Cocktails & Dreams

by Lilburne, Guy

  “Your husband is very handsome and has a good heart” she said to Nok in Thai.

  “Yes, you are right. Thank you” said Nok.

  They went into the temple, kicking their shoes off outside. Danny copied everything that Nok did inside the temple. Nok spoke to one of the older monks, who received their offerings and sat smiling and nodding as he listened to Nok. Danny assumed that she was telling him about everything that had happened between him and Ling and then about himself and Nok last night. But, she was in fact, talking to the monk about life in Bangkok and their lives in the villages when they were younger. She also told the monk that Danny was her husband and she asked that the monk bless them. The monk tied white woven cotton bands around their wrists and splashed them with water. The blessing was complete.

  “What did he say?” asked Danny, as soon as they got outside and were looking for their shoes amongst the hundreds of discarded pairs.

  “He say OK. No problem. He say he understand and we not do a bad thing. He say that you have to forgive Ling and that he know you really love each other very much. He also say that it is better if you not say Ling that we make love.”

  “He said that?”

  “Yes! And monk never wrong.”

  They took a taxi to the area Registration Office and Nok did all the talking. It took a 1000 baht tip for the smiling young man behind the counter to find the entry relating to Pater Lawford’s marriage to Bee and allow Nok and Danny to see it. It was useless to Danny, as it was all written in Thai. However, Nok made notes and Danny had total faith in her ability now as a detective. Nok negotiated again with the young man and, for another 500 baht, he made them a copy of the entry. They walked back outside into the sunshine. The air quality was getting worse now with the volume of traffic and humidity.

  “Come on, we need taxi” said Nok.

  “Where are we going?”

  “We have the name and address of witness to wedding. We go and see her. She lives on the other side of the river in Thon Buri.”

  “Is it far?”

  “No, not too far, but much traffic now. You want some noodles?”

  “Noodles! We just had breakfast.”

  “No breakfast was before temple. Now time for noodles.”

  “No, I’m grand thanks.”

  Danny handed Nok 20 baht and she bought spicy noodles from a passing street vendor. She sat on a bench where a group of other Thai people all sat eating under the shade of the yellow Cassia tree; Thailand’s national tree.

  “What’s the witness’s name?” asked Danny.

  “Miss Ruethai Pispukboon.”

  Miss Ruethai Pispukboon lived in a pleasant rented house in a quiet leafy Soi, which was in fact a cul-de-sac, and seemed out of place in Bangkok to Danny. On one side of it was green boggy land where banana trees were growing. They didn’t know if anyone was in when they rang the doorbell, but within a few moments the door was answered by a very pretty, slim, 30 year old lady. Nok smiled and wai’d and the lady smiled back, returning the wai.

  “My name is Nok and this is the Great British Detective Khun Danny O’Brien. We are looking for Khun Ruethai Pispukboon” said Nok, speaking in Thai

  “I am Ruethai.”

  “We were hoping to talk to you about the wedding between Detective Bee and Peter Lawford.”

  “Wow! That was a long time ago. Is there a problem?”

  “We are investigating a series of murders of ladyboys in Phuket and we think these people are involved.”

  “Oh my Buddha!” said Ruethai in English. “You had better come in.”

  Ruethai showed them into a room that, unusual for a Thai house, had furniture. They all sat down and Ruethai adjusted the floor fan so that it pointed at Danny.

  “Please call me ‘Apple’ and we can talk in English for Khun Danny” said Ruethai.

  “Thanks Apple. How well did you know these people?” asked Danny.

  “Well, before I answer I have to ask you something. Did you know that there was a murder of a ladyboy here in Bangkok that may also be connected to these people?”

  “Yes, we know. That’s partly why we are here. How do you know about that?”

  “I’m a police officer. I was friends with Bee back then, but she wasn’t a detective then. She was uniform, the same as me. We were big friends. We shared an apartment and she used to be a lovely person.”

  “Used to be?” asked Nok.

  “Yes, she changed. I’m sorry, I forgot to ask. Would you like some coffee or water or something?”

  “No thank you.”

  “No thanks, I’m grand.”

  “Why did she change?” asked Nok.

  “She fell in love with Mr. P, that’s Peter Lawford. He liked to call himself Mr. P.”

  “So what happened?”

  “He broke her heart. It’s a long story. Do you want to hear it all?”

  “I think we need to” said Danny.

  “In that case I insist you have refreshments.” Apple got up and went into the kitchen. She came back a few minutes later with a tray of spicy crispy beef, cut fresh fruit and glasses of iced water. There was a small bowl of sugar, salt and chilli powder to dip the fruit into. The three of them started picking at the food and Apple started her story.

  “It was over ten years ago. I was living and working with Bee. We were best friends and she was a lovely girl, always smiling. She met Mr. P and they fell head over heels in love. Their love took off like a sky rocket. I had met Mr. P lots of times and he was really nice, very generous and funny. He was a big man, but he had a nice face and a cute smile and Bee adored him. They got married very quickly after meeting and I don’t think I had ever seen two people who loved each other so much.”

  Nok stole a quick glance at Danny and Apple noticed. They exchanged knowing smiles. “Bee was planning to have babies with Mr. P. She even picked out names, but I think the love that went off like a rocket burnt itself out, at least as far as Mr. P was concerned.”

  “How do you know?” asked Nok.

  “He told me. He said that he thought he had made a big mistake and he asked me to talk with Bee, but I told him that I could not do this. Bee kept trying to have a baby and was happier than I had ever seen her. I felt terrible because I knew that her dreams were going to be shattered. Anyway, she did get pregnant and about that time Mr. P came to see me and told me that he had met someone else and fallen in love.”

  “With Chutima?” asked Danny.

  “Yes, how did you know?”

  “Tell us what happened” said Nok.

  “Mr. P had fallen in love with Chutima, a ladyboy. He loved Chutima with the same passion that Bee loved him. I told him he had to speak to Bee, so when he found the courage, he did. Bee was shattered. She tried to kill herself with an overdose and she went to confront Chutima. I don’t know what she said, but Chutima just packed her bags and left. Mr. P was heartbroken when she disappeared. He never got over it and, even though Bee begged and pleaded with him to stay, he couldn’t stay here without Chutima. One night he sneaked out of their house and was never seen again.”

  “That’s so sad” said Nok with tears running down her cheeks.

  “A month later Chutima’s body was found in an old barrel by the canal. She had been stabbed with a big sword, or something similar, and her genitals had been cut off and stuffed into her mouth.”

  “Do you think Mr. P killed her?” asked Nok.

  “No, I know he didn’t. He loved her too much. I think that Bee killed her. Bee had changed. She was a different person. She had lost her soul. Something inside her had died. I was so sure that she had killed Chutima, I even asked her, but she just didn’t answer. She never admitted it or denied it, but I had a feeling. I just knew that she had done it. She wasn’t in control of herse
lf.”

  “Did you tell the police what you thought?” asked Danny.

  “No I couldn’t. I had no proof. It was just a feeling and Bee was just about to have a baby. Even if she had done it I couldn’t bring Chutima back and I couldn’t help to send my friend to prison and leave her baby without a mama. Anyway, Bee had the baby; a little girl. I named her Pip.”

  “You named her?” asked Nok.

  “Yes” Apple continued, with tears in her eyes. “Bee had asked to be transferred up to Chiang Mai. She never bonded with the baby. Never even named her. Pip was just a month old when Bee left to go to Chiang Mai. She never even said goodbye to me. I heard Pip crying outside my window early in the morning. I thought that I was hearing things, but I went outside to check and she had left the baby in a cardboard box with a note that just read ‘If you don’t want her, put her in a home’. I called her Pip and I became her mama. I loved her. I even registered her as my own baby. Pip doesn’t know the truth, I have never told her. I never saw Mr. P or Bee again.”

  Nok went over to Apple and the two women hugged each other as they cried; two strangers who had become friends.

  “Mr. P is dead” said Danny. “Bee shot him a few days ago in Phuket.”

  “Is she in prison?”

  “No, she is a detective who was working on the case of a serial killer murdering ladyboys in Phuket and Mr. P was the main suspect. She says that she shot him when he resisted arrest.”

  “Oh my Buddha! I don’t think Mr. P was your serial killer. I think Bee is and I think she murdered Mr. P too.”

  “I agree with you” said Danny

  “Why did they even let her work on the case if the suspect was her husband?”

  “She didn’t tell anyone. She still hasn’t. Only me and Khun Danny know the truth” said Nok.

  Nok noticed a framed photo of Apple with a young girl.

  “Is that your daughter?” she asked.

  “Yes, I am Apple and she is my Pip.”

  “She is very beautiful.”

  Danny and Nok took a boat across the Chao Phraya River and went into an internet café to book flights for the next day to Chiang Mai. Nok got to choose which hotel they were going to stay at in Chiang Mai.

  Chapter 34 Chiang Mai.

  It was already early evening by the time Danny and Nok had got to Chiang Mai. Nok spoke to the taxi driver outside the front of the airport and she sat in the back of the cab next to Danny. She rubbed his leg and then clapped her hands. She was excited like a child. Danny guessed that she had booked them into another posh hotel. When the taxi pulled up at the Siripanna Resort & Spa Hotel, he could see that he had read her just right.

  “Tee rak, is beautiful na?”

  “Yes Nok, it’s grand” smiled Danny. Nok flashed him one of her wide grins and her eyes sparkled with happiness. Nok was one of life’s happy people. They checked into the impressive hotel. Nok wanted to have a look at the night market and take a walk along the river Ping. She had never been to Chiang Mai and she was happy to be there. They showered and changed and strolled out into the warm night air of a moonlit Chiang Mai night. They walked along the river Ping. It was wide, and in the daylight it was chocolate brown, but now, under the metallic light of a full silvery tropical moon, it looked black and shimmering. The reflection of the moon sprinkled streaks of forked rippled light in uneven patterns in the slow swirling motion of the river Ping.

  They were attracted to the lights of the night bazaar. It was busy with life; farangs and Thai’s meandered up and down along long lines of stalls that were selling everything that could ever be needed by mankind, and even more things that would probably never be needed. Smoke from a hundred barbeques snaked its way lazily into the night sky, illuminated by bare light bulbs strung up by the food sellers. The smell of cooked chilli, garlic and spices wafted throughout the market and people snacked on hot food as they shopped for bargains. Music and voices chattering and laughing filled the night with sound. After half an hour walking around the night market, Nok decided that she was too hungry to shop anymore. They found a nice restaurant near to the market and spent the next two hours relaxing, eating and talking together. Nok drank a full bottle of wine by herself. Danny stuck to orange juice. They asked the waitress where they could find the offices for the Chiang Mai Mail newspaper. The waitress didn’t know and she asked the other staff, but nobody seemed to know.

  Danny and Nok had decided to contact the newspaper and see what they could tell them about the murder of Pukky nine years previously. A smiling waiter came over to their table carrying an open laptop. He nodded to Danny and placed the laptop on the table in front of him. The Chiang Mai Mail webpage was already open.

  “Serving the north of Thailand……Established 2002” said Danny, reading out from the page. He scrolled down to the bottom of the page and found Email; editor@chiangmai-mail.com

  He clicked it and wrote a short message introducing himself and giving his mobile number. He stated that he wanted to talk about the murder in Chiang Mai of the ladyboy called Pukky. He clicked again and it was sent. They wondered back to the hotel, watched TV in bed and fell asleep.

  Danny woke up to Nok kissing him on the cheek and handing him a cup of tea.

  “Tee rak, I go shower now. You want to shower with me?”

  “No thanks, you’re grand. I’ll drink my tea and watch some news.”

  “Up to you.” Nok blew him a kiss and skipped off to the shower.

  Danny turned his phone on to see if the Chiang Mai Mail had called him. There were twenty messages and fourteen missed calls from Ling. Danny couldn’t bring himself to read them yet. There was also a message from an unknown number. Danny retrieved the message and listened. It was from the editor of the Chiang Mai Mail. Danny didn’t know what he was expecting, but he wasn’t expecting an American female to be the editor. She said that she remembered the case and asked for Danny to call her back. Danny had already called her back before Nok had come out of the shower. She remembered the case of Pukky, the murdered ladyboy, because it was the first big story that the paper had ever covered. She had found her original notes and was able to tell Danny that the investigating officer was Detective Darunee Khumsombot (Bee). She could also tell Danny that there were no suspects in the murder and that the body was found floating in the river Ping with the genitals cut off and stuffed into the victims mouth. She told Danny that Pukky was a hairdresser and had never worked in the sex trade. She gave Danny the address of Pukky’s family. Danny scribbled it down on some hotel paper.

  “Is there any new evidence in the case?” she asked Danny.

  “I can’t risk you putting anything in your newspaper yet, but, as a thank you for helping me, I promise that I will phone you back and give you an exclusive when I have finished my investigation.”

  “Is that a ‘cross your heart and hope to die’ promise Mr O’Brien?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “OK, I trust you. I’ll wait for the call.”

  He went and joined Nok in the shower. She flashed him one of her wide grins and started to soap up his body.

  “Bee investigated the murder” said Danny.

  “Did she?” said Nok standing on her tiptoes and kissing Danny’s neck. She was holding his penis and it was swelling in her hands.

  “I’ve got the address of Pukky’s family” said Danny.

  “Have you?” said Nok going down on her knees.

  “Jesus!” gasped Danny closing his eyes and holding Nok’s head in his hands.

  After breakfast Danny and Nok took a taxi to the address that Danny had written on the hotel paper. The taxi drove out of the city to a small village on the outskirts. The roads became hot dusty dirt tracks, the red earth sois like veins running between wooden shacks on wooden stilts. Some brick built houses had manicured gardens enclosed with
brick walls and big iron gates. Only the style of these houses gave away the nationality of the farang who had married the local girl and built the house. Each house could have been lifted straight out of the towns of Germany or Holland, Australia or England, and placed in the dusty sois of the villages of northern Thailand. Except these houses were bigger and better than anything they could afford in their own country. Sometimes the farangs would fly their own national flag alongside the Thai national flag; they can fly their flag, but they cannot own the house or the land; that’s all in the Thai wife’s name, a risk more and more farangs are prepared to take.

  The taxi pulled up outside a house that was somewhere in between the big brick built farang houses and the traditional wooden Thai houses. It was wooden and on stilts, but it had been modernised and converted. The stilts had been replaced with concrete pillars. Breeze block walls had been built between the pillars and smoothed over with grey cement. A tiled floor had been laid and there was a western style kitchen, bathroom and separate bedrooms. This house had been influenced and changed by a farang. Two old ladies lay sleeping in the shade on the tiled patio floor in front of the house, stirring only when the taxi stopped. A skinny dog got up from the shade of a Jackfruit tree and gave a token bark at the unexpected arrival of the vehicle, before going back to the shade of the tree and curling back up into his sleeping position, now moulded into the red earth by his entire lifetime of sleeping under the tree.

  Nok told the driver to wait for them and she got out of the taxi followed by Danny. Nok gave a very high and respectful wai to the two old ladies, who both returned even higher wais. Nok spoke in Thai.