[T/N] I apologize for grammar mistakes and incoherencies
Case File 12: Akalai
The condition of the four teenagers sitting in the interrogation room varies: boredom, fear, anxiety, and indifference. When the door opens, Singha walks in with an expressionless face, placing a seized digital camera, various items, and a stack of documents on the table.
“You four broke into a murder scene while the case was still open. That’s quite the bold content move.”
“We didn’t do any real damage, right?” Song nudged his senior beside him for an opinion.
“True. We just went in, filmed for a bit, and got out.”
“Just your footprints at the crime scene count as damage. Not to mention fingerprints. You might end up suspects without realizing it.”
“That’s a bit harsh, officer. We just went in to shoot a clip for our channel. Plus, we were live streaming the whole time, so the viewers could vouch for us. Don’t believe me? Ask our channel owner, Jump.” The only woman in the group turned to ask her quiet friend who’d been silent since the police brought them here.
“Anything to add?” Singha asked the spaced-out young man. “Nope.” The guy replied without even looking over, his gaze fixed on the wall.
“And the phone you used for live streaming?” The three teens turned to Jump. “Give the phone to the police, Jump.” Dear insisted, showing signs of anxiety.
“Don’t have it.”
“What the hell, Jump?” Bom looked at his friend, annoyed.
“Phii, we’re all gonna get arrested if you don’t hand it over. You were holding it.” The youngest, Song, shook his friend’s arm in distress.
“I told you, I don’t have it!” Jump shook off Song’s hand forcefully before standing up, leaving the other three bewildered by his sudden change in demeanor.
Singha wasn’t surprised. He just checked his watch, stood up, and pushed the young man back down, his sharp gaze scanning the stained figure before asking,
“Filming a ghost challenge, were you?”
“Yeah.” Bom answered for him. “How long has the channel been up?”
“About a year.”
“Strange, the news hasn’t been published anywhere about this, yet you all know the details.” Singha said as he turned on the big camera, even though he had already glanced at it before, “Where did you hear about this?”
“Via email. Someone sent us an email saying there’s a location and suggesting we should go ghost hunting there.”
“Can I see it?” Two hurriedly pulled out his phone and handed it to Singha. He looked at the email address and realized it wasn’t one used for daily life, before pressing a button to call Lieutenant Khem, who was observing from another room, to come in and take the address.
“Understood.”
“Take it to trace the origin of the email and the IP.”
“As for you four, another officer will come in to take your statements and handle further proceedings.”
“Huh! Proceedings? Are we really going to be charged, officer?”
“Oh no, my mom’s going to kill me for this.”
“Damn it.” curses and laments filled the room, except for one person still sitting quietly in his spot, Jump.
“I have something to ask.”
“The... doll, you mean?” At the scene... Did anyone find any dolls?
“Yes.” The three exchanged puzzled looks before turning to the person sitting at the far end.
“Well, it was me. I found a doll, and Jump said it was a cursed doll.”
“Tell me you didn’t touch it.” Singha furrowed his brows, knowing it could be a clue with the culprit’s fingerprints.
“We did... touch it. Jump picked it up to play and then threw it at Phii Bom, and it fell and broke, but we didn’t bring it back with us.”
“Damn it.” Singha muttered quietly before the interrogation room door opened once again. This time, it was King who walked in with a displeased look, both from the morning’s events and the issue with the suspects sitting outside the interrogation room waiting for Singha, “You handle this, I’ve got stuff to do.”
“Where are you going?” King grabbed Singha’s arm, but he shrugged off anyway. “Do your job and stop being annoying, it’s irritating.”
Thup was sketching the ghost girl from his memories. He had never seen her face, due to his own fear, making it hard to remember her clearly. As he pressed his pencil on the clean, white paper, the door opened, causing him to look up. Seeing it was Singha, about to leave, Thup prepared to stand up. Just as the door was about to close, Thup’s eyes caught sight of a young man sitting at the very edge. Not only that, there was a woman in tattered, ragged clothes; her skin was so pale it seemed bloodless, with purple and nearly black bruises, and occasional green marks all over her body. Importantly, she was sitting astride the young man’s neck, and her head slowly turned backward to stare at Thup with a sinister grin!
“Come, Thup. We have things to do.”
“Phii Singha.”
“What now? You’re not going to pick up that dropped pencil, are you?”
“The man sitting at the very edge...” Singha squinted at the boy in front of him without arguing back, “What did he do?”
“He trespassed on a crime scene.”
“A... murder scene?”
“Yep.”
“And did he bring anything back?”
“Why do you ask?” He brought something back with him.
“I saw... I saw the ghost of the woman which I saw at Meen’s house... riding on his neck.” Singha turned back to look at the interrogation room door again before opening it to go inside.
“You four will have to-” King paused as the person who had just left suddenly burst back through the door, “I thought you said you were going outside.”
“Did you take anything from the crime scene?” Singha walked straight up to Jump and asked in a stern voice, but the young man just stared blankly, still not answering the question. “I asked, did you take anything?!”
“What are you doing, Inspector Singha?” King asked seriously.
Singha yanked the young boy’s collar without holding back, then began to search him swiftly amid the others’ surprise. King, seeing this, was about to intervene, but Singha pulled something out from the boy’s inner coat pocket first.
“Damn! Phii Jump, why did you bring that?” Two exclaimed in shock before backing away to the wall.
“I didn’t take it.” Jump said quietly, “I didn’t take it!!!”
Jump protested before pushing Singha’s chest and running out of the interrogation room, only to collide with Thup who was standing anxiously at the door. Both fell to the ground. As Thup slowly opened his eyes, he saw the ghost girl he noticed earlier clinging to the neck of someone inside the room, now straddling him. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes white and filled with veins, her bright red lips stretched wide to her gums. Her laughter grew louder before her long tongue licked Thup’s face frame.
‘You have a Mae Sue too.’ [1] Mae Sue is a Thai folklore goddess or a female ghost who buys the spirit of born babies to prevent them being attacked by malevolent spirits, but also she is a ghost who causes illness. There are seven forms when she appears and the form she takes depends on the day of the week
“Are you okay, Thup?” When Singha grabbed Thup’s arm, the ghost in front of him vanished. The young man trembled with fear but still kept his eyes on the person King was restraining.
“He... he got something.”
“A doll.” Singha showed Thup a doll with its head separated from its body, now in an evidence bag.
“Don’t struggle!” King said as he locked Jump firmly, “What now?”
“Lock him up for now. As for the others, process their cases properly, and call their guardians too.” Singha said while helping Thup up, “Damn, it’s getting late!”
“What happened, Inspector?” Lieutenant Khem and the Lieutenant Prom rushed over as soon as they heard the commotion.
“Help handle this, and here’s another piece of evidence, give it to Say for examination as much as he can.”
“Uh, roger that.”
Singha dragged Thup, who was still in shock, to follow him to the car. He had no idea what the kid had seen to be so shocked, but asking now would probably yield no answer. The black car sped along the road at the maximum speed allowed by law. Inside the car, only the sound of the air conditioning was audible because the two men inside weren’t speaking a word to each other.
“Phii.” Thup suddenly spoke up, sounding dazed.
“What?”
“That doll... its head wasn’t human, was it?” Singha furrowed his brows slightly, thinking before he replied.
“Yeah.”
“What shape was it?”
“A tiger.”
“A tiger shape...” Thup mumbled to himself before turning to face Singha, “Akalai.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The doll is a Mae Sue, with a tiger’s head... it’s called Akalai.”
“I don’t get it, what’s Mae Sue, Thup?”
“Phii, can we talk about the ghost story I told you?”
“The ghost you saw over twenty years ago?” Thup shook his head rapidly, even though Singha wasn’t looking.
“No, the ghost I encountered at Meen’s house.”
“And why does that matter?”
“Just now, when I bumped into that man, I saw her, and she mentioned Mae Sue.”
“And?”
“The broken-headed doll you found also has a tiger’s head on a human body, just like the legend of Mae Sue.”
“So, what benefit do I get from knowing this?”
“Well... what if... what if they’re connected? What if the culprit is using this doll for something?”
Singha frowned even tighter than before. He didn’t have much knowledge in this area, and it was quite beyond his understanding.
“Explain this ‘Mae Sue’ thing to me.”
“It’s an old belief. I’m not even sure if people still believe in it these days. Each region has its own legend about the ‘Mae Sue’, but from what I’ve heard from the old monk, ‘Mae Sue’ is a deity or spirit who takes care of newborns. They say she plays with the child, helps with healing illnesses, or sometimes teases them to make them cry. When the child grows up a bit, they perform a ceremony to separate the spirit child from the human child, and then the child can no longer see ‘Mae Sue’.”
“Couldn’t the crying just be because the child might have colic?”
“That’s why I said it’s a belief.”
“So what?”
“What I’ve heard is that there are ‘Mae Sues’ for each of the seven days, with different characteristics and names. One of them is Akaai, who has a tiger’s head. She is the ‘Mae Sue’ for Saturdays.”
“Hand me the file from the back.” Singha paused before glancing at the backseat.
“Which one?”
“The black one.” After Thup grabbed the file and placed it on his lap, Singha instructed, “Now, open it and check the list of victims to see who was born on a Saturday.”
Thup nodded and flipped through the file until he found what he was looking for.
“Girl named Kachakorn.” he read out the victim’s information.
“Kaew, huh... Kaew disappeared on a Friday.” Singha murmured to himself, “Open to the autopsy results.”
“Yes.” Thup continued flipping through until he reached photos and autopsy results of each victim. He squinted and turned away slightly out of fear but tried to find Kaew’s name as quickly as possible, “I... I’ve found it.”
“What does it say about when Kaew died?”
“Uh... Saturday.”
“Seriously?” Singha immediately turned into the gas station ahead, and parked the car to check the documents again in case Thup got it wrong. But upon careful reading, he found it was absolutely correct. The young inspector pulled out his phone and made a call; it didn’t take long for the other end to pick up.
“Hey King”
[Where are you?]
“Not there, go check the houses of the seven victims first, see if there’s a clay doll similar to the one that kid picked up at the crime scene.”
[Why?]
“I’ll explain later, go do it now, urgently.”
[There hasn’t been a reason since earlier. It’s just a doll.]
“The doll might tell us how the killer chose the victims. Call me if you find anything.”
[Wait, and where are you now?]
“Heading to the prison.”
[Why there?]
“To see how badly the police screwed up before.” Singha hung up before handing the file to Thup and drove away from the gas station towards his next destination. “Hey Thup, check who was born on which day.”
“Yes.” Thup eagerly flipped through the papers because he didn’t want Singha to worry while driving. When he found it, he started listing out:
“James, born on Sunday
Jom, born on Monday
Orn, born on Tuesday
Meen, born on Wednesday
Nai, born on Thursday
Thee, born on Friday”
“Kaew, born on Saturday”
All seven victims were born on different days.
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.
Case File 14: The Sixth Sense of Wednesday Night
The young detective stood in front of James’s house, the first victim of the disappearances in this case. The sound of sobbing echoed from the front occasionally. It was a modest townhouse, and the neighbors had gathered to watch, so he had his subordinates hold them back.
“Chief, we’re ready.”
“Hmm.” King entered the house, scanning everything meticulously. Suddenly, someone bumped into his shoulder hard. Who would dare?
“Get out of the way.” said Say, passing through, “If you’re just going to stand there, do it outside.” Followed by Darin.
“Don’t let anyone into the house until the forensic team finishes their work.” King said, shaking his head slightly in dismissal before beginning to direct the others.
“Understood.”
“Also, find a clay doll shaped like an animal head. If anyone finds it, report immediately.”
“Yes.” King followed Darin and Say upstairs. After questioning James’s parents, it was clear that no one had entered their son’s bedroom, so all evidence should still be intact.
Say opened the left door. As soon as the door cracked open slightly, a putrid smell wafted out, forcing all three to turn away. The door was opened wider for a preliminary inspection inside. As the stench slowly dissipated, he turned to Darin, who was clinging to his arm, signaling him to let go. But because of their long friendship, the only woman there gave her friend’s arm a firm hit, not holding back.
“I’m not letting go until we go in and make sure there’s nothing there.”
“And how am I supposed to investigate, ma’am?”
“You walk in first, then we’ll talk.”
“Still scared of ghosts?” King asked, “Why not worry about your own business, detective?”
“Calling it out like that, isn’t that a bit harsh?” Say feigned a voice of surprise before entering the victim’s bedroom, ignoring King’s chuckles from behind.
The bedroom seemed like that of any ordinary teenager. Nothing particularly special. Darin released Say’s arm and looked around while rubbing her own arm.
“Don’t you feel goosebumps or a bit cold?” She asked, turning to Say who was opening the curtains. Despite the room appearing normal, it was devoid of light, stuffy, and too damp to breathe comfortably.
“If the deceased had left the house before disappearing, there probably wouldn’t be many traces here.” King remarked as he picked up a book from the shelf.
“Did Singha mention anything about the doll?”
“Clay dolls, huh?”
“Uh-huh.”
“It was sent for inspection.”
“What kind of doll?” Darin looked back and forth between King and Say, each doing their own thing without making eye contact.
“A clay doll, with the head of a tiger.” The young detective elaborated, “A clay doll?”
“They said to try looking in each victim’s house. If you find one, bring it back to the station.”
“What kind of doll is this?” Inside the room, she walked over to Darin’s bed, muttering as she checked for anything unusual, but then she had to cover her nose quickly when she turned towards the headboard too late. The foul smell of waste made her try to trace its source, while Darin was lifting pillows and blankets. Suddenly, she felt like someone was watching her find something. So she started picking up the decorative cushions one by one.
‘Heh, heh’
The laughter echoed from the direction of the headboard, making Darin pause, his hand still lifting a pillow, and he slowly turned to look again. She was sure she hadn’t misheard, but when she looked, there was no one there. Yelling out now would only get her scolded by Say.
“Di...did you hear anything just now?”
“Hear what?”
“Oh, never mind.” Darin pressed her lips together tightly before turning back to look at the bed again, “Bless me. I am not here for harm but to help, please don’t scare or haunt us.”
Darin murmured softly to herself, hands clasped to her forehead. She took a deep breath to muster courage before switching from searching on the bed to under it. The flashlight was turned on, shining underneath, the light slowly moving from the headboard to the middle of the bed, until it reached the foot of the bed where her eyes met with a clay doll, positioned facing her, its body twisted and its head...
“Lion head?”
Bang!!!
The lights in the room went out simultaneously with the loud slamming of the door; the curtains also closed, plunging the room into darkness once again. Only the light from her flashlight and Say’s remained on. Darin, startled, looked around as the situation grew increasingly strange. She turned back to look under the bed to grab something and leave quickly, but when she turned around, what was under the bed was no longer just the clay doll. Instead, there was the face of a woman right in front of her, a young woman with a deathly pale face, hollow eyes that seemed to see through to the inside, and a smile creeping on her thin, pale lips. From lips of normal human size, there appeared a tear, stretching all the way to her ears. This face was now less than a hand’s breadth from Darin and was tilting its head, looking at her.
‘Take it, if you want it, take it.’
The clay doll was pushed towards Darin by a pale hand and she felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She felt like screaming but no sound came out; tears streamed down her cheeks, yet she couldn’t lift her hand to wipe them away.
‘Heh, heh, take it, take me with you.’
Just as that terrifying face was about to move closer, her ankle was grabbed, pulling her out into the light again.
“Why the hell are you crying?” Say asked in shock. He had just reopened the curtains and noticed Darin had been under the bed for too long, not moving, so he decided to pull her out by the leg.
Darin felt the weight of her body lighten. She quickly got up and ran out of the room in panic, ignoring any protests from the two behind her.
“What’s with her?” Say bent down to look under the bed, shining his flashlight. He found a doll with a lion’s head, picked it up, and put it into an evidence bag. After retrieving it, he left the room, thinking there wouldn’t be any more evidence to collect.
“That’s the doll Singha wanted us to find.”
“Yeah.”
“Then it means the other victims’ houses might have them too.”
Both walked out of the house before King separated to talk with the victim’s family. Meanwhile, Say headed to the car where he saw his friend sitting inside, looking traumatized.
“What’s wrong with you, woman?”
“Get it out.” Darin said before glancing at the evidence bag in Say’s hand, “Take it out, Say, get that doll out of here. Otherwise, I’ll leave myself.”
“What’s up with you?”
“If I told you I saw a ghost, would you believe me? If I said this doll is weird, what would you say? So, I’m serious, Say, take it out. Leave it with the forensics car, and then take me to a temple.”
Normally, Say would curse back if a friend brought up such matters, but this time, Darin seemed more frightened than ever, his face showing clear paranoia.
“Alright, wait a sec.” Say got out of the car to take the doll head and place it with the separate forensics vehicle. After he had arranged for it to be placed on a table and sent ahead from the next victim’s house, Say returned to the car, showing both hands to Darin, “It’s gone now. Happy? Which temple are we going to, at this hour?”
“Yeah, any nearby temple will do, just for a brief visit.”
“Okay, okay, as you wish.” Say drove out from the village heading towards a temple he remembered passing by, if he recalled correctly, it was called Santitham Wararam Temple.
Meanwhile, King was questioning James’s parents and older sister about the doll, how it got there, and where it came from.
“Sniff, did you find anything else, officer?” James’s mother sobbed, her eyes red and swollen from the loss of her son.
“We didn’t find anything unusual except for the doll under the bed.”
“A doll? What kind of doll?” asked James’s father, who was supporting his wife, with curiosity.
“A clay doll with a lion head. Can you tell me if you’ve seen that doll before or know where he might have gotten it?”
“I don’t know, but before he disappeared, he was acting strange, kept locking himself in his room, barely eating, and when he did, he’d vomit. My wife and I thought it was stress from university entrance exams, so we tried leaving soft food outside his door.”
“And before that, did he show any strange behavior or encounter anyone unusual?” Both James’s parents shook their heads while hugging each other tightly, but his older sister, standing with them, seemed like she wanted to say something, “Do you have something to tell me?”
“Well... before this, James complained to me about being scared he wouldn’t pass the entrance exam for the faculty he wanted, and he said he might try making a wish. I didn’t know if he was serious, so I didn’t object. One night, when I came down late, I saw James standing facing the wall, mumbling something. When I got closer to listen, it was... a chant.”
“A chant?” King asked again for confirmation.
“What chant, dear?” James’s father asked.
“I don’t remember it all, but I remember the beginning.”
“How does it go?” King took out his notebook, ready to write, “Ji Jeruni Chittang Jetasikan Rupang, that’s what I heard.” King wrote it down as James’s sister described. As he finished writing, a gust of wind made him look towards the second-floor window, where a thin white curtain fluttered, revealing for a moment the shadow of a woman standing there, but she disappeared when the curtain fluttered again.
“Thank you for your cooperation. If there are any updates, I’ll let you know.” King said his goodbyes and ordered his team to prepare to leave for the next house. Despite feeling uneasy about all the events unfolding in this case.
A luxurious white car parked in front of the temple’s main hall at Santitham Wararam Temple. Once Say turned off the engine, Darin hurriedly opened the door and stepped out without delay, walking in to kneel and worship the large, golden Buddha statue. She chanted and bowed with urgency, causing Say, who followed him in, to remark:
“You’re mumbling so much, do you think the Buddha can understand?”
“I don’t know, I just need something to hold onto right now, Namo Tassa Bhagavato...”
“Are you here to make merit?” A deep voice from behind made them both turn, “Abbot! Yes, to make merit, please. I just saw a ghost, what should I do? Is there a ghost following me? Can you bless me with holy water, please?” Darin spoke anxiously. A monk, around sixty years old, entered the hall with a smile, sitting down on a seat in front of them.
“Calm down, my child. Ghosts are just spirits, spirits are people who have passed away. The dead are inanimate, so how can they follow anyone?”
“I really saw it, Lord Abbott… a very scary female ghost.”
“Alright then, I’ll sprinkle holy water for you to calm your spirit. No matter what you’ve encountered, fold your hands in prayer.” Darin quickly folded her hands, touched her forehead immediately, then bowed her head to receive the holy water. The cool water on her skin helped cool down Darin’s feverish mind. She sighed before bowing to the monk once again. “By the way, where are you from?”
“A nearby village, Reverend Father.”
“Do you live there?”
“No, Reverend. We are forensic investigators here for a case, Reverend.”
“I see.”
“Have you been here long, Reverend?”
“Many years now, I am the abbot here.”
“Ah, that’s good, Reverend. Then I can come often for blessings these days; I keep encountering things, I don’t know what.”
“Keep making merit, child. When free, come sit, walk in meditation here at the temple to calm your mind.”
“Yes, Reverend.” Darin chatted a bit more before excusing herself. Meanwhile, she glanced and saw a Buddha statue for her birthday positioned not far in the pavilion. She decided to make merit by dropping all her coins into the alms bowl in front of it. Darin took out all her coins and dropped them into the silver alms bowl in front of the Wednesday night Buddha statue, then raised her hands in a slight bow, “Amen, may I not see anything like that again. May my life be smooth without disturbances, please.”
After finishing, she walked back to the car with a calmer heart. Although still a bit scared, she thought that making merit and praying might improve things, but who knows if everything can be solved just by making merit...
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.