The Thai Dragon

by Lilburne, Guy

  “I believe you” she smiled. “So what do we do first?”

  “The first witness, I guess. Nui, the next door neighbour. I have never actually met her yet, anyway.”

  “She is at work all day and won’t be back home until 6:00pm.”

  “Good. That gives us time to start re-reading all the statements. Don’t be afraid to shout out if anything jumps out at you. It’s going to be another long day, Ying.”

  Ying just smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders.

  The sun was going to go down at 6:30pm and they decided to watch it do so, before they called on Nui. They found a big, flat-topped rock at the north end of the beach and sat on that to watch the orange ball fall slowly into the sea. A small fishing trawler was anchored a little way out and bobbed gently in the water, which was now flecked with orange as the sun finally lowered itself into the water and out of sight.

  Danny thought that the apartment block was even more impressive, seeing it for the second time. It was a few grades up from his own apartment. He liked the idea of having a Jacuzzi on the balcony. They knocked on Nui’s door and they could hear the dog, ‘Chi’, barking inside.

  Nui was not expecting them and she did not know who Danny was, but she gave him a very respectful wai anyway, because he looked like someone important. Danny returned the wai. He was actually looking quite good when doing it, now that it didn’t feel so awkward to him anymore.

  “Hello Nui. Do you remember me? I’m Detective Ying.”

  “Yes, of course I remember. And I have seen photos in the newspaper and on the TV of the great Scotland Yard Detective.”

  “This is Detective Sgt. O’Brien.”

  “Sawaddee kha” (Hello) said Nui and wai’d to him again, now that they had been formally introduced.

  “Sawaddee kha” said Danny and both ladies laughed.

  “Khrap” said Ying.

  “I’m doing my fecking best.”

  “No, you say ‘khrap’. Ladies say ‘Sawaddee kha’ and men say ‘Sawaddee

  khrap.”

  “Oh, right so. Sawadee khrap……khrap.” He wai’d and they laughed again.

  “Nui, we want to talk to you again about the murder of Sarah. Can we come in?”

  “Yes. Please. Of course.”

  “Nui, do you speak any English?”

  “Yes. A little, but not good all the time. I try for you.”

  “Thank you” said Danny.

  They sat in the lounge area and the dog jumped up on Danny’s lap.

  “Jesus!” he said.

  “Oh! Chi like you.”

  “We want to ask you some more questions about Sarah. How well did you know her?”

  “Not well, but I know she was good girl, good heart. I know every day she take my dog out to play in Patong. Good better for dog than stay in apartment. I know she feed dog and get dog covered in sand. But I think Chi love Sellah.”

  “Chi is the dog, right?”

  “Yes. I realise now that Chi really love Sellah.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because I didn’t tell the Police before, but on the night she die, at 2:10am Chi cry and hide under my bed. Now I think it was because she cry for Sellah.”

  “So why didn’t you tell the police that before?”

  “Because at first I thought it was my husband, but he never came. And now I realise it was cry for Sellah.”

  Danny had sat up straight.

  “What do you mean about your husband? I don’t understand what you are saying!”

  Nui turned to Ying

  “How much does he want to know about my husband?”

  “He always wants to know everything, and he likes you to start at the beginning.”

  “Okay. Detective Ying say to tell you everything from the beginning.” Nui smiled at Danny.

  “That would be grand.”

  “I think my dog cry and hide under bed because my husband very bad man and don’t like dogs. We are separated and waiting divorce. My husband still have key, but never live here; he has own house, very rich man. First time he come here after I buy dog, he come in middle of the night to beat and rape me again. When he sees dog he kick it very hard against the wall. He break three ribs. Next time my husband come in middle of the night to rape me, Chi cry and runs under bed to hide. On night Sellah die, at 2:10am my dog cry and run under bed and I worry real that my husband coming to beat and rape me again. Very bad man and I cry in bed very scare, but this time he not there. I realise that dog cry for Sellah, so I don’t say this to police.”

  “Holy Jesus Mother of God! Let’s start at the very beginning. Who is your husband? Take your time and, to save me from interrupting you by keep asking you a lot of questions, just tell me all about him in your own words.”

  “My husband is called Sakda Thammawat, but everybody calls him ‘Mai Jamuuk’, but only behind his back.”

  “What does Mai Jamuuk mean?”

  “It means ‘No nose’” said Ying.

  “Why do they call him that?”

  “Because he has no nose” said Nui.

  Danny burst out laughing.

  “Jesus Christ! I’m a thick fecker. You were never going to say that they called him ‘No nose’ because he had no hands, or something like that, were you now?”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Sorry now. So why hasn’t he got a nose, then?”

  “When he was a child he was attacked by a dog and it bit his nose clean off and eat it.”

  “Okay. So carry on, Nui.”

  “My husband not a handsome man, but at first I think he was a good man. He work hard and make good business with restaurant and bar here in Patong. But over the years he start to treat me very bad, get very violent and start to beat me and rape me when he get drunk. I try to stay with him and try to keep loving him for last five years, but he beat all my love away. So, twelve months ago, I file for divorce and, as interim settlement, he have to buy me this apartment, but he keep spare key. He has come here now twice in middle of the night and each time he rape me and beat me.”

  “Did you report it to the police?”

  “Yes, but they say they can do nothing. We are still man and wife. But he can’t do it when we are divorced.”

  “I don’t think that’s right.”

  “The police tell me this. I have been reporting my husband for being very violent for many years, but my husband rich man. He give police money, let eat in his restaurant and drink in his bar. Keep police happy, so not go to jail. But very bad man. I very scare.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Now he 38, five year older than me.”

  “Can you remember what times he came in the middle of the night on the previous occasions?”

  “Yes. Same time between 2:00am and 2:30 am. The police will have exact time on each occasion and many previous reports, if they still keep.”

  “Does your husband ever wear a suit?”

  “Like your suit?”

  “Yes.”

  “No, too hot. Only ting tong man wear suit in this heat.”

  “What’s a ting tong man?”

  “A crazy man” said Ying, matter of factly.

  “Where is his restaurant?”

  “The Golden Orient. It is here in Patong.”

  “And where is his bar?”

  “Same, same. One building has bar and restaurant.”

  “I know where it is” smiled Ying.

  “When was the last time you saw your husband?”

  “I don’t know. I think the last time was in February 14th. That was the last time he came here to rape me, but he was making a lot of horrible phone calls to me throughout March and April. He made a lot
of threats to me about divorce.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He didn’t want to divorce and said that he would kill me if I went through with divorce.”

  “Did you report this to the police?”

  “No, they are only threats. The police cannot do anything even when he beats me. What good to report threats?”

  “He phoned you to make threats in March and April?”

  “Yes.”

  “We are now into July. Nothing since?”

  “No, he just stopped.”

  “When?”

  “Maybe one or two nights before Sellah died, whatever date that was.”

  “Holy Jesus!….” started Danny.

  “Mother of God” continued Ying.

  “Why you so interested in my husband? He did not know Sellah.”

  “Did he keep any big knives?”

  “No. He never carry knife. Only have big knife in restaurant for chefs.”

  “We will need all that in another statement Nui. Is that okay?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Danny stood up.

  “I’ll take the dog for a walk. Can you take the statement Ying?”

  She nodded and Danny walked out onto the balcony and lit up a cigarette.

  “He is just going to walk my dog to the balcony?”

  “Yes. He is not a dog lover.”

  They went straight to the police station in Patong and collected everything that there was on Sakda Thammawat, or ‘No Nose’ as Danny liked to call him. One of the things they collected was a police photograph of him.

  “Jesus! He is an ugly fecker alright.”

  “Danny, have we found the something that we were missing?”

  “I don’t know yet Ying. But I get feelings and I’ve got one now.”

  They took everything back to the apartment and examined everything they had on him. Danny made notes in his KIV book and scribbled on his white board.

  “Are you happy now, Danny?”

  “I’m delighted.”

  “Tomorrow, are we going to speak to No Nose?”

  “Tomorrow, we are going to arrest him.”

  “No Danny. Cannot.”

  “Why can’t we?”

  “Because yesterday the Colonel charged Prawat and made press release. He will look very silly now, if you make another arrest. He will lose a lot of face.”

  “Just like No Nose ?”

  “It’s no joke, Danny.”

  “It’s not my problem Ying. I’m not here to play politics. I’m just a detective doing my job. I’m really not bothered about Colonel Wattana.”

  Ying cupped Danny’s hands in hers.

  “Please, Danny. I ask you to do this just for me, not for anyone else. Please don’t arrest No Nose, until you are sure we have evidence to charge, and maybe a few days later is better for the Colonel. Please, tee rak.”

  Danny looked into her face, God! She looked so beautiful.

  “Jesus!”

  “Thank you, tee rak.”

  Chapter 30 The Golden Orient.

  Danny had thought that the ‘Golden Orient’ sounded like a Chinese restaurant. He had imagined that it would be all red hanging lanterns, big prints of Sichuan province on the walls and two huge golden and red lions each side of the front door, but this place was nothing like that.

  The Golden Orient was a very cool and modern looking place and was actually two businesses in two buildings that stood next to each other. The restaurant was all chrome and black leather seats with smoked glass tables. Red flowers and candles brightened the table centres. Outside, at the front of the restaurant, was a pond with a fountain that kept changing colour. Danny thought that it must look a lot more impressive after dark. Goldfish swam around the fountain. Next door was the bar. It was bigger than a lot of the bars in the street and had a dance floor and a stage with a DJ podium. The Golden Orient was a big business. It was only 10:00am, but like the rest of the bars, it was already open for the day’s business. The only people that Danny and Ying could see inside were staff; mostly cleaning and re-stocking from the night before. Oh, and chatting and laughing of course.

  Danny and Ying walked into the bar. Danny ordered a Jack Daniels and coke and an orange juice for Ying. Danny asked the girl behind the bar if he could speak to Mr. Sakda Thammawat.

  “He not here, too early” she laughed.

  “Too early is it? Can you ring him for me then please. Tell him that the Police are here and he had better get down here quick. I want to talk to ‘Mai Jamuuk’. (No Nose)”

  The bar girl put her hand over her mouth and laughed before she said,

  “No problem. Can do.”

  She picked up a mobile phone from under the bar counter and dialed on speed dial. She spoke in Thai before closing the phone.

  “Okay. He say he on his way. Your drinks for free.” She picked out the bill that she had already written out, rolled up and slipped into the wooden cup in front of Danny. She put a line through it and wrote ‘Police’. She stabbed it onto a metal spike sticking up from a small block of wood. It was the first bill of the day.

  It was another 20 minutes before Sakda pulled up outside in his pickup truck and walked into the bar. There was no mistaking him. Where his nose should have been there was a large swirl of grafted skin that looked like melted plastic. There was a hole in it so he could breath. His left eye was drooped down and his upper lip was pulled up into the graft so that his top teeth were constantly exposed. Even though he was wearing jeans and an oversized baggy Tee-shirt, Danny could see that he was a powerfully built man. Sakda wai’d to the two detectives as he approached them.

  “I hope my staff have been looking after you, Sir?” His English was excellent, but heavy with a Thai accent.

  “Oh, they’ve been just grand.”

  “Would you like another drink?”

  “I’ll have a Jack and Coke, thank you.”

  Sakda clicked his fingers and the girl behind the bar poured Danny another drink.

  “How can I help you Detective? I am a little surprised to see you here.”

  “Why are you surprised?”

  Sakda noticed that Danny was looking him straight in the eyes. People usually avoided looking at him, but he felt as if Danny was looking straight into his soul and he sensed that a verbal fencing match was about to be played out.

  “I am always surprised when a policeman wants to talk to me.”

  “I want to talk to you about Sarah Appleby.”

  “I don’t know anyone called Sarah Appleby. Why would you want to talk to me about someone I don’t know?”

  “Sarah Appleby was the young English girl found murdered back in April. She was cut to pieces.”

  “Yes, I vaguely remember it. Wasn’t she something to do with the British Embassy?”

  “Yes, she was.”

  “I heard on the news the other day that you have solved the case and the murderer has been charged. Congratulations, Detective. It also made the front pages of the newspapers, but now I am even more surprised. Why would you want to talk to me about someone, who I never knew, even after you have already solved the crime?”

  “Oh! I’m just tidying up a few loose ends. Making sure that I haven’t missed anyone who was connected with Sarah, or who may be able to tell me what happened.”

  “And how can I possibly be connected to someone I did not know?”

  “Do you still see much of your wife?”

  “Soon to be ex-wife you mean. No. I hardly see her at all. Everything is done through the solicitors. I tend to avoid her. It gives her less chance to make malicious accusations. My solicitor advised me to let them handle everything. What exactly has my wife got to do with this?”

/>   “She lives in the Patong View Talay apartments, doesn’t she?”

  “Yes, that’s right. I bought the place for her as part of the divorce settlement.”

  “When was the last time you went to the apartments?”

  “Am I under arrest Detective?”

  “Jesus! No, not at all. We’re just chatting, aren’t we? I was just wondering when you last went to the apartments?”

  “I can’t remember. Maybe last December. Maybe sometime before that.”

  “But you still have a key to your wife’s apartment, right?”

  “I probably have somewhere. I think I lost it.”

  “When did you lose it?”

  “Oh! I don’t know. It just got mislaid, I guess. I still don‘t know what this has got to do with the murdered girl?”

  “Don’t you?”

  “How should I know?”

  “Well, she lived in the same apartments as your wife. In fact, they shared the same floor, the top floor. Their front doors face each other.”

  “Oh! I did not know.”

  “Now I’m surprised” Danny smiled.

  “Why is that Detective?”

  “Well, you said you read about it in the newspapers and saw it on the telly. You must have realised straight away that the murdered girl was your wife’s neighbour?”

  “No. It didn’t register with me. I’m a very busy man. My bar and restaurant occupies all my time.”

  “It’s a grand place alright. I’d like to have a look around with you, if that’s alright?”

  “Have you got a warrant?”

  “Do I need one? I just wanted to have a look behind the scenes. You can judge a lot about someone by what is behind the scenes.”

  “Yes, of course. I will show you around.”

  Sakda showed the detectives around the bar and restaurant and they talked as they walked. They wandered into the kitchen of the restaurant. It was all white tiles and shining stainless steel. Danny stopped and looked at a row of various kitchen knives stuck to a magnetic steel band on the wall over one of the preparation tables. All the handles were blue, except one, which was more of a shade of green.