The apartment Kongpob had chosen for them to stay in, was a little ways from the main city. Arthit had to wake up much earlier to make it in time for work. Kongpob smiled at him, when he wandered in the living room, handing him a cup of steaming hot, tea. Arthit savoured the taste of the warm liquid.
Kongpob was bouncing a ball against one of the walls, he had been morose and recalcitrant since the note had found its way on their doorstep. Arthit had found him sitting up in bed, the previous night, staring off into the distance. Finally, when he couldn't curb his curiousity any longer, he snatched the ball from Kongpob's hand.
"Why do you keep doing that?"
"It helps me think, P'Arthit."
"Did P'Ran give you any updates?"
"He's hit a dead end on all fronts. They couldn't find the person who divulged the address, yet."
Kongpob clenched his fists, the feeling of helplessness rising to the surface threatening to drown him.
"If only, I was still on the case -"
Kongpob's phone began to ring, he answered it, nodding along to the person on the other end. His surprised face caught Arthit's interest.
"Who was it?"
"P'Ran. The director's just confessed to everything, they've just booked him."
Arthit took in the befuddled expression on Kongpob's face, he felt compelled to enquire.
"That's good news, right?"
"I just can't understand why he would confess now, wouldn't it have made more sense to keep on denying the allegations? I mean, why now?"
"Aren't you overthinking this? He probably realized that there was no point of staying mum, when he was being fired anyway."
"Maybe. Or is he trying to protect his partner by taking the blame?"
Arthit tried to keep up, he put down the cup with a loud clatter.
"I thought you said his partners were P'Gun and the IT person. Why would he want to protect either of them?"
Kongpob hummed, Arthit realised he wouldn't get any more information from him. He bent down, kissing Kongpob soundly.
"I'll be ready to leave in 15 minutes, okay?"
"Okay."
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Kongpob had asked P'Ran, to be on the other side of the interrogation room, for when he questioned the director. His sharp eyes were fixed on the director trying to capture all his micro expressions. P'Ran's loud voice reverberated in the enclosed room.
"- do you mean to tell me that you managed all this single-handedly? Do you take me for a fool?!"
"It's the truth, I paid all those men to attack Mr. Rojnapat and Mr. Atitarn."
"Aren't you in cahoots with Mr. Atitarn?"
"No, he didn't have anything to do with this."
"Why did you transfer the money to Mr. Atitarn, then?"
P'Ran slammed his fist hard on the table, clearly trying to evoke a reaction out of the director. But, Kongpob noticed that his calm demeanour was unfazed by P'Ran's interrogation techniques.
"I've already told you, that was a bonus."
P'Ran then shook the note from the last night, sealed in an evidence bag, near his face.
"You claim responsibility for this letter too?"
Kongpob rejoiced, in the brief moment upon seeing the note, he noted a hint of surprise flash over the director's face. He realized that the director had no inkling about the note.
"Yes."
"Do you? What's written on it?"
"I don't know the exact wordings, I just wanted to shake him up a bit."
"In the note, you mention the word 'both' and now you say you want to shake up a single person. I'll warn you, Mr. Chaiprasit, lying to an officer of the law, is only going to increase your sentence. It will be in your best interest to cooperate."
Kongpob waited with bated breath, P'Ran was trying to catch him in his lies. The director wiped the sweat off his brow.
"I want my lawyer."
They had been so close, Kongpob kicked the wall in frustration.
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The lawyer had put an end to all their lines of questioning. An agitated P'Ran entered the room from where Kongpob had been watching the interrogation, followed by Dao, who seemed to be on the verge of tears.
"Kong, I need you back on the case. N'Dao, you're off."
Kongpob laughed.
"Why the sudden change of heart, P'Ran?"
P'Ran waited for Dao to leave the room, before whispering conspiratorially.
"N'Dao is driving me up the wall. I'd rather have you questioning me every step of the way."
"And what about me dating, P'Arthit?"
"Let's say I wasn't aware of it."
Kongpob nodded, glad to be back on the case, to have the authority to investigate, to take action if necessary.
"Although, why you would date that surly man is beyond me."
P'Ran had butted heads with Arthit from the first day and recent events had done nothing to change his opinion.
"You don't understand, P'Ran, he's the only one for me."
"If you say so."
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P'Gun pressed the button to the elevator incessantly. The wound along his abdomen sometimes twinged when he was feeling particularly stressed. He was stressed today, the new director was to be elected today and his being there at the meeting was instrumental.
Arthit and Knott stopped a little distance from him, both parties apprehensive to approach the other. P'Gun raised a hand in greeting, not expecting the hostile look from Knott. He couldn't remember a single incident, when Knott had been pleasant to him.
They entered the elevator. Arthit remembered the last time he had been in an elevator with P'Gun. That had been the day the whole nightmare had started.
"P'Gun?"
"Yes?"
"How is your mother?"
P'Gun fixed his spectacles, glad to have a reason to speak to Arthit.
"She's alright for now. Arthit -"
"Good. I'm glad. Listen, P'Gun -"
Knott cleared his throat reminding them of his presence, he lapsed into silence when Arthit glared at him.
"-P'Gun, I just wanted to tell you, that if it turns out, that you've been telling the truth all the while, then, I'm sorry I haven't been a good friend to you -"
Arthit stepped closer, P'Gun gulped due to the proximity.
"But, if you've been lying, I can promise you that, you will regret trying to make an enemy of me."
The elevator dinged, Arthit stepped out, Knott smiled, he was the one of the few people who was privy to the more dangerous side of his friend. He patted P'Gun on the back.
"Good luck."
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Arthit was tired of waiting for Kongpob to pick him up from work, Knott had refused to leave his side till he reached. His calls were going unanswered, what had started out as a mild worry was evolving into a full blown panic.
"What if someone hurt him, Ai'Knott?"
"Don't panic just yet. Let's wait for 5 more minutes, otherwise we can check at the station. You said he would be there, right?"
"Yes."
The rumble of Kongpob's bike was a sound Arthit had never imagined, could sound so sweet to his ears. He didn't wait for Kongpob to take off his helmet, before slipping his arms around his back.
"P'Arthit? What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?! Why weren't you answering my calls?"
"I'm sorry, I must have got carried away. P'Ran put me back on the case, we've been going through the list with a fine tooth comb trying to find the person the director's protecting."
"Protecting? What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you at home, thanks for staying P'Knott."
"Sure, no problem. Ai'Arthit, see you tomorrow."
Knott bade them farewell, he watched them ride away till they were merely a speck. He turned into a dark alley, taking out his phone.
"We've got a problem."
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A/N : Thank you all for reading :) We're nearing the end of this story x