GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 15: Vijitmawan

“Are you hungry yet?”

The figure turned to look at his companion who was still looking at the road ahead, but that question was definitely for him.

“Not yet.”

“But I’m hungry.” Singha said and immediately turned into a roadside noodle shop.

After parking the car, they both got out and walked into the shop.

“What would you like?”

“Thin noodles with clear water pork.” Singha ordered without looking at the menu, “Dry egg noodles with Tom Yum.” Thup scanned the menu and then ordered from the staff, before getting up to fetch some ice for both himself and Singha, “Phii, what would you like to drink?”

“Water.” Thup nodded before he took out bottled water from the fridge and walked back, sitting opposite the older man. He efficiently poured the water, inserted straws, picked up spoons, wiped them, and prepared chopsticks.

“Do you do this often?”

“Huh? Oh, I used to do it for the old monk, so it became a habit.”

“Hmm.”

“What are you going to do next, Phii?”

“We have to wait and see what the team searching the victim’s house finds out.”

“Did you tell them not to go empty-handed and to carry amulets?”

“Not yet.” As soon as he finished speaking, Singha’s phone rang, “Speak.”

[Where are you?]

   “Get to the point.” Singha received his noodle bowl from the staff while clamping the phone to his shoulder nonchalantly.

[The forensic team’s vehicle crashed.] The hand that was about to sprinkle chili powder into the bowl paused before properly holding the phone again.

“Where, when?”

[On the way to the next victim’s house. The guys in it got away with few scratches but all safe.]

   “Why did the car suddenly flip?” Now taking everyone to the hospital.

[I don’t know either. I wasn’t there, but after checking the first victim’s house, I was informed.]

   “Did you find anything at that house?”

[No traces, but found the doll we were looking for.]

   “What does the doll look like?”

[A clay doll, the head is of a lion.]

Singha frowned tightly.

“And where is that doll now?”

[Say left it with the forensic vehicle.] The sharp eyes look up at Thup who is eating noodles.

“We are heading back.” Singha hangs up before calling the staff to pay immediately.

“Are you in a hurry, Phii?” Thup looked up with a worried face, “Keep eating.” The young inspector pays and walks to the car, immediately. Thup, watching him go, hurries to eat, unsure what’s urgent from the call just now.

Singha returns to the table, handing a file to Thup, while with the other hand, he dials his close friend from forensics. The young man takes the file with a confused look, tilts his head as he opens it, seeing what the older man is gesturing at.

“What day is Mae Sue with a lion head?”

“Pardon?” Thup asked.

‘What day does Mae Sue with a lion head’ first sentence was to the kid in front of him, the other end just answered. “So where is Say?” The next sentence is directed to:

“Sunday, Phii. Mae Sue with a lion head is named Wijitmawan.”

“Find out who was born on a Sunday, when they died, and when they disappeared.”

[Who are you talking to Singha?]

   “Where are you?”

[On the car, heading to the hospital.]

   “Where did the doll you left with the forensics go?”

[It should be at the hospital, I’m going to check//Singha, I got haunted by a ghost!!!] Darin’s voice came through the line, [Noisy]

“Haunted by a ghost?”

[Yeah. When I was at the deceased’s house, she said she saw a ghost holding a doll under the bed. She was crying so much I had to take her to the temple to pay respects, now just as we’re heading to the next victim’s house, the hospital called about the accident first.]

   “You go check out the situation first then, I’ll follow later.”

[Yeah, yeah, and where are you now?]

   “Heading back.”

[And what did you find out from the investigation at the prison?]

   “Seems like fifteen years ago there were several cops who framed a person to get promotions, we’ll deal with it after closing this case.”

[Alright then, that’s it.]

   “Hey, Say…” Singha looks at Thup again, “If you find the doll, don’t go anywhere, I’ll come to get it.”

[Why?]

   “I’ll tell you later.” After a few more sentences, they both hang up and return to their duties.

“That doll…” Thup didn’t dare to continue, judging by Singha’s serious expression, it probably wasn’t anything good.

“So, did you find the information I asked for?”

“I found it.” Thup hands back the opened folder to his colleague, “James. He was born on a Sunday, he is the one to disappear first, and… also disappeared on a Sunday. I guess the perpetrator might be choosing people based on their birthday.”

Singha can read the information while listening, but he knits his brows together.

“We still need to check everyone’s house first. If that doll really matches the birthday, we’ll know what the killer is selecting victims based on, and how they might be getting that information.” Then, with a bored expression, Singha props his chin on his hand and drains his glass of water.

“Aren’t you going to eat, Phii? The noodles are getting soggy.”

“Not hungry anymore. Hurry up and eat.”

“We can go now, so you don’t waste time.”

“Eat up, you. You’d blow away with just a little touch.”

“You’re exaggerating. I’m not that small at all.”

Singha flicked his straw, splashing water onto the kid in front of him. It’s true, the kid isn’t that small; he’s actually slightly taller than him but thinner since he doesn’t work out as much. If taken to the gym, he could easily sculpt a nice physique.

“Actually, about that doll… I think you should check it out yourself.”

“Why?”

“I heard you talking on the phone with Khun King about the car flipping after you got the doll, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I think the person who can retrieve that doll without getting hurt… might be you.”

“Because?”

“Did you… pray to Thao Vessavan or something?”

“No.” Thup tilted his head slightly, “But my mom did.”

“I knew it.” Thup mutters quietly to himself. He knew he wasn’t seeing things.

“Why do you see ghosts then?”

“I’m not sure, the old monk didn’t say. He just said in the future, I’ll understand. He just told me to wear this amulet until that time comes.”

“I don’t know when, or what time.”

“But your necklace with the Buddha amulet just disappeared like this, you know? Do you want to see ghosts until you die? Why not try renting an amulet from somewhere else?”

“I’ve tried that… but I still see them.”

“If I keep a doll with me, does that mean you’ll encounter more ghosts? Want that?”

“…True.” Thup’s face fell, “But keeping it with someone else might put them in danger like this again. This time might not be life-threatening, but those ghosts… they don’t seem like the type who want to move on.”

“Let’s think about it later. Right now, we need to handle the hospital situation quickly before eating.”

“I’ll be right back.” Thup stood up and walked to the counter, leaving Singha to poke at his soggy noodles, now completely drained of water.

“Let’s go.”

“What’s that?”

“Steamed buns, for you to eat something light. You haven’t eaten anything yet, you can eat these in the car.”

“Alright, alright.” Both returned to the car to head to the hospital.

Say, who had just arrived, immediately went to check on his subordinates. One of the three who were in the van during the accident, a doctor, was now sitting in front of the emergency room with a bandage around his head.

“Hey, Pai, where are the others?”

“They’re getting treated inside.” he looked up to answer his boss, “Why did the van suddenly overturn?”

“I wasn’t driving, boss. Joke was.”

“And what happened before that?”

“I was sitting next to him, talking about dolls. Suddenly, he tensed up, said someone was in front of the car, and then swerved to avoid them, causing the van to lose control and flip.” Pai turned to face Say with trembling eyes, “But when he said someone cut in front of the car, I didn’t see anyone at all.”

“Do you see now? I told you that the doll really is haunted!” Darin said, shaking Say’s arm until his head wobbled.

“The doll from the victim’s house, right?”

“Yes, yes, where is it now? You didn’t bring it with you, did you?” Darin turned to nod at the injured person sitting on the other side of Say.

“Oh, here it is.” Joke picked up an evidence bag containing the doll with Singha’s head and showed it to them. Upon seeing it, Darin immediately hid behind her friend. “Don was holding onto it in the car. The nurse just took it out for me because he wouldn’t let go, even if his fingers might get severed.”

“See, Say? I told you there’s something really there.”

“You this guy.”

“You guys.” a newcomer’s voice made all three turn around, “Hello, Inspector.”

“Yeah, sit down.” Singha gestured lightly to Ko who was about to stand up, “How’s everyone doing?”

“I just got a head wound. Joke got a dislocated shoulder and cut his lip on glass, needed stitches. And Don lost his fingers, they’re probably stitching them back now.”

While letting the older guy talk to the others, Thup glanced at the clay doll with Singha’s head on Joke’s lap. He tried to be brave and look around but saw no sign of the ghost lady he had seen before, only the wandering spirits in the hospital, those newly dead and unaware, and those still clinging to life.

“Give it here.” Singha reached out for the evidence bag, “And where’s the one I gave you?”

“In the room.” Say replied with a serious face. With all three of his men in the hospital, this case would make him work three times as hard.

“Why?”

“You don’t need to examine it yet. Wait to do it with me.”

“Tell me later.”

“Later? You’ve got a lot of stories, don’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah. And where’s King now?”

“By now, we should be at the second victim’s house already.”

“Alright, see you at the station then.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Phii Darin.” Thup suddenly spoke up.

“What’s up?”

“What you saw… was it a woman, right?”

“Huh! Ye… Yes, don’t tell me… don’t tell me she followed us!!! I’ve already done the holy water ritual, why didn’t it work!” Darin quickly grabbed her close friend Say’s arm out of fear.

“No, Phii, can you describe her to me?”

“Ugh. I don’t even want to talk about it, it’s like, it’s super scary, a female ghost, no eyeballs, and she still looks young, it’s freaking terrifying, mouth torn, no eyes, and then there’s that doll too, this case isn’t normal anymore, Singha.” Darin took the chance to switch from grabbing Say’s arm to shaking Singha’s.

“Different entity.”

“What do you mean?” Singha didn’t pay much attention to his friend but turned to focus on the kid in the back who had just spoken.

“She’s a different entity from what I saw.”

“Why is this getting so complicated?” Singha cursed, annoyed, “I’m going to get King to deal with this.”

“Yeah.” Singha walked back to his car, and once inside, he tossed the doll from a bag on Thup’s lap. The young man tensed up before cautiously looking around the car.

“Check if this is the doll you saw.” The young inspector said as he backed the car out of the parking spot, heading towards the next victim’s house.

Thup picked up the evidence bag to examine it. The young boy held his breath, staring intently to ensure that this doll was the same as the one he saw vomiting in the gym. The body of the doll was typical, but the top was the head of a lion, with the face turned to the back. It seemed clear that whoever did this must have crafted it themselves.

“The body is correct, but the head isn’t,” said the boy.

“What do you mean by different ghosts?”

“The ghost I saw when I was with Khun Meen had eyes, just white eyes. But the one Phii Darin saw had no eyeballs at all, which means they are different entities.”

“Have you ever talked about black magic?”

“Yes.”

“So what does the bastard who did this want? Why did they do it?”

“I don’t know yet. But for sure, the ghosts attached to these dolls must belong to him.”

“Do you know anyone who understands these things?”

“…Yes, I do have someone.” Thup slightly pursed his lips with a worried look.

He definitely knew someone, but whether he would dare to involve them was another matter.

  

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