Goddess Bless You From Death

Case File 4.

Chaos erupted at the station after a loud banging sound on the inspector's office door. The sight of claw marks all over the door made everyone's hair stand on end.

Singha sat at his desk while Lieutenant Khem reviewed the CCTV footage on the opposite side. Nearby, a young man sat hugging his knees, visibly shaking. Ever since Thup had arrived at the station, the entire station had experienced numerous strange occurrences, prompting the officers to gossip among themselves.

"Again, there's no one in front of the door, Inspector."

"How can that be? Everyone heard the noise, not to mention those scratch marks on the door! If it wasn't a human, was it a ghost?!" Singha said angrily. He was already stressed about catching the serial killer and now had to deal with these inexplicable incidents, too.

"I'll check it again, sir." Even Lieutenant Khem, Singha's closest subordinate, dared not speak further. Singha cast a fierce glance at Thup before sighing in frustration.

"Have you checked this kid's condo yet?"

"The search warrant will be ready at 6 AM, sir." Singha glanced at the clock; it was only half an hour until six. "Here, Inspector, the footage from when the noise happened."

Singha watched the footage of what happened outside his office. It showed no one entering, leaving, or even passing by. The same empty scene played for about five minutes before scratches started appearing, with no one visible. The door shook slightly, but when he arrived, everything had returned to peace.

"You can't see it, Inspector.." The young man's voice, sitting on the sofa, drew the attention of the two officers. "But I can."

Thup watched the video repeatedly. While others saw only an empty frame, he saw a woman in a tattered sarong, with dishevelled hair, scratching at the door.

"What do you see, kid?"

Thup looked up at Singha, the only one who understood what he was seeing.

"Get up, Thup."

"Where are you going, Inspector?" Lieutenant Khem asked immediately, seeing his boss unlock the young man's handcuffs.

"To work." Singha returned to his desk to grab his badge and shoulder his holster. 

"Keep an eye on things here. If anyone asks, tell them I'm working on the case. And fix the door; it's an eyesore."

"Working on the case? Where, sir? Inspector!!" Singha ignored the calls from behind as he headed to the parking lot, with the anxious young man following closely.

Upon arrival, Singha mounted his jet-black motorcycle and handed Thup a helmet. Seeing Thup fumble with it awkwardly, Singha realised how lacking the kid's life skills were.

"Do you know you're the most problematic suspect I've ever dealt with in my career?"

"I'm sorry." Thup's apologetic tone and puppy-dog eyes made Singha want to whack him with the helmet. He pulled the helmet back sharply and placed it on Thup's head, securing it properly.

"Get on," Singha instructed. "If you can't sit on a motorcycle properly, I'll leave you here."

Thup swung his leg over and sat stiffly behind Singha.

"See, you can do it."

"I usually take motorcycles, but the riders never made me wear a helmet," Thup mumbled, afraid of more scolding.

"Give me directions."

"To where?"

"Your condo." Thup nodded quickly and began directing him.

During this time before sunrise, Thup had never considered leaving his own room. Especially without his amulet, he hardly ever thought about this. He buried his face against the inspector's back to avoid seeing anything unwanted, only occasionally looking up to guide the way when asked. Because the street wasn't bustling with traffic, they arrived at a medium-sized condominium in less than half an hour.

"Aren't I... already under custody?"

"No."

"Then why are you at my condo?"

"To inspect the room of someone involved in the case."

"Don't you.. need a warrant first, Inspector?" Thup asked, tilting his head.

"Oh well, I'll leave you here and go get it then." Singha began to put his black helmet back on, but Thup grabbed his shirt.

"N-no need, sir."

After spending several hours together, Singha noticed one thing: the person in front of him needed a companion. Left alone, he was always visibly scared, with sweat on his forehead and trembling eyes. It was clear the kid was terrified of something.

Thup led Singha to his room. Although the condo wasn't luxurious, it was comfortable thanks to its sufficient facilities and a robust security system.

"Here we are."

"Open the door."

Thup nodded quickly, using a temporary key card he had obtained from the management office downstairs, and then pushed open the door to enter the room.

This kid's room was simply decorated in warm tones. The living room was clean, and there was a separate bedroom. The workspace was neatly organised, with drawing boards, a graphics monitor, and a desktop computer, in stark contrast to Singha's messy home.

"Where do you want to search, Inspector?"

"Everywhere." Singha glanced around. Seeing nothing out of place, he looked back at Thup.

"Well, where should I sit so I won't be in the way?"

"Go take a shower."

"Pardon?"

"Are you going to walk around with bloodstains all day?" Singha handed Thup an evidence bag. "Put your clothes in this."

"Okay." As Thup reached for it, Singha pulled it back.

"Take it off here."

"What?!" Thup was so startled that his voice cracked. The inspector in front of him wasn't joking at all. "Are...are you serious, Inspector?"

"Yeah, hurry up." Singha watched as the young man slowly took off his jacket, followed by his bloodstained T-shirt. Although the young man wasn't very muscular, he wasn't exactly skinny either. His very pale skin suggested he wasn't fond of outdoor activities.

Thup hesitated for a moment before unzipping his pants. Singha watched him with a cold demeanour. No matter how innocent the young man seemed, Singha couldn't risk any evidence being switched out, such as clothes. Everything needed to be taken back for further inspection.

"In-Inspector, c-can I go get a towel?" Thup's flawless face flushed slightly with embarrassment. Singha rolled his eyes in annoyance before picking up the clothes on the floor and putting them in the evidence bag.

"That's enough. Now, go ahead and do whatever you need to do."

"Inspector, could you stay in the room a bit longer? P-Please, don't leave yet."

"Over there is a Buddha image. Right here is a talismanic script. Your room is practically a mobile temple. What are you scared of?" After putting on gloves, Singha began meticulously searching the room, using a blacklight to inspect various areas. The room wasn't very large, but it had an en-suite bathroom. The living room is connected to the kitchen and an external bathroom, and the kitchen leads to a balcony. If a murder had occurred here, the neighbours would have heard something.

After thoroughly inspecting the room and finding nothing suspicious, Singha removed his gloves, took the evidence bag, and left Thup's room to knock on the door of the neighbouring apartment on the same floor. Shortly after, the door opened, releasing a cloud of smoke.

"Hello."

"Who are you?"

"I'm a police officer-"

"Holy shit, the police!" The scruffy young man next door quickly ran back into his room to hide his marijuana smoking devices in a box and opened the balcony door to disperse the smoke. "It's legal now, officer!"

"Well, I hope not. I have some questions." Singha chose to ignore the other issues, as he was here to investigate a murder case.

"Wh-what is it?"

"The room on your left. Do you know the person living there?"

"That introvert kid? I've seen him a few times when he goes out to buy stuff."

"Yesterday, around 9 PM, did you see or hear anything from his room?"

"Ha! That kid is nuts. Last night, he freaked out and then rushed out somewhere."

"Did he leave alone?"

"I saw a woman leaving with him, I guess? I was about to yell at him, but... I was a bit drunk." The man's answer made Singha sigh.

"Can you describe the woman?"

"Messy hair, wearing a sarong, perhaps? Why so many questions, officer? What's going on?"

"Thanks for the information." Singha stopped paying attention to the young man next door and went to talk to the condo's management instead. He requested to see the CCTV footage from last night and asked for 2 weeks' worth. The neighbour's words lingered in his mind because Thup had also described the ghost woman who had been following him.

Singha watched the footage intently, and it confirmed what the neighbour said: Thup did leave his room and head to the elevator in a hurry, then took a taxi from the front of the condominium. But he did all this alone... There was no woman with him. So, what did that man see?

"Here you go, officer."

"Thank you." Singha walked back up to the room again. When he opened the door, he found the young man in a grey hoodie and matching sweatpants, curled up on the sofa.

"Inspector!" Thup exclaimed with joy, his eyes sparkling with delight. "I thought you had already left."

"You want me to stick with you all the time?"

"No, sir..."

"Pack your bag."

"Pack... to where?"

"Or do you want to stay here?"

"If I go, will I get to stay with you, Inspector?" Thup tilted his head, looking at the inspector.

"Why does it have to be me?"

"Every time I'm close to you, Inspector... I don't see any ghosts."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Go pack." Singha spoke dismissively. It was good that the kid decided to come along. It would be easier to keep an eye on him in case anything happened. Even though there was video evidence from the condominium management office confirming his whereabouts, it wasn't enough to completely rule out suspicion. He still needed to keep an eye on this little brat.

Thup nodded vigorously before hurrying to pack his things into a bag. He unplugged all the electrical appliances except for the refrigerator to save energy and prevent future hazards. Within a few minutes, he was back in front of Singha with a black backpack.

"I'm very simple. I'm easygoing, and I can eat anything. I can cooperate with everything!"

"Be as easygoing as you say," Singha said, leading the way out of the room to the elevator. Thup kept glancing at the man beside him with admiration. Throughout the night they had spent together, Thup admired Singha's skills, cool demeanour, decisiveness, and toughness, with a hint of kindness underneath. Despite his rough speech and tough exterior, Singha wasn't heartless. Plus, whenever Thup was close to him, he didn't encounter any ghosts.

"We're going back to the police station, right?" When they reached the motorcycle, Thup put on his helmet himself, hoping for some praise from Singha. But the inspector's answer made him feel weak-kneed.

"I'm going to the crime scene first."

"T-The crime scene? D-Do I have to go too?"

"Or do you want me to drop you off at the station?"

"If you're not there, I'll still be haunted," Thup mumbled lightly before getting on the back of the motorcycle. Whether it was night or day, he'd seen things he shouldn't have to. The only thing he was sure of now was that he should stick with Singha until he found his amulet or another solution. 

Once the case was closed or he was no longer a suspect, Singha likely wouldn't let him stay close anymore. The sleek black motorcycle headed towards the forest outside the city. Even though it was morning, the forest didn't seem any less eerie.

Thup grabbed the edge of Singha's shirt when he glimpsed a ghostly figure of a chubby man standing behind a large tree. The man's pale face was covered in blood, and one side of his skull was open, exposing his brain. It appeared that an accident had occurred here, and the man was the unfortunate victim. After keeping his head down most of the way, they finally arrived at the spot where the taxi had dropped him off the previous night.

"What's wrong with you? You look pale," Singha remarked after Thup took off his helmet.

"Nothing, sir."

"The taxi dropped you off here, right?"

"Yes."

"What did you do next? Explain it from the moment you stepped out of the car." 

Thup looked at the spooky forest around them before turning back to Singha.

"I saw an old woman holding a lantern over there," Thup pointed to an empty spot to the left. "So, I followed her."

"Then show me the way." Singha mercilessly pushed the young man forward.

They walked into the forest. Despite it being daytime, the height and density of the trees allowed little light to penetrate, creating a gloomy atmosphere that made Thup keep glancing at Singha every two minutes.

"It was very dark at the time. I'm not sure if I remember correctly. But I think I fell here." Thup pointed to a log that reached up to his shin.

Singha walked over to take a closer look and found a scrape on the bark, which must have caused the cut on the nearby kid's leg.

"And then?"

"Then... I kept walking."

"You're afraid of ghosts, but you came out late at night into the forest, followed someone with a lantern, fell, and still didn't head back? You kept going until you found the murder scene? Doesn't that sound strange to you?" Singha glanced at Thup from the corner of his eye. Anyone hearing this would find the kid suspicious without a second thought.

"Yes." When Thup reconsidered his story, he realised it did sound suspicious. He wasn't surprised Singha didn't believe him.

"Follow me." Singha led the way deeper into the forest until they reached the crime scene again. The area had been cleared, leaving only yellow caution tape to prevent anyone from disturbing it. Since it had rained the previous night lightly, the ground was now muddy, so finding any additional evidence now probably won't be very useful. "Each victim was killed elsewhere and brought here. Getting a body up onto a tree isn't easy."

"Don't step there!" Thup grabbed Singha's shoulder before he could step into a puddle.

"Why?"

"Someone's displeased." Thup looked down at the ground.

"Who?"

"This place... It's not just a space. This place has an owner."

"What are you talking about, Thup? Where's the owner you're talking about?"

Thup didn't answer, just stared straight ahead with a trembling gaze. When Singha looked in the same direction, he saw only bushes and large trees.

"I think there's a reason he chose this place... The killer must have a reason for selecting this spot."

Thup unintentionally squeezed Singha's shoulder tightly because he was seeing the spirits of men and women staring back at him with discontented eyes, from one to two, from two to three, until he saw dozens of spirits watching from behind the large bushes not far away.

"This place... It must have been a graveyard before."