Adam the Spirit Master

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Tuesday, 5th March 2024

"Dr Wong? Dr Wong? Adam!"

The sharp words sliced through the quietude of my room and shredded my concentration into pieces. 

I looked up, irritated. I slotted the pencil over my right ear.

The intruder was my trusted assistant Angela Poh, the lady whom I fondly called Ah Mui. She used to be my student and, after her graduation, applied to be my assistant. We have been working together for three years.

Her head popped over the edge of the door. My ire receded upon seeing her peaches-and-cream countenance, cherubic face with a pair of bright eyes behind the black-rimmed glasses. 

"What is it, Mui? I thought I had asked not to be disturbed." I said, frowning, as I scribbled on the notepad. "I needed another thirty minutes of solitude."

She adjusted her spectacles which seemed to slip down her nose bridge.

"I know. I am sorry but you have a visitor."

"Visitor?"

"Inspector Visnu is here."

Then unexpected arrival There was an uneasy silence. 

"ASP Visnu? Central Police Station?" I queried but before I got an answer, I heard the uniquely deep voice, that sailed through the door which then swung open. I thought Mui was nudged away, quite rudely. Behind her, a broad-shouldered man whose torso must have seen better days of action shoved his way forward.

 "Adam!" Visnu cried. The flush of warmth was unwelcomed, shredding the peace in my life.

Before I could utter a word, Visnu had stepped forward and threw his arms around me.

"How have things been?" He asked. It has been six months since we last met. Close-up I realized he had agreed a bit and looked older than his fifty-three years old. Those smiley eyes were surrounded by traces of time. His handsome moustache, his pride, was well-trimmed though the nicotine-coated teeth immediately set an 800-yard distance between us.

"How have you been Visnu?"

"I can tell you really like seeing me. You looked like you had not slept well."

"I have been invited to speak at a symposium next month."

"Good to hear that. I will see you on TV again."

I shook my head " That's not important. I do not speak for publicity's sake. I had enough of those."

"I hope you are still glad to see me though the last few times when we met have not been pleasant."

I was muted. Indeed it has not been ideal. 

"However, it was memorable," Visnu added and then chuckled. 

I smiled. 

"What winds bring you here?"

Visnu's laughter stopped and his lips straightened into a line. Suddenly, he looked grave.

"Something has happened."

"Something?"

Visnu evaded my inquisitive sight and looked at my walls. The reason quickly presented itself, or rather herself, behind Mui. 

He had brought someone.

"Sorry, Adam." He muttered. "I brought May with me. May Li."

That name was a stab in my consciousness. 

A slender figure, half a head taller than Visnu, stepped into my office. 

Her presence was the proverbial elephant in the room. 

The oval face is still flawless and the beauty is accentuated by the sunlight streaming through the windows. Her almond-shaped eyes rolled over me and then turned to Visnu. She placed her arms on the waist in a tom-boyish way. She looked away, at an odd angle, not looking at me.

Some things have never changed. 

There was a long silence as I tried to think of something to say. A flush of unpleasant memories flooded my mind, I turned to Mui hoping to break the silence, but it was Visnu who came to the rescue.

"Hey both of you, please please chill! There is no need to behave like you were old enemies."

"Shhhhh" May eyed daggers at Visnu. Then her eyes wandered aimlessly around the room. 

I decided to take control as host and said.

"Ah Mui, can you bring us drinks? I want my hot tea and I supposed Visnu and May is fine with that?" There were no objections as I returned to my seat "Please take a seat and tell me what is going on?"

Visnu looked at May who was staring into into space, serving up a look of icyness. 

There was an awkward moment of silence that seemed like eternity. It was Visnu who spoke first. 

"There has been a suspected murder at the Oaks Drive with a fatality."

I looked at her. Our eyes met for the first time in over a year.

"Yes, it is May's case." He said lamely and then turned to May, throwing a cue for her to speak but she was tight-lipped. 

"Rich man's estate." I quickly added. "You should be busy with the investigation? What brings you here?"

"We are speaking under strictest of confidence," Visnu added. I hate those words. The last time he said it, I got sucked, beyond my inclinations, into helping the police crack three cases. 

"The death occured on John Chua's estate." May finally spoke. Her feminine voice was firm yet gentle. 

"John? Chua? John Chua that property tycoon?"

"Top Ten on Singapore Forbes," Visnu added

"Every life matters but when someone rich, dies." I shook my head "It becomes headlines."

We were interrupted as Ah Mui brought in the drinks. Visnu eyeballed cautiously. 

When we were alone, I spoke "John Chua died?"

May shook her head "Not him. His girlfriend or trusted partner– Claudia Goh."

Visnu commented, "His girlfriend has been staying with him for close to a year."

I looked to the ceiling and ran some numbers

"He must be seventy years old?"

"Seventy-seven. Claudia is thirty-seven."

"Could it be a break-in?" I asked. "Or do you suspect his children?" I say casually. 

Visnu shook his head "If it's burglary, I will not be here."

I laid back on my chair. I could guess their purpose and May placed her phone in front of me and opened an image. 

Curious, I leaned forward and picked up the handphone. I realized it was a Samsung. She has switched from her iPhone. People change.

My first sight of the image sucked air from my throat. I found myself staring at reckless hatred and destruction.

"What is this?"

"You mean who?" Visnu corrected me "She is Claudia Goh."

I stared at the picture to get a better sense of things.

There was a long-haired figure lying against the tree, heads down and legs up. I had to turn the phone around to get a better view. Her face was bloodied from a bad wound, with half of it botched from deep impact. One of her eyes dislodged, dangling from its sockets, and blood had smeared the face. The jaws were dislocated with the upper range of teeth jutting out of place. Her hair was disheveled and part of it torn from the scalp.

Who could have done this? I thought. Who?