GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 13: Testimony from the scapegoat, Singha picked up

A completely black car parked in front of the central prison. Thup got out of the car, looking confused, before walking around to meet the older guy. The documents came out from the leather seat before being handed to the kid who came to stand beside him.

“Hold this, and go wait over there.” Singha pointed to the front gate with the high wall, to get some shade.

“Why, Phii, aren’t you coming with me?”

“I’m going to smoke.” Thup nodded hesitantly before walking to the entrance gate.

Singha grabbed a Marlboro cigarette, held it in his mouth, and lit the end with a practiced flick of his lighter. He took a deep drag of nicotine before exhaling, the white smoke billowing out. His sharp eyes watched the young man waiting at the front gate, lost in thought. If the matter of the dolls, whether Mae Sue or involving spirits, or whatever, was true, he was starting to worry that the case would be hard to investigate because it’s something that couldn’t be proven. No matter what Thup would say, it remained unprovable. While the young man was thinking, suddenly the prison door opened, and an officer approached the naive-looking kid with an aggressive demeanor. Singha dropped his cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his foot and extinguished it.

“What are you doing here?”

“I…I came-”

“Let me search for you!” As the officer was about to grab Thup’s arm to conduct a body search, Singha stepped in, blocking him with a cold demeanor and showing his badge.

“I’m here to see Warden Sittichai.”

“Uh, please come in, but we need to conduct a body search and check your belongings, nothing is allowed inside, and…”

“This kid is with me.”

“Then please, come in.”

Both of them walked inside before allowing the staff to check their belongings, deposit their phones, and perform a body search. After that, they were led to the office of the prison warden.

“Hello, Inspector Singha.”

“Hello.”

“I’ve read through the details. Since the prisoner you want to talk to is involved in a serious case, the conversation must take place in the visitation room.”

“Okay.”

“You have forty minutes, and a guard will be present the whole time.”

“Okay.”

“Then I’ll take you there.” The warden smiled brightly and stood up, leading both to an inner door. When they reached the visitation room, which was separated by thick bars with individual sections but no people, Singha chose to sit at the far end next to the wall so the person they were to meet wouldn’t feel too isolated.

“He’ll be out in a moment.”

“Thank you.” The warden walked outside to handle other matters. This was a central prison for convicts with finalized sentences, particularly those with severe crimes, ranging from decades in prison to death row. Singha was used to this, but for Thup, who was here for the first time, he couldn’t help but feel tense, gripping the hem of his companion’s shirt and looking down, avoiding anything he shouldn’t see.

“Phii, why are we here?”

“To question a scapegoat.”

“A scapegoat?” Thup tilted his head slightly, not understanding, but before he could ask more, a young man with an expressionless face wearing a blue shirt walked over and sat opposite them.

“Hello, Khun Tevich.” The door on the other side of the bars opened as Singha greeted with a neutral, non-threatening, and non-pressuring tone. However, the other party only glanced at him before turning away, staring at the wall without responding.

“My name is Singha, an investigating officer. I’ve come to meet you today hoping for your cooperation in the investigation.”

There was no response… Just as the warden had said, this prisoner was silent and would not speak unless necessary. His demeanor, suggesting he was forced into this conversation, didn’t surprise Singha much. If what he thought was true, it wouldn’t be odd for the man in front of him to dislike those in uniform.

“I know you’re not comfortable talking to me, but staying silent like this isn’t very helpful.” Singha continued. “Let me explain why I’m here today; maybe you’ll change your mind.” Singha slid some documents in front of him and held them up for Tevich to see, “There’s been a murder case now, seven victims, all with their eyes and mouths sewn shut with red thread-”

“Heh.” Tevich chuckled under his breath with a pitiful expression.

“I guess you’re somewhat familiar with this.” Tevich turned to look at the photos of the seven victims laid out in front of him, then looked up at Singha. “Before, you were a suspect in a similar case fifteen years ago. A similar incident occurred in Phuket, and you were implicated because your DNA was found under the victim’s nails and with the rope used. That made you the prime suspect. After the trial, you were sentenced to life imprisonment. Am I correct?”

Still, only silence from the other side. Singha nodded, collected all the documents, and handed them to Thup, who took them with confusion. He couldn’t understand what anyone would gain from this silence. “It’s fine. It seems like living here, even unjustly, hasn’t really affected you much. Then, I guess I don’t need to discuss the next part of the information. Let’s go.” Singha said, standing up and walking towards the door. Thup hesitated to follow until…

“Wait.” The corner of Singha’s mouth lifted in a smile instantly. No one who is innocent would want to stay here; it’s not that comfortable.

“Ready to talk now?”

“I’ll only say what I told my lawyer the first time.”

“Very well.” Singha returned to his seat, signaling Thup to sit as well. “Is the young man next to you also a police officer?”

“No. He was the one who discovered the body at the scene.” Tevich’s expression was quite surprising. He turned to stare at Thup without blinking, “Shall we start?”

“How are you different from the other cops? Those guys do everything just for a promotion, just to lick the boots of their superiors. No matter if it’s right or wrong, they don’t care about the people.” The voice filled with disdain and scorn came from someone inside the glass room, “The difference is that I have this kid to help with my decisions.”

“Me, sir?” Thup pointed at himself.

“This kid might know if there was a murder case like this fifteen years ago. So if we can prove there’s a connection or relation to the current case, you might be cleared of this case and the charges.”

“Really?”

“Yes, if you’re willing to cooperate.”

“I… I am willing.”

“You’re a fisherman, you have your own boat and nets, so it’s not strange to find your fingerprints on the ropes and tools used for your job. But can you tell me what happened before? How did you find all the victims?”

“I remember that night when the incident happened, my dad and I went out fishing, but suddenly in the middle of the night, someone called to say my net had drifted away from the boat. So, I told my dad I’d go check it myself. I rode my motorcycle, and on the way, had to pass through that forest. I saw lights from the forest, so I stopped my bike to check, because usually, there are villagers who crash or get lost there often. As I walked further in, I heard a sound…”

“What sound?”

“It sounded like someone was pulling a winch.” Singha nodded understandingly; this time too, the culprit used a winch to ease the effort.

“And then what happened?”

“I walked in to see and found… the bodies of seven people hanging from a tree. After that, I called the police, but when they arrived, they arrested me instead! I tried explaining, showed evidence, but they just wanted to look good for their bosses by claiming they caught the murderer. No matter what I did, I was just a common man; what could I do against those who shout that they are the keepers of the law?” Tevich’s frustration poured out uncontrollably.

“I understand. Did you see anyone before that, or did you personally know any of the deceased?”

“I knew three or four of the deceased because they were from my neighborhood.” Tevich tried to calm himself down and answered Singha’s question as before.

“Can you remember where you last saw them?”

“It’s been a very long time, I’m not sure, but probably at the temple, before that there was an event.”

“What event?”

“The Satthai festival in the tenth month.”

“The waning moon…” Thup chimed in softly, but both Singha and Tevich heard him, “You usually go fishing during the waning moon, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. The moon is dark, so the fish get caught easily.”

“What do you mean by that, Thup?”

“The abbot once told me about various ceremonies, some of which relate to the moon phases. Especially during the waning moon… it has a significant effect on the occult. Maybe it’s related to that doll issue too.”

“Occult?” Tevich asked in surprise, “If you last saw them at the temple, then does that mean after that, there was news they disappeared, right?”

“Yes.”

“Time’s almost up.” The guard warned Singha to wrap up his inquiries. Thup sat beside, listening, until time was up. Tevich was led away, not forgetting to say his last words to Singha in a softer tone than before.

“I’ve been disappointed once with an investigation that landed me here. Please, don’t let me be disappointed again. I want to return to my family.”

As the back of the prisoner faded away, Singha left the visitation room silently and headed back to the warden’s office. Thup, following behind, looked at the older man with concern, thinking that Singha must be quite stressed now, having to deal with such sudden and hard-to-believe matters.

“How’s it going, inspector? Got any additional info?”

“Yes.”

“It’s strange that he’s willing to talk to the police officer; normally, he hardly says a word.”

“Well, people have to choose their own path, right? Anyway, I must excuse myself; I need to get back to work on the case.”

“Go ahead. If there’s anything else, feel free to call me.”

“Thanks, you too.”

Singha walked out of the prison alongside Thup, who followed behind. The sunlight was so intense that the young man had to squint. He looked ahead with limited visibility and reduced clarity, making things blurry. Just as he was about to call out to Singha, he saw an image, a figure appearing in his sight: a tall, formidable shadow with green skin and clothes, a fierce face with protruding tusks, standing behind Singha.

The Lord of Ghosts.

One of the Four Heavenly Kings.

The guardian and protector of the human world.

The great giant.

He now understood what those ghosts feared; they feared ‘Lord Vaisravaṇa’, the name of the entity they respected and feared.

 

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