Goddess Bless You From Death

Case File 30.

Thup always avoided hospitals. He never considered setting foot in one unless it was necessary. This place wasn't just filled with people about to leave this world, but also with spirits waiting to be born. He followed closely behind his big brother until they reached the reception desk. The hospital was relatively small, yet crowded enough that Thup almost got lost.

"Excuse me, I need to see the head nurse or anyone who has been working here for over twenty years." The police badge was flashed once more on the day.

"One moment, please."

The young nurse disappeared into a room. While they waited, a friendly voice called out to them from behind.

"Oh, what brings you here?" Charn, in a pristine white lab coat, didn't lessen Singha's irritation.

"Business."

"You didn't talk to me at my uncle's house, and now you won't talk outside either? You're so unfriendly."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help with the case I mentioned. What about you?"

"Officer, here's the person you wanted to meet."

"Hello, I'm the head nurse. How can I help you?" The new arrival, a nurse in a spotless white uniform, looked to be around sixty years old. Her calm face showed a hint of concern.

"Could we talk for a moment? I have some questions."

"It's work hours right now. I'm afraid I'm not available. Could you wait until after work?"

"We don't have that much time." Singha held up a piece of paper, showing her a picture of one of the murder victims. Her shock was evident. "We need to talk."

In the interrogation room at the police station, King stood with his arms crossed, watching the elderly man in the yellow robe sitting calmly across from him. Since his arrest, the man had shown no signs of distress or worry, despite all the evidence pointing to him.

"Boss, come out for a moment, please." One of his team members opened the door. King nodded slowly before turning back to the abbot.

"If you have a private lawyer, call them. If not, you can use a public defender."

Only silence answered him. King walked past the abbot to speak with his subordinate. With the suspect in custody, all that remained was finding solid evidence to confirm his guilt.

"What is it?"

"Dr Sei and Dr Darin have brought the victim to the infirmary. An initial check shows no external or internal injuries. We're just waiting for her to wake up from the drug."

"And what did the evidence team find?"

"Nothing new from the site yet. But the team reported that villagers are trying to drive them out of the temple grounds."

"Why?"

"Well, it's because the locals highly respect the abbot. That's why they are discontented. I think they might come here soon."

"Secure the area. Inform them that any violent action will be considered obstruction of justice and will be punishable by both a fine and imprisonment. Notify the investigation bureau that we have the suspect in custody so they can issue a statement."

"Understood."

"Update me on any progress. And where's Lieutenant Khem?"

"Not sure, sir. He's been missing since this morning."

"Call him back. I need to see him."

"Yes, sir."

After giving the orders, King noticed someone approaching out of the corner of his eye.

"Xylazine." Sei handed the document to King reluctantly, knowing he should be reporting this to Singha. But his friend wasn't around.

"Animal tranquilliser?"

"Yeah. Tests on the water bottle found near the crime scene showed traces of this drug."

"Is it dangerous?"

"It can have side effects, but Rin has checked and found no immediate danger. The victim should wake up in two to three hours."

"Alright, I'll go in for questioning."

Sei put his hand in the pocket of his lab coat and shrugged nonchalantly at the person in front of him. He unwrapped a lollipop as he walked into the observation room. The candy's sweet taste contrasted sharply with the grim situation. Although he wasn't an investigative officer, his long experience with the investigation team made him feel uneasy about the whole situation. It was strange that a murderer who had committed crimes for years without getting caught suddenly slipped up today.

"We're going to start the interrogation now. Should I call you Phra Amaro or Mr Anuphap?" King sat down opposite the monk, maintaining a firm yet not overly harsh demeanour.

"Whatever is convenient for you. I don't mind such trivial matters."

"That's good. You are aware of the disappearance of the seven individuals who became victims and the murders, correct? Let's be straightforward. You are our prime suspect. The circumstantial evidence found today, the clip of you disposing of animal carcasses recently, and eyewitness testimonies all point to you." King laid out the documents, including photos and written statements, on the table. 

"Where were you on the day the police found the seven bodies?"

"I was resting at the temple."

"Do you have any witnesses?"

"That day, a new monk had just arrived. We were discussing Dharma until around eleven at night before heading our separate ways to rest because laypeople were coming to have their cars blessed the next morning."

"Can I have his name?" The abbot nodded and wrote the new monk's name on a piece of paper. "As for the animal carcasses in the black bags we found, do you have anything to say about that? Because I don't think a normal person would do such a thing."

"Sigh. There are many stray dogs and cats at the temple. Some people abandon others, while others breed rapidly. Recently, I've been finding carcasses near the Bodhi tree in the temple every day. Some old, some new. So, Keun and I have to bury them to prevent the villagers from being alarmed."

"Keun? Do you mean the temple manager? Does he know about this?"

"Yes, Keun found them and told me. We don't know who did it, but those animals never caused any trouble at the temple. Sometimes they wandered around the villagers' homes, but I don't think anyone would be so cruel." The abbot sighed and shook his head with a resigned expression.

"You rarely have solid alibis and are linked to multiple victims. If you don't have a strong defence, it's going to be tough for you."

"If you want to know my whereabouts and actions, you can ask Keun. He doesn't just handle the temple's affairs; he also takes care of the other monks and me."

"What kind of temple affairs does he manage?"

"Everything, from expenses to arranging religious ceremonies and invitations. Keun handles it all."

"You trust him that much?"

"Yes, despite his past mistakes, he's turned his life around under the refuge of Buddhism." King immediately glanced up at the person opposite him.

"Mistakes? Can you elaborate?"

"Sigh, before, Keun was involved in vices and even physically abused his wife and children. After this case, he made a complete turnaround and dedicated his life to serving his religion."

Sei, listening in the observation room, tilted his head and removed the lollipop from his mouth. He had heard some information from Singha earlier, including details about Keun. He turned to speak with a police officer who was recording the conversation next to him.

"How far have the police inspected the temple?"

"They have already inspected the abbot's quarters, sir."

"Where else?"

"Around the other monks' quarters and the almshouse area."

"Have you checked the temple manager's residence inside the temple?" Sei rolled his eyes at the young officer's pause before walking out of the room. His thick hand knocked on the interrogation room door three times. When it opened, he immediately pointed his lollipop at King.

"Aren't you going to wait for information from Singh?"

"Not necessary."

"Are you sure it's not necessary? The way your eyebrows are nearly tied together suggests you're also suspicious." King met the sharp gaze of the person in front of him. Sei wasn't wrong. King was suspicious not only of the abbot but also of Uncle Keun, the temple manager. "What you should do is wait for updates from Singh and send someone to check Uncle Keun's residence."

Sei put the cola-flavoured lollipop back in his mouth and turned to leave. His white sneakers screeched to a halt when he heard the expected statement from behind.

"I've already informed the investigation bureau."

"So what? I'm not the one who rushed and reported just to take credit. Handle it yourself," Sei smirked before walking away, feeling at ease. If the abbot was truly the culprit, that was fine. But if he wasn't, circulating an erroneous case would bring trouble directly to the reporter, King.

Singha had been talking to the head nurse for quite a while. After explaining everything to her and recounting the events, she burst into tears. It took almost twenty minutes to calm her down before she began to share her side of the story.

"Her name is Chaba. Hic. The nurse you're looking for is named Chaba."

"Do you have her records?"

"Yes."

"You mentioned you were friends. Did she tell you anything?"

"When she recently transferred here, I had just transferred too. Since both of us were newcomers, we got along well. She was in the late stages of pregnancy at the time, so I often looked after her. She was kind-hearted, lovely, and well-liked by her colleagues. I met her husband when he came to see her give birth. However, about 5 years later, she started losing weight. Chaba kept saying it was because of taking care of her child and working hard, so I didn't think much of it. One night, she suddenly brought her son to the hospital, crying that he was very ill."

"What happened next?"

"Her son had dengue fever, likely due to living in a forested area with a high mosquito population. We did our best to treat him until he recovered. But strangely enough, her husband never showed up to visit their son, not even once. After that, Chaba began to show signs of paranoia and anxiety. I often saw bruises on her body, but she would always explain them away, saying her naughty son had bumped into her or that she was clumsy."

"Did she say anything about her husband or family situation?"

"A little. She mentioned that both of her children often fell ill because they were weak from birth. Her daughter was the one who got sick more often. She also mentioned small complaints about her husband, but I found it weird nonetheless."

"Weird? How?"

"She said her husband liked to wake up and chant prayers at three in the morning and then disappear into the forest. Some days, he would return in the morning, or around four or five. She thought it might be because of the murder cases that were causing fear at that time." Her face paled as she spoke about the murder cases.

"Speaking of the cases, were the victims' bodies sent here?"

"Yes, the bodies were sent here before the police and forensics took them."

"Were there any incidents during that time?"

"Um... yes. There were strange occurrences at the hospital. Objects moved on their own, lights went out, and some people heard muffled sounds, while others heard banging on the floor and walls. Many nurses resigned during that time."

"And where was Chaba during this?"

"I honestly don't know. Chaba took a one-week leave, but she didn't come back when it ended. I tried calling her, but she didn't answer. When I went to her house, it was closed and silent. Before I knew it, rumours had spread around among the villagers."

Singha exchanged glances with the kid next to him.

"Did you go to that house?"

"Yes, I went once... and I never want to go again."

"Why?"

"It... didn't feel like a place where people lived." She lifted her head from her hands and looked at Singha, her eyes trembling. The fear was palpable; even Thup could feel it.

"What's wrong there?" Thup asked, feeling a chill behind him.

"It doesn't feel like home there; it feels more like a graveyard." As soon as the sentence ended, the lights in the room flickered, casting the room into silence. For a moment, Thup was certain he saw a dark shadow standing in the corner of the room before it disappeared when the lights came back on

"Do you have a picture of Chaba?"

"Yes, I think I still have one. Just a moment." She left the room, leaving only Singha and Thup.

"P'Singh, just now..."

"What?"

"Nothing." Thup shook his head quickly. He wasn't sure who or what he had seen. Maybe it was just a spirit in this hospital.

"We'll have to move up the schedule. We need to leave tomorrow."

“Tomorrow? How can we complete everything on time? What time is it now?”

"Three in the afternoon." Thup checked his watch before replying. We still have time. Are you sure the spirit you mentioned knows about the rituals, Mae Sue, and all this freaking ghost stuff?"

"Yes, I think he does."

"Then we'll go after this"

"P'Singh" Thup pressed his lips together before grabbing Singha's shoulder

"What is it?"

"If we go there, I have a request for you", Singha raised an eyebrow at the young man beside him. Thup's worried expression made him uneasy. "Whatever happens, please listen to me"

"And if what you say isn't worth listening to, what should I do?"

"I still want you to listen to me. Otherwise, we won't be able to provide the information you need. Please." Their eyes met. For the first time, Singha saw determination in Thup's eyes, but he didn't know why it worried him so much.

"Alright." His mother had once told him to trust his instincts. So he should trust that Thup had a reason for speaking up. He believed the boy had a point.

The sound of the door opening broke their exchanging gaze. A single clue was handed to Singha and Thup, a photograph taken in front of the hospital many decades ago. Two young nurses, smiling at the camera, stood arm in arm, looking happy. One was the elderly nurse standing before them, and the other was someone Singha found vaguely familiar. For Thup, however, she was someone he knew well.

"P'Singh." Thup said softly, taking the photo from Singha without looking away, "She's the ghost I saw."