Lost Innocence: The Accused. Part One (12 page)

“
Please have a seat,”
she smiled. Nigel and Pang took a pew as the receptionist knocked
on a back door, poked her head round and spoke Thai.

A young, smartly
dressed Thai man with short, immaculate hair entered with some
paperwork and approached them. His breath was minty fresh and his
face looked photo-shopped. “Hello, Mr Walker. I am
Pamon.”

Nigel rose and shook
the lawyer’s hand with a firm grip. Pamon waied Pang, they
exchanged a few words in Thai then all took a seat.

“
I looked into the
case and can confirm that your grandson’s being held on remand
while the local prosecutor builds a case against him. They have a
witness statement and evidence against him. I have to admit, it’s
not looking good.”

“
He was
framed.”

“
Perhaps, but in
Thailand we rely on facts and statements. It wouldn’t be looked on
favourably if he pleaded
not
guilty
; not here. Usually this type of
case is settled out of Court. They very rarely make it to a
courtroom and if they do, it depends on the judges.”

“
Judges?”

“
Yes we have three;
one senior. We don’t have a jury as such. I would advise him to
settle, should that option be still available. In Thailand, if you
plead guilty you are given a lesser sentence than if you plead not
guilty and the verdict then goes against you. If he does go to
Court pleading not guilty and loses, he could serve up to five
years.”

“
Yes, but he’s
innocent.”

“
Perhaps, but to
prove that, you’d need to bring in all the people involved and
prove their part in a conspiracy; if this is in fact what this
is.”

“
Of course it
is.”

“
It could take months
to dig deep enough for evidence to implicate these people and you
would need to enlist the services of a private investigator.
Corruption and deception are rife here in Thailand. Before you
undertake such a long and dangerous journey, I would still advise
you to try to settle.”

“
Michael doesn’t want
to settle.”

“
Well then,” Pamon
handed Nigel a business card. “Call this PI and you’ll need a Thai
lawyer too.”

“
Are you not
available?”

“
I’m sorry, but I
really have no interest in taking this case. I’ve read the arrest
report and the police captain involved is highly
decorated.”

“
That doesn’t mean
he’s not corrupt.”

“
No, but it’s
dangerous to accuse a man of his stature of any wrong-doing in such
a serious crime investigation, let alone take him on in
Court.”

“
Then at least help
me to do the right thing.”

Pamon began to leaf
through the paperwork. Nigel glanced at it, but it was all in Thai.
He slipped out the photo of Puku and lowered it onto the
pile.

“
And who is
this?”

“
We think she’s Mia’s
sister. We need your help.”

“
I’ll help you, but
I’ll not appear in Court. You’ll find it difficult to find a
reputable lawyer who will.”

“
Thank you. That’s
something.”

“
Be careful, Mr
Walker. I’d suggest you leave any further investigating to the
professionals.”

“
I will. Many
thanks.”

Nigel and Pang rose
and stepped out.

The evening
had arrived. The street lights were on and the
‘Working Girls’ were out. Nigel and Pang were parked in the same
spot as before, but this time the coffee was hot and they had
doughnuts.

“
I’m going to need
you to go in.”

Pang opened the car
door - Nigel pulled him back.

“
Not yet, we need to
make a plan first.”

Nigel took out Puku’s
picture. “I want you to pretend you’re a customer. You know what I
mean?”

Pang nodded. Nigel
continued. “You go in, buy a drink and look around. If Puku or Mia
are in there, pay their bar-fines and bring them to me. If they’re
not, see if there’s anyone else who knows anything. You can
bar-fine whoever can help us, okay?”

Nigel handed him six
thousand. “Keep it nice and friendly. We don’t want to start any
trouble.”

Pang stepped out and
went in as Nigel sat back and watched.

He’d polished off the
doughnuts and was wiping his mouth when he noticed some commotion
outside the bar. The main door opened, Pang rushed out and sprinted
across the street to the car. Nigel sat up, shuffled over, fired
the ignition then leaned over to push the back door open. Pang
dived in.

Two thuggish-looking
Thai men appeared at the entrance, saw Pang’s taxi and took up
pursuit. One of them had a gun. Nigel pulled out, reversed down the
street at speed, spun round and skidded away throwing Pang around
in the back. About a mile away, Nigel glanced over his shoulder -
all clear.

“
What
happened?”

“
Better not go back.”
Pang straightened his shirt and tidied his hair.”

“
You need a
beer?”

“
Two beer, but later.
Have somewhere to go.”

“
Where you want to
go?” Nigel asked. It was as though their roles had been
reversed.

Pang began to explain
the route. Nigel slowed down and pulled over. “You want to
drive?”

They switched places
and Pang drove away like a man possessed.

“
What happened back
there?”

“
I meet Bee. She give
picture of Puku. She hear me talk to mamasan at bar. She hear name
hotel.”

“
Was Mon
there?”

“
Not need her. We
find Puku, we find Mia. Bee tell me where to go.”

After following the
signs for ‘Angel Entertainment
’,
Pang
pulled into a
complex on Phetchaburi Road. Nigel was about to get out, when Pang
stopped him. “Wait, Mr Nigel. Puku work in there. She massage girl,
sex massage. We should pay for massage then talk to her. I go. I
know these places.”

“
Are you not
married?”

“
Am, but not have
sex, only massage.”

Nigel surveyed the
entrance of the club. It was similar to that of a five star hotel,
except for the outside walls displaying erotic posters of beautiful
young women. “Ok, Pang, you’re up again, but…”

The back door swung
open and a tall man in a creased suit looked down with wild eyes.
“Welcome sah. Please come with me.”

Nigel stepped out and
was guided into a hotel lobby with a large glass screen to the
left. The host guided Nigel over to the glass, then stepped away to
take a call. Nigel peered in and gasped at what he saw. Sitting on
benches under bright spotlights, were beautiful, young girls in
black, evening dresses with numbers attached in red. They wore
enticing makeup and had their hair styled elegantly. Some stared at
Nigel and smiled, while others watched a small TV hanging high in
the corner.

Nigel turned to Pang.
“These girls are for sale?”

“
Choose girl, have
massage upstairs.”

“
You mean
sex?”

“
If want,
can.”

Nigel shook his head.
“Any sign of Puku?”

“
Not see.”

Nigel noticed a
small, open bar, a stone’s throw away. It was obviously designed so
that you could look at the girls from there.

“
Fancy a beer? You’ve
earned one.”

Pang nodded and
followed Nigel to the bar.

Two beers later,
neither Nigel nor Pang had seen Puku. “Where the hell is
she?”

“
She with customer.
You should have massage.”

“
Why me?”

“
They saw me drive
you.”

Nigel wasn’t sure how
these places worked, but knew that the bar wasn’t for socializing.
He glanced at the glass once more - still no sign of
Puku.

“
You see girl you
like?” Pang asked.

“…
Three across on the
third row.”

Pang narrowed his
eyes. “Can you show me?”

Nigel and Pang rose
and walked over to the glass. Some of the girls straightened up and
smiled, while others pushed out their chests or flicked back their
hair. Nigel’s eyes were on a lady who had thick, shiny black hair,
a slender figure and long, inviting legs. She noticed Nigel,
straightened her shoulders, stared down at him and
smiled.

Pang waved at one of
the managers. A young lanky lad in a lemon suit strolled
over.

“
You see something
you like sah?”

“
Thirty-two,” said
Nigel.

‘
Lanky Lad’
disappeared into a back room.

“
Mr
Nigel?”

“
Yes
Pang?”

“
Have massage before
you ask about Puku and not ask too much. Better you get to know
girl first.”

“
I got this, Pang. Go
and get yourself a beer.”

After hearing her
number, Nigel’s choice slipped out of a side door to reappear
moments later at his side. She slid her soft hand into his and led
him to the lift. Her breath smelt of pesto sauce, her hair of sweet
popcorn.

Once they arrived on
the fourth floor, she walked ahead and led him down a long,
carpeted corridor. He watched her body sway swiftly and
confidently, each step like a model on a catwalk.

She stopped at suite
1213, swiped a plastic key card through the lock and the door
sprung open. She entered and flicked on the lights and AC. Nigel
crept in behind her and took a look around.

It was like a decent
hotel room, but with some notable additions; the biggest being a
large circular tub standing in the corner on a white tiled floor.
On one side of the bath was a large inflatable Lilo leaning up
against it and on the other side lay a basket of sex
accoutrements.

She stepped over to
the tub, turned both taps on and sprinkled in some salts. Then,
returning, she knelt before him and slipped off his
shoes.

“
What’s your name?”
He asked.

“
My name Noy,” she
replied as she removed his socks and rolled them up. “What your
name?”

“
I’m Nigel. Why do
you work here?”

“
I do to take care of
my father and sister. I send money back to them.”

Turning to his
trousers, she began to unzip them as he stood there allowing her to
slip them off and hang them on a chair. She unbuttoned his shirt
and as she did, he felt her nails graze up against his chest. She
added it to the rest of the clothes and was about to slip off his
boxers when he reached down and stopped her. “I can do
it.”

“…
Up to
you.”

He stepped over to
the tub then turning shyly away; he stripped off his boxers and
watch. Naked, he then clambered into the warm, soapy water. The
temperature was perfect, the bath salts relaxing - he could smell
the subtle, salty scent of the sea.

He turned back and
watched as she kicked off her heels, then slipped out of her long
black dress to reveal a sleek pair of black panties and a lacy,
black bra. He already had lift-off and it was showing though a
small circle of soapy water.

She unhooked her bra,
releasing an inviting pair of breasts then stripping off her
panties, sensually; she revealed a birth mark of an Acorn on her
bum. She laid her underwear on the bed then after tying up her hair
in a knot she stepped naked to the tub and hopped in.

Squeezing some liquid
soap into the palms of her hands, she added water, lathered it up
and rubbed it on his chest, stomach and arms with slow, sensual,
circular strokes. She turned him around, lathered up some more soap
and soaped down his back, shoulders and neck.

Once he was
sufficiently soaped, she turned him back and invited him to stand.
He stood slowly, almost
poking her in the
eye with his excitement. She laughed at his soapy member, took the
shower head, shuffled in and rinsed the rest of the soapy water
from his body.

Reaching for the
basket of sex accoutrements, she took a thin, red tube, squeezed
some clear gel onto her fingertips and returned to fondle his
balls.

“
What’s that?” he
asked, feeling a warm, tingling sensation around his
genitals.

“
You not try before?”
She smiled saucily.

He shook his
head.

“…
Special for
you.”

He stood excited and
erect as she caressed him between her long, painted nails. Then
opening her mouth, she took him in deeply as he stood there, soapy
water still dripping from his body. She started to suck him, her
tongue doing the tango around his tip. He’d never experienced a
blow job so good.

Pang was down at the
bar nodding his head to a track and enjoying a third Chang - on
Nigel’s tab when he witnessed his boss and his lady emerging from
the lift - something was wrong. Nigel was following behind, trying
to speak, but she was away.