Ae
I collected the mail from the box before driving Pete into the house. He was on his last full dose of pain meds so I wasn't surprised when he napped all the way from the hospital to the house. When we arrived, I carried Pete in before going back to get my things but Cassie beat me to it. Herself and Nigel carried in whatever I had and I was really grateful. They both would be staying with us because Cassie has nursing experience and Nigel was a security and technical expert. The other three had picked their spots and would be doing whatever they needed to do.
Par Jiew came out to meet everyone and had them sitting with plates before them in the time it took for me to inhale. I smiled and looked through the mail because sometimes there was something here for me.
I didn't notice it immediately and almost opened it before I stopped. The letter had no return address and didn't even have postage stamps. It just looked like it had been hand delivered into the mail box.
I asked Par for a ziplock bag and slipped the letter inside before I washed my hands carefully then called Detective Dami.
"Ae."
"Pete and I are home now. I collected the mail and received a weird letter. I touched it and almost opened it but I stopped and put it in a ziplock bag. It's addressed to Pete, has no return address and looks like it was hand placed into the mail box."
"Ok. Did anyone else besides yourself touched it?"
"One of the security people we hired brought the mail in from the car but I don't think they touched it directly. It was in the middle of the pile."
"Ok. We were coming by to see you this afternoon with some questions and an update so I'll change my schedule and have some people with me within the hour."
"Ok thanks."
"A suspicious letter?" Nigel asks me after swallowing some noodles.
"Yeah. I was looking some stuff up last night and it says usually in cases like this the victim gets hate mail and sometimes they even put poison powders and other stuff in the lining of the letters that can hurt the recipient, make them sick or worst case, kill them. If the idea is to kill Pete or at least get rid of him, this is a good chance."
"Ok so from now on we'll be opening your mail because where the box is on your property, I never thought someone would have access to it. Par or someone would have to let them in for them to be able to drop off the letter into the box."
"I just thought of something. Par. Did anyone come here delivering gifts for Pete?"
"Yes. Several people delivered gifts." Jar looked at us questioningly. It wasn't a strange occurrence for something like that to happen.
We stared at each other and saw where someone could have snuck in. It was easy to walk in after a car and walk out right after one too. Also if you sent a service, then the service person simply had to follow direction. Then again you could dress like a service person and pretend to deliver a message yourself. Too many people would have come through that time for Par Jiew to keep track of them all.
"When was the last time you checked the mail, Par? Yesterday?"
"Yes. The mailman also came in today as well as some services dropping things of for the Master and Missus. I usually go out to collect things and sort them around 5. By then, most mail and messages have already come in. I also sometimes check in the morning when I know there is something urgent coming in."
"Makes sense. And you usually open the mail Ae?" Nigel wanted to be sure. The letter was addressed to Pete so it was possible the person did not know the house dynamic and assumed that Par would get the mail or that Ae would only deliver the mail and not open it.
"When I grab the mail. I open, sort and organize them the way Mom likes. She has a way she deals with it so I do it for her to save time because Par doesn't feel comfortable opening the mail."
"It's not appropriate. Master Ae or Pete can do it." Despite being considered a part of the family, Par Jiew maintained some habits as the housekeeper. Some things she just never did because she didn't think it was her place. Ae was equal to Master Pete in her eyes so he wasn't out of place in opening the mail or handling other matters that the Master or Missus should be dealing with.
"Ae?" I turned. Pete was walking towards us while rubbing his eyes from sleep. His cuteness made my heart clutch and I went to him immediately and hugged him. We really needed to get this plan off the ground soon. I didn't want to see him in danger for much longer.
"Hey. A strange letter arrived in the mail so I told the police about it. They should be here soon."
"Oh. They have an update for us." He reminded me and I nodded.
"Yes. Come eat. Your pain meds should be wearing out soon. I want you to have something in your stomach before you get any more." Pete nodded and smiled at me. He greeted everyone then sat and ate as we just chatted while waiting. The chime of the gate bell made us all look and Par went to answer.
"It's the detectives." She informed us as soon as she was back. Pete dropped his dishes in the sink and asked Par to wash them so he wouldn't miss anything.
I grabbed the ziplock bag and bought it with me to the living room. Both Dami and Ling walked in and I simply handed it over. They dropped it in an evidence bag and handed it to a man who disappeared with it.
"Nice to you see up and about Pete. Can you tell us where the gifts are stored please? We want to check them and make sure they are safe."
"I'll get Par Jiew." Nigel said and went back to the kitchen. The other officers followed him anyway and left Pete, Cassie and I with Dami and Ling.
"I'm glad to see that your making your safety a priority. Did you have any information for us about your plan?" Pete and I both looked at Cassie.
"Not at the moment. It's still in the works. We will, of course, ask for your assistance when we're ready to lay the trap."
"Thanks. Oh thank you." Par Jiew had suddenly appeared with fruit juice. Ling immediately reached for a glass, ignoring Dami's pained glance.
"As I was about to say, we found your temporary gate security. The perp placed in in the guard shack and locked him in. You would have found it very difficult to get in there like you were planning to do Pete.
"Of course. It would have prevented me from saving myself and left me as a wide open target." The setup of the security hut was such that it didn't allow parking within a certain amount of feet. This meant that Pete would have to be standing in the open to get into the security hut.
"We can also say that the security guard was shot with the same gun the perp aimed at you. The recordings show us a woman approached the Security but we suspect that she was wearing a wig. She was also very much aware of the camera angles. When returning to the car, she got into the passenger side."
"So there were two persons involved in this?"
"Yes. The driver and the shooter of the security."
"So then does this destroy the obsession angle? Because usually these kind of people operate alone right?" I am trying to recall the profiles I read online.
"They usually do but we still can't discount this angle. Say for example the woman in the video is your secret admirer. Despite wanting you all to herself, she may not have all the means to do so. Therefore she seduces an assistant using some baseless story and ropes them into her plot."
"Of course," Nigel muttered while I recalled that saying about a woman scorned... But did it have to be a woman?
"What if the man is the secret admirer?" Pete looks at me and I know he was thinking the same thing.
"It's possible but the profile is currently leaning towards the woman being the perp were looking for. Behaviour patterns have a tell and right now, the signals are leaning heavily towards woman as our mastermind."
I nodded and the moment they left I went and called Diew.
"Hey, I'm kind of busy right now. Can you call me back?"
"Actually I just have one question. The guy I told you to check out for me. Is he still in Europe?"
***
Ling got into the car and turned to Dami.
"He could be right you know. It doesn't have to be a woman."
"I'm aware but currently men are low on my list of possible suspects. Besides, what are the chances of two of these kinds of people working together? What are the chances of having so much of them around this couple?"
"Not impossible. Don't forget where I came from Dami. I changed my name and remade myself but I can tell you that somehow these people can flock an individual, especially when they are strong and have good connections. Or in my case, be the leader of a crime syndicate."
"Who is willing to change a lot of things for you. Who is obsessed with you just as they were obsessed with him..."
"Not the same. He's not obsessed. If he were, I would never be able to leave that house. Trust me on this. He really does love me and I'm not being naive. You know I love him too."
"Yes. I've aware of your shortcomings when it comes to that person." Dami had known from the very beginning the kind of partner he was getting. Ling had made it clear. Dami had went ahead anyway and they had been partners ever since. He didn't have any regrets but sometimes he wondered if Ling was looking through rose coloured glasses in some instances.
"Whatever, but anyway both men and women were killing and dying to be with him, literally and they didn't all fit the profile. Some of the women, especially, would use the men to get what they wanted. I once heard a dancer tell her client, you get this girl out of the way, and I'll be yours exclusively. She made it sound like the girl was undermining her and stealing clients. Really she was hoping he would kill her so she would get invited to private parties hosted by that person.
"Then you have some men who resorted to more female stereotypes. I've been poisoned already. Stabbed at. You get the picture. Then there are some women who came at me or others close to him with a more masculine style. I once saw a bludgeoned dance and the person who did it was a woman."
"I get your point Ling. However, we do have to take into consideration that the victims are not the same."
"I know that. Ae was hanging around more than one male but never went with any of them. He chose Sheri instead who looks like Pete remarkably. They had sex and Ae knew it was the biggest mistake of his life. She's the best option. But she's not the only option."
"Ok. So we look at everyone thoroughly."
"Thank you. Was that so hard."
"No. That was the plan anyway." Ling looked at Dami who smirked. He rolled his eyes and looked out the window. He had sacrificed a lot and he was happy with his life. Did he want to be with Kino? Yes. He was lonely and it was hard sometimes. Still, he didn't want Kino and his empire. He just wanted the man and that was the difference between him and everyone else.
Over at headquarters, Diew killed the call and headed over to the meeting he was supposed to attend. He was early so he reached out to his contact in Europe and made some inquiries.
"We haven't been keeping track of him anymore. He's just a student and on the no priority list."
"So then why the fuck is he in Thailand trying to kill the heir of a Europe based Thai businessman?"
"Confirmed sighting?"
"What the fuck are you asking me?" Diew's tone went from normal to deadly.
There was silence as the person on the line reassessed himself. "I'll track him down and give you his exact current location."
"Running away you little fucker. He better be in Europe and not in Thailand like I'm hearing right now." Diew cut the call and grinned. He loved scaring the European branch trackers. They always underestimated him but so far, every person he had asked them to keep an eye on, turned out to be a serious problem.
The meeting lasted 5 hours but that was to be expected. Back in his office, he checked his email and immediately saw one from the tracker. He scanned it quickly and called Ae.
"Hey. I just got the information you wanted. The guy is somewhere in Bangkok as we speak."
"Thanks Diew."
"Take care and be careful brother. I wish I could be there right now."
"I know. Don't worry. We'll take care of it even if it takes 4 of us to your one."
"I know right. I was always the superior friend."
Ae snorts at this old joke and is gone. Diew is sure Pete must be in his arms as they spoke. He glances at the picture of Pinnie he has on his desk. Maybe I'll give him a call.
Spinning in the chair as he thinks, he finally stops and reaches for his cell phone. I hope he's awake...