Goddess Bless You From Death

Case File  29.

The door to the infirmary burst open as both Sei and King rushed into the special patient room, only to find Jump still asleep on the hospital bed.

"I'm going to check the lounge," King said when he didn't see the other two friends of the boy on the bed. But before he could leave, the door swung open hurriedly again. The newcomer, breathing heavily and looking worried, asked King, "Where are your friends?"

"D-Dear... hic... Is Dear here?" Bom asked anxiously before coughing violently.

"Calm down," Sei, noticing the boy's distress, quickly approached to check on him. 

"Where is Dear?"

"I-I don't know. When I woke up, I went to call her, but the door was open, and... she was gone. I ran everywhere looking for her, but couldn't find her."

"I'm going to the temple," King said before running out to organise a team to head to the temple immediately. Sei, still in the room, patted Bom's back gently before letting the boy sit down to rest. Hearing Bom's heavy breathing, Sei went to get him some water, but his phone rang in his pocket, and he answered it.

"Hello."

[I've arrived in Sisaket. I'm at the police station here.]

"Hurry up, Singh." [Why?]

"Something's happened on this side."

King was driving fast, almost beyond the speed limit, heading towards the temple with several subordinates. This time, they might be able to catch the killer. Two police cars drove onto the temple grounds, and seven officers got out to search the area as instructed. King approached a group of villagers who seemed startled by the large presence of officers.

"Um, h-hello, Officer. Is there a reason so many of you are here? Or are you here to eat at the almshouse?" An elderly woman greeted them with a mix of friendliness and fear.

"Excuse me, I just wanted to ask if you've seen this girl. She came to the temple around eight this morning." King showed a photo of Dear, one of the four kids who trespassed at the murder scene, to the cook at the almshouse.

"Hmm, no, I haven't seen her. I came here around five in the morning to prepare the kitchen, and I didn't see anyone except the monks performing their morning prayers."

"May I speak with the abbot?"

"This morning, he was chanting in the chapel. I just offered him breakfast at seven thirty."

King glanced at the villagers who had started to take an interest in the situation. He tried to maintain a neutral expression. The news of the recent gruesome events had already spread. It was better for them to think the police were hunting for the killer rather than knowing the killer might strike again, which could cause panic.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm just conducting a follow-up investigation. I need to speak with the abbot." King noticed that Dear was not in the almshouse, so he headed straight for the abbot's quarters.

The sound of something hard hitting the ground made King stop abruptly. His hand instinctively grabbed the gun at his waist, holding it in a standard defensive posture. His hurried steps shifted to more cautious ones, his heels landing lightly. As the dense trees cleared from his line of sight, he saw a man in bright monk's robes digging beside a wooden quarter.

Next to him was a large black bag tightly tied—a bag that wouldn't have caught King's attention if not for the seeping blood that was slowly soaking into the ground.

"Stop!! Police! Drop what you're holding and raise your hands immediately!!"

"Wh-What's going on, Layman?"

"Send someone to the abbot's quarters, now!" King radioed his subordinates, then turned back to the abbot, who still held the shovel above his head, showing no sign of putting it down. He stepped closer, raising his hand defensively. "Drop the shovel."

"-I don't understand. What did I do wrong?"

King professionally recited the Miranda Rights as he approached the abbot, pulling out a knife to cut open the black bag.

The stench of decay and blood filled the air as the remains of several cats and dogs spilt out. Their mangled bodies were unidentifiable, causing the officers who had just arrived at the scene to recoil.

"Search the area thoroughly."

"Yes, sir!" At King's command, the officers began a meticulous search of the premises. Given the circumstances, the suspect was likely close by.

"If I've done something wrong, I won't run. But can you tell me what I've done?"

"Based on the evidence, you're a suspect in the recent mass murder case and might have kidnapped or confined the girl in this picture, who recently went missing."

"B-But... I'm a monk, ordained and living under the precepts. I would never harm anyone."

"What's going on here!!! Luang Por!? What are you doing!?" Uncle Keun, panting heavily, ran to support the abbot. "This is the abbot! How can you treat him like this?

"Then explain those," King pointed to the animal remains spilling from the bag.

"Th-That.."

"Chief!!! We've found the victim. She was confined in the storage room under the quarters. She's unconscious but has no external injuries."

"Secure the area. Contact the evidence collection team and the forensics unit. As for the suspect," King turned to the abbot, "take him to the station for questioning."

"Yes, sir."

Singha had just stepped into the Kantharalak Police Station, his expression growing grimmer after the call with Sei. Even though most of the information came from the Sisaket station, any incident in this area would still be handled by the local police first, so he needed to gather information here.

"How may I help you?" A plump, honey-skinned police officer walked up and asked in a friendly manner.

"I'm a police officer. I would like to inquire about a case." Singha handed over his police identification card. Seeing Singha's rank, the officer hurriedly saluted. "No need for that. Please make yourself comfortable. Who can I speak to, or is the superintendent here?"

"The superintendent hasn't arrived yet. Shall I call him for you?"

"How long has he been in this position?"

"Fifteen years."

"Can I speak with an officer who's been here for over twenty years?"

"Uh... that would be Lieutenant Kett. He's been here a long time. He's out for lunch but should be back soon."

"I'll wait."

"Please, follow me to the lounge."

Singha and Thup sat in the lounge. Once they were alone, Thup started the conversation.

"P'Singh?"

"What?"

"I know Uncle Kett. But I thought he retired."

"I think he might know something about the case. Let's wait and see."

Thup nodded in understanding. Half an hour later, an elderly undercover police officer hurried into the room. His greying hair and lined face indicated he was nearing retirement.

"Hello, Inspector. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No problem. Are you Lieutenant Kett?"

"Yes, that's me."

"I don't have much time, so I'll get straight to the point. I'm here about a case from twenty years ago. I believe you were still on duty then."

"Yes, but which case are you referring to?"

"The mass murder case where the victims had their eyes and mouths sewn shut with red thread." The officer's shocked reaction made Singha sit up straight, arms crossed, to gauge his response. "I assume you remember."

"Y-Yes, but..."

"I need all the information you have. Can you help?"

"But that case was closed."

"If it were closed, this wouldn't be happening." Singha placed a case file on the table, displaying photos and information clearly enough to make the older officer's face pale. "Similar cases have occurred every five years since then. The latest was in my jurisdiction. Five and ten years ago, they happened in the north, and the culprit was never caught.

Fifteen years ago, it was in the south, but the person arrested was innocent. The case has been reopened, and the officers there are under investigation. Where do you think the cases from twenty and twenty-five years ago occurred? What will happen to those involved who let the culprit escape and commit more crimes?"

Singha's calm, steady voice carried a weight that made even Thup sit still. Singha was like a tiger cornering its prey, creating tension without causing panic, but not so gentle that the prey felt safe. His sharp gaze fixed on the officer, who began to sweat.

"You have one year left before you retire, correct?"

"L."

"If the culprit escapes again, who knows where they'll strike next? It might not even be five years before they act again. Are you sure you want to let them roam free?" The officer's sweaty palms and temples heightened Thup's tension. If he were truly innocent, Singha's questions wouldn't be intimidating. Unless...

"Back then!! Back then, I was just a senior sergeant. When the case happened, the previous superintendent diverted the police resources to a bigger case, so..."

"So this case was handled poorly because it was just some villagers' deaths, right?" Singha's calm but sharp tone made Lieutenant Kett look down at his feet.

"It's not just that. The more we investigated, the stranger things happened. Officers on the case either had accidents or got so spooked they withdrew or resigned."

"How many officers resigned back then?"

"Three."

"Can I get their names?"

"Two officers from this station and one from Sisaket Police Station. The first one was Sergeant Narong, but he passed away five years ago. The second one is Sergeant Isoon, who disappeared without a trace. The third one is Lieutenant Montach, who resigned due to health issues."

"Which parts of the case did Lieutenant Montach handle?" Singha inquired further about Uncle Ken, as he only had basic official information.

"He was responsible for examining the bodies and inspecting the crime scenes."

"Did he suddenly resign?"

"Yes."

"And do you have any additional information on Isoon?"

"I worked with him. He was a good senior officer, always helpful. But during this case, he claimed to have encountered strange things and gradually became more reserved before eventually withdrawing from the investigation."

"It might take some time. Our records from that period weren't digitised, so it will take a while to dig through the documents."

"Understood. What about the case itself? Did you uncover anything different from these records?"

"Yes, actually. When we found the victims' bodies back then, they were scattered in a graveyard, not hanged like this."

"How many incidents occurred?"

"Twice."

"P'Singh... I'd met the woman's ghost before that." Thup whispered to his big brother.

"Could it be possible that the case occurred before this, but the killer was committing the crime for the first time, so there were still some mistakes?" Singha hypothesised.

"I'm not sure. We only encountered such bodies twice, five years apart, as you mentioned."

"And what about the rumours from the villagers? The ones about the policeman living in the house in the woods with his wife and two children."

"Well... no one wants to talk about it because they fear being cursed."

"Cursed?"

"If you've heard the stories, you'd know about the chanting, the foul stench, and the wailing coming from that house. People believe it's black magic, so no one dares to meddle."

"But I heard the homeowner was a policeman and his wife was a nurse. How could it be that no one knew who they were? Didn't they have any neighbours?"

"No one lived around there. There was only that house because it used to be a shaman's residence."

"A shaman's residence?"

"Yes, but after the shaman died, the house was put up for sale. Ordinary villagers wouldn't think of living there, but... But the person who bought it was Sergeant Isoon. He was stationed here and wanted to settle down with his wife. The house was inexpensive, so he bought it, despite many people warning him not to live there, saying it would bring bad luck. His wife was pregnant at the time."

"Did he ever say anything about it?"

"In the beginning, he said it was just a normal house. He renovated it to make it comfortable. He even invited us over for dinner, but none of us dared to go. He said living there without neighbours was peaceful; he could make noise without bothering anyone"

"I need the information on Sergeant Isoon as soon as possible. Also, Lieutenant Monthach's information." Singha frowned, sensing a connection in the case but unsure of what it was. Suddenly, his phone rang, drawing his attention. Seeing the caller, his anxiety grew. "Go handle this, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir."

Once the room was back to just the two of them, Singha answered the call from King immediately.

"What's up?"

[We got the perpetrator.]

"What?!"

[The perpetrator is the abbot.]

"How can you be sure?"

[The kid named Dear was found locked in a storage room under the monk's quarters. I caught him trying to dispose of the bodies of dogs and cats.]

"And how is Dear?"

[Still unconscious, likely drugged. Sei and Darin are looking after her before taking her to the hospital.]

"The abbot?"

[Yes, you guys should come back now. We need to proceed with the case.]

"What about Song?"

[Still missing. Might also be locked up somewhere in the temple. We're searching for him.]

"Where is the abbot now?"

[In custody at the station.]

"I need to check something first, then I'll be back soon."

[What more do you need to check?]

"Something important. That's all for now." Singha hung up and quickly gathered his belongings. "Thup, get up."

"Where are we going?"

"To the hospital."

"Why?"

"To find out who that nurse is."

And more importantly, to find out who this Isoon is and why his name sounds so familiar.