Your man

Seventeen

*Singto's POV*

Singto couldn't breathe, he wanted to strangle the smug man in front of him.

"Did he know I wasn't dead?" Singto asked in a low voice.

"Arthit?  I don't think he knew.  I never told him.  As I said, he went completely ballistic.  So we had to..." Knott's voice trailed off.

"Had to what?"

"Detective, this has nothing to do with why you arrested me.  I don't have to answer you."

"I will make sure you never get out of that jail Knott, now ANSWER ME!"

"We stuck a needle on him.  It was a new thing we were selling at that time.  We had to try to stop him from trashing the place trying to kill Bright.  He was weird after that.  So we made him unconscious and dumped him in front of his house.  That's all I know."

"If he had a drug overdose, why didn't it appear on the report?"  Singto wondered.

"You are still an amateur aren't you.  Tsk tsk.. try not to get shot again, Detective.  I see you already know where Arthit is.  Nothing appeared in the report because it was an unknown substance.  They only look for stuff they already know about," Knott said.

"So you know where Arthit is and told me you didn't know," Singto said angrily.

"You just believed a criminal."

"You did everything!  You ruined Arthit's life and mine too!  Arthit was innocent this whole time!"

"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves Khun.  Your precious Arthit wasn't innocent.  You don't know what he was involved in.  I'm only saying he didn't shoot you that's all," Knott said raising his hands in surrender.

Singto didn't want to know anything more.  He had already gotten his answer.  He took a deep breath.  He couldn't afford to collapse at that very moment.

"Let's begin, do you know who killed your friend Bright?"

"Yeah.. it was that bastard Nai.  He has been after us for a while.  They caught Bright, and I couldn't do anything."

Singto saw angry tears fill Knott's eyes. 

"I just watched them torture him."

"I'm sorry I don't look sympathetic enough," Singto said.

"Will you be able to identify his body and the killers?"

"You found the body?" Knott asked, surprised.

"Unfortunately not yet.  My colleague will come to get a statement."

"Wait, Detective Peraya, how did you know where to find me?" Knott asked.

"I got a picture of what I assume is Bright's body, and the address of the place where you were hiding."

Knott raised his eyebrows and slumped back to his chair smiling and shaking his head.

"You have some good friends in good places," he said quietly.

*************************

"Excuse me Khun.  I'm sorry the visiting hours are over."  The receptionist tried to prevent Singto from entering the hospital.

"Move aside, I'm a cop," Singto said as he walked towards Arthit's room.  He heard a familiar voice from a distance.

"P' Sing!"

"N' Fang!  I have to see him.  Please... it's urgent!"

"P' Sing... the doctor..."

Singto was unable to form words to reply to her.  He held onto Fang's shoulders gasping.  His tears stuck in his throat.

"Fang.. please."

"Hey...  I will take care of this.  I know him.  You can go back now," Fang told the worried receptionist.

"P', I can't let you into P' Arthit's room in this state.  You have to pull yourself together first.  Let me get you a glass of water."

Singto followed her obediently.

  *************************  

Every step he took towards Arthit's room made him dizzy.  He spent years hating the wrong man.  Arthit had suffered as much or even more than he had.  Fang let him into Arthit's room and stood by the door.

Arthit was sitting on his bed looking out the window.  Singto walked over to Arthit and softly placed his hand over Arthit's.

"Arthit... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry," he kept repeating the words. 

Arthit didn't look at him.

"I had hated you all this time when you weren't even guilty.  I'm the reason you are here.  Arthit, please look at me.  I will die if I have to look at you live like this for another day.  I thought you didn't love me as much as I loved you."  

Singto rested his head on Arthit's shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably into Arthit's neck.

"Why did this have to happen to us.  It's not fair!  It's not fucking fair!" he cried.  "How can I ever forgive myself for thinking you would want to kill me.  I can't go on anymore Arthit.  Come back to me," Singto said shaking Arthit as he gasped for air. 

He started to kiss every inch of  Arthit's face and neck.  Arthit's skin felt cold against his lips.  Singto's heart sank he was too late.  Arthit was never going to come back.

Arthit looked at him blankly.

"P' Sing.  The doctor is coming!  Hurry up!  You will get me fired too!" Fang exclaimed trying to drag him out of the room.

"I can't let you rot in this hell hole.  I will get you out of here and take you home."

*************************

"Why should I testify?  What is in it for me?"