Goddess Bless You From Death

Case File 8.

Thup was feeling down after the frightening incident that had occurred a few hours ago. He was now sitting in the inspector's office at the station, with the inspector also present. However...

"I saw a ghost, Singh," Darin said.

"There are only corpses, no ghosts," Sei said.

"If there are corpses, there must be ghosts, Sei! The spirits cling to the bodies, you know?"

"Then why would the spirits haunt you? Why not the person who murdered them?" Sei raised an eyebrow at his friend, who was about to make a fuss.

"May-Maybe they can't rest in peace!"

"Annoying," Singha said lazily, but his eyes hadn't left the autopsy report that Sei, the forensic doctor, had brought.

"I really saw it, Singh," Darin plopped down on a chair when none of her friends seemed to believe her. "What if it follows me back home?"

"No... There's no one following you," Thup said softly, but it was enough to get the attention of the three others.

"What did you just say, cutie?"

"No one followed you, Doctor."

"Are you serious?!" Darin moved herself from the chair in front of Singha's desk to sit next to Thup on the sofa. The young man nodded, glancing at the older woman. 

"How did you know?"

"He says he can see ghosts."

"Hmm," Sei chuckled softly. His life was grounded in science, making it difficult for him to accept unprovable claims.

"Really?!" But for some, like Darin, belief came without question.

"You can see ghosts for real?! So, you actually see them? At first, I thought you were joking."

"Uh. well."

"Call me P'Darin! Go on, call me!"

"Yes... P'Darin."

"Now you two are getting so friendly? Are you sure this kid isn't involved in the case?" Singha interjected.

"There's no trace of Thup's fingerprints or DNA on the rope or the victims. Besides, the blood on him was his own. I read the test results," Darin said confidently, patting Thup's shoulder.

"Faking evidence isn't hard."

"Oh, come on! Do you have to make him the culprit, no matter what? You already checked the CCTV footage, didn't you? You saw that this kid was in his room the whole time."

Singha shrugged and continued reading the documents in his hand. "Thup, Thup, Thup..So, do you really see ghosts?"

Thup bit his lip, unsure whether to confirm this. He didn't want to be seen as a joke again.

"Hey, Rin, if you have nothing to do, why not dress his wounds?"

"What wounds?"

"On his hands," Singha spoke without looking up. Hearing that, Thup showed his hands to Darin.

"Oh, what happened here?"

"Crawling around on the floor."

"That's the second jab today, Singha. Do you dislike this kid or something?"

"I don't think he dislikes the kid. He's just annoyed with King," Sei commented, still focused on the Rubik's cube in his hands.

"King? Why?"

"King just got assigned to this investigation."

"Really?! Won't they end up throwing punches?"

"Let's hope not," Sei said, looking up at his friend, who was now reading the autopsy report with a calm face. "But if you clash with him, you'll just get transferred again. Remember, he's the commander's son."

"Right, Singh. Last time, even though he took over your case, you were the one who got transferred."

"I'll deal with that later. Sei, the stomach contents of the deceased-are they confirmed?"

"Yeah, it's just regular food. No foreign substances or poison, except for the kid named Nai, who had hallucinogenic drugs in his system. He seemed to have started using them about a month ago."

"Strange."

"What's strange?"

"The food contents are similar."

"I thought it was odd, too. While it's not unusual for people to eat similar foods, the consistency is about ninety per cent, especially for the victims named Kaew and Meen, the transgender woman."

"Their disappearances were close in time," Singha added.

"Lieutenant Khem said you asked for the history of the crime scenes?" Darin returned to her seat in front of Singha's desk to discuss serious matters.

"Yeah."

"Here, the lieutenant left these for you." Darin handed over three sheets of paper. "Singh, I'm serious. This case is weird."

"A graveyard?" Singha read through the details and asked curiously.

"Yeah. It used to be just a regular forest. But one year, the police got word that a woman's body was found there, murdered, and they never caught the killer. Once the news spread, people began to avoid the area, and it quickly became overgrown. Locals who couldn't afford funerals started burying bodies there, turning it into a graveyard for the unclaimed. Over time, more bodies appeared, and people began to see spirits dart across the road or chase cars, leading to frequent accidents. But that was decades ago. People have mostly forgotten about it now."

"How do you know all that? Been reading all this?"

"Nah, I heard it from some old cop. It was terrifying-gave me goosebumps."

"You really love this kind of story," Sei teased.

"Bet the killer knows this legend, too. Why else choose that spot?" Thup, who had been listening quietly, nodded to himself, and only Singha noticed.

"I need more concrete evidence or reasonable suspicion."

"Some things just don't have reasons."

"But to catch the killer, we need one. You can't bring ghosts to court, can you?"

"I'm not talking about ghosts. I'm talking about people using ghosts." As soon as Darin finished speaking, the lights flickered, and the room fell silent until there was a knock on the door, startling both Thup and Darin.

"Inspector, someone wants to see you."

"Let them in."

"Long time no see, Singha." A smooth, teasing voice greeted them as a tall man in a tailored black suit strode in. His neatly styled black hair revealed a sharp, handsome face, and his dark eyes met Singha's with familiar mischief. "Well, hello, Sei. Darin."

"Now that you've shown your face, you can leave," Singha said, tossing the file onto the table.

"We're supposed to work together on this case. Is that really how you want to talk to me?" The man's smooth voice carried a hidden pressure, making Singha press his tongue to his cheek to hold back his irritation.

"Well, well. Since we have to work with Mr King, I'd better collect all the evidence properly," Darin said, clasping her hands together. "Arrest the wrong person again, and it will be only Singh who gets blamed again."

"A vengeful team, I see." King, the youthful investigator, smirked and then looked at the unfamiliar boy on the sofa. "Is he the suspect?"

"Mind your own business."

"Ha! Still as tough as ever. Tell you what, if you keep resisting. I might have to report this to the commander and take over the case. Sound good? Or would you prefer we finish this case together? Your call." Singha chuckled softly, then stood up and walked to stand face-to-face with the man, who was nearly nine centimetres taller.

"Go ahead, detective. Run back and tell your daddy," Singha said, stepping closer until they were just inches apart. "Because he's the only one who can turn your mistakes into something right."

Singha shoved the case files into the other's chest before walking over to grab Thup by the collar and haul him up.

"You can't take him anywhere because I need to interrogate him.

"The investigation report is in there. Go read it."

"Aren't you worried about parading a suspect around like this?"

King's sharp eyes glared at the boy standing behind Singha. "If he's really the killer in this case, your record will be tarnished twice over."

Just as Singha was about to pounce on King, Thup grabbed his arm.

"I'll give my statement again. It's okay."

"Once I've gone through all the files, I'll have someone call you. In the meantime, don't even think about stepping out of the station, or don't say I didn't warn you," King said, throwing a final teasing glance at Singha before walking out.

"Your friend is fuming," Darin said, nudging Sei's waist with her elbow.

"Want to be his sparring partner now?"

"No thanks. I'd end up in the hospital," Darin said, walking over to gently pry Singha's hand off Thup's collar and leading the boy to the door. "Singh, I'm taking the kid to get his wounds treated."

Singha watched the boy's back as he walked out with his friend. He sat back down at his desk, glancing at the fifteen-year-old case file he had not handed over to King yet.

"Calm down, Singh. If you lose your temper again, this time it won't be just a transfer."

"Yeah, trying to," Singha replied, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling. "What did you find out about the rope?"

"It's a 36-millimetre Manila rope. There are scrape marks on it, likely from a pulley used to lift the victim before tying the end to a tree. There's no DNA on it, suggesting the killer wore gloves. And most importantly, the victims' nails were all cut short," Sei explained, tossing the Rubik's cube between his hands. "The killer knows how to cover their tracks. This definitely isn't their first time."

"Mek said this case happened fifteen years ago, but the culprit was caught. Then, similar incidents occurred five and ten years later, perhaps copycat crimes. I want you to check the autopsy reports from five, ten, and fifteen years ago for me."

"Old cases will take some time. I might have to go back and forth between here and the forensic institute."

"That's fine. Just find the similarities and differences. I don't think these are copycat murders. I believe it happened even fifteen years ago."

"I'll let you know once I find something."

"Thanks."

Thup had been following Darin obediently, listening to her endless stories. He turned back several times, unsure of what would happen with Singha.

"Get in, kid. Let's treat your wounds."

They entered the familiar infirmary where he'd had checkups before. Once Thup was seated on the bed, Darin removed the murky white plaster and began cleaning the wounds meticulously.

"Where did you fall?"

"At the temple."

"Were you at the temple?"

"Yes."

"Why? Was Singh there too?"

"Yes, he was investigating the missing persons."

"Oh, some victims went missing around there, huh?"

"'Darin."

"Yes?"

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"Yes, I do," Darin said, immediately pausing her cleaning to look at the boy.

"Then. Do you believe in rituals?"

"Oh, my! You're giving me goosebumps. Why are you bringing this up now?"

"I don't know how to tell P'Singha because he doesn't believe. Can you ask him to search the victims' houses?"

"Why? What are you suspecting?"

“I'm not sure. I just... think we might find something."

"Singh and Sei don't believe in the supernatural. Sei is crazy about science-things that can be explained and proven. Singh likes things that make sense. He used to be indifferent, believing some and doubting others, until something happened that made him stop believing in these things altogether."

"What happened?"

"Better ask him yourself. Alright, all done! This dressing looks way better than that silly plaster. Singh gave it to you, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did."

"Don't be afraid of Singh. He might have a sharp tongue, but he's kind-hearted."

"I think so too."

"Where are you staying tonight? I saw your bag in Singh's office."

" I don't know yet."

"Just sweet-talk him a bit. He can't resist a little charm."

"Charm him? He'd probably just yell at me."

"Give it a try. He's probably venting his anger in the gym right now. Go find him."

"Can you... Take me, please? I don't want to go alone."

"Oh, don't look at me like that. My heart's melting. If you wanna go, get up. But I won't go in. He might drag me in as his sparring partner."

"Is P'Singh really that cruel?"

It depends. If he's just practising, it's bearable. But if he's angry. Multiply that by ten... no, twenty."

"Can I change my mind and stay here?"

"Too late, kid. Your gorgeous P'Darin is going to help that darn Sei with the autopsy results. Get up and follow me."

Thup followed Darin without looking around all the way, afraid of seeing something he shouldn't. When they reached the gym, they heard loud noises coming from inside. Two officers, dressed in tank tops and sweatpants, were watching through the glass door.

"What are you doing?"

"Doctor! You scared us!"

"Watching the inspector."

"What's he doing?"

"He just broke a punching bag," Darin nodded understandingly. Giving Thup a light tap on the shoulder.

"Listen up, kid. Sacrificing yourself this time will benefit everyone. Be Singh's sparring partner for a few minutes; it might calm him down. Ready?"

"Huh?" Thup raised his eyebrows in confusion, but before he could react, he was pushed inside. Wide eyes framed by long lashes met with sharp, piercing ones. Thup swallowed hard before walking towards Singha, who had just stepped away from the punching bag to grab a drink of water.

"What are you doing here?"

"P'Darin brought me."

"Get out."

"But-" Thup's words were cut off as Singha shot him a sidelong glare. "... I'll be your sparring partner."