Hidden [COMPLETED]

Chapter 1

WELCOME TO PATTAYA

Freen glances at the big sign as she drives past. She wonders what kind of business Saint had here. For years, she knows her husband flies to Phuket from Thursday to Saturday for work as an accountant for his long-time client. She had no idea he had any clients in this city.

Her mind races ever since she got a call from Detective Heng in the middle of the night, telling her that her husband was discovered dead from drowning in a lake in Pattaya. She had to go down to identify his body as soon as possible. The news shocked her. She could not believe he was dead. She would only believe it when she saw the body for herself. She keeps telling herself it’s not him. With trembling hands, she continues driving.

Since their high school days and their marriage after college, she has never doubted his love for her. In return, she loves and trusts him fully. They share no secrets. They are the perfect couple with successful careers.

What troubles her most is that he hasn't answered her calls for the last few hours. She has been trying non-stop since receiving the call from the detective. Each attempt goes to voicemail. Freen replays their last words.

“Are you ready to try for a baby now?” 
“Yes, Saint.”

No, it must be a mistake. That body has to be someone else, she tells herself.

When she reaches the morgue, a man in a brown leather jacket approaches her car and opens the door. She suspects he is the detective expecting her.

"You must be Freen Sarocha. I'm Detective Heng," he greets her with a handshake.

Words fail her as she nods in response. Inside, she is screaming. Please let it not be Saint. Please let it be someone else's face.

The detective leads her inside the morgue, where a body lies covered with a white sheet. "Are you ready?" he asks, holding the edge of the sheet that still covers the corpse's face.

Freen takes a breath, unsure if she is ready. She wants to know. She needs to be sure.

After a deeper breath, she nods for Heng to remove the sheet.

When the face is revealed, Freen gasps and covers her mouth. It is her husband. His jet-black hair, handsome yet pale face, slight chiseled cheeks, and dark eyebrows confirm it. There is no mistake. It is Saint.

A wave of grief overwhelms her. She turns away, unable to look any longer, as she bursts into tears.

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"How are you sure it was a suicide? Was there a suicide note?" Freen asks the detective as they sit in his office later.

"No suicide note, but there were small marks on his hands indicating he held the heavy brick himself. That brick was tied to his feet to ensure he drowned. Based on that, we currently speculate suicide," Heng explains.

"So it's just speculation. Will you investigate further?"

"That's why I'm here. But I need your help. We need as much information from you as possible to understand why this happened."

Freen shakes her head. "Look, I don't think it's suicide. We were happy!" She struggles with her words, needing to shift to the past tense but feeling the weight of her grief again.

"Okay, Freen. When was the last time you spoke to him?" the detective asks.

"Before I went to bed last night. He sounded so happy! He congratulated me on selling my latest multi-million project. He said he would fly back early to celebrate with me! How could he promise that if he was planning to kill himself?" Freen says, frustration rising.

"Do you know if he offended anyone? Any rivals or enemies?" Heng inquires.

"No! Everyone loves him!" Freen nearly shouts, rubbing her temples in frustration. Why would he kill himself? Was he unhappy?

"And why did he lie to me about being in Phuket?"

"He said he was in Phuket?" Heng asks.

"Yes, that's where he works at the end of the week. His client likes him so much that they pay for his frequent flights for just his 2-3 days a week of accounting service. I always assumed he was there every week. I need to call Billy. His business partner would know why he is here and not in Phuket." Freen adds, shaking her head in despair, on the verge of tears again. "I have to tell everyone about Saint now."

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Freen. I will do my best to find out the truth," the detective promises, reaching below his desk to pick up a sealed bag.

"This is your husband's stuff," he says, taking out two phones. "He has two phones. Perhaps one for work and one for personal use?"

"He doesn't carry two phones," Freen corrects, shaking her head. She takes the phones, recognizing one but not the other. She stares at the unfamiliar phone, confused.

"Do you know his passcode? Any information in there might help the investigation," Heng suggests.

"I can try..." Freen replies hesitantly. She switches on the iPhone she gifted him a year ago, keys in her birth date, and it unlocks.

Passing the phone to the detective to check, she then focuses on the unfamiliar black Samsung phone, entering her birth date, but it does not unlock. She tries Saint's birth date, but that doesn’t work either.

"Looks like he did make the last call to you, Freen. Others were made to Billy," Heng notes, showing Freen the call logs on the iPhone.

"Yes, Billy is his best friend and business partner," Freen nods. "I can't unlock the other phone. I tried two passcodes, but if I fail a third time... Wait! There's a fingerprint unlock feature."

"Hmm, I'm afraid they’ve already moved the body into the transport van headed for your residence in Bangkok," Heng replies.

"Can you trust me with this phone for now? I can try to get his fingerprint when his body arrives for the funeral," Freen suggests. She is too curious about what is on this phone.

Heng thinks for a moment and then nods. "Sure. I will see you at the funeral then."