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

Investigation Part 5

 

A tall man with a skinhead hairstyle that sharpened his face walked into the interrogation room. Tonkla's calm demeanour made Jade's eyebrows rise slightly. Khamin, who was standing and watching in the observation room, did the same.

 

Sapling looked too calm in the midst of a police investigation, and he was also concerned about his friend who had just died. However, the boy in front of him did not seem sad or anxious.

 

“Sit.”

 

"Yes"

 

“Would you like some water or coffee?”

 

"It's okay. If you have any questions, please ask, Brother Jade ."

 

“Alright then.” Jade crossed his arms and looked at the boy in front of him with a relaxed expression. “Tell me about what happened during our drinking session.”

 

“After the freshman orientation, we walked to that room. We helped clean up the room, unpacked the food bags, and then sat down to drink as usual. Time and Jay followed later. After that, we drank and played games until we were drunk and fell asleep. When we woke up, we found that Fai was dead.”

 

“Where did those two go?”

 

"I don't know."

 

“What are you guys drinking?”

 

"Beer as usual."

 

“Are you the one who mixes drinks for your friends?”

 

"Yes." Tonkla would answer every question Jade asked without pausing to think. There were two reasons why the boy in front of him was like that. One was that the other party was so clueless that he could honestly answer the question. Two was that the boy in front of him was lying through his teeth, having already considered everything.

 

“How much did everyone drink to get so drunk they fell asleep at the same time?”

 

“We agreed to drink to our hearts' content to celebrate the end of the hazing ceremony. So everyone wouldn't have to worry about going home, so we drank to our hearts' content.”

 

“From what I heard from your friends, you guys are playing Truth or Dare, right?”

 

"Yes"

 

“Then let’s play a game.” Jade leaned over, elbows on the table, and stared blankly at the boy in front of him. “May I ask, besides you, who else has been involved in all the drinks?”

 

"What if I don't answer?"

 

“Just being challenged to stay in this room for an hour… with me.” Being with a police officer who can trick you into asking questions for more than twenty minutes at a time is already tiring enough. If there is something to hide, it is not good at all.

 

“No, no one handles drinks except me. I'm the one who mixes and refills beer all night.”

 

“So that’s how it is. Then I’ll ask you again. When you found out that Pui Fai had died, were you the one who called an ambulance?”

 

"Yes, I called because Jay told me to."

 

"Okay, go rest."

 

Jade stared at the tall boy's back until the door closed. He leaned back in his chair, looked up at the pristine white ceiling, and slowly closed his eyes before laughing.

 

"What are these kids playing at?" Khamin looked at the person laughing alone in the room before sighing. The rough events these kids described were consistent, but some details didn't match. The difficult part of this case was that there were no security cameras in the room. 

 

Outside the building, a camera should have been pointed at the area in front of the storage room, but it was tilted upward, showing only the sky. It didn't just happen now; it had been happening for over a month. It was probably because the students who secretly used the room were afraid of getting caught, so they adjusted the camera so that it couldn't see anything.

 

“Earlier, when interrogating the kid named Tar, the captain also asked, right? Wasn't that the kid who called the ambulance?”

 

"Yes, Inspector." At that time, Jade might have asked random questions to ensure his younger brother's testimony was accurate. But it was clear that Jay's nurse's testimony and Tonkla's matched. But Khamin still didn't rule out any suspicious points. At that moment, no one was conscious enough to know what the people around them were doing, as they were shocked, worried, and only concerned with themselves. The testimony about calling for an ambulance...

 

Khamin walked into the interrogation room before walking towards Jade, who was still looking up and closing his eyes.

 

“You can leave now, Mr Jade. I’ll ask the other two myself.” When there was no response, Khamin walked over to stand behind Jade’s chair and looked at the sleeping man with an irritated expression. “Captain, is it time to sleep?”

 

The pitch-black eyes opened to look at Khamin without looking away. The sharp face, devoid of the usual playful, teasing smiles, left Khamin unable to appreciate anything.

 

After a second, “There are two left. One is a boyfriend, and the other is a close friend. Who looks more suspicious?” Jade asked without taking his eyes off Khamin.

 

“Aren’t all seven of them suspicious? I won’t just make random guesses.”

 

"You're not having any fun," Jade said, standing up and stretching before twisting slightly. It was already seven o'clock in the morning, and the children's parents were waiting outside. They couldn't waste any more time. Without clear evidence, they wouldn't be able to detain anyone.

 

“It's a waste of time.”

 

"Quickly interrogate the remaining two, Inspector. I'm hungry."

 

"If you're hungry, go get something to eat. I didn't chain you up." Khamin was too lazy to argue with the person in front of him, so he ordered Sergeant Prai to bring Champ in for questioning.

 

"Breakfast is important. If you skip breakfast, your brain won't work. You won't be able to think of any cases." Khamin didn't reply, but sat down opposite Jade, resting his chin on his hand and looking at the other person with an annoyed expression.

 

“Is this how you usually work?”

 

“What kind?”

 

"It's all so playful. There's a death in this case, Captain."

 

“Do I look like I’m playing?” Jade leaned closer to Khamin, his eyes changing. 

 

They were serious and fierce, without the hint of playfulness his earlier words and gestures had. “The more you press him, the more those kids will try to resist and hide it. Do you really think that the answers you’re getting from all your interrogations now are true? If this was an accident, that’s fine, but if it was a murder, then one of the seven people planned it from the beginning. Do you think the murderer will tell you, Inspector?”

 

The two looked at each other without saying anything until there was a knock at the door, and Sergeant Prai walked in with a tall young man with jet-black hair that looked a little messy.

 

"I'll go make some coffee." Jade smiled at Khamin before standing up. But before he could even leave the door, he stopped in front of Champ and smiled back. 

 

"You're welcome."

"Yes"

 

“Have a seat.” Khamin stopped paying attention to the police station’s captain and turned his attention to the remaining two questionable individuals. “Champ, is that you?”

 

"Yes"

“Tell me about your relationship with Pui Fai.”

 

"I'm a cotton fan."

“Have you two ever had any problems or arguments with each other before?”

 

“There are some.”

“Can you tell me?”

 

"Fai is a jealous person, so sometimes we have problems with this."

 

“Were you the one sitting next to Fai last night? Did you see anything unusual? Did you see anything strange about Fai?”

 

“Not at all.”

"Did she drink too much?"

 

"Not a lot."

"If she doesn't drink a lot, it shouldn't be fatal, right?"

 

"Before this, Fai was stressed about her fourth year of studies and finding a job, so she had trouble sleeping. She was also taking medication, but I don't know what kind of medication it was."

 

“Is that so?” Khamin nodded in acknowledgement before continuing his question. “Tell me about what happened last night after the hazing.”

 

Champ began to recount the events of the previous night from beginning to end. Every detail matched what the others had previously told him, but one thing was missing: the boy hadn't told the story of when he went out to talk to the girl named Cherene.

 

"That's all there is to it."

“What is the relationship between Pui Fai and Cherene?”

 

"She's a close friend."

“Since when?”

 

“Maybe in high school. Fai once told me that they were close since high school and promised to go to university together.”

 

“Then you must be quite close.” Khamin leaned back in his chair, looking more relaxed. “Your girlfriend died… Are you very sad?”

 

"I'm sorry. We dreamed of a future together, working and moving in together. I... I just didn't think Fai would leave me." There were different expressions of sorrow, but this indifference seemed a bit cold for someone who claimed to have a future together.

 

Inside the lounge, only Cherene was left sitting on the sofa, holding her hands together. Her round eyes were wide open, the corners slightly raised, as she looked around cautiously. When she was sure that there were no security cameras in the room, she got up and walked to the trash can. Her slender hands were about to take something out of the pocket of her pleated skirt, but a greeting sounded behind her first. She jumped and quickly pretended nothing had happened.

 

“I see you’ve been waiting a long time. I’m afraid you’ll be hungry. How about a sandwich?”

 

"Thank you." She walked back to sit on the sofa and reached out to take the sandwich that Jade offered her.

 

“So what were you doing just now?”

"Just throw away the tissue."

 

"I'm sorry about your best friend's death." Cherene didn't reply, only nodding slightly. Her eyes were red from crying so hard that Jade handed her a tissue to wipe her tears. "I see you've been friends for a long time."

 

"Yes, I've been friends with Fai since high school."

“Has Fai had symptoms like this before?”

 

“Never. Normally, when we go out drinking, she can drink. But I think she has been stressed out lately about exams and future work, so she has been drinking.”

 

"She can't sleep sometimes. I've seen Fai buy sleeping pills to take, so I don't know if it will have any effect," Jade said, listening intently with an expressionless face.

 

“You must have been quite shocked when it happened.”

"Yes, I was so shocked I didn't know what to do."

 

"So Jay had Tonkla call the hospital, right?"

 

"Kankla? Yes, it was Tonkla who called." Jade nodded in understanding before holding two more cups of coffee in his hand and standing up.

 

“Don’t worry. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be going first. If I bring the coffee to the sergeant late, he’ll make a scene again,” Jade said with a bored expression before asking to walk out. When the door closed, the smile he had before slowly faded away. Earlier, when he was interrogating a kid named Champ, he had been listening too. So, his answers, his pace, and the way he repeated every question just like Champ did indicated that the two kids had talked before and might have arranged it beforehand. If it wasn’t one of them lying and forcing the other to speak in the same way to cover up, then it was the two of them who were colluding to cover up these matters.

 

After Champ left, Cherene was the last person brought in for questioning. Her account of the events matched every point. However, Cherene did the same thing as Champ: she did not recount the events when they went outside to talk.

 

“Do you normally smoke?”

"Nothing"

 

"Oh, is that so? Then I must have mixed it up a bit. Earlier, Time said he saw you go outside with Champ to smoke." Khamin's expression remained calm, and the person being questioned became more agitated.

 

“I just went out to get some fresh air. It was cold inside, and I happened to run into Champ. I thought it was nothing important, so I forgot to tell you.”

 

“Then let me ask you two more questions. My parents are probably waiting impatiently. Have you ever fought with anyone before?”

 

“Not very often. Fai doesn’t like to get into trouble.”

“So… in the group, have any of you ever had any arguments?”

 

"No, we never fight."

“Okay, that’s all for today. We’ll contact you if we hear anything.”

 

"Yes." Cherene was led to the waiting room to meet the others already there. The room's quiet atmosphere didn't surprise Khamin much. It was so suspicious and distrustful that no one initiated the conversation.

 

"That's all for today's interrogation. After this, once the forensic results are in, we'll let you know. If there are any doubts, we might have to invite them to give another round of testimony... individually." Jade walked into the room before handing a cup of coffee to Khamin, who was standing beside him.

 

“Your guardians are waiting at the front. Go home safely.” No one said anything; they all got up and hurried out. Only one person was left. Just Jay, who walked up to his brother with a tense face

 

"As for me, I'll go eat, and then I'll take you home."

 

"When will we get the autopsy results, brother?"

 

"Recently"

 

"Have you told Fai's mom and dad yet?"

 

“I already informed you.” Jade looked at his younger brother with a blank face. “I’m asking you seriously, why are you hiding something from me?”

 

"I'm not."

 

"Then why did you hesitate during the interrogation?"

 

"When did I hesitate?"

 

"When asked why you didn't tell me first," Jay paused before turning to look at Khamin, who was drinking coffee and listening to the two siblings.

 

"I'm just afraid that Big Min will look at Tar and Bell badly. Even though they're hot-tempered, they won't hurt anyone, Big Brother."

 

"How can you be so sure? You're not even the same as you were an hour ago. How can you expect anything from other people, Jay?"

 

"I'm their friend."

 

"How well do you think you know your friend?" Jade stopped paying attention to his brother before turning to look at Khamin. "Let's just wait and see. Let's go eat."

 

"I'm busy."

 

“I was going to eat and then go straight to the hospital. If you don’t want to go with me, that’s up to you.”

 

"Let's go, Brother Khamin. I've been working hard all night." Khamin looked back and forth between the two brothers. Aside from their similar appearances, their personalities were as if they belonged to different worlds.

 

“I drive,” Khamin sighed tiredly.

 

“That’s all. You’re acting all coy. I only asked you out for dinner, not to go to bed.”

 

Until he was out of sight. "Does a mouth like that normally eat rice, Mr Jade? I thought it was pellet food." The two siblings looked at the back of the shirt, away from the room.

 

"He's really cute, P'Jade ."

 

“Cute? Should I get glasses, Jay? That kind of mouth is cute.”

 

"Oh yeah, I think he's cute. The first day we met, I thought he was cute. Even though we met under a difficult situation today, I still think he's cute."

 

"First day?"

 

"I met him at the Drink Me club. His eyes are so beautiful." Jade narrowed his eyes at his younger brother's face before pouting.

 

“It’s so-so. But in the club, it’s so dark. When did you see his eyes?”

 

"In the bathroom"

 

"Just wait and see. If he scolds you too much, you'll forget all about that cuteness."

 

"When you say it like that, you think P'Min is cute, right?" Jay turned to look at his brother, who was walking side by side to the parking lot. When he arrived, he saw Kami talking on the phone. When he turned to look at the two people walking towards him, his beautiful brown eyes immediately rolled up.

 

“This is your cuteness.”

 

"Yes"

 

The two siblings stopped arguing about the new police lieutenant's cuteness as soon as they got into the car, afraid that if they talked too much, they would be thrown off the road without any regard. Judging from Khamin's eyes... they were definitely going to do it.