Toe Tied
Part three of Chayia's Legal dark tale
Chayia Thai Legal
Part 3
CHAYIA SAT AND studied the toe.
‘Yes, it must be Moo’s. I joked with her about the ring. “Only children wear rings on their toes,” I said. “I feel young enough” she answered.’ It felt as if the toe answered, and laid out an order. “You must help her!” ‘I know, I must, I’m going to.’ He said to the inanimate digit. The next job was not easy.
The ring was stuck, and the swollen toe didn’t want to lose its jewellery, it wouldn’t budge.
‘Cooking oil in the kitchen will be the answer,’ the lawyer said. The ring slipped off. ‘Imagine being stopped at the airport with somebody’s toe in your luggage,’ laughing was not an option, nor was taking the toe, but taking the ring?
The ring was safely stored in his wallet, beside his passport as the taxi dropped him at Heathrow.
‘Now I have twelve hours to consider my next move.’
At Suvarnabhumi Airport Chayia’s next move was still not clear. ‘Moo has the office keys, but she will not be there, and she will not be at her home address. But maybe one of her family will be?’
‘Look who is here. It is Moo’s old boss,’ a chunky lady called over her shoulder. ‘Come in, come in,' she leant back and pointed into the sparsely furnished room.
‘Excuse me, if I don’t get up,’ said the other lady clutching the walking frame.
‘Ladies, have you heard from your sister?’
‘No, we are hoping you have some news for us?’
‘Can you tell me what happened, where did she go?’
‘Since she lost her job with you, she has been hunting for a new position. For a lady of her age, it is not easy to get a job. Not that we blame you.’
‘But, surely she does not need to find work. I sent her enough money to last her,’ said Chayia.
‘She didn’t tell us that.’
‘Can you check with her bank, I’m sure they’ll confirm the amount I transferred.’
‘She always kept her personnel details secret.’
‘But what happened? She was here one day and gone the next without a word to you two?’
‘We thought it was a work interview. We wished her luck. She never came home.’ The woman dabbed her eyes. The more mobile woman hugged her sister. Both dabbed their eyes.
‘Hi, Chief Inspector, I need your help,’ said Chayia.
The two men went to Moo’s bank.
Moo’s bank details were on display to the manager’s guests.
‘As you can see, a large deposit one day, which was withdrawn the next.’
‘That was the sum I sent her,’ said Chayia. ‘And these smaller withdrawals?’
‘Water and electricity payments. That is it.’
‘Where did the large amount go?’
‘No idea, it was taken as cash. So who knows?’
‘Okay, no wiser as to where she may be,’ said the detective.
‘Look, I got this,’ Chayia passed over a typed note. ‘It was delivered with her toe.’
‘A ransom note asking for five million Baht. Signed by your ex-client, who is now in jail?’
‘Yes, now I need your help again. To set me up with a visit to him.’
‘No problem, but what makes you think he will see you? Do you want me to charge him with kidnapping?’
Chayia went to the prison.
‘He won’t see you. You were the one who put him here,’ said the prison guard.
‘Please let me walk out to the exercise yard. I think he’ll come. You don’t want me to come back with the Chief Inspector? I’m sure these wealthy prisoners won’t want to be moved out of this comfortable open prison. Who will they blame?’
‘Okay, but what if he still refuses to talk to you?’
‘That’s my problem.’
Chayia stood by the fence watching the inmates playing cards or chatting in the shade. He waved to the man he knew only too well. Khun Dam threw his hand of aces down and wandered across.
‘All my new friends have now seen your face. Does that not worry you?’
‘Why should it? I can probably get their sentences cut.’
‘Unlike mine. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.’
‘You’ve had your chance to pop me, and failed,’
‘What happened to that little beauty?’ His mind went to the night he had spent with the hitwoman paid to kill Chayia.
‘Oh, she’s very active. Well, let’s rephrase that. She is well used. She is a dead hooker,’ Chayia laughed at Dam’s blank face.
‘Why are you here? To taunt me?’
‘Not at all. I want to know what you’ve done with my secretary?’
‘What? Are you mad?’
‘She has disappeared, a ransom note arrived with your signature on it. Now where is she?’
‘A ransom note you say?’
‘Yes, five million Baht.’
‘Haha, five million, I wouldn’t get out of bed for that. Let me see the signature.’
A photocopy of the note was passed through the fence.
‘Nice attempt. Sorry, that signature is mine, but not on that paper.’
‘How can you be so sure?’
‘Look carefully around the name, you can see fine lines. The signature was cut from another piece of paper and stuck down.’
‘Should I believe you?’
‘Up to you. But be sure of one thing, I will kill you one day.’
Chayia’s new phone bleeped. Only three people knew his number, the detective and Moo’s sisters. ‘Yes, hello.’
‘Have you got the five million Baht you owe me?’
‘Who are you, and how did you get my number?’
‘Wouldn’t you like to know,’ said the gruff voice.
‘I need proof that Khun Moo is fit and well before I consider passing over the money.’
Chayia heard a scuffling, then, ‘Oh, help, get me out of here, please.’
‘Okay? She is alive, but not for much longer. Get the cash in used five-hundred Baht notes. Then get on the Bangkok to Hat Yai train. Keep that phone handy.’
After a hasty call to the detective, Chayia rushed to the bank, withdrew the cash and then dashed to the railway station.
The train plodded south for two hours, then the expected call vibrated Chaiya’s phone.
‘Yes,’ he noticed the number was different.
‘Get ready to throw your package of cash out of the left side door.’
Chayia called the detective, ‘Are you with the train?’
‘I’m following, it is not easy as the damn train is so slow it causes lines of cars behind me, and then they rush to get past.’
‘Never mind that. As expected, I’ve been ordered to chuck my holdall out off the train soon. Keep your eyes open.’
‘We are approaching rice paddy fields soon. How am I going to drive through that?’
‘Do your best.’
The road veered away from the rail line. Chayia’s phone bleeped.
‘Chuck the money out when I get to the number one.’
‘How do I know Moo is safe?’
‘Trust me. Five, four, three, ready?’
‘Wait, I must get the window open.’
‘Two, one, throw it now.’
The train rattled across acres of flooded rice fields. Chayia spotted spindly trees dividing the paddies, he flung his bag high and hoped.
‘Yes,’ he cheered himself. Then he called his friend. ‘The bag is up high in a tree, it should buy you some time.’
At the next station, Chayia disembarked and ordered a taxi to take him to the nearest police station.
‘Look who we’ve got,’ said the detective.
‘Moo, why?’ said Chayia.
‘After twenty years of loyal service, you sacked me. Just like that.’
‘I paid a better than fair severance, did I not?’
‘I wanted to work with you forever.’
Chayia looked down, ‘Please take off your shoes.’
‘I have all my toes if that’s what you are looking at.’
‘So, whose toe was the one you sent to me? Not your sister’s?’
‘No, we didn’t have time.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘How could I post it from Thailand to England in time for you to collect it before you did a runner.’
‘What, I don’t understand?’
‘You’re the clever lawyer. Think about it.’
‘Oh, no.’ A fog cleared.
‘Yes, my sisters and I are devout worshippers of Phra Asara.’
‘And the toe?’
‘It belonged to the girl your new friends killed, who else?’
The END of chapter three.
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