novelraw 51: An Awful Accident
51: An Awful Accident
Kim:The pebbles on the fancy driveway of the two storied old Thai style wooden house crunched under Kim’s shoes as he stepped out of his car. With one lazy push, he closed the car door behind him and headed for the entrance where the guards watched the gates like hawks.
He was in the outskirts of Thon Buri, Bangkok for a very important purpose and as he stepped onto the foyer, the guards scurried to open the gates for him, bowing to show respect to the Jao PorHe had merely stepped into the living area when the surprised faces of his uncle, KhunPaSurprise was to be expected. But the way they exchanged secret, startled glances at each other might as well have confirmed Kim’s suspicions. Still, he smiled at the couple, his hands tucked inside the pockets of his expensive suit.
“Kim!” Lung Kim had to suppress a snort; they were anything but humble.
“Come, come!” PaKim nodded at her attempt at a warm welcome. “Well, since you’re being so generous,” he said with a smile, “I’ll take you up on that offer for a meal.”
“Wonderful!” she said, clapping her hands together. “Let me go make some tea. Make yourself at home, yes?”
When she disappeared into the kitchen, Khun “Lung“Chai, chaiKim couldn’t help but smile at how forced his words sounded.
“Oh…by the way Kim,” his uncle’s demeanor suddenly shifted. “I heard what happened with one of the warehouses earlier; sorry to hear that. And your car too! I heard someone shot at it! Such an awful accident.”
Kim shook his head, smiling slightly. “No, there’s no need to be worried. That incident was nothing major; we’ll do more than manage. No one was injured and no major documents were lost to the fire either. The arsonist could not have chosen a better time to set the place aflame.”
As expected his uncle looked visibly uncomfortable at that last jab, and Kim felt a small sense of satisfaction at that victory.
Just then, his PalungPaTo ease Lung Nong It was honestly ridiculous how easily Kim could read right through LungHe immediately put down his cup, his eyes gleaming with cunningness as he went into overdrive about his son, who Kim had already done a background check on.
“Oh, you will not be disappointed at all, you will see!” Kim’s uncle said blatantly. “My son’s a splendid young man! I’ve had him practice several arts and crafts, shooting and horse riding, and he’s well versed in taking care of financial records and businesses. He’s one of the finest you’ll ever meet!”
YesI bet he is.“He’s capable of doing almost anything!” LungPa“He’ll be a wonderful companion for you as you grow older!” His uncle proclaimed. “Just as I had been a good companion to your father till the very end.”
Kim didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of making him think that he was winning Kim over, even if it was just for show, so he simply smiled and took a sip from the cup of tea that had been served to him.
“I already called my dear boy over as I was making the tea,” Pa “That’s fantastic; just what we needed.”
So they sat there, waiting for Aungpao, and all the while LungNongThe dark haired man with the light brown eyes and wide shoulders wore imported clothes that must have cost a fortune, and Kim could tell that the money for these clothes didn’t come from the income he provided them from the shares of the profit. He had somehow managed to take more than what they bargained for.
He stepped forward to shake Kim’s hand, smirking as he said, “I am actually more than pleased to see you here in our home LungBut instead of responding to him, as Kim grabbed NongAungpao cried out in pain when he hit the floor, and his whimpers indicated that despite his size, the man was as unfit as they get.
“Kim!” Lung“Were you working alone when you set fire to my warehouse?” Kim demanded without hesitation. “Or did your father give you the order?”
Both Lung Pa When his LungPa“Khun Lung“But—!” Pa“Nothing you say now can convince me otherwise,” Kim spat. “The CCTV footage does not lie, and it clearly showed the culprit responsible for the fire. He didn’t even think of wearing a mask!”
“Lies!” Lung Kim didn’t even have to point out that by saying such a thing, he was directly stepping into his trap. But he was having too much fun watching his wretched uncle make a fool of himself to stop him.
“That was a long time ago, Lung“As for the profits,” Kim scoffed. “You and Pa Yiwa won’t be getting a cent from me next month, not until the damages are paid off.”
As Kim let Aungpao go, with a harsh kick to his side, his uncle fell to his knees, his hands joined together as he begged Kim. “Diao, diaoKim frowned. “You dare to lie again?”
“No! He isn't lying!” Pa Chalita came down on her knees as well, placing a hand on her son’s shoulders in comfort. “I can swear on my life too, Kim. The bullet…it wasn’t us. We don’t know who shot at your car either…we can swear on anything you want us to swear. We were just as surprised that it happened.”
Kim gave them one hard look as he stepped out of their mansion and headed back to his car. Aawut held his door open and from the look on Kim’s face, Aawut could tell that he was conflicted about something.
As he drove away from the old house, he couldn’t help but ask, “Sire…did you get the answers you needed?”
“The fire, yes.” Kim sighed, meeting his eyes in the rear-view mirror. “But he refuses to acknowledge the shooting. And I think he may actually be sincere.”
But that complicated the matter even further. Because if it wasn’t his uncle who had shot at his car…then who else would have the audacity to try and shoot at a car from the Ayutthaya family?