Chapter 13

"Well, come on then," Hart said, stifling a yawn. 

Love followed Hart into the upstairs sitting area of the studio, which served as his office and sometimes bedroom on nights he was too tired to drive home. His desk was covered in paperwork and prints. A bed draped in gauzy fabrics sat to one side of the room, a small settee heaped with clothes at its foot. A couch sat across the room under a set of windows overlooking the street. Hart took a seat on the edge of the bed, the kimono pooling around him. Retrieving the chair from in front of Hart's desk, Loved dragged it over and sat down facing Hart, so close their knees were touching. 

"This is a bit dramatic don't you think?" Hart said sleepily, Love could still hear a hint of annoyance. 

"I'm going to tell you some things and right now I need you to just listen and not argue with me." Love said. 

Hart gave him a "Well that depends on what you say" sort of look but didn't speak. Love took that as the closest to an agreement he was going to get. 

"Normally when someone dies, we inform the family first, but tonight, we have to make an exception. A Few hours ago, a body was found in Silom, I just left a crime scene to come here. I know you weren't close anymore but I'm sorry to tell you Múd is dead." Love paused to give Hart time to process what he just said. 

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Hart sat bolt upright, all sleepiness forgotten. 

"How did it happen?" he asked, shocked. Love winced; he knew that this was going to be the hardest part. Love leaned forward, picking up both of Hart's hands before he spoke again. He looked into Hart's eyes to make sure he was processing the words Love was about to say. 

"He was murdered–" Love started, but Hart cut him off. 

"Murdered? Are you sure!" Hart asked, panic starting to rise in his voice. Love started rubbing circles on the back of Hart's hands, trying to calm him and give him something to focus on. 

"I'm sure," Love continued to speak quietly and calmly. "A few weeks ago, when detective Kram and I came to your house, to ask about the goldstone, we told you goldstone had been found at a murder scene. Do you remember?" 

Hart nodded, numbly. Love squeezed his hands, trying to keep him focused. 

"We now know that Kisa Boonnak wasn't the killer's first victim and tonight the same person attacked and killed Múd. Now we have three victims–" 

Hart cut Love off again.

"Kisa is dead! Why didn't you tell me?!" Hart's voice came out shrilly. 

"We didn't know that you and Kisa had any connection until after Múd was arrested at the club the other night. Her body hasn't been released to her family and so there has been no formal announcement" Love took a breath and plunged on. 

"You also know the first victim. We don't know his name yet but it perfectly matches the sketch of the fake art dealer you described." Love said. 

Hart's eyes that had been staring through him now searched his frantically for answers. 

"You mean to tell me they are all dead and you think the same person did it! Why?" Hart asked. His eyes stared intensely into Love's eyes.

"That powdered blue goldstone we came to ask you about has been found on every victim." Love barely got the words out before Hart shot to his feet and to the settee to start changing. 

"I've got to go! I'll be back. I swear, and you can keep explaining things, but right now I've got to leave now!" Hart dropped the robe and fumbled through the pile of clothes pulling on a t-shirt and black jeans." 

Love snatched Hart's arm. 

"Hart, Hart, wait I need you to listen for a minute. You have to come with me back to my office. My boss needs to talk to you." 

Hart shook Love's hand from his arm.

"Absolutely not! I have to go now, I'll come back, I'll do whatever you want in the morning but right now I have to go." Hart hopped around putting on his Chucks before grabbing his bag. 

"Hart! We think you might be the next victim!" Love shouted, just as Hart's hand closed around the doorknob. 

Love kept talking.

"I have to take you in to be interviewed and I'm going to keep you safe. I promise, but if you leave, the head of my Department Noh will have to bring you in for formal questioning. That means handcuffs and a much longer process, so please I'm begging you, don't walk out that door." Love said, his voice trembling. He didn't want to see Hart's body under a tarp on a dirty street somewhere. 

"I'm sorry," Hart said and wrenched open the door. On the other side, was a man in a leather jacket holding up a pair of handcuffs. 

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

Hart instinctively took up a defensive stance, lifting his arms ready to fight, a ball of light was already growing in the palm of one hand.

Love quickly stepped around Hart, to stand between him and the man with handcuffs. Again, Harts blocked his vision standing between him and potential danger, just like he had with Múd.

"Noh, please just give me a few more minutes." Love spoke to Noh over his shoulder but kept his eyes on Hart.

Noh looked past Love to Hart. "He's right, how you come in is up to you, but you are coming in. Will it be cuffs or no cuffs?" 

Love glanced over his shoulder at Noh before grabbing Harts' forearm, he drug him back inside, closing the door behind them. 

 "It really is up to you," Love said gently, guiding love to sit on the couch. "I know you're scared." 

Hart sat slowly down, deep in thought. 

"I'm not scared for myself" He mumbled, speaking more to himself than to Love. They sat in awkward silence for a few seconds then Hart reached out to pick up Love's hand. The look in his eyes was determination as though he had come to a decision. 

"Love, can I trust you? I mean really trust you because it's not just my life that might be at risk." Hart's voice was quiet but steady. 

Love crouched down in front of Hart so that they were at eye level. 

"Of course, you can. If there is something I can do to help you, I will." Love replied, waiting for Hart to speak. Instead, Hart let go of his hand, stood up, and slid his phone from his pocket. He paced away from Love waiting for someone to pick up his call. Once they did, Hart's face relaxed.

"Something's happened, I can't come out to the house right now but it's not safe for you to be there alone. I'm going to ask Love to go and stay with you. He's safe…. No, don't tell him anything until I'm with you, we will explain if we must… No, I haven't asked about Kram, but I will if that's what you want…. Ok…Ok… Just get your sharpest painter's knife and if either of them does anything suspicious before you hear from me, gut them!" Hart glanced at Love to see his reaction. 

"I know you're scared but it will be ok. I'll be there but I have to go to the DSI first and answer some questions. No! You can't risk coming here, not until we know more. Just watch for…" Hart pulled his phone away. 

"Love what are you driving?" 

"Krams black SUV, it's a Toyota. Why?"

Hart ignored him. 

"Did you hear that? Black SUV, yes, Toyota," he smiled, "yeah typical cop!" stay in the studio till they get there, it will take a few hours, I'll text you Love's number. If anything happens, call him. I don't think I'll be able to answer my phone for a while." 

It was silent for a few minutes while Hart listened intently to the person on the other end of the line. 

"I know, I'm sorry, love you too." He said as he hung up. 

Love was staring at him when he hung up. 

"There really was someone in the studio that day! Kram was sure someone else was there!"

Hart rolled his eyes, "Yes, his name is Phet, and he's my best friend. But I won't tell you any more than that until after I've talked to your boss. I don't know if I can trust the rest of your team. I need you to go back to my house and just stay with Phet till I call. Keep him safe, and can you take Kram with you?"

 Love nodded. 

"Was it really necessary for you to tell him to get the painter's knife?" Love asked. 

"I hope it wasn't," Hart replied without even a hint of irony. 

It was Love's turn to make a phone call. 

"Kram, are you still at the crime scene? I'll pick you up in 10 minutes. You were right, but I can't explain now, Hart is staring daggers at me. Yeah, he's going to talk to Noh." Love hung up the phone. 

"Are you ready?" He asked Hart. 

Hart walked to the door and looked back at Love. 

"Don't make me regret this, if you hurt him, I will kill you." Without waiting for a reply, Hart opened the door. 

"Noh, right? No cuffs please, but I will ride with you to have that talk if it's ok." 

"Right this way." Noh nodded up to Love who followed them down the stairs.

Love got into the SUV and watched Noh and Hart pull away before heading back to the crime scene. Kram was pacing at the end of the alley waiting for him. He yanked the door open before the SUV even came to a stop. 

"What, am I right about, and what didn't you tell me on the phone?" Kram asked, a familiar gleam in his eye.

"I missed you too." Love said dryly. 

"And can you just try and be a little less pleased with yourself, I know I'm sometimes the morally gray partner, but I really like Hart so let's remember these are people's lives and not just a fun puzzle that distracts us from your inability to sleep." Love said. 

"All right, all right… sheesh. You know I always take our job seriously. You don't have to bite my head off." Kram pouted. 

They rode in silence for about fifteen minutes, Kram tapped his fingers on his jeans, in time with the music trying his best to patiently wait for Love to speak. 

"You were right about there being someone else at the house the day we met Hart. We are going to meet that person now." Love glanced at Kram sideways looking for his reaction.

"I Knew it!" Kram exclaimed. 

"No, shh...shhh let me finish." Love pointed his finger at Kram as though he was telling a dog to stay off the couch.

"Hart has asked us to keep him safe and we can't ask him any questions until we hear back from Hart who is with Noh being questioned." 

"Oh, no questions will be hard for me," Kram said with wide eyes. 

"I know that which is why I'm telling you now, so you have time to get used to the idea. Hart told Phet to get his sharpest painter's knife and if we made him uncomfortable or scared, he should gut us. So, I kindly ask you to not stress out this person we don't know, but who definitely has a knife, because I feel like that's a lose-lose situation." Love said. 

An hour and a half later the black SUV turned into the long gravel driveway of Hart's home.