Tongrob stared patiently at the office door across the street, waiting for the young man he was pursuing to appear. It was nearly seven PM, and the "young man" he had his sights set on still hadn't emerged from the office. He'd been sitting in his car listening to music for nearly forty-five minutes, waiting with the patience of a tiger stalking a young deer, like staking out to catch an important criminal.
The adorable young deer named Atid!
The young thief who'd become a suspect disturbing his heart...
It was truly strange. Over the past several months, no matter who he tried to court, Atid's face would appear in his mind, disrupting his concentration. Worst of all was during "intimate moments" with his conquests of young men he'd "caught" for being too cute—Atid's face would float up, making him accidentally call out the name. Fortunately, the young man was too busy moaning to hear his slip.
Atid... so difficult to win over. It had been nearly a year of pursuit without a second taste. Damn... Tongrob sighed, glancing at his watch showing exactly seven PM.
Nearly an hour sitting in the car, and now he was getting hungry. He couldn't take it anymore. He'd have to storm in and make the arrest. This baby-faced criminal couldn't be left free much longer.
Tongrob turned off the engine, opened the door, and stepped out, crossing the street to stand before the light-colored townhouse office with modern décor.
He reached for the large dark glass door. "Huh? Why is it locked?" Tongrob exclaimed, peering inside. The front lights were still on, but no one was visible.
Captain Tongrob pressed the bell and knocked hard on the glass door, waiting for someone to open it. A small office like this probably had few people. Atid's car was still parked in front—he'd seen Atid walk in at six and hadn't seen him come out.
The cunning police officer pursuing a civilian pressed the bell several more times, alternating with knocking. Suddenly, a voice came from behind.
"The company's closed. Please come back tomorrow."
Tongrob turned toward the voice's owner—a security guard in his late forties with a stocky build, watching him.
"I'm here to see Atid. He's still inside. You're the guard here, right? Open the door for me."
"Khun Atid already left."
"His car's still parked right there." Tongrob pointed to the black Mercedes sports car parked in front of the building, thinking... I saw him walk in with my own eyes and haven't seen him come out. I've been watching the whole time.
"He left at six. Went on business, came back briefly, then left again. Ticha was the last one, left at six-thirty," the guard reported.
"How could he leave? His car's still here. I didn't see him walk out. I've been waiting in front of the company for ages," Tongrob muttered.
"Took a taxi. I saw him carrying files out the back."
"What?" Tongrob looked where the guard pointed to the side of the townhouse. Atid's office was at the corner, with a narrow space about a meter wide beside it against the wall.
He walked straight there, the guard hurrying after, asking, "Where are you going?"
Tongrob didn't answer, walking briskly around to the back of the building. The stocky guard couldn't keep up due to his short legs.
Tongrob had to see for himself whether what he was about to discover matched his suspicions.
Behind the four-story townhouse was a courtyard wide enough for 3-4 cars, with a marble table set, potted plants arranged along the brick block fence, and in the center, an iron gate about two meters wide.
The stubborn police officer approached, looking through the iron gate to see a small alley just wide enough for one car to pass.
Hmm... Atid, you clever little fox. Escaped this time, caught me off guard. But next time Tongrob won't give up. I'll station forces at the back gate to catch the cunning one. Let's see what you do then...
Captain Tongrob sighed heavily, turning to walk back to the front of the building, passing the guard who was just arriving. Suddenly remembering something, the young police officer pulled out his wallet.
Maybe it's a good idea to hire a spy.
***