Hi, everyone ^^

I have an early update this week.

Warning: A really long chapter.

I have to apologize that next week I won't be able to update, so I'm travelling with my mom. So, I won't have time to write. I will be out of the country for two weeks. So, please forgive me.

This chapter was edited solely by Grammarly, so please forgive my mistakes.

Please, your votes, reviews and comments are always welcomed and appreciated. 😘😘

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Gun sat inside the interrogation room, Saturday morning, with Benz Onruang and the lawyer his fiancée had hired. The police station was almost empty, except for a few officers and a couple of detectives who were on duty that day.

"So, shall we begin?" The Detective began as he started the recorder. "Please state your name, age and occupation."

"My name is Benz Onruang; I'm 33 years old, and I work as a secretary in the CEO's office of Siam Polimer Group company."

"Mr Onruang, do you know a young man called Arthit Rojnapat?"

"I don't know anyone by that name," Benz replied almost immediately. "I've told you that already yesterday!"

Gun smiled slightly. "Are you sure that you don't know him?"

"Of course, I'm sure," the secretary replied agitatedly.

"But, Mr Onruang, I have witnesses who say you do know him," Gun remarked.

"Who are they? They must be lying!"

The Detective let out a soft chuckle. "For starters, your boss Mr Kerkkrai and his son, Mr Kongphop," Gun said, noticing how Benz's face changed colours at his words. "Are you calling them liars?"

"They must have mistaken him with someone else," Benz tried to cover up his blunder by finding another explanation.

"I find it hard to believe that these two especially, would make such a mistake since Mr Arthit is Mr Kongphop's boyfriend, and according to both Mr Kerkkrai and Mr Kongphop, you've seen him on many occasions in Suthiluck's Villa."

Cold sweat droplets formed on Benz's forehead as he stared at the Detective, unsure of how to respond to his comment.

"I don't remember him," he finally said snappily.

"If you want, I can show a picture of him," Gun said before he took out a photo of Arthit and showed it to Benz.

The secretary stared at the photo with an unreadable expression. "I might have seen him somewhere," he said with an indifferent tone. "I don't remember where."

"I've just told you, Mr Onruang," Gun said amusedly. "In your boss' house. He is, after all, Mr Kongphop's boyfriend."

"What if he is?" Benz asked. "What does this man have to do with me anyway?"

"Have you forgotten already, Mr Onruang?" Gun asked with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "As I told you yesterday when we reached the station, this man is accusing you of luring him into the Suthiluck's family cabin where you and four other men kept him captive and took turns raping him."

"I have a fiancée, Detective. I'm not attracted to men!!" Benz said with a scoff.

Gun shrugged in a dismissal manner. "And yet, Mr Arthit quite distinctly names you as the one who lured him to the cabin and raped him. Why do you think that?"

"How would I know?" Benz asked tensely.

Gun smiled but didn't remark. Instead, he decided to change the subject altogether.

"Tell me, Mr Onruang, how is your relationship with your boss' family?"

"What do you mean?" Benz asked crossly.

"I mean since you're accustomed to going to Mr Suthiluck's house, I imagine that you have a rather close relationship with his wife, his daughters and sons-in-law?"

"Excuse me," the lawyer, who had been silent until now, spoke. "What is my client's relationship with Mr Suthiluck's household have to do with Mr Arthit's accusation?"

Gun smiled at the woman. "Both men seemed to be close to Mr Suthiluck's family. I'd like to know how close Mr Onruang is to the family so I can judge the connection between the two."

"I've already told you I don't know him," Benz snapped.

"Mr Onruang," Gun commented. "It is hard to believe that you two never exchanged any word at all during the times you've seen him at the Suthiluck's. Mr Kerkkrai and his son had already confirmed that you'd seen Mr Arthit at some parties that Mr Suthiluck had thrown in his house for his employees."

The secretary's face expression hardened but didn't comment.

"So, tell me, Mr Onruang," the Detective asked. "Are you close to Mr Suthiluck's family?"

"I know his eldest son-in-law since he's working in the company."

"And what about his wife and daughters?" Gun asked. "Are you close to them?"

"No," Benz replied. "My relationship is strictly formal with them."

"I see. Now, about Mr Suthiluck's eldest son-in-law, are the two of you close?" Gun asked.

"I guess so."

"Close enough to ask him for a favour?" came the tricky question.

"What kind of favour?" Benz asked sharply.

"Like hiring someone you know in the company, without following the company's standard protocol?"

Benz's face flushed at the question. "I would never do that!" he retorted.

"Then why did the Director of the Human Resources say otherwise?" Gun wondered, tapping his chin with one finger.

"What? What are you saying?"

"He told me that about four years ago, you asked him to hire a man into the company's warehouses as favour," Gun said. "A man you've denied knowing the last time we spoke, and yet you claimed to the Director of the Human Resources that this man is your childhood friend who needs a job."

"Who are you talking about?" The lawyer asked.

Gun looked at Benz as if he was expecting him to answer his lawyer, but Benz refused to open his mouth. Smirking, Gun presented the file of Kla Gruemor in front of Benz and his lawyer.

Silently, the lawyer took the file and read through it before she turned her attention to the Detective.

"I don't see the relation between this, and the accusation filed against my client," she said with evident irritation in her voice. "You keep jumping from point to point without any logic!"

"A couple of weeks ago, Mr Kongphop attacked this employee when he spotted him in the company's warehouses; because he had seen Mr Gruemor getting out of Mr Arthit's apartment one day. Mr Kla Gruemor is one of the four men Mr Onruang supposedly had invited to rape Mr Arthit," Gun explained as he looked at Benz with a challenging smirk. "But it seems that Mr Gruemor had developed a liking to Mr Arthit and wasn't satisfied with just two days. He, somehow, acquired Mr Arthit's address and went there to enjoy himself more."

"This is ridiculous!" Benz snapped. "I don't know any of these men! And I certainly didn't do anything!"

"Calm down, Mr Onruang," Gun said. "We're here to establish whether or not you did something."

"Detective," the lawyer spoke. "What evidence you do have that proves that my client knows that man named Kla Gruemor?"

"As I mentioned before, the Director of Human Recourses in Siam Polimer said that Mr Onruang had asked him to hire Mr Gruemor among the workers in the company's warehouses. Also, the warehouses' supervisor Mr Wad had seen Mr Onruang talking to Mr Gruemor at least twice in the warehouses. I have the warehouses' surveillance cameras to prove at least one occasion," Gun replied, taking great delight in listing his proof in front of Benz and his lawyer. "Also, I have two witnesses who both testified that the two indeed knew each other. Both witnesses managed without an ounce of a doubt to recognize and pick out the pictures of Mr Onruang and Mr Gruemor, among many others."

"And who are those two witnesses you mentioned?" The lawyer asked.

"One is Mr Arthit," Gun replied. "And the second is Mr Mee Noi Kessara, a former driver in the company, who had seen Mr Onruang and Mr Gruemor together on two different occasions."

Benz's body tensed upon hearing Gun's list, especially the name of Mee Noi Kessara. He had thought that they had got rid of that nosy parker forever.

"Well, Mr Onruang?" Gun asked. "What do you have to say to this?"

"I don't know anyone by the name of Kla Gruemor!" he spat.

"Then perhaps you know him by his true name," Gun said with a calm voice. "Yuthakon Tangtrongchit AKA Yu, the Impaler."

Benz's face blanched, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead upon hearing the name. He hadn't expected that the Detective had figured out Kla's identity.

"And this time," the Detective continued. "you can't deny knowing him either." —with a swift theatrical move, Gun pulled out a couple of pictures out of his jacket and placed them in front of the secretary.— "These are pictures taken from the archives of an orphanage in Phayao city, where you had spent two years of your life before Mr and Mrs Onruang adopted you and moved to Bangkok. One of the orphanage's teachers was too kind to identify you and your best buddy at the time, Yuthakon Tangtrongchit."

"How can you be sure that the man in question is the same one whom my client had befriended during his childhood?" The lawyer asked, desperately trying to discredit his evidence.

"Check the photos yourself," Gun said smugly as he pushed the photos obtained from the orphanage, the picture of Yu obtained from the police archive, and the photo from Kla's file toward her. "You can easily see that it's the same person."

Gun watched with great delight as the lawyer's expression hardened upon seeing the undeniable similarities between the people in the photos. Yu might have been disfigured, but a closer and focused examination would leave no doubt that the man was the same in all the pictures.

"He is indeed the same person," she finally concluded in evident defeat.

"So, Mr Onruang, do you know Yuthakon Tangtrongchit or not?" Gun asked in a stern voice.

"I do," Benz replied in a low voice after several moments of silence.

"And do you know that he had been disguised under the name of Kla Gruemor?"

"I do."

"After you left the orphanage, did you stay in touch with Yu?"

"No," Benz replied. "I hadn't seen him after I left until over three years ago, when he came, asking me to help him find a job."

"I see."

"Detective," the lawyer intervened. "I see no harm if my client had decided to help an old friend by giving him a job."

"What Mr Onruang had done, Ma'am," Gun said. "was harbouring a wanted criminal from the police."

"He must not have known that he's a wanted a criminal," the lawyer said before she looked at Benz. "Did you know that the police want this man?"

"No, I didn't," Benz quickly denied, picking up with his lawyer. "Honest."

"Didn't you wonder why he had changed his name?" Gun asked. "I mean I would die from curiosity if my childhood buddy suddenly showed up at my doorstep with a different name, a gouged eye and a scar that ran along his face."

Benz felt his body tensed at Gun's words, unable to come up with a reasonable reply to the Detective's question.

"I don't know," he replied in a low voice after a while of silence.

The Detective let out a soft chuckle at the useless answer.

"Now that we established that you know Yuthakon Tangtrongchit, do you know the company's driver Mr Mee Noi Kessara?"

Benz stared at the other man as if he was weighing his options.

"I don't know him," he said at last.

"You don't know him," Gun commented. "Yet, he said that you'd called him on the day Mr Arthit was taken to the Suthiluck's cabin just as he had left the company's garages to pick-up the goods from Ocean Electric!"

With that, Gun took out a paper and showed it to the lawyer. "Ma'am," he said. "would you be so kind as to read out loud the highlighted parts."

With evident apprehension, the lawyer took the paper and cleared her throat.

"The calling history of the number X-XXX-XXXX registered to Mr Benz Onruang," she began to read. "Friday XX-XX-XXXX, 7:10 pm, Out-going call to X-XXX-XXXX, registered to Mr Mee Noi Kessara. Duration: 20min."

Gun watched as Benz's anxiety increased with each syllabus. The man appeared on the average of a breakdown, and it was a ripe time for Gun to strike.

"What did you talk about for 20min with Mr Mee Noi Kessara, whom you don't know, Mr Onruang?" he asked.

The secretary gave the Detective an unreadable look before he spoke.

"I don't have anything more to say in this matter," he said firmly. "I don't know this man."

Gun shot the man an irritated glare, unamused with the man's stubbornness.

"Fine," he said after a few moments of tensed silence. "I'll let it go for now. But you'd better be ready to talk next time we meet."

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Phailin Jaturapattarapong was waiting for an hour on the chairs in front of the interrogation room. The lawyer hadn't told her what crime her fiancée was accused of or why he was dragged out of his office in such manner.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a drained Benz appeared from behind, cuffed and held tightly by a police officer.

"P'!" the young woman exclaimed as she stood up and rushed toward the man.

"Excuse me," Gun, who was right behind, said firmly. "You're not allowed to talk to the defendant."

"But I'm his fiancée," Phailin protested.

"That doesn't give you the right to talk to him," Gun said before he mentioned to the officer to take Benz away.

"Detective, I'd like to have a private session with my client," the lawyer said.

"Of course, Ma'am," Gun said. "If you would be kind to submit your request to the front desk, I'll be glad to set you with a date."

"Alright,"

"Would someone, please, tell me what's going on?" Phailin exclaimed.

Gun looked at her with an unreadable expression before he smiled a little. "Say, Ms," he said. "Would you mind if we chatted a little?"

"What?"

"I'd like to ask you about your fiancée if you don't mind,"

"Ms Jaturapattarapong," the lawyer said. "I don't think it's a good idea!" —she turned her attention to the Detective— "Why do you want to talk to her?"

"I want to know more about Mr Onruang," Gun explained straightforwardly. "and who would know him better than his fiancée?"

"In that case, let's schedule it for another time," the lawyer suggested.

"No," Phailin said. "If he wants to know about P'Benz, then I'll be glad to do it now. So, he'll realize what a grave mistake he had done against my fiancée."

"But, Ms Jaturapattarapong—"

"I said I'll do it now!" Phailin insisted. "Neither P'Benz nor I have anything to hide." With a determined look on her face, the young secretary marched into the interrogation room.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Phet let out a deep breath as he stared intensely at the mobile laying on the coffee table in the living room. Knowing that Gun would interrogate that secretary from Siam Polimer, Phet couldn't have a good sleep last night. The thought of going to the station and attending the interrogation had crossed his mind numerous times, but he managed to fight off the temptation. He didn't want to ruin Gun's hard work in gathering the evidence against the man by losing his temper and trying to kill the defendant.

Phet sighed. Suddenly, he was missing Siriporn's annoying presence. Why the psychiatrist had to fly to her hometown early in the morning in such critical time?!

Phet let out a deep breath, thinking that he was indeed going mad since he was actually missing Siriporn!

He was in a dark, gloomy mood, and the three other occupants of the house seemed to be afraid of him. They were silent throughout the breakfast and left for their morning jog without saying a word. As soon as they came back, Arthit and Kongphop rushed upstairs while Kiet sat soundlessly in the living room, pretending to read the newspaper for almost half an hour before he as well stood up and left.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Arthit was on his bed, reading one of his comics while Kongphop sat on the small couch watching his lover when they heard soft knocks on the door.

"Come in," Kongphop replied before the door that was still broken and merely leaning against the frame was moved away, and Kiet appeared.

"Why don't you get this door fixed already?" he asked as he entered.

"Mr Rojnapat thinks it's better to keep it this way," Kongphop replied. "This way, P'Arthit can't lock it."

Kiet laughed amused before he suddenly stopped in his tracks and widened his eyes.

"Wow!" he rushed to Arthit, practically jumping on the bed. "Is that the new volume?"—he snatched the book from Arthit's hands— "I'm reading this series too! I didn't know that the new volume is out already!"

"Knott had surprised me with it yesterday!" Arthit said with delight. "I never thought you would like comics, P'!"

"Well," Kiet scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. "The truth is I wanted to ask you about the books you have the moment I saw you were reading some comics, but I was a little bit embarrassed."

His eyes then roamed over the comics that filled the shelves that occupied one of the rooms' walls before he engaged in an in-depth conversation with Arthit about the comics they like and follow, causing Kongphop to feel a little bit left out and slightly jealous. He wasn't a big fan about comic books, though he would read from time to time.

"By the way," Kongphop snapped from his dark thoughts when Kiet suddenly said. "Are you two planning on spending the entire day up here?"

"Dad is in a bad mood today," Arthit replied. "It'd be better if we stayed away from him."

"I know," Kiet said with a deep sigh. "It's suffocating just sitting beside him. Where is that doctor, by the way? She usually comes every morning!"

"P'Siri went to her hometown for a family emergency. She may be absent for a few days."

"I hope she won't be away for long." Kiet commented with a sigh. "I'm not good at playing a peacemaker. Hey, why don't we go out then?" he suggested. "I noticed that there is a basketball court in the neighbourhood. Plus, I want to check out this district."

"Why do you want to do that?"

"Out of curiosity and boredom," Kiet said with a shrug, gaining laughs from Arthit and Kongphop.

"We can't have that now," Kongphop said, smiling brightly. "Let's go."

"I'll call Knott and ask him to bring the gang as well," Arthit added. Aside from Knott, Arthit hadn't seen any of his friends since his return from the hospital. He had a hunch that Knott was behind their absence.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

"So, tell me, Ms Jaturapattarapong," Gun began after Phailin stated her name, age and occupation. "How did you and Mr Onruang meet?"

"It happened around four years ago," she replied. "We met at a party in Mr Suthiluck's villa. I had just started working in Mr Suthiluck's son-in-law's office since Mr Kongphop was still in college at that time. I was a little nervous since I was the newest employee there, but P'Benz approached me, and we talked. He was nice and engaging. He was even so kind and considerate that he had introduced me to Mr Suthiluck, his wife and their daughters."

"Oh, that is sweet indeed," Gun commented. "and at that time, he seemed to be close to the Suthiluck family?"

"Oh, yes," Phailin replied. "He is very close to them indeed, especially Mrs Suthiluck. P'Benz always runs errands for her, and she is very fond of him. She even congratulated us passionately when we got engaged and sent me a lovely and expensive gift."

"Did she now?" Gun remarked mysteriously before he shook his head as if he was shaking off something. "Tell me, Ms Jaturapattarapong, do you know a man called Arthit Rojnapat?"

Phailin's expression changed upon hearing the name. "Yes," she replied flatly. "He was Mr Kongphop's boyfriend."

"You don't seem to like him?"

"What do her feelings have to do with anything?" the lawyer butted in. "Your question is irrelevant."

"I was merely making an observation," Gun said with a natural smile on his face. "She's free not to comment on it."

"It's not that I don't like him," Phailin said. "but I think that it's wrong for someone like Mr Kongphop to have a lover, who couldn't give him a family. He's the sole son of his parents and the main heir to their fortune. He should find a wife who would give him children."

"But his parents seem to be fine with his choice," Gun said.

"That's not true! His mother wasn't pleased with all with his choice." Phailin said passionately before she realized what she had said. "I mean,"—she lowered her tone— "I imagine that she wasn't."

Gun smiled but didn't comment; instead, he changed the subject, showing no interest in Phailin's exclamation.

"So, what do you remember of the day that Mr Kongphop went to Pattaya two years ago?" he asked. "You told me before that you had accompanied him on that trip?"

"Oh, that trip! Yes!" the secretary replied.

"As I understood that you weren't supposed to go to Pattaya in the first place, correct?"

"Yes," Phailin replied. "Mr Kongphop was supposed to take the clients to his family cabin, but I suggested going to Pattaya instead."

"And why is that?"

"Well," she said with a shrug. "It seemed to me at the time that the clients would be more entertained if they went to Pattaya."

"I see," Gun commented. "If a change in plans such as this one occurs, what are the protocols followed? I mean will there be someone to be notified of the change?"

"The CEO and the Director of Human Resources," the secretary replied. "especially if it involves important clients."

"Were they notified in this case?"

"Mr Kerkkrai was in Singapore that day, but his office was notified," the woman replied. "I was the one who notified the CEO and the Director of Human Resources offices."

"And to whom did you talk to from the CEO's office?"

"P'Benz," she said. "I informed him immediately as soon as Mr Kongphop agreed to go to Pattaya."

"Can you tell me around what time you had informed him?" the Detective asked.

Phailin thought for a while before she replied. "Around midday," she said. "I remember because Mr Kongphop usually drinks ice coffee around this time. And I got it to him as soon as I hung down the phone."

Gun smiled in response before he thanked Phailin for her time and escorted her out of the room. This small conversation had opened his eyes on other possibilities that he hadn't known they existed. It was time for him to re-arrange his thoughts and decide on his next move.

"By the way, Ma'am," he said addressing the lawyer. "I'll be interrogating Mr Onruang tonight at 5 pm."

"So soon?" she asked.

Gun flashed her a wide smile. "I'd love to finish this investigation as soon as possible," he said. "And if indeed Mr Onruang is innocent, there is no sense in detaining him longer than necessary. The faster we establish that, the sooner we can release him."

"What is he accused of, exactly?" Phailin asked.

"He's accused of kidnapping and raping Mr Arthit Rojnapat," Gun dropped the bomb on Phailin as causal as if he was talking about the weather.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Merry laughs of young men filled the air at the neighbourhood's basketball court where they have been playing for an hour and a half. Arthit smiled behind his mask as he watched his friends play from the side-lines. His friends Knott, Prem, Bright and Tutah had met Kongphop and Kiet and him at the basketball court. Bright and Tutah, as usual, had performed a drama upon seeing him. They cried and hugged him, whining that Knott had threatened to kill them if they tried visiting him after his discharge-party.

Arthit sighed as he watched his friends. Though his health had significantly improved since his discharge, he didn't want to push himself too much. So, after about 20 minutes of playing, he decided to take a break and sit next to Tutah. Picking up his guitar that Kiet had insisted on bringing along with them, he started to play some tones.

"Hey, Arthit!" Bright said as he threw himself on the bench next to his friend. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Bright," Arthit replied. "That's the 20th time you asked me this question."

"I can't help it!" The man said with tears in his eyes. "Ai'Knott had scared us to death with his 'No one allowed to visit Arthit' rule. He sounded as if you're on your death bed!"

Arthit laughed. "He's just worried," he explained. "Being exposed to many people increase my chances of getting sick. I suppose he didn't want to risk it."

"Are you saying that you'll live your entire life isolated?" Bright exclaimed. "That sucks, man! Then, how come you're outside now?"

"Idiot!" Knott yelled as he smacked Bright with his towel. "He's not going to be locked up. He has to be extra careful and avoid crowded areas, though!"

"But you said it would be dangerous for him if we visited him at home!" Bright retorted before he threw his arms around Arthit and took him into a tight embrace. "I honestly thought my best friend is going to die!" he wailed.

Knott rolled his eyes at the drama his friend was throwing.

"Arthit needed some time to recover without you bothering him, you damn drama queen!" the bulky man said.

Bright stuck out his tongue at Knott as he released Arthit from his grip.

"Hey, boys," Kiet said as he approached them. "How about we go and have something to eat? I'm starving!"

The rest cheered at his suggestion before quickly gathering their things and leave.

"P', are you alright?" Kongphop asked as he walked next to Arthit, who was leading the way.

"I'm fine, Kong," Arthit replied. "I didn't want to push myself, that's why I sat down earlier."

"That's not what I meant, P'," Kongphop responded. "I mean when P'Bright hugged you..." his voice trailed.

"I'm fine, Kongphop. Surprisingly, I wasn't afraid when he hugged me."

"That's good to hear," the younger said, smiling brightly as he held Arthit's hand. The older man looked at him before averting his eyes shyly.

Despite the mask he was wearing, Kongphop could tell that his boyfriend was smiling. The young man was happy that the incident that happened a few days ago didn't seem to affect his lover profoundly. His P' seemed to have recovered quickly after the event.

Behind the pair, five men smiled amusedly as they observed the two love birds, pleased that things seemed to be going well between their two friends.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Entering a small diner that Arthit always frequented in his teen years, the waiter led the seven friends to a suitable table before taking their orders. The young men joked and laughed, creating a pleasant merry atmosphere around the place.

Arthit stole another glance at the young man sitting next to him, remembering with fondness the first time Kongphop and he shared a meal in the cafe near the campus. He genuinely wished for those happy times to return with all their ups and downs.

"Hey, N'Arthit!" Kiet suddenly said. "Stop staring at N'Kong with those puppy eyes and pay some attention to us as well!"

Arthit blushed immensely in response to Kiet's comment. Since he had to remove his mask so he could eat, his face was visible to his friends' eyes who didn't miss this chance to tease him and make him blush even more. Kongphop, on the other hand, flashed his bright smile, feeling much flattered at the thought of his boyfriend ogling at him.

"Why don't you sing us a song, Arthit?" Tutah suggested, gaining the agreement of the rest of the group. They even started to chant "Song!" loudly until Arthit gave in and reluctantly picked up his guitar.

"♪Oh, baby / "L"

It's not over there. / "O"

It's not over here either. / "V"

Where can I find it? / "E" ♪"

Knott, Prem, Bright and Tutah awwed as they realized what song Arthit was singing. They looked at Kongphop, who was smiling as he locked eyes with his boyfriend. Soon, they too joined in the singing.

"♪ Where is it, the thing that is called love?

I really want to find it too.

People say love is when you stare at each other for a long time.

Love is when you walk side by side and hand in hand.

Oh, love is me.

Oh, love is you

Oh, baby / "L"

It's not over there. / "O"

It's not over here either. / "V"

Where can I find it? / "E"

Where is it, the thing that is called love?

I really want to find it too.

Can you do me a little favour?

I want to know what love all is about.

When I'm in love,

My heart would sing

L O V E

Oh, baby / "L"

It's not over there. / "O"

It's not over here either. / "V"

Where can I find it? / "E"

Where is it, the thing that is called love?

I really want to find it too. ♪"

Cheers from the diner's customers rose as the group finished singing. Arthit's cheeks were as red as strawberries as his friends kept teasing him for choosing the song that Kongphop sang during the university's Moon & Star competition.

After lunch, the young men left and walked around until they reached the neighbourhood's public garden. There Kiet and Arthit's gang deliberately split away from the couple to give them some quality time together.

Kongphop and Arthit suddenly found themselves walking alone. No matter where they looked, their companions seemed to have disappeared.

Smiling awkwardly at each other, the two lovers walked around, enjoying the beautiful weather and the greenery surrounding them before they sat on one of the benches.

"You know," Arthit spoke. "My parents used to come here regularly."

"It's a nice place," Kongphop commented.

"Mom loved nature, that's why she loved it here," Arthit said. "She would be delighted when dad bought her a pot of flower or a new plant. She used to plant many types of flowers in our garden and forces me to help her!"

Kongphop laughed. "Didn't you like helping her?"

"Oh, I loved helping her because it meant playing with the dirt," Arthit replied. "but she used to make me memorize the names of the plants and flowers and their meaning. Then, she would quiz me on them later."

Kongphop smiled before he stretched his hand and wiped away a hair strand off Arthit's forehead.

"If you want, we can plant some plants and flowers in your house' garden," he suggested.

"Nah!" Arthit said with a shake of his head. "I'm not into playing with dirt anymore!"

"Anyhow," Kongphop said as he closed the gap between their faces. "Your house already has the rarest and most beautiful rose in the entire world!"

"Really?" Arthit asked nervously as he tried to escape Kongphop's advance. "What is that?"

"Why, you, P'," Kongphop whispered seductively.

Arthit stared at his boyfriend with wide eyes before he shyly averted his face away. "Silly!" he murmured. "I'm not a rose!" he paused a little before he spoke again. "I'm more like a sunflower, I think."

Kongphop laughed with evident amusement. "The most beautiful sunflower of all!" he chirped.

Few meters away from the couple, five men observed them from behind some bushes.

"All we need to do now," Bright said. "is to rent them a hotel room." —Four smacks spontaneously hit his head— "What?" he exclaimed.

"Shut up, Bright!" Knott hissed. "And for once get your brain off the gutter!"

Bright rolled his eyes in annoyance but said nothing. With a pout, he resumed watching the couple with the rest of the gang.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Robin rushed as fast as he could toward Gun's office to hand in the photos and videos, he had been working on them since yesterday. The IT didn't understand the Detective's need to rush things since he already got his suspect under arrest; however, it wasn't Robin's place to question Gun about his work.

"I brought you what you wanted, P'Gun," the young IT declared as soon as he entered the office. He temporarily stopped in his tracks when he noticed Phet sitting by Gun's office.

"Give them to me," Gun said as he reached out his hand, snapping the young IT out of his surprise.

"Of course," Robin said before he handed the Detective the file in his hand.

"Will you be joining us, P'?" Gun asked, addressing Phet.

"No," The older Detective replied. "I don't trust myself around that bastard. Are you ready for round two?"

"Of course," Gun said, waving the file in the air. "I've already managed to establish Onruang's relationship with Yu. The rest will be easy, I think."

"Good luck," Phet said as he stood up. "I'll be in my office. Inform me of the interrogation's results after you're finished."

"Will do, P'," Gun said as he watched Phet leave his office.

As soon as the older Detective was out, Robin sat down in his place. "P', have you told him about the contents of the video you've found?" he asked.

"Not everything. I've just told him that it showed some marks and tattoos," Gun replied. "Did he ask you about it?"

"No," Robin answered. "but why didn't you tell him everything?"

"Not yet," Gun explained. "I want a full and clear confession from the suspects themselves. The video and the rest of the evidence will serve only to back up their confessions. If P'Phet knew that some parts of the videos show the suspects' faces, he might rush things to court without extracting a confession from them. The video alone may not hold up against a good defence lawyer."

"I hope he won't be angry at us for keeping this from him,"

"Dealing with his anger is the least of the problems. I just hope he won't kill us!" Gun said with a shudder. "By the way, did you manage to do what I asked?"

"With too much difficulty," Robin replied. "It took Hathai and me all night to enhance the footage, cut them into segments and arrange them accordingly. Inside the file, you'll find a list of each video's number, its contents and in which disc you will find it."

"Alright, let's go then," Gun said as he stood up.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

"So, Mr Onruang," Gun began the investigation. "this morning, you've denied knowing a man called Mee Noi Kessara, is that correct?"

"Yes," Benz replied. "I don't know such a man."

"But he knows you very well," Gun said with a smirk, before he pressed a button on the intercom device, asking for the first witness to enter.

Mee Noi entered the interrogation room from a side door and wheeled himself to the table.

"Mr Kessara, do you know this man?" Gun asked as soon as Mee Noi was directly facing Benz.

"Yes, he is Mr Benz Onruang, one of Mr Kerkkrai Suthiluck's secretaries," the former driver said in clear voice.

"That's doesn't mean that I know him!" Benz protested, but Gun asked him to remain silent while he was interrogating the other man.

"How did you first meet him?" Gun asked the driver.

"I saw him once with Mr Suthiluck during a visiting to the garages," the driver replied.

"Did you two talk?"

"No," the driver replied. "I doubt he even noticed me. That's why I was surprised when he called me on that day when I was on my way to Ocean Electric."

"I didn't call you!" Benz exclaimed.

"Yes, you did, Sir!" Mee Noi retorted. "You called me and told me that instead of going to Ocean Electric, I should head to Mr Arthit Rojnapat's apartment and drive him to the Suthiluck cabin. You even said that Mr Kongphop is waiting for him."

Benz pressed his lips to a thin line in evident annoyance. "There is nothing to prove what you're saying!" he sneered.

"How about the testimony of his supervisor?" Gun asked. "Will that be sufficient?"

Benz's expression froze upon hearing this. Not waiting for a reply, Gun quickly buzzed for the second witness to enter.

The head of the company's chauffeurs entered and greeted everyone as Mee Noi left the room. Taking his seat at the table, the older man smiled mildly at Benz before he stated his name, age and occupation to the Detective.

"Would you narrate to me what exactly happened on the day XX-XX-XXXX after you receive the urgent pick-up order from the CEO's office?" Gun asked.

"I processed it as usual and assigned to a driver for the pick-up," the head replied. "However, I received a call from the 12th floor informing me to assign Mr Kessara for the pick-up instead."

"Were you the one who received it?"

"Yes. Only I have the authority to change drivers."

"Do you know who called you?"

"Mr Onruang," replied the man.

"When we talked earlier," Gun said. "You never mentioned that Mr Onruang was the one who called you to change drivers."

"I never thought it was important," the older man said with a shrug. "besides, these things happen; not that often but they do."

"When I asked you about the source of the order," Gun said. "you only mentioned that the order came from the 12th floor without specifying the exact office. The Director of the Human Resources had specified the exact office from glancing at the serial number. How come you don't know that the order came from the CEO's office?"

"As a head of a lowly department in the company, I'm only familiar with specific serial numbers that identified the floors or the major departments," the man replied. "I'm clueless of what the other numbers mean."

"I see," Gun said thoughtfully. "So, you received a call from Mr Onruang asking you to change drivers. What did exactly he say to you?"

"He said that Mr Kongphop wished that Mr Kessara do the pick-up."

"Didn't that sound strange to you?"

The older man thought for a moment before he nodded. "It did. Because I thought why Mr Onruang would be the one asking me to change drivers instead of Mr Kongphop's secretaries."—the older man chuckled— "But then I remembered that Mr Onruang is engaged to one of Mr Kongphop's secretaries and thought that he might be doing it for her sake."

"I see," Gun said before he took out a small disc and inserted it into his laptop. "Is this the call in-question?" he asked as he played the drive.

The four people listened carefully to the conversation until the end.

"Yes, it is."

"I see," Gun said with a smile before he turned to the lawyer. "Do you have questions for him, Ma'am?"

The lawyer frowned but shook her head. She knew precisely what the Detective was doing here. He was eliminating all the peepholes that she might try and find to shake off the witness' testimony ahead of her. And he was doing a damn good job!

After dismissing the head of the company's chauffeurs, Gun looked directly at Benz. "What do you say now, Mr Onruang? Do you know Mee Noi Kessara?"

The secretary stared at the Detective silently for a few moments before he nodded his head helplessly.

Gum smiled in satisfaction before he moved on to the next point.

"Now, who issued that pick-up order?" He asked.

Benz remained silent, wondering if he could deny his involvement or not. The Detective seemed to be thoroughly prepared and would confute any claim he might come up with.

"I did," he finally said.

"Why?" The Detective asked.

"On behalf of Mr Kongphop," Benz replied. "he wanted his boyfriend to join him in the cabin."

"So, you do know that Mr Arthit is Mr Kongphop's boyfriend," Gun said with evident triumph in his voice, causing Benz to realize his slip-up.

Flushed from embarrassment, the secretary didn't have the choice but to admit that he indeed knew Arthit.

"Back to our topic," Gun said. "You said that Mr Kongphop wanted his boyfriend with him in the cabin, but, Mr Onruang, Mr Kongphop didn't go to his family cabin. He had gone to Pattaya, instead."

"It was a sudden change," Benz commented hurriedly.

Gun nodded before he looked over some papers in front of him and frowned deeply as he studied them before he looked up at the secretary.

"According to the papers in front of me, the change in plans had occurred around ten or 10:30 am. And your order was issued around 1 pm. And according to the company's protocols, any changes in plans of any kind, the office of CEO must be notified immediately; meaning that you should've been notified that the entertainment's plans had been changed before you made that order, correct?"

If glares could kill, Benz's hateful glare would've torn Gun asunder.

"I don't know," he said with a voice full of hate and anger.

"Well," Gun said casually. "according to one of your colleagues, you were the one who received the notification from Mr Kongphop's office."

"I didn't receive any notification," Benz insisted.

Gun smiled. "But your fiancée had said that she had informed you of the change," he said quietly.

Benz's eyes widened in shock as Gun's statement, but he didn't comment. He wasn't sure whether the Detective was stating the truth or trying to trick to him. Sensing his predicament, the lawyer spoke.

"Detective, how can you be sure of the time?" she asked. "My client could've issued the order before he was notified."

Without saying a word, Gun gave her official company papers and police reports that contained times of the various events that took place on that day. He even had drawn her a timeline on a blank paper at the end.

The lawyer looked at her client with unreadable expression her face.

"Well, Mr Onruang," Gun broke the heavy silence that shrouded the room for few minutes. "what do you say about this?"

"I have nothing to say," Benz spat.

Gun's eyes turned dark as he stared at the secretary. "Listen to me carefully, Mr Onruang," he spoke with a foreboding tone. "Right now, I'm giving you a chance to help yourself by willingly confess and straight up all the fact. However, if you remained stubborn and refused to cooperate, then I'll change my way in conducting this investigation, and you will be bearing the full responsibility of what had happened."

"I must object, Detective," the lawyer spoke. "You are threatening him!"

"Not at all," Gun replied. "I've already proven his connection to a wanted sex-offender and his attempts to hide facts related to a rape case won't look good in the prosecution suit. It's up to him whether he wanted to be treated as a witness or as a suspect."

A heavy silence shrouded the room for what it seemed like an eternity before Benz suddenly spoke.

"Mr Kongphop didn't order the issue or even knew about the entire matter," he said in a low voice. "I did it on my own."

"Why?"

"Because Yu said that this is an assured method to force Mr Kongphop and Mr Arthit to break up."

"Why do you want them to break up?"

"It isn't me who wanted them to break up," Benz said meekly. "It's Mrs Suthiluck."

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

A shudder ran down Gun's spine upon hearing Benz's answer. He hadn't expected that Mrs Suthiluck would be involved in this. Benz's secretary had said that Mrs Suthiluck was fond of her husband's secretary because he always runs errands for her. But does that include kidnapping and rape?

"You said that Yu had suggested an assured plan to break them up," he spoke. "what was it?"

Benz lowered his gaze as he took several deep breaths before he looked up. "He said that if we kidnap Mr Arthit and rough him up a bit, he would break up with Mrs Suthiluck's son for sure."

"You mean, rape him?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do!" Gun snapped, slamming his hand on the table. "Mr Arthit said that you were waiting for him in front of the cabin, insisted on taking him to the basement as soon as you entered the cabin, then he was drugged from behind. Mr Kessara said that he had seen you carrying the unconscious Mr Arthit into the basement and announcing him as entertainment to Y and his thugs!"—Gun inhaled sharply—"Not only that, you had threatened Mr Kessara when you realized that he had seen what happened in the cabin and almost killed him."

"It wasn't me, okay?" Benz retorted. "Yu was the one who tampered with the breaks, saying that the driver would certainly blackmail us and threaten to expose us!"

"You kidnapped and raped a young man, what do you except?" Gun asked.

"I didn't rape him!"

"Oh, yeah? Then what is this?"

Quickly, Gun picked up a disc and inserted it into his laptop's drive, before he started one of the files.

Benz felt his heart stop beating, and his eyes almost popping from his eyes when a video of and him, Yu and his thugs played on the screen. The clip was short, but it clearly showed him raping Arthit's limp body. The idiot who was filming had the camera directly facing him. Cold sweat formed and dripped down his forehead as his breathing became shallow.

"What is this, Mr Onruang?" Gun asked with voice full disgust.

"It was his idea!" Benz murmured to himself. "He said that no one would know. He said that Mr Kongphop's boyfriend would not dare to report."

Gun snorted, feeling the bile rising inside his stomach.

"What about Mrs Suthiluck?" he asked. "Did she know about this?"

But Benz was in no condition to reply. He was shivering like a feather amid a storm and seemed to be on the average of a breakdown.

"Detective," The lawyer said. "Can we postpone this for a later time? My client is on the average of a panic attack!"

Gun toured his eyes between the lawyer and Benz before he nodded his head. He had other things to look up before he continued with his interrogation, anyway.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

"Ah! Home, sweet home!" Kiet exclaimed as soon as Arthit, Kongphop and he reached the house. Roaming around the neighbourhood the entire day was surely a tiring task, especially if their company was as hyper as Bright and Tutah. The police officer never imagined that adults could be such a handful. But they were a pleasant company. And Kiet could sense how much Arthit and his gang loved and supported each other. Their strong friendship was refreshing and uplifting

"It seems that dad is out," Arthit commented as they entered and found the lights out and none at home. "I wonder where he is."

"I'm not that brave to call and ask him. You're his son. You do it!" Kiet remarked before he escaped upstairs.

Arthit made a face at the officer's retreating figure before he walked to the line phone to call his father.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Phet was still in his office when his mobile rang. Glancing uninterestingly at the screen, he frowned when he saw the word 'Home' flashing.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Hi, Dad," Arthit's voice sounded from the other side. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the station," Phet replied. "I have some work to finish. When did you return home?"

"We just returned," Arthit answered. "Umm...when will you return?"

"I don't know," Phet said. "Did you eat dinner?"

"Yes, what about you?" Arthit asked.

"Not yet," Phet replied. "I'll grab something on the way home. Don't wait for me. Take your medications and rest. You've been out all day, you must be exhausted!"

"I will," Arthit said. "Goodbye, Dad."

As soon as the phone call ended, Phet heard few knocks on his door.

"Excuse me, P'," Gun said as he entered the room. "I have finished my interrogation for today."

"What happened?"

"Before I say anything, P', I have a confession to make," Gun said with a guilty expression on his face. "Remember when you asked me whether the CD I've found shows the faces of the culprits or not," —Phet nodded— "Well, it does in some parts."

"WHAT?" Phet roared. "And you hid that from me?"

"I had to, P'," Gun said. "I didn't want to depend solely on the video that could be discredited. I wanted to collect more than one evidence to support it, especially a confession. I feared if I have told you, you will rush things."

Phet glared at the young detective before he sighed deeply. Gun was probably right.

"So, did you get a confession?" he asked.

"Partly," Gun replied. "Benz has a minor panic attack when he saw the video of himself. But he already confessed that he had purposely lured your son to the cabin."

"Why did he do it?"

"He wasn't clear about that," Gun said. "He said that it was Yu's idea, but he also said that he had done this to break up Mr Kongphop and your son."

Phet frowned. "What my son's relationship with Mr Kongphop has to do with all of this?"

Gun's expression hardened. "He said that it was Mrs Suthiluck who wanted them to break up."

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Arthit smiled as he lay on his bed and watched Kongphop getting out the bathroom and drying his hair. Today was a happy day, indeed. He got to see and spend time with his friends, he and Kongphop spent a lovely time together in the public garden, followed by dinner outdoors. Today reminded him of the days Kongphop, and he spent during their university years when they were young and carefree, without a worry in the world.

"Damn!" Kiet's irritated voice snapped Arthit from his thoughts as the former rushed into the bedroom and started to rummage through his bag. "where is the damn charger?"

"What's wrong, P'?" Kongphop asked.

"My cell phone's battery is almost out of charge," Kiet replied. "I forgot to take the power bank with me when we went out. Now, my phone is about to shut down!" the officer smiled in triumph as he found the charger and hooked it to his phone before he made himself comfortable on the mattress that was laid down for him on the floor.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

[My cell phone's battery is almost out of charge,]

[Now, my phone is about to shut down!]

Kongphop felt his body becomes rigid as Kiet's words rang through his mind for some reason. He wasn't sure where he had heard similar sentences before. He stood like a statue for a few moments before it suddenly hit him.

"The phone!" he muttered to himself before quickly, he rushed to his cell phone and rushed out of the bedroom.

"What happened to him?" Kiet asked Arthit, who shook his head in response.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Gun had just climbed his car when his cellphone rang.

"Good evening, Detective," Kongphop's agitated voice sounded from the other side of the line.

"Good evening, Mr Kongphop," Gun replied. "How can I help you?"

"I—I recalled something," Kongphop replied. "Do you remember when you asked me if I ever left my phone unsupervised during that day?"

"Yes."

"I did leave it with my secretary for almost an hour," Kongphop replied frantically. "I remember she told me that my phone's battery is almost finished, so I told her to put it on the charger while I went to a meeting."

"She told you that your phone's battery is almost finished, and you blindly believed her?" Gun inquired.

"Yes," Kongphop replied. "I didn't have any reason to doubt her and I didn't want it to shut down on the way, so I told her to put it on the charger."

"I see," Gun said. "Do you remember what time?"

"It was around Midday, I think!"

"Who is the secretary?"

"Ms Phailin Jaturapattarapong."

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Arthit frowned as Kongphop entered the room with a disturbed expression. He wanted to ask his boyfriend what happened, but something on the latter's face made him decide otherwise.

"Kong," he called snapping the younger man from his thoughts. "aren't you coming to bed?"

Kongphop forced a smile upon his face before he nodded his head. It was pointless of him to worry about anything other than his boyfriend now. The matter was in Gun's hands now, and he would certainly know what to do. Pushing any disturbing thoughts to the back of his head, he joined his lover in bed.

Arthit snuggled closer to Kongphop as the latter embraced him with his warm arms.

"Kongphop," he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, P'," Kongphop whispered back before he planted a soft kiss on top of Arthit's head.

Closing their eyes, the two lovers slept, basking in each other's warmth, unaware of the storm that was forming on the horizon.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

To Be Continued...

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

I hope it didn't bore you. I've tried my best to make it short and yet not skip any important info.

And I hope you like it.

See ya after my return ^^