Eastern Shadows, page 25
Nick swatted at a mosquito buzzing near his head. “Where do you want me to start?”
“The beginning.”
“I guess it was in Lampang,” Nick said. “Ploy and I were just friends back home. But up there, it turned into something more.”
A crime of passion, Shane thought. In the cases he’d covered, they always spun it in their favor. Blame their actions on emotions—the heat of the moment. It sidestepped accountability and turned the killer into a victim.
“Go on,” he said.
“We didn’t want anyone to know, at least not yet. I had taken charge of our trip—where we ate and spent our time. It made the others think I was acting like a jerk. Then I had that spat with the school. Being asked not to go to the place you flew halfway across the world for didn’t help smooth things with the others. Ploy and I figured telling them about us was bad timing. It would’ve caused more problems.”
Shane swished the contents of his mug, trying to give a kick to the watered-down beans. “You wanted to keep it a secret?”
“Until we could figure out how to tell Emmy and Jared. We also weren’t looking forward to coming clean to our parents.”
“How so?”
“You’ve met Ploy’s mom. She’s stubborn. She has this grand scheme for how her daughter’s life will be different from hers. The trip itself hadn’t been part of that scheme, and we didn’t think a budding romance with a college kid would be either.”
“And your parents?”
“Mine?” Nick scoffed. “Imagine the guff I’d get for being with the daughter of a blue-collar restaurant owner, let alone one who isn’t white.”
Shane knew the type well—moms and dads who forced their children into a life of unearned entitlement. As their children grew, they were the parents who took the pressure of winning Little League titles too far, offloading their insecurities onto their kids—pressuring them to act like they were better than everyone else. These days, they were the type who believed in rigged voting machines and thought all immigrants had turned savage.
Chad Kingsley. Nick Foster. In the end, they all turned out the same.
For a moment, Shane felt sorry for the kid sitting across from him. He was a husk of lost potential, squandered by a family that cared more about their image than their loved ones.
“We came up with this idea that Ploy would take off for a little while,” Nick said. “Hang out somewhere else where we could keep on seeing each other.”
“Couldn’t you have left instead? Why did it have to be her?”
“She wanted it to be her. Every time she checked her phone, all she saw was her mom breathing down her neck. She agreed it would be good to get away—unplug from her life for a while.”
“Seems a little extreme to fake a disappearance.”
“The whole thing was blown out of proportion,” Nick said. “She’s an adult. We thought everyone would be cool with it. But they overreacted, especially Emmy.”
“And Ploy went south after leaving Lampang?”
“Yeah, but I noticed someone watching us at the station when I was rushing to get her onto the bus. Pretty easy to remember the few white faces you see there. It didn’t bother me until the night you dragged me to that get-together.”
“The khi nok convention?”
“Yeah, whatever you want to call it,” Nick said. “I realized it was Tony who saw us at the station. It ran me for a loop when I recognized him, knowing he was the guy you were there to talk to.”
More clarity. Yet another piece of the puzzle. Tony had said he practically lived at the bus station, people-watching while he killed time before departure. He had cut his story short at the party after realizing who Shane had brought with him, recognizing Nick as the guy dropping Ploy off at the station.
That’s why Tony waited to pull Shane aside, asking if they could talk later in private.
Like Nick just said, it’s easy to remember white faces in small-town Thailand.
“I shouldn’t have let you talk me into taking you with me that night,” Shane said.
“But you did…”
“And you killed him.” Shane gritted his teeth, cursing himself for not catching on. “The blood on your shirt—you didn’t get that when you tried to move the body. It was already there from when you shanked him.”
Nick hesitated, then said, “I knew I had to get to him before you, so I split off as you walked toward the river. Then I backtracked and found him before you did. By the look in his eyes when he saw me, I knew he was there to tell you about what he saw at the bus station. You would’ve known I was involved. I couldn’t have that and…I guess I just panicked. I had my knife on me and, well, you know the rest.”
Shane wouldn’t let his gaze leave Nick’s. “You pulled a fast one on me—and Tony. What happened to Ploy after she left?”
“We found a place in Ayutthaya. Figured it was far enough away from our friends. I visited when I could, giving her more money when she ran low. That’s when I started telling the others I was looking for a new place for us to volunteer.”
“And you helped her with those video clips online?”
“They were my idea, initially. I thought it would help cool things down now that she was officially missing.”
“And no one suspected you were involved?”
“One person did.”
“Jared?”
Nick’s feet rested on the lower ring of the stool, his knees bouncing up and down. “It’s hard to hide anything from the guy who sleeps less than ten feet from you. He saw us sneak off together when Ploy was still up there. Then he saw some of her texts on my phone after she left. I had to tell him.”
Shane asked, “So now that Jared was in on the secret, why didn’t you let him tell Emmy?”
“Because I knew how to keep him quiet. Lampang’s a small town, even for foreigners. I’d followed him around town. I knew what he was up to. And his excuses for going to Bangkok were worse than what I had come up with for my trips to see Ploy.”
“So, you blackmailed him.”
“He kept his mouth shut when you came along, didn’t he?”
“Then why did you kill him?”
“I hadn’t planned to at first. Especially when you latched onto the idea that he might have been involved with Ploy’s disappearance. I figured Jared was the perfect one to play patsy, but it seemed like he had gotten sick of playing dumb. I was afraid he was going to tell you. Plus, at this point, Ploy had been away from Lampang for two months. He’d realized something bad had happened to her because of me.”
Shane thought of their visit to the Neon Fountain, wondering what Jared would have told them had Bunrueang not barged in and scared him away.
“I had it wrong,” Shane said. “Jared fled to Bangkok to get away from you, not me.”
“I knew where he’d run off to, so I waited for him at that hostel.”
“‘He knows,’” Shane said to himself.
“What?”
“That’s what Jared’s squeeze in Bangkok told us he said when he panicked. He meant to say, ‘Nick knows my secrets,’ didn’t he?”
The question hung in the air as Nick shrugged, both shoulders rising in tandem, showing he didn’t think it mattered anymore—that Jared didn’t matter anymore.
Shane had given up on the coffee, pouring the rest of it down the drain. He returned to the counter and placed the empty mug on its surface. “You slit the throat of your childhood friend—the one person who had guessed how deep your secret went.”
“It wasn’t like I had a choice. I couldn’t let myself get caught.”
Of course, you couldn’t, Shane thought. There’s nothing your dad or any of his connections could do to save you. They’d have to stand by, helpless, as justice led you to the gallows. You’d be swinging by sundown.
“Why did Ploy leave Ayutthaya?” Shane asked.
“We’d drifted apart. She started thinking about going back and coming clean about the whole mess. I wasn’t ready for that. I thought it would mean the end of us. I got…physical. She must’ve felt I was keeping her there.”
“Gee, Nick, I wonder why she felt that way?” Shane said, sarcasm dripping from every word. “You had her under your thumb, completely dependent on you for everything. Her livelihood, every tidbit of information from her friends and family. I’m sure she felt trapped.”
Nick shrugged. “She must’ve got scared and decided to take off on me. She texted saying she had been in touch with her dad and that I shouldn’t come for her.”
“That’s why Emmy didn’t know Ploy had reached out to him. Because it wasn’t until after she’d run away.”
“Yeah, but I decided to let her go, figuring she’d come to her senses.”
“And you shared that bit of info with me so I’d turn my attention toward Wanchai once I inevitably caught on that Jared didn’t take her.”
Nick nodded.
“What changed your mind?” Shane asked. “You went after her later, didn’t you?”
“She called me. Told me to meet her in Rangsit.”
“And you did.”
“It was the same as before. Ploy hadn’t changed her tune, still telling me to stay away. She wanted to tell me in person that Wanchai was coming to get her the next day, and this was goodbye. I didn’t take it very well. I felt like she was threatening me.”
“She was,” Shane said, thinking of what Wanchai had told him about Ploy’s final days when practically all she felt was fear.
Nick said, “We’d met in a public place. Ploy never saw me follow her back to the motel.”
“And that’s when you came knocking?”
“I waited a day. I came here and tried to cool my head a little. But then she posted that second video. We had shot it before she left—when things were on the fritz. She was pretty frazzled at that point, so I didn’t think it would see the light of day. I panicked when she finally posted it. It told me that she was gone from me forever. She still wanted to run away, but it was from me this time.”
“And you couldn’t accept that?”
Nick ran his hands through his hair.
“Could you?” Shane said.
“Don’t pressure me, alright?” Nick put his head on the counter, repeatedly slamming his fist against the surface.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
He lay still.
“Talk to me, Nick. Tell me what happened at the motel.”
Nick lifted his clenched fist again…
───────
…BAM. BAM. BAM.
It was the end of April. Nick was at the motel, knocking on room seven. No one was around. The homeless man who had badgered him when he first pulled up had vanished. Nick was relieved when he took those two giant dogs with him.
Why won’t she answer?
“Just a minute,” Ploy said. Ten seconds later, he was inside the room, alone with the girl he thought he loved.
“What are you doing here?” Ploy asked. “How did you find me?”
“I followed you,” Nick said, looking sheepish, “yesterday.”
Nick had left the door open. Ploy was looking past him at the two-door Mazda parked outside the room. “Whose car is that?”
“I borrowed it from a guy whose place I’m crashing at. It’s not too far from here.”
Ploy’s eyes narrowed, her jaw tightening. “How long have you been trying to find me?”
Nick flinched. “Since you left Ayutthaya.”
“What would you have done if I hadn’t texted you to meet me yesterday? Kept on looking? Geez, Nick, I knew you were pathetic, but stalking is a new low.” Ploy went to the bed to finish gathering the things sprawled across the comforter.
Nick moved toward her. “Let me help you with that.”
“Just…stay away from me.” Ploy raised a finger as she said it.
Nick hesitated, then slunk back toward the wall. “I’m sorry,” he said as she zipped up her purse, its contents restored.
“Nothing you say could come close to covering what you’ve done, Nick. I’ll be on my way to see my father in one hour. He’ll make sure I get home okay.”
“You’re going home?”
Ploy’s pursed lips softened. She frowned, then turned to face the window. “We screwed up, Nick. I regret running off like that. Now everybody’s worried sick, and…I’ve decided I just can’t face Jared and Emmy, not yet.”
“What are you saying?”
“Go back to Lampang, Nick. Tell them what we did, then enjoy the rest of your vacation.”
“But I love you, Ploy.”
Ploy threw her purse strap over her shoulder, then reached for her suitcase beside the bed. “I’ll see you guys when you get home.”
Nick extended his arm to stop her from leaving. He couldn’t let her walk out on him again—not when he had come to make things right. Ploy wouldn’t act this way if she truly understood his feelings for her.
His features hardened. “Did you hear what I said? I love you.”
Ploy turned around, her arms folded. “It’s too late for that.”
Something about the look on Nick’s face caused her to halt. Nick’s body stiffened, one hand in his pocket. He felt the cool metal of his knife against his sweaty palm. He had bought it at a flea market during one of his visits to Ayutthaya, thinking he might need it for protection. But now he had other ideas.
Ploy lunged for the door as if she sensed what Nick was planning. Nick drew the knife, launching himself to block the exit. Ploy spun on her heels, running toward the bathroom in the back. Miscalculating the narrow space at the foot of the bed, she tripped, smacking against the corner of the wall. A faint pop sounded in her knee. She screamed in pain.
“Quiet,” Nick said as he closed the space between them. “You don’t want the whole neighborhood to hear, do you?”
He crouched above her, grabbing a chunk of her hair and lifting her head toward the knife in his hand.
“Don’t do this, Nick. Please.”
“You already said it, baby. It’s too late…” Nick ran the tip of the blade along Ploy’s right eye. She screamed as blood trickled down her cheek…
───────
…Shane glanced at the knife in the bedroom as he listened to the end of the story. It lay next to the baseboard where he had kicked it earlier, resting next to drops of his own blood.
“I just wanted to scare her,” Nick said. “I never meant it to go that far.”
“Why didn’t you leave when you realized how much you upset her?”
“She escalated it,” Nick said, wiping away tears. “She made me do it.”
“And you killed her.”
“She broke free and ran for the door again. The room was small, and her leg was hurt, so I grabbed her. This time, I held on tighter. Then I…I panicked.”
“You panicked?”
Nick’s head shook back and forth, back and forth. “I had to keep her quiet before someone heard. I swear, I didn’t mean to hit her that hard.”
Shane’s throat tightened. He needed a drink. “If only you had gone there a little later, when Wanchai’s boys showed up,” he said. “Trust me when I tell you things would’ve ended much differently for you.”
Nick’s whole body shuddered. “I put her in the trunk after she wouldn’t wake up. I got out of there before anyone else arrived.”
“Where did you take her?”
Nick didn’t answer.
Shane leaned closer. “Where is she?”
“I left her in a field.”
“What field?”
“I honestly can’t remember. It all happened so fast. I just drove until I found a spot.”
“I’m supposed to believe you just drove until a place magically appeared where you could dump the body?”
“The grass was thick, heavy. I dragged Ploy pretty far from the road. But still, someone must have found her by now. She’s been there a long time.”
Shane peeked out the window. Shops were closing down. The karaoke party had gone inside. He knew he had a decision to make.
“I really did love her,” Nick said.
Shane turned to face him. “You’ve got a funny way of showing it. I’ll tell you what’s gonna happen: I’m gonna call the police, then we’ll wait until they show up. It’s time to face the music, Nick.”
He lifted his phone, realizing he had lost track of time. It was thirty minutes past the twelve-hour deadline. Still, he could call Sakda directly, leading him to his prize. The man would have ways of convincing Nick to lead them to Ploy’s body—ways that straighter cops wouldn’t even dream of.
Hell, he might even forget the extra half-hour it took for Shane to keep his end of the bargain.
Or Shane could call it in properly. Let “official” justice take its course, for better or worse. Chongrak might even protect him from Sakda’s wrath, at least long enough for him to leave the country.
The decision facing Shane brought the same pressure that would be placed on the final stone in a crumbling dam. It didn’t help that the blood oozing from his shoulder had turned into a steady flow. Dark spots danced across his line of sight. The room grew dim.
Shane couldn’t gauge how long he stood there, frozen in place from the blood loss and agony over his dilemma. He sensed movement behind him, but it was too late. The empty coffee mug slammed against the side of his head. Ceramic shards spilled across the tile as he fell to the floor. He picked himself back up, knowing what was at stake if he gave in to the pain. He ran toward the exit.
Nick had reached the stairwell by the time Shane got there. He was several floors further down. Shane took a couple of steps in pursuit before realizing it was pointless. Even if he caught up, he was too weak to fight. He peeked over the railing. Someone else was coming up the stairs as quickly as Nick ran down them.
“That’s the one you want! He killed Ploy!” Shane shouted in Thai, recognizing the other man in the stairwell.
One-Hair’s gaze whipped upward, a sharp hiss escaping his lips as he saw who was calling down to him. Either he hadn’t heard what Shane said or didn’t care, letting Nick pass by without a second thought. Shane was his intended target. He wanted to see it through, leaving no job unfinished.
