2024-09-27 16:00:48John Chua has lived up to his word of allowing me to return to the mansion for my audit and investigation.
When I reached the gates to the Chua Mansion, the security already knew about our assignment, and let us in. However, I was not allowed to park in the mansion for security reasons.
I parked outside and the moment I walked through the side gate with Ah Mui, I sensed a heavy mood of paranoia and pessimism.
I saw Visnu and May Li waiting in the guardroom.
"Good to see you again Adam. Did you receive my message?" Visnu said as we walked down the boulevard towards the house.
I nodded "The floor plan is great, very useful. We also needed some help with the history of the development of this particular plot of land. Can you help Ah Mui with that?"
"Dr Adam, I have already written to ASP Visnu. I texted him while you were driving us over here."
I whistled my approval of her efficiency, and spotted a wink from Visnu.
"Appreciate all the help," I said.
"You are lucky to have Ah Mui with you, I can imagine you would be a total mess without her."
"Excuse me, Visnu." I objected "Investigation is always a taxing business."
"Just a tease. Good, you have Ah Mui while you focus on the important stuff."
"Adam. I hope all these efforts will yield something."
I smiled and remained silent. I do not want to overpromise.
As we neared the mansion, ushered by Ah Hock, I found the mansion, with all lights lit, looked like a beautiful grand old dame ready to manifest her charms.
"John Chua has given you rights to his house for one night and said he would like an update about the results."
"Let's make the best of his trust."
"I think he is finding the reason not to believe you," May said, a tad too curt.
"Glass half-full. Glass half empty, Inspector May" I reminded.
"Hope you make the best of it." She replied.
"I will." I looked at the mansion. "What's the situation?" I asked Visnu
"The mansion is empty tonight. The other family members are on their way back. His son and family are on their way back from Australia. Mavis Chua is also flying back from Hong Kong and is expected to reach Singapore in the wee hours of the morning."
"The other son?" I asked
"Jonathan Chua is expected to arrive by tomorrow night. He is coming back from the United States."
"Thanks, Visnu."
I felt there was no compelling reason for the children to fly back. This is the death of their father's girlfriend, not their mother.
If they are coming back, there are, possibly, two reasons. Either, they really love her and come back to pay respects, or they are worried about their father. I hoped to find out more."We are hoping to talk to everyone by tomorrow."
"Do you know where is the body of Claudia Goh now?"
"Mortuary. She is with the forensic doctor."
"Did they say anything?"
Visnu shook his head. "They were shocked when they saw her. One of the more experienced pathologists commented he had never seen a corpse in such a bad shape. They asked me who killed her. I was stumped."
"Everyone wants an answer," I remarked.
"Their initial report was heartbreaking. It is confirmed her entire rib cage was shattered with nine bones broken. The lower limbs had injuries and one of the knees was broken."
"The face was smashed right in the middle with a broken nose and the right side of the face caved in. It is a horrific sight. Despite having been in the force for twenty years, I still try to maintain my composure when I am reading their report."
I shook my head. Suddenly, I realized we never said a prayer for the dead. Claudia probably deserved a full prayer procedure to raise her soul for rebirth.
"Was there an animal in the mansion?" I asked "Dogs or similar?"
"Surprisingly, they had no dogs. John Chua does not like pets."
"How surprising..." Ah Mui commented.
I glanced at May before continuing. "Did the CCTV reveal anything?"
Visnu answered "The streets were dead quiet. There were a few vehicles, a taxi but nothing unusual."
"Nobody entered the premises?"
"We only had one departure. John's sister. She left at 10 pm last night. Susan Chua. We are following up with that lead but John mentioned nobody else visited. In addition, there are two security guards on duty and they mentioned nothing unusual happened on that night." May explained.
"Susan Chua. Sounds familiar." I thought but gave up trying to recollect.
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"Do you suspect any foul play from external parties?" I probed"There are no signs of a break-in." Visnu shared. "The security at the guardroom commented the night was like any other. It was quiet and peaceful. They made two rounds patrolling the place at 1 am and 4 am but heard nothing. We estimated Claudia's time of demise to be around 5 am and they did not hear any unusual.""They can be trusted?""Two of them are from Cisco Security. They have been through three hours of interrogation already." May added. "We have also checked their files. They are clean and one of them is over fifty. They do not have any reasons to murder Claudia.""Where were they at the estimated time of murder?""They were right at the gantry. They did not hear anything loud or odd. There were no screams. There were some sounds in the bushes and they thought it was a cat. There is a usual cat in the neighborhood so they thought nothing much of it.""I guess I w
Adam the Spirit Master Chapter 11
The stairs brought me to a cozy living space and a long corridor with a series of doors. The first thing that greeted me was the pleasant scent of flowers. There was an L-shaped leather sofa, with a smallish coffee table in the middle, placed over a beige-colored carpet that looked ideal for a lie-down after a day's work.It was an underwhelming experience - plain and predictable.On the coffee table, there is a white vase of yellow Orchids. Several small oils on the walls lend an ambience of comfort and welcome. In the corner of the living space, by the stairs is a standing vase of variegated Chrysanthemums."This is where the family sleeps?""Yes, this is their private space. They do not like to be disturbed. Seldom, are strangers allowed here."Ah Hock explainedI closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The large living room. My inner voice spoke.Can I look at all the rooms?"Hock protested "No, no. Mr Chua will be angry. He does not like strangers wandering around the house." He l
Adam the Spirit Master Chapter 12
"I will need a pail of water," I said."Warm water?" Hock asked"No. Make it hot. I would like a pail of hot water." I said Everyone was bewildered "Hot? Do you mean it has to be boiling? You want to cook ah?" Ah Hock exclaimed.Ah Mui smiled and shook her head. "He needs hot water, please. It has to be a high temperature to allow him to perform his ritual.""Wah, I have never heard about this. Hot water." He repeated."Make it 80% hot, and 20% tap water." I repeated my request.Despite his disbelief, he moved along. A few minutes later, he returned, treading with caution. In his hands was a basin of hot water spewing spirals of steam. With the attentiveness of a cook, he placed the basin in front of the chair and added a few towels around it."You sure?""Yes I am sure."I took off my socks and sat down. Then I dipped on foot into the basin. "Yes, just right." Then I placed both feet in much to the consternation of a stunned Ah Hock."You feel ok?"I nodded."I had never heard ab
Adam the Spirit Master Chapter 13
Every transition is an intensive ritual that demands deep focus and complete control over our senses. Only well-trained Onmyojis can successfully conduct a transition in their investigation of supernatural crimes. It has taken many years of training for some and for me, it was, strangely, an easy craft to master. My teacher, Master Sato, observed this may be a result of my mother's background. She was also trained as an Onmyoji. Gradually, I planted my feet in the basin. The warmth travelled through the pores on my skin and breathed life into every cell of my body. I began meditating, chanting the Ksitigarbha Mantra, Om Hahaha Vismaye Svaha, which I regarded as the golden standard of mantras. It was something that soothed my heart, and drives away the cloud of dust in our minds and dispelled anxiety, anger and all dark vibes. As I meditated and focused my energy, trying to find the point of light in my consciousness, The process is pretty much like gliding in the air. The distur
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I took a deep inhale before moving on. Slowly, but steadily, I ascended the stairs and soon found myself in the living space. The yellow Orchids were still there but this time it has faded to a lower tone of white. There seemed to be an assortment of sounds coming from the rooms down the corridor. I tightened my grip on my brush and paced down the corridor like a panther. I pushed open the first door, it had a bed and dressing table. The walls had a coat of pink with a nice desk. There was a working desk placed adjacent to the the window, and I saw some photo frames. I stepped closer and found them to be pictures of Mavis with her parents. There was also a picture of her in her graduation gown. This must be Mavis’s room. Suddenly a thump from my back snatched my attention. I swung around and heard something from the other room. The corridor had taken on a pale light. Something is not right.“Who is it?” I demanded but was only greeted by an eerie silence. I tightened my grip on
Adam the Spirit Master Chapter 15
Granny Gui shook her head “I tried to investigate but to no avail." She rubbed her temples "There are days when I saw traces of a spirit but all the searches yielded no answer.”“Is this the first time you encountered such a spirit?"Gui nodded frantically as her eyes scanned the space behind me. She was afraid the door would open suddenly. “This is. Indeed it is."She swallowed and then stammered, "I had a couple but the last few has been extremely stressful and ...""And what?""Violent." She said silently as the wrinkles on her lips looked more pronounced"All unpleasant ones. I am unable to understand the reckless anger. I do not even know where the spirit came from. It is too powerful, I am just..I had to take refuge here.”I inhaled. “Granny Gui, what did you see? Can you tell me about the form or characteristics?"“You have not seen it, have you?” She lowered her head “Sometimes you do not need to see fear. You only need to feel it. I took so long to sense it. Useless me.” “I
Adam the Spirit Master Chapter 16
I felt the force descending and quickly brought up hands to execute the Kuji-in or Nine Hands Seal which served as our spiritual weapon against dark and unseen spirits. “ 临兵斗者皆阵列前行“Instantly a shield of illumination formed in front of me. With a swerve, I leaped forward and gave the force an outward thrust. The marauding force was now a dark mass that knocked on my shield like a reckless bull. With each pound, I felt pressure on my hands. I am dealing with a reckless force. In the midst, I dropped my Buki Brush. As I had to maintain the shield, I was physically unable to reach for my principal weapon.I clasped my hands together, my right fingers over the left, and combined my pointer fingers to form a sword-like pose, then commanded. “Forces of the four directions, at my command! 四方奇兵，为我所用“It was a war command to focus my energy but the knocks on my shield continued before I brought on the full strength of my powers. Each knock on my shield came with a deep groan that grew in
Adam the Spirit Master Chapter 17
My eyebrows raised in sharp inquisition."No wonder you are in Singapore."Kelly flashed an evil smile. I understood her too well.“I needed your tool.”“Which one?”She bent over and helped me to my feet."Which one?" I repeated“I had an assignment in Singapore. There is spirit on the loose and had created some havoc.”“Let’s talk later then," I said.“ Thank you." "I hadn't agreed." I said, "I have this assignment.""What’s this transition about?” “I suspect there is a source of grievance. I think my hunch is right.""That will mean..." Kelly was cut off in mid-sentence.“Look, people! I am sorry to disrupt your disciple lovey-dovey catch-up chat, but can I know what happened?” It was May and her face was strained. Whenever she is stressed, I am irritated.“I am sorry…” I said, "Our conversation is part of my investigation."“Then please share with us.” She demanded.Ah Mui had brought over a huge cup of warm water. I had been drained and felt dehydrated, so I grabbed the drink.
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Kelly understood intuitively what I meant“Like when I need to climb that big tree in our temple grounds,” she asked, with glee glowing on her cheeks.“Like we used to do when we were kids,” I said.Saying she placed one foot on a shelf and held her hands out as a leaping platform. I took off my red jacket and flexed my muscles. Oji Hasegawa said “Don’t break my shelves or cupboards. It is very expensive.”“I will not. Rest assured, Oji”Oji Hasegawa returned to his seat and sat down in comfort.Without battling an eyelid, I ran and stepped on her palm. At that moment, she gave her hands an upward thrust and I threw myself upwards. Using my powers, I propelled myself towards the kite and stretched my handsHowever, just as I reached, the kite darted off with a glimmer. In the flash, I lost my balance and fell backward. At the nick of time, I managed to grab the corner of a cupboard to steady myself but it was too late. The grip was slippery and I had a bad landing on my hip. The sh
Chapter 51
“Adam, I think your impatience had abducted your rationality. I am not convinced you should have it."I swallowed hard. Oji Hasegawa was toying with me. His style.“Adam, you have allowed your emotions to take precedence.”I nodded “Maybe I had.” The urgency of helping Mavis resolve her jamlock had hijacked my rationality.“You should consider all the threats to the Chua family and then consider options at your disposal.”“Maybe you are right but I felt this is a cause worth trying.”Oji Hasegawa drew a long sigh. “Adam, the heart to help is commendable but the price you must pay is too high.”I have heard of the consequences of crossing life and death. “Oji, I am aware of the consequences. I hope you can consider helping me. I shall be grateful.”Hasegawa gave me a stony silence and then, unexpectedly, guffawed. “I don't like my senpai, your master but that is between us. I have not been active in the sect for another reason. However, I will still be ready to extend help when it is
Chapter XX
I took a deep inhale and pronounced my intentions. “I would like to borrow the Kanji from you.”Oji was unfazed and said in a deep voice ‘The Kanji?”I nodded, waiting for the icy rejection. Oji leaned forward and then smiled. “Do you think you are here to borrow a pair of pants?”“I am sorry if I sound too impetuous?”Oji Hasegawa began pacing in front of me and stopped within inches of me, face to face.“You young Onmyojis behaved like you could do things with ease. There is no respect for rituals. You think have the powers to behave as you please.”“I did not intend to offend. I am sorry.” I bowedOji Hasegawa shook his head “Remember to show respect for tradition, and show regard for the other realms,”“I will bear that in mind.”“Borrow the Kanji? For what purpose?”“I know I may sound rude to come here uninvited...” I continued with my courtesy but Hasegawa replied curtly, cutting me in mid-sentence.“Reason?”“We needed to help us solve a mysterious death. There has been evid
Chapter 49
When we reached the given postal code, we were met with a row of shophouses without any clear indication of the specific address we were looking for. When Kelly was about to give up, I had noticed something. I squinted my eyes to be sure and, when I was, told Kelly about it. I pointed to the display facade of the shop in the middle of the row which seemed to be well lit.“Toys? Adam, what are you telling me?"“Look at that.”I pointed to the Daruma Doll that perched on the highest shelf of the shop's facade. Daruma Dolls are quite easily found in Singapore though it is not common and the ones at department stores are regular wares from the factory - presentable as home decor but are not endowed with powers.The one that caught my eye is as big as a football. To any amateur, it looked just a display set but to me, it looked different. There is a conspicuous dot on the forehead of this Daruma Doll and most importantly it was wooden. In my sect , only the highest Onmyōji gets to dot th
Chapter 48
er witnessing Aminah's frailty, we decided not to continue our interrogation. I executed a prayer of serenity that put her to rest. After she slid into a slumber, we left. We walked out of the ward and headed down to the carpark. Kelly took over the wheel. She had quite a way with cars and had a penchant for racing on the roads. In the past, I had genuinely feared for my safety but somehow reached my destination, safe. This time, as I needed time on my own, I took the back seat. My head was brimming with thoughts as I tried to digest the information mess in my mind. As our vehicle exited the carpark, back onto the street level, we passed by a red Mercedes GLA. The polished exterior and the glimmer of newness captured my mind. I was pretty sure I had seen it before. However, my mind captured something else - the driver.It rang a bell but as we were already about to join the main traffic, I did not ask Kelly to pause to investigate but I made a mental note to follow up on it. I sa
Chapter 47
I summoned my ‘qi’ and mastered the movement of the energies. “I need help.” She cried. The agony in her heart-wrenching vocals drummed in my heart.“Breathe, Aminah! ” I commanded, "Breathe and look at me." I said " Her eyes widened as her grip on my hands tightened. Instantly, in my body, I felt a surge of energy travelling up my veins. I tried to fight it but the strength of that force grew. This is the power of the dark spirit. I inhaled and used my internal powers to control the darkness. However, it slithered Images begun to form in my mind like a series of files have being downloaded onto a laptop - the mansion, the rooms, the Chuas- John, Marcus, Mavis, Jonathan, and the lawn with its towering trees. In rapid succession, I saw the images of the pictures on the walls, the children playing on the lawn and in the drawing room with its furniture and the street outside the mansion. Then there many more and I felt my mind working at a feverish rate to digest them until there was
Chapter 46
Every nerve in my body was charged as I hopped onto Visnu’s car. I was eager to talk to Aminah again. I owe her an apology after my rash act. More importantly, she is key to unlocking information that may help the investigation. The journey to the hospital was swift with Visnu behind the wheel. Kelly sat at the back, anticipation written on her radiant face. She has that dauntless vibes that infects you and gives you that boost. Her strength and independent streak can be attributed to her upbringing and training. At the hospital, we found Aminah warded in a single ward on the twelfth floor. It was a thoughtful arrangement knowing the trauma Aminah has experienced. There was a policeman stationed outside the ward to assist, and he swiftly snapped to attention upon seeing Visnu.As we were about to enter, Visnu held onto the doorknob, looked at me and asked.“How do you want to do this?”I sensed his reservation and immediately understood his concerns."I promised I will be careful i
Chapter 45
“You promise.” Visnu’s stern look made me uncomfortable and I repeated my promise“Thanks, Adam. We know you are working hard to uncover the truth.”"Let me share my findings?” I said looking down at the pad in front of me. “My transition last night yielded two key findings. Let’s talk about Mavis Chua. I had planned to start with her because I needed a family member to assess the predisposition of the spirit. It was a correct decision as the spirit did not attack her.”“Only you?" May askedI nodded “I suspected the spirit could be a member of the family who is long deceased.""This is sounding ridiculous," May remarked as she eyeballed Visnu. I bit my lips."Who are you suspecting?" Visnu asked"The most likely one would be the deceased Mrs Chua," I replied"The mother?” May added, skeptical and continued “Mother? You suspect the mother is unhappy with Claudia and came back to attack her?”Visnu asked. “Looked there may be some animosity or can you provide some causes for that nas
Chapter 44
We never found a satisfactory answer. The best way to find out is to visit the columbarium. Though it was past midnight, every cell in my body called for action. However, I knew that was not possible.After we wrapped up our discussion, I headed to the showers. There was a certain humidity from the action and I felt sticky on my back and arms. As I stood under the showers, thoughts of the mansion flowed into my mind. I worked out the possible scenarios when there is an attack by a supernatural entity. A resident spirit in the residence or neighbourhood? Or it could be a spirit sent by a family that was unfriendly to the Chuas? Could there be another spirit that is deeply unhappy with the Chuas?As I turned off the tap, the steam from the hot water bath cleared but my mind remained cluttered. After I dried myself, and walked out to the corridor, I was treated to a symphony of whistles and snorts. Kelly has fallen asleep. She told me she had a hard day. What had she been up to in the
