Your man

Chapter Eighteen

*Singto's POV* (Timeline - while Arthit was in jail.)

Singto wasn't surprised when Arthit refused to see him.  It was clear he wasn't going to get his answers easily.  He checked the visitors logs for Arthit and Nai.  To his disappointment, no one suspicious visited Nai, and the only visitor Arthit had was Todd, and he only visited him once.

Singto contacted one of his very old school friends.

"Ai Aim!  It's Singto.. how are you?" he asked.

"Ai Sing?" a tired voice answered.  "You never call me to ask how I am. What is it that you need?"

Singto sighed.  He should have been more attentive towards his friends.

"You are right. I  need your help," he answered, dejected.

"Illegal?" Aim asked.

"Why else would I call you?  Can you dig up everything you can about a businessman who goes by the name of Nai?  I will send you all the details I have."

"What do I need to find?"

"What I want is where he has been in the past year.  Like did he pay for things via credit card.  It's even better if we can find any suspicious bank deposits.  Phone calls.  Whatever you can find my friend."

"Ahh Ai Sing.  You want me to break into bank databases?  You have been watching too many western TV shows," Aim complained.

"Can you do it or not Aim?" Singto asked exasperatedly.  "I need your help."

"I thought you didn't use underhand methods for work, Sing," Aim teased him.

"Please Ai Aim..."

"I'll see what I can do Sing."

"Thank you Aim!  I owe you one."

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"There wasn't much on him, Sing.  I'm sorry.  I only found a few bank accounts, but it's normal for a businessman like him.  All of the deposits were made in large amounts.  Business transactions probably.  It's hard to pick anything suspicious," Aim said looking at Singto thoughtfully.

Singto was disheartened.  He was sure he would find something that would give him answers.

"Look for a transaction that might have happened about ten months ago," Singto said.

"There is one large deposit made at a bank in a village."

"By whom?"Singto asked.

"He deposited it himself.  Somebody may have paid him in cash," Aim replied.

Singto cursed under his breath. He had hit a dead end yet again.

A village?  The place he lived with Arthit before everything had gone downhill.  Singto stood up straight as if he had been struck by lightning.

There was a person who owned half the village.  A person who knew Arthit well.  Todd had told him she was a smart person who thought out of the box.  Nai couldn't have come to the village without her knowledge.

Earth.. he had to meet Earth.

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Singto decided to visit his former Chief before meeting Earth.

"It's nice to see you Detective Singto," the Chief greeted him.  "But, I am relieved you aren't working here anymore."

"Why is that sir?" Singto asked, surprised.

"Having a renowned judge's son here in a small village was stressful.  To add to it that you had to get attacked too!" the Chief said laughing.

"But Chief you were the one who informed him when I was attacked."

The Chief stared at him confused.  "No, I didn't.  I thought you did."

Singto shook his head.  

"Maybe it was Detective Todd," the chief said.

Singto knew Todd would have never contacted his father, but he nodded anyway.

"Maybe..."

How had his father known he was hurt?

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Earth was not happy to see him.  She almost slammed the door on his face.

"You are a pathetic excuse for a lover Detective," she fumed.

"Earth.. please hear me out.  I was misinformed, and I made a mistake.  I am here because I need your help to set things right."

Earth scoffed sarcastically.

"Arthit lied to me, and you lied to me too!  You were his ally when he pretended he was still teaching when he was actually in Bangkok spying on my father."

Earth looked away.

"If you know something please tell me now Earth.  Arthit made me think he was going to kill my father.  But now I know he wasn't.  I want to know who put him in a position where he had to give up his own life to protect mine."

"Detective Singto, I wish I knew, but I don't.  Arthit asked me for a couple of men to spy on Nai.  I could ask them to come, but I want your word on their protection.  We are not a business.  We are family, and I can't risk their safety for you to have a clear conscience," Earth said sharply.

"I promise," Singto said with confidence.

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"A man who came in a car met Nai just outside the village," a young man said to Singto.  "He had a driver and Nai got into the backseat.  The driver was an old man who got out of the car as soon as Nai got in."

"Do you remember what kind of a car it was you saw?" Singto asked.

"A black Mercedes?  Or maybe blue.  I couldn't see the color well at night."

"Did you see the man inside?" Singto asked.

"No, but there was an ornament that was glowing on the dashboard."

A glowing ornament?  Singto didn't hear what the boy said after that.

A glowing ornament.. the black Mercedes...

"Did Arthit say anything to you when you told him what you saw?" Singto asked in a whisper.

"P' Arthit said he was a Judge, that's all."

His father had come to visit him when no one had informed him of the attack.

Singto looked at Earth who stared back at him with wide eyes.

"Arthit.." he choked

What if Arthit hadn't made it through?  Arthit only wanted to spare Singto from knowing his father had betrayed him.

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The rest came to Singto easily.  He was careful to keep his father's attention away from what he was doing.  He got engaged to Judge Awut's daughter to build more trust.  

Arthit had to be safe until he was released.  Collecting evidence against his father had been a slow process.  His father had too many contacts.  He didn't.

"Uncle... I know you have been loyal to Poe for a long time.  But this is not right.  Because of Poe, I shot the man I loved.  Don't you consider me a son too?" Singto said to their driver sadly.

"Master Sing.. please... don't make me feel any more guilty... I'm an old man."

"Please uncle.. tell me everything you know.  I won't make Poe pay for his sins.  He is still my Poe.  But there is a man I had a duty to protect and failed."

The driver looked at him for a few seconds.

"I will tell you everything.  But you have to promise me you will only use it to do what's right."

"I promise."