Sarah was on her way to her apartment with grocery bags in her hand, but someone blocked her way. He attacked her and She tried to keep him away and run away from him, but he pushed her against the wall and covered her mouth so she wouldn't scream. Then he stabbed her in the stomach while he looked at her groaning in pain and tears were flowing on his hands.
He felt that she was starting to lose consciousness so he let her fall and then got down on his knees as he took out a paper, put it next to her and left, her breathing became difficult little by little, she grabbed the paper well and started trying to control herself, she pressed on the wound and took out her phone pressing the numbers with difficulty.
Jane left after they had talked a little, and Mark sat in his car thinking: It became certain it must have been someone who was or still works in the police station with the rank of captain, it will be difficult to find who worked in those years and will cause a lot of problems, But this isn't an ordinary case of disappearance, that is for sure.
His train of thought was cut short by his phone vibrating: It's Sarah! Hello, I was about to call you.... (He was silent when he heard her heavy breathing until she said in a light voice: Help me, please...
He parked his car quickly and called the ambulance, then headed towards her where he found her on the ground pressing her wound hard while trying to stay conscious. He approached her and helped her sit down: Sarah Are you okay? What happened?
She looked at him with tired eyes: someone came and stabbed me... (The ambulance arrived and then said): He left this paper.
After she was treated, Mark came out of the room after checking on her and then went to see the doctor: Is her condition dangerous?
He replied: She went into shock due to the loss of a large amount of blood, but she is fine now. Fortunately, the stab did not affect her vital organs.
He thanked him, then went back to her room and sat on the sofa next to her bed, and took out the paper, "Stop digging in the past and go back to where you came from."
He sighed and looked at her: What secret did your father find out so that they could threaten you?
Saturday, 25th April
She woke up frightened, then he approached her: You're safe now, it's just a dream. Are you okay?
She looked at him in astonishment until she understood where she was, then she said sarcastically: I was stabbed, how can I be okay.
He smiled and said, "Your sense of humor is still high, well, that means you're fine. Can you sit?"
She replied, "I need some help."
He helped her sit down and asked, "Can you tell me what happened last night?"
She replied: Well, I was returning to the apartment after I had bought some things. Then someone stood in front of me. He was a masked man wearing black clothes from head to toe. Then he attacked me and stabbed me. He didn't say a word and only put that paper... the paper! is it with you?
He nods: Yes, here is it.
She read it and then said: "Threatening letter! As I expected, my father's case is not ordinary, there is something serious going on here.
He said: You are right, taking this step means that they're watching our movements, people close to us.
She added: People with influence.
There was silence for a moment. Then he said, "Miss Jane came to see me last night."
She said: Really! What did she say?
He replied: She was hesitant at first, but she told me about your father's companion whom her grandfather told us about earlier.
She replied: Do you mean the man who used to keep up with my father? what about him?
He continued: She told me that he was an investigator, but she didn't know his name, and that your father kept calling him the captain.
She said: Captain! Mr. Lawan is a captain, does that mean he is, who was with my father?
Reply: It is possible, but there are many detectives who worked in the past and held the position of captain so we cannot be certain about this.
Then she asked: What else did she tell you? Did she say anything about dad?
She was astonished by his silence. He said: She told me that Mr. Max had kidnapped her and tortured her for three days.
She was shocked but denied: You must be wrong. My father could not have done such a thing. My father was such a kind and gentle person. What she said could not be true!
He got up and said: 'I'll make sure of it, if I finish my work early, I'll visit you, take good care of yourself and take a rest.
Mark entered the forensic building to meet the doctor, on his way he was surprised when he saw Jan, he asked him: What are you doing here?
He put his hands in his pants pockets and walked, saying, "Did you forget we're looking for Max, the owner of the suitcase?"
He followed him, saying: Did you find him?
He replied: "I'm on my way to find out.
He said in a hurry: I'm going to see the forensic doctor, and then I'll be back. Don't leave the building.
Staring at him: What's wrong with him!
The coroner gave him the report, saying, "Is this an important case to come by yourself to get it?"
While inspecting the report: Yes, you can say that... The corpse has already begun to decompose.
The doctor nodded affirmatively: He died seven months ago, the cause of death was suffocation, there were traces of resistance, but we didn't find anything about the killer... Ah, there is something interesting about the dog who was with him.
He asked: The dog! What is it?
He replied: In that house the room was full of dog waste because he could not get out of the room. These wastes contained cellulose fibers that usually come from the woody pulp that is extracted from the wood of trees.
He replied: The dog ate some paper!
He nodded: Yes, it seems the dog was used to keep intruders away from the body and the house, as well as to conceal evidence.
He muttered: This explains why we didn't find anything about her father.
And then he asked him: Was there something in his right hand?
The doctor said "No", Mark thanked him, then went outside and found Jan on his way, he asked him: Did you find anything about Max?
He stopped and showed him the papers he was holding, saying: That's all we got. His name is Max, an American, fifty-five years old. He came to Thailand since..
Mark: Five years, I know, I want more information.
Jan Wondered: How do you know this!
He sighed, fidgeting: It doesn't matter... Is there any other information?
Jan: Does this have anything to do with what you asked Kyle about earlier, or the unidentified body you found in the abandoned house?
Replied: Were you looking after me?
He replied: "I don't need to search, your actions are clear, now tell me what is the case you're working on?
He looked at him and went to the car to continue their conversation, saying: There is a girl who came to Thailand to look for her father, her name is Sarah, a crime journalist, and her father is Max, apparently the owner of that bag.
Jan looked forward and said, "So Max is just a foreign tourist who disappeared five years ago, and today his briefcase suddenly appears."
He turned to him: Not suddenly!
He replied in a serious tone: I know, there is something strange about this case, I can feel it.
At least your instincts as an investigator are working fine, he said sarcastically.
He looked at him sharply: So, is that all?
Mark asked: Do you remember Jane from the case of the murderer Valen and her son? ... (He nodded, then Mark continued: It turned out later that she knew Max and he was helping her find her friend Mary who had disappeared nine years ago. Mr. Tan said that Mr. Max was looking for work and that's why he came to Thailand, apparently getting involved in a larger case that caused him to disappear.
He added: I went with Sarah to the house where her father lived, but we found a body belonging to a man who was wrapped and put in the wardrobe and a dog was locked up with him in the same room. A few minutes ago, I took the autopsy report.
He gave him the report, then he said: This man died seven months ago, his name is Jack, he is forty years old... (He marveled and said): Wait, Jack!
Mark asked: Do you know him?
He nods negative: I think I've read this report before, but I'm not sure...
He replied: "This is true. The doctor sent it to the center, but I didn't receive it, and I think that it was mixed with the rest of the papers and documents in the printer."
He said: Yes, I remember! At that time, I approached to take the paper, but the commander told me to send him the papers that arrived by fax. I might have collected the report with the rest of the papers... But why didn't the commander talk about the report?
Mark said sarcastically, "You're getting old."
He stares at him sharply: We're both in thirties... (He thought for a while and then said): How do you explain Ching's presence in Max's bag then?
Reply: we'll find your answer in the travel agency.
Before they got off, Mark said to him, "Don't tell anyone what I told you, because I suspect that someone involved in this case is at the station."
He asked him: Did you exclude me because you trust me or because you're sure that I'm out of the list?
He replied: I excluded you because the person we are looking for is an investigator with the rank of captain.
He got out of the car and headed to the travel office, while Jan was surprised: Investigator with the rank of captain!
They introduced themselves to the employee, and then Mark said, "Can we meet the office manager?"
He informed his manager over the phone and then said to them: Mr. David is waiting for you in the office, please follow me.
They sat in front of his office, and he signaled to the employee to get out and then asked: How can I help you?
Jan took out a picture of the couple and replied, "You can start with these two, have you met them before, Mr. David?"
He took the picture and looked at it carefully. Then he said, "I think so. Wait a minute..." He asked the employee over the phone saying, "Can you come up with the records for the month of April?"
After a few minutes, he came with some papers in his hand, put them on the desk, then left, Mr. David checked the records, then said: There it is! Mr. and Mrs. Cheng came here on Saturday the 11th of April, they said they wanted to go back to China and asked about trips after the 14th of April so that they could celebrate their wedding anniversary.
Jan took the record for investigation and then Mark came forward: Did a man named Max come to this office last October?
He replied, "I'm not sure, there are many foreigners who come here."
They thanked him and then left, on the threshold of the building, they stood talking, and Jan said: He is lying.
He nodded affirmatively: He was well represented as far as the couple is concerned, but he didn't expect us to ask about Max, however we'll keep an eye on him and find out his secret.
And Jan added: There was a key for a Ford car hanging behind the receptionist, but there is no car of this type in this position.
He turned towards him and replied: They are hiding it somewhere.
***