MANNER OF DEATH 4

 

Chapter 4

I entered the classroom with a smile of victory. The friends in the room turned their heads and stared at me with eyes full of shock. I made a beeline for a desk by the window, crossing my legs while looking outside. I inhaled fresh, clean air into my lungs.

"Bunn!" Whinn, my classmate, slid onto my desk, his loud voice boomed out, "Shit, Bunn! You rock!"

I turned and wiggled my eyebrows at my roommate, "What are you talking about, Whinn?"

At this point, Whinn wasn't the only person who hovered above my desk. Sonn, Poon, Thíd, and the boy gang all gathered me with their whoops and hollers.

"How did you do it!?"

"If I'm not mistaken, didn't you just play soccer with me just before the exam?!"

"When the heck did you bury your nose in the books?!"

I raised my hands as a signal for everyone to stop talking, "Hey, all of you, calm down. Thank you for those kind words. I am touched, really."

And then they were roaring excitedly until Ms. Phannee, our homeroom teacher, marchedin. My friends quickly dissipated, returning to their respective seats before she got mad.

"All rise, everyone!" Narmfon, our beautiful class president, enunciated. Everyone put his palms together, greeting our teacher in unison. With this, Ms. Phannee nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hello, students. First of all, congratulations to the students who have passed the college entrance exam. You are very brilliant, Her stern gaze flickered to me. "Especially you, Mr. Bunnakit. Congratulations, you are the only student who has been accepted to medical school in this academic year.”

Despite Ms. Phannee's reluctant compliment, I beamed challengingly. You see, Ms. Phannee and I were close because she had always been reprimanding me in the Discipline Office. I was quite an unruly student, constantly skipping classes, wearing uniform improperly. Not to mention that I used to get involved in a fight with students from a nearby school.

However, even with all those flaws, no one could deny my excellent academic competence. I liked studying. I got excited every time I encountered arduous and complex physics equation. My heart would bloom with elation whenever I had been the first student who came up with solutions to the calculus. My grades may not look in their best shapes due to numerous deductions of my aptitude scores. Nonetheless, I had always been one of the top students in my class, which was why I could still hold my head high in this small private school without getting expelled.

I had to act this way in order to conceal something. My unruly behaviors made me appear rather formidable, I need to behave like a leader of a bang of thugs so that everyone wouldn't dare to invade my personal life.

After school, I ran down the stairs with my bag behind my back. I had to hurry back home to celebrate this success with my parents. The fact that I got accepted to a medical school brought them an equal amount of shock and pride. Think of this as an apology for my unruly behaviors in the past - Mom, Dad.

"Bunn!" The sound of someone calling me brought me to a halt. I didn't turn around to look, though. The footsteps behind ran towards me. His hand grabbed my wrist.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "What?"

"Bunn, I am sorry," He squeezed my wrist firmly. I pulled his hand away and let out a weary sigh. Fortunately, no one was passing by on the pathway at the moment.

His name was Tarr, my schoolmate in high school (Grade 6), who was in a different room. I looked upon his handsome face coldly.

"It's over, Tarr," I said in a cold utterance. "There's nothing to apologize.”

"But I don't want it to end. I was an idiot, and I know that I'll set things right. I'll tell everyone it was just a joke."

"It won't make me feel any better." I turned to face Tarr, my hands rest in my pockets. I tilted my head to eye at my ex-boyfriend with an impassive expression. "Do whatever you wanted to do. Go ahead and shout to the whole school that I'm gay. Soon, I will live in a new society in the college. I don't care."

Tarr's head was bowed, clenching his hand tightly. "But don't you think that breaking up with me just because I told someone else about us isn't too over-reacting? I just don't want to hide this from anyone."

"Thought you said you want to make things right by rectifying the situation. You wanted to tell everybody about us earlier, what's the matter? Don't feel like telling it so much anymore?" I drew my face nearer to him. "It's over, Tarr."

I had always been trying to hide my sexual identity. Tarr and I started dating since we were in Grade 5 in high school. Before that, I only knew him as one of my classmates, but Tarr was interested in me, trying to approach me since I moved to study here. He was the first guy who was brave enough to ask me out. I admired his courage, so we were in a relationship secretly for several months- until three days ago. I didn't know what pushed him to do it. He told our story to his classmates. And then, his friends walked right at me and asked me what the truth was.

It's odd, I didn't feel angry. On the contrary, I was happy that now I had a reason to dump him. That's because I didn't love this man. Truth be told, I had never loved anyone.

I could feel anger radiated from the person in front of me. "Don't think that you could hide this from everyone else in the medical school. You can hide about other things, but you can't hide this one,” Tarr said, his voice one of a stolid tone.

I let out an audible sigh, "It doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with us." I turned on my heels and walked away, paying him no mind. I knew I had caused him pain, but a man with a face like him wouldn't find it hard to find someone new. Soon, there would be a High School Graduation Party, everyone would spread their wings and soar high away from high school society to another level of challenge. I had decided that I would create my new identity when I became a medical student. Bunnakit, an unruly, noxious boy, would disappear. In life of Bunnakit who liked boys, he would date women.

Why? You might wonder.

Well, society tended to accept this type of relationship. That's why.

I reached a nearby bus stop cater-corner to my school fence, sitting down on a bench next to a boy in a school uniform. From what I've gathered, he was probably in middle school. I looked at him for a moment before my eyes wandered aimlessly to vehicles on the street of the metropolis, reminiscing about my past self. Back in the old days, I was in a prestigious school. I had a public relationship, one that proved catastrophic, with a senior. Despite my academic achievement, I couldn't bear being condemned, discriminated, and bullied by other classmates. As a result, I left that prestigious school and moved to this small, private school when I reached high school.

Why so…? Because I was gay. Even though I dated men, I chose dating one at a time. Even so, the society still stomped me into the ground with unbridled disgust. And all the while, they were singing the praises of men, the likes of Pert, a womanizer, or other bullies.

The society had turned me to this kind of man, my true identity coiling inside a thick, solid shell. Everything on the surface wasn't real, and it had always been this way until I grew up, and graduated as a forensic physician.

My identity had become a secret which was buried deep, so deep that sometimes, couldn't even find it. With all these losses of identity, even I have forgotten who I really am.

"Dr.Bunn! Dr.Bunn!" Someone called out my name in fright. I woke up with a jolt, my eyes wide open. The bright light shined into my eyes that I had to shut them quickly. I groaned lightly, raising my left hand to cover my eyes.

"Dr.Bunn, you're awake?" I could hear a sound of insuppressible relief.

I forced myself to open my eyes, to let in the light. It turned out to be the light on the ceiling in this room. A nurse assistant might have turned it on when she came to check my pulse. Confused, I blinked hastily, turning to the nurse assistant, who was holding a sphygmomanometer. "W… What time is it?"

"It's 4 a.m., Doctor," said the assistant, "I came in to check your blood pressure, and I saw that you slept like a rock. I have to call you loudly, I thought your Score has dropped. My apology if I've startled you."

"It's fine," I rested my hand on my head, feeling like I had forgotten something.

A silhouette of a man in a black hoodie suddenly flashed into my mind. That's right. The intruder had sneaked into my room. Details of the incident afterward were hazy as if they were cloaked behind a heavy fog. I turned to look at the bottle of saline swiftly, and then back at the IV catheter implanted on the crook of my left arm.

Or was it just a dream?

"Did someone come into my room last night?" I turned to ask the nurse assistant who came to measure my blood pressure.

"Uh…I didn't see anyone. Except your relative, a tall, handsome guy, who came to ask for your room last night.”

She must be referring to Pert. He must have claimed to be my fake relative in order to be granted permission to visit me. "What about after that?"

"I haven't seen anyone enter the ward. Is something wrong?" She put a thermometer under my armpit.

I let a long exhale escaped my mouth with relief. It was not something unusual to have nightmares after these kinds of traumatic experiences. The murderer shouldn't be able to come in here anyway. A motion of nimble fingers adjusting the IV and deft handling of injection were probably originated from my knowledge mixed up in my dreams. The thermometer made a sound, and the small nurse assistant pulled it away to see my temperature.

"No fever. Please get some more rest, Doctor. Dr. Surasak should be here around 8 o'clock in the first round.”

"Yes," I closed my heavy eyelids. Dr. Surasak, a surgeon, was my colleague. He and I were rather close.

I asked the nurse assistant to leave the light on until morning. After she had left the room, I quickly fumbled for Pert's phone, which was placed by my side. I turned on the screen and looked at it silently. An acute sensation of warmth ran through my chest, putting my mind at ease. Although I wasn't so fond of Pert back in high school, now that we were all had become adults, it felt nice to have him around. We were good friends, and we helped each other. If it weren't for the fact that he liked women, I would have fallen in love with him.

I shook my head to banish this thought. No, Bunnakit, you can't. With my career, my reputation, expectations from my family, as well as this cruel society, I could not afford to have feelings for men. My happiness was not essential. This secret should be just a secret for eternity.

Surasak and the intern came to my bed at 8 am, sharp. He discharged me from the hospital because there was no intracerebral hemorrhage, and, overall, my conditions had immensely improved. Surasak instructed me to take a couple of days off to rest. After he had left the room, the first thing I did was calling Pert to ask about the progression and to seek some advice on finding temporary shelter. This mobile phone had saved the other phone's title as ‘Pert Device No. 1.’

The ring back tone rang for several moments before it was cut off. I pressed the call button again- Still, the unanswered ring back tone.

A sense of apprehension gradually intensified within me. Pert might be on his way to work at the moment, driving.

I was about to call him for the third time when the door whipped open- it was Fai. The small female physician made a beeline for my bed with a shocked expression on her face.

"Bunn!" It was like she was about to cry. "What happened? And how are you feeling?"

I ended the call and turned to her, giving her a small smile. "I feel much better,"

"Fai was shocked! I just heard the news this morning. The record said you were assaulted? Is it true? Have you told the police yet?" Fai bombarded me with questions. I reached out to hold her slender hand, trying to ease her panic. She glanced down at my hand, and a faint blush rose on her light, smooth cheek of a typical Northern woman.

"I'll take care of this after I'm discharged from the hospital. Don't worry. You do know that I'm friends with many cops, Fai."

Fai nodded, "Please tell me if there is anything I can help.”

I thought I do need some help though, "Fai, can you ask someone to escort me home?"

It was now midday, and I still hadn't been able to contact Pert. I ended the call before loading a big suitcase on the back of the car and shutting the door with a thud. I decided to stay at the hotel temporarily for safety reasons. At this point, I didn't think I would be able to go back home if the murderer had not been apprehended.

Fai requested Suthep, the male nurse of the ER, to drive me home. Luckily, Suthep had just get off his night shift; he had waited to drive me out of the hospital with him. The first thing I did when I got home was taking a shower and getting dress. I packed all the necessary supplies in a suitcase. I called the hotel in the city to book a room and got into my car, quickly speeding from home.

As soon as I opened the door of the only luxurious hotel in the city, the soft scent reached my nose. I placed my bag on the table in front of the bathroom and headed to the queen-size double bed, throwing myself down tiredly. The wound on my forehead was still taut and stiff, but the headache and nausea had completely gone. I pulled out the white smartphone and called Pert again. If he, by any chance, had already told the police, then I wouldn't have to struggle too much. For now, I would keep a low profile and continue my work as usual until the case is dealt with and the murderer is arrested.

The number you've dialed cannot be connected…

I frowned. Maybe he was in court. I should try to reach him again after work.

I took the elevator to the ground floor of the hotel. I intended to head to a convenience store across the street. I marched through a spacious, beautifully decorated lobby of the hotel. Some people seemed to be tourists sparsely sitting around.

"Kidnapping can be accomplished like a piece of cake these days." I heard a conversation between two hotel employee. I didn't pay much attention to it if I hadn't caught the next sentence from another staff.

"Yeah. This is a frikin' prosecutor we're takin' about. Our province doesn't seem to be a good place to live."

Come again?

That halted me in my track. I turned to look at the two male staffs who were talking at the counter and quickly marched over them. They quickly stepped away from each other and smiled amicably at me,

"What can we do for you, sir?"

"What were you two talking about earlier?" I inquired nervously. The hotel staffs displayed a mild look of shock.

"Oh… um, we were talking about the news on the internet, sir,”

"What news?" Despite myself, I accidentally raised my voice.”

“N… news of a prosecutor's abduction, sir. Happened in our province. It was on the news feeds less than an hour ago. Seems like they had found his car with the door open on the side of the road around the bypass road, but there was no sign of the owner of the car.”

The cool breeze blew through to the balcony on the 4th floor of the hotel. A clear blue sky contained no hints of white clouds above. With my head bowed, I stood still, leaning two arms against the balcony-a deluge of emotions flooded in at the same time, more than I could handle. I grasped Pert's phone that currently displayed a webpage of online news.

"Prosecutor Kidnapped Mysteriously. Possibility of Business Issues.”

The news explicitly mentioned that ‘Prosecutor Songsak,’ Pert's name, had disappeared. His car had been found on the side of the road since daybreak. No one found anything particularly unusual about the car parking on the side of the road until they learned that the owner of the car was Prosecutor Songsak. He did not show up in court, and no one hadn't seen him the entire day. I couldn't even believe my own eyes when I saw the news. It should not be anything about the business, if anything, I thought I might be the reason of his disappearance. It was possible that the intruder might know I told what happened to Pert. Maybe Pert did something that had alerted the murderer, so he did exactly what he had threatened me.

So, was it just a dream last night?

I elicited a growl with indignation. I felt cramped that I wanted to explode and die right then and there. I should really give up, is that it? I should do as the murderer told me to before anyone else could get hurt.

Or should I call the police myself?

But right at this time, deep down, I couldn't bring myself to trust anyone. The murderer seemed to be a man who had eyes and ears everywhere, perhaps an insider or he knows some of the police. Could it be one of the Captain's subordinates? Could it be the Inspectors? Or maybe the Captain himself?

I was standing where the veil of darkness descended, encircling me in all directions, couldn't see what I should do next. It forced me to walk like a chess piece on a chessboard he plotted. I had to forge an autopsy report that stated Janejira had committed suicide and that my initial summary report of the manner of death was a misinterpretation. Outwardly, the evidence suggested that Janejira was murdered might not be apparent. But when I cut her open, this level of damage on her neck muscle could not have been the result of a suicide. I might be able to alter the post-mortem report, but the photo taken from the dissected body was undeniable. Needless to say, I would have gotten into trouble later if I forged a false report like that.

I needed to buy more time. At this point, the autopsy process was not yet complete. There were still laboratory results such as chemicals, drugs in her blood, urine, and blood beneath her fingernails, that needed to be conducted. It was unfortunate that the murderer didn't leave any traces of evidence on the body, not even a single hair.

And then I decided that I should do something. I had always believed in my instincts, and this time was no different. I would start with the prime suspect, and find concrete evidence to convict that person before he could hurt me or the people I loved.

I was standing in front of a commercial building located in a busy area in the center of the city. A large vinyl sign plastered across two commercial building’s balconies. A message on the sign was, "Cram School by Teacher Tann: Intensive Tutoring for High School & University Admissions/ maths, physics, chemistry, and biology.”

It was now almost 6 p.m. I saw teenagers both in school uniforms and casual wears walk out of the building, shooting the breeze. I picked up my phone to make sure I didn't come in the wrong place before boldly marching inside.

Teacher Tann, or Mr. Weerapong Yodsungnern, 26 years old, had graduated with a degree in Biochemistry (First Class Honours), Faculty of Science, from the most famous university in the North. He had been opened this cram school for one year now. The information I had obtained wasn't difficult to find, just opened the news feed of Janejira's death, copying "Weerapong,” the ex-boyfriend of the deceased, who had discovered the body, and search for information about this person. The information indicating his educations appeared vividly on the Facebook Page, ‘Cram School by Teacher Tann,’ along with a convenient map that led me to this very place. So, here I was.

On the ground floor inside the building, the place was designed as a waiting room for students who were waiting for their classes or the ones who were waiting for their pare. It occurred to me that this place must be too big for him to run the business alone. I went straight to a small room separated by a glass door, with a green sign on the front, saying-‘INFORMATION.’

"Can I help you?" A sweet voice spoke in the local dialect greeted me as soon as I opened the door. I eyed the owner of the voice who was sitting behind a desk piled with paper work.

"Uh…." I should make it look convincing, "I want more information about courses for my niece,”

"Oh! Of course, what courses is your niece interested in taking?”

"What subjects does Teacher Tann teach?"

"Biology and chemistry," The woman smiled sweetly at me.

"If I want to see him, where can I find him?"

Her smile faltered a little. "Teacher Tann is teaching the students at the moment. The class should end around 7 p.m.”

His girlfriend had just passed away, but he could still be able to teach. That made me feel even more suspicious. "Thank you. Please tell him that someone wants to meet him. I’ll be waiting at the front." I turned back and walked out of the room and sat on a bench with high school students.

I looked down at Pert's phone in my hand, having my heart in my mouth at the thought that my best friend might have been killed already. I knew that doing this was risky. I didn't bring any weapons with me, but I would use this noisy, crowded place to my advantage-- a shield to protect myself. I wanted to see his face, his physique, and listen to the voice of the person whose name was Tann. If he really was he murderer, at least my appearance today was a declaration that I wouldn't sit back and let him push me around, one-sided. I would put him in jail and get Pert back.

Time passed slowly. I looked at young students who stood up and walked out of the building one by one until only me and one girl, who was playing a mobile game in the corner of the room, remained. The clock on the wall said 7 p.m. I could hear motions from the higher floor, a stream of trivial chatter gradually grew louder. The next thing I saw was a group of students walking down from the upper level. Teacher Tann's class must have ended already. I stood up on my feet and eyed the stairs.

And then I saw him. On the way down, a tall man trailed behind the students. He was in a black shirt and a pair of jeans. The man was talking and making a gesture to explain something to the girl who walked alongside him. When they reached the ground floor, the girl traditionally greeted him, bidding him goodbye. The man accepted it with a smile before walking straight to the room behind the glass, the one I had entered earlier.

I was ready. I put my hands into my pockets, staring at the glass door in anticipation.

Teacher Tann left the room again, looking around as if he was trying to locate someone. Then, his eyes stumbled upon me. I noticed a look of shock in the eyes of the man before me.

There's no reason for you to be shocked by this.

The corners of my mouth tucked up ward slightly. I didn't think I came to the wrong place.

He walked towards me. Unbidden, I took one step back, looking at his physique with deliberation. With his height and shape, Tann could pass as the killer, along with his personality and handsome face, making him appear formidable and attractive to some extent. He posed that kind of personality of a good teacher.

"You want to talk to me, sir?" And then I heard his voice.

Tann had a deep, yet powerful voice. His voice could captivate the listener's attention and make them focus on his words. I let his voice into my mind, comparing it with the voice of the intruder I'd heard.

Kind of hard to tell…

The assailant's voice in my memory was one of a low-pitched tone similar to this one, but each syllable was uttered through a cloth mask that made the voice appear unnaturally muffled. Right now, all I could tell was that Tann's voice was somewhat similar to the intruder, albeit the lack of certitude. It was difficult to remember the voice of a stranger, especially during a dire situation that came with a head injury. You see, it was kind of miraculous that I could still remember what happened to myself.

"Mister?" Tann called me after I had become silent.

“I quickly pulled myself back and looked up at the slightly younger man-- and yet slightly taller. …. Teacher Tann, right?"

"Yes, that would be me," Tann replied. I saw his eyes glanced up at the gauze on the wound on my forehead, and then swiftly looked back down.

"I have questions about tutorial courses…" I maintained the masquerade for my subtle motives, all the while scrutinizing the demeanor of the man in front of me. Whatever that looked suspicious on the man wouldn't escape the keen eyes of the forensic pathologist like me. "My niece wants to go to a medical school. I would like to ask for details about a biology course, your teaching schedules, and it’s content,"

Then, I noticed something on the left side of Tann's temple, albeit a few hairs on the front obscuring it. But I could see a small, translucent, waterproof plaster covering his left temple, a tiny speck of blood visibly seeped through the plaster. The area around the wound was a dark red bruise, having a circular outline with a diameter of 3 centimeters. The outline, though, wasn't sharp, and this type of bruise was caused by a blunt object. It should have occurred within these 24 hours because the dark red bruise appeared relatively fresh.

After the analysis, my eyes quickly traced over Tann's body from head to toe to find the possible cause of the wound on his head. I was looking for other wounds on his body. If he had bruises and small cuts scattered on his limbs. The causes of injury might derive from road accidents. On the other hand, if the injury appeared on essential body parts, such as the head, it was most likely an assault than a collision. All I could see from his visible skin outside the garment, I didn't see any other wounds on his body.

Suspicion quickly spiked in my mind. I couldn't remember whether the assailant had any injury on his forehead.

"I teach biology courses on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Weekends, afternoon. The content consists of high school biology. I will focus on mandatory lessons that often appear on the exams. But if your niece wants to get to medical school, I could set up a special class for her, focusing on quota exams and COTMES exam." Tann lifted his wrist to look at the watch as if he was in a hurry to go somewhere. "If you're interested, you can contact Pim, the lady, in that room." He pointed to the room behind the glass where I'd once been.

"Thank you.” My eyes still fixed on his face persistently. If this person was truly a murderer, he sure as hell could act out a very convincing charade.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go.” Tann bowed slightly to excuse himself and then walk away. I turned back and my eyes followed his tall figure, which suddenly halted his stride. He turned back at me again. The fear began to accumulate in my chest.

"You are…" Tann spoke out, "A police officer, right?"

I had never been so confused in my life.

"I saw you at the scene. You wore a shirt that says ‘FORENSICS’, Are you a detective?” Tann walked right up to meant give me a piece of paper. "Here, this is my business card. Please contact me. I wanted to know if Jane really took her own life.”

This maybe the reason he seemed shocked to see me at first. It was the first time sadness appeared on his face. I gaped; I didn't know how to respond. After I had met Tann, it seemed like everything had become an entangled mess that it had become impossible to solve. I accepted his business card.

"During the day, the police called me to the police station. They inquired about my location on the night before Jane was found. Fortunately, that night I went to my friend's wedding, and we continued the celebration. I have witnesses who can confirm that I stayed with my friends all night. Otherwise, I would definitely become the number one suspect.” Tann sighed softly, "You guys suspected that Jane was murdered?”

I didn't say anything. The wheels were spinning hard inside my brain in order to process things. What exactly is going on here?

"…it's a secret, isn't it?" Tann said, with an uneasy expression. "If you can share any details with me, can you please contact me, Officer? Or if you want my help, I'd be happy to help you with anything. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go run a few errands.”

I was still holding that business card in my hand, even though the owner of the card, whose name had inscribed on it, had already walked out of the building. I felt like I had rounded the corner of a labyrinth only to find a dead end. Have I come to the wrong way? I closed my eyes, trying to focus. Right at this moment, everything looked like bits and pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that had been misplaced, scattering in every direction. The piece I was trying to find was the one at the corner of the whole puzzle. It was the most suitable piece - a starting point, to reassemble the next pieces of puzzle. But I had yet to find the piece I needed. Not even close.

But I still believed that there was something off about Tann. If he was a killer, he must have known who I was. But now, he might be pretending not to know me. I should follow him, seeing where he plans to go in such haste. Maybe I would find something that could be used as evidence to convict this man, or if I found that he was trying to run away, this too would be another promising piece of evidence to support my supposition.

With that in mind, I didn’t waste time walking out of the tenement. Since the sunlight in the evening had almost disappeared, the air outside had grown colder. I turned from left to right, looking for my target. Tann made his way towards a black car parked in a short distance from the cram school gate. I memorized the details of the car and its license plate number before walking to my own car parked closer to the gate.

I will put you behind bars, Tann, because you are the murderer.