Lines of Deception

Case File Entry #024

The interrogation room was dimly lit, the atmosphere oppressive. Thanin Wiset sat in the center, his wrists shackled to the table, his polished demeanor replaced by a pale, clammy complexion. Ohm stood across from him, his gaze sharp and unyielding. The air crackled with tension, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down on both men.

"Start talking," Ohm said, his voice calm but carrying the weight of authority. "We know what you've been doing, but I want to hear it from you."

Thanin leaned back slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line. For a moment, he said nothing, his eyes darting to the camera in the corner of the room. Then, with a sigh, he spoke, his voice low and deliberate.

"It was never supposed to get out," he began, his tone almost detached. "The hostel, the temple—they were perfect covers. No one ever questions places like that. And the orphans... they had no one. No one to care for them, no one to look for them. It was easy."

Ohm's jaw tightened, but he remained silent, letting the man continue.

"We abused them," Thanin admitted, his voice cracking slightly. "Not all of them, of course. Only the ones who wouldn't be missed. The ones we could easily... dispose of."

"And then?" Ohm asked, his tone devoid of emotion, though his fists clenched at his sides.

Thanin's gaze flicked downward, unable to meet Ohm's eyes. "The healthy ones, the ones whose organs were viable—we harvested them. Shipped the parts overseas, made a fortune." His lips twitched into a grim, humorless smile. "It's amazing how valuable a human body can be when broken into pieces."

Ohm's stomach churned, but he forced himself to remain stoic. "And the others?"

"The ones who were too sick, too damaged?" Thanin's voice dropped to a whisper. "We buried them. Deep, where no one would find them. The basement, the temple grounds—it's all been used to hide what we couldn't sell."

"And Phra Kittichai?" Ohm pressed. "The temple owner?"

Thanin chuckled darkly. "He's no saint, if that's what you're asking. He knew everything, turned a blind eye because it kept the temple funded. The warden, the janitor—they were all involved."

Ohm's grip on the edge of the table tightened. "The janitor," he said, his voice low. "Mew. Where is he?"

Thanin's expression twisted into something resembling amusement. "That man was a special kind of monster. He wasn't just in it for the money. He took pieces for himself—hands, feet, tongues. Whatever he fancied. Called it a delicacy. You won't find him easily, though. He's been living in the shadows for years, probably feasting on his spoils somewhere far away by now."

Ohm's stomach churned, but he pushed on. "And the warden? Anurak?"

"He knew about Nanon," Thanin said suddenly, his tone shifting. "He warned the boy to stay quiet. But when Nanon threatened to expose everything, they decided to make an example of him."

Ohm's heart clenched, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "What did they do to him?"

Thanin smirked faintly, though there was no humor in it. "He's the only male they ever... used. To punish him. To break him. And when they were done, they let him live. Left him as a reminder of what happens when someone threatens the system."

Ohm's knuckles turned white, his anger barely restrained. "And what about the other two? Joe and Cherry?"

Thanin frowned, his brow furrowing. "Joe and Cherry?" He shook his head slowly. "There were no orphans with those names at the hostel. Not that I remember."

Ohm's pulse quickened, his mind racing. "You're lying."

Thanin's gaze lifted, his expression eerily calm. "Believe what you want, Officer. But I've told you everything. The names you're asking for... they don't exist."

The weight of Thanin's confession pressed heavily on Ohm as he left the interrogation room. His thoughts raced, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place but leaving jagged edges that refused to align. If what Thanin said was true—if there had been no Joe and Cherry at the hostel—then what was Nanon hiding? What was the truth buried beneath his cryptic words and fractured mind?