the door, it was opened.

 

"Please invite Ms Bell and Mr Tar to give their statements."

 

“Wait a minute. What about Jay and Time?”

 

"Both of them have already finished giving their statements."

 

"Then why does it have to be us first? What did it say?"

 

"I'm just here to escort you to the interrogation room. Please come in." Bell and Tar looked at each other before following Sergeant Prai out.

 

This time, Jade and Khamin let the two of them go in to question them together. Their hot temper and panic would cause them to reveal things that they might have been hiding.

 

“Hello, both of you.”

 

“S-Hello,” Tar looked a little nervous, while Bell looked a little unhappy.

 

"Hello"

 

“Let's get started, shall we?”

 

“If we give this statement, it’s over, and we can go home, right?”

 

“Yes, we can only detain you for forty-eight hours.”

 

"So, can we call our parents now?"

 

“We’ve already informed them. They’re on their way.” Both of their expressions looked much better than before, so Khamin took the time to continue his interrogation. “How many years have you two been friends?”

 

"Since the first year," Bell answered, and Tar nodded to confirm.

 

“Have you ever had any arguments before?”

 

"No"

"Do not have"

 

"Then could you please tell me about the events from when we started drinking until we learned about Khun Fai's death?" The two looked at each other, as if deciding who would speak. Finally, Tar was the first to speak.

 

The two of them took turns recounting the events that had just happened without any hesitation. If someone missed something, the other would add to it, until...

 

"Bell was the one who went in and grabbed Foi and said she was dead."

 

"Why are you talking like that? I didn't catch it alone," Bell shouted.

 

"So you didn't catch him or what? You only told me that Time caught him?"

 

"You were making a scene and then running away when the doctor said Fai was dead, too!" Bell stood up to her full height before putting her hands on her hips and yelling at the person sitting next to her. "Who knows? A person like you could do anything to Fai. He almost did it before!"

 

"You damn bastard, Bell!" Seeing that the two were about to use force, Khamin stood in front of Bell, while Jade also locked Tar's arms.

 

"If you use violence again, you'll really be charged this time," Khamin said before pushing the two away from each other.

 

“I’ll ask you another question, Tar. Did you call the ambulance?” Jade asked when he had the chance.

 

"I'm not."

 

“So who called?”

 

"I don't know!" Tar glared at Bell in displeasure before shaking off her arm to break free. But how could the young man's strength compare to the strength of a skilled police officer?

 

"Go calm down first." Jade walked out of the room to the reception room. In this room, only Bell and Khamin were left.

 

"Mr Bell, what do you mean?"

 

“Huh, with someone like him, I’m not surprised he’d get so worked up about the police.”

 

"Because?"

 

"Because he took drugs! There were still drugs in his system that day. Who knows? Maybe he drugged Fai. Or try asking his friend, the troublemaker Cherene. She cried so hard. I don't know if she was really upset or pretending," Bell said before walking out of the interrogation room, bumping into Khamin's shoulder.

 

The group of friends that many people envy is not what outsiders see.