Pay With Your Heart

499 Helping Out

“Where are you going?”

Eun-sun jerked to a halt at the sudden voice behind her. Her clammy hands tightened around her bag as she slowly turned around to see Mi-Cha peering at her as she trudged down the stairs.

“Why are you sneaking out of the house? And where are you off to?” She asked, lowering her eyes on Eun-sun’s small handbag and sneakers as she arrived the base of the stairs.

She raised her gaze to Eun-sun, who was slightly frazzled.

“You’re going out aren’t you? Mom and Dad said—”

Eun-sun covered her mouth and pulled to hid under the stairs when she saw their father stepping out of his room.

Mi-Cha looked at her and followed her gaze to see their dad walking into his study while answering a call.

Eun-sun let go of her mouth and sighed. I’m sorry.” She apologized, while Mi-Cha maintained her suspicious gaze on her.

“I understand the apology, but where exactly are you going to? Mom and Dad said, none of us are to leave the house until this whole issue is resolved.”

.....

“I know.” Eun-sun wearily sighed.

Mi-Cha arched a brow. “So if you know, where then were you sneaking off to?” She questioned. She keenly observed Eun-sun as she hustled for words.

“You’re going to the station, aren’t you?” Mi-Cha asked. “You want to go see him.” She was certain that was where Eun-sun was heading for.

Eun-sun’s face fell as she shook her head. Of course, she’d love to see Dan-Han. His refusal to see her was driving her mad, but she wanted to understand why he didn’t want to.

She slowly shook her head in response, and Mi-Cha furrowed her brows suspiciously.

“If you aren’t going there, where are you going to?” She asked.

Eun-sun raised her gaze and met Mi-Cha’s eyes. She hesitated telling her the truth, but knew she had to.

“I’m going to the murder scene.” She said, and immediately Mi-Cha scowled.

“You don’t mean that do you?”

Eun-sun nodded, “I do,” and Mi-Cha scowled even more.

“You can’t. I’m not going to let you. I’ll go tell mom and dad right that you’re —”

Eun-sun pulled back as she tried to leave and covered her mouth again. She cautiously looked around and sighed when she saw no one coming.

She turned back to Mi-Cha. “I know they said I can’t leave the house, but I also can’t stay indoors while he’s been locked away. I’m losing my mind with the thoughts that keeps getting into my head. I can’t stay still and wait till he gets out. I have to do something. Try anything.” Eun-sun earnestly told her, leaving Mi-Cha speechless.

She could see the fear and worry glistening in Eun-sun’s eyes as well as the determination to do something to help the man she loves.

Mi-Cha kept a blank look on her and when Eun-sun thought she probably couldn’t understand how she felt, and might probably insist on not having her leave the house, Mi-Cha surprised her by saying, “Then I’ll come with you.”

Eun-sun was taken aback by her proclamation. Her lids fluttered as she peered at her.

She was going to, what? Go with her?

“Mi-Cha, you can’t do that. You can’t come with me. I can’t let you come with me.” Eun-sun blatantly refused.

“Why?” Mi-Cha asked.

“Well, because it’s not safe out there. The people that did this to Dan-Han could be out there keeping tabs on us.”

“All the more reason I should come with you. I don’t trust you to stay out of trouble especially with your mind clouded with his thoughts.”

“But-”

“You better start coming before mom and dad comes down.” Mi-Cha said and rose up from where they’ve been hiding and started towards the door.

Eun-sun incredulously looked at her as she walked towards the door.

“Catch up, big sis.” Mi-Cha said to her, and Eun-sun gathered herself and hurried after her.

They sneaked out of the building and hopped into the first cab they saw.

“Are you really sure about this?” Mi-Cha asked as they made their way to the scene of the incident.

“Yes. I called a private investigator, and he’d be meeting me there.” She told him, and Mi-Cha gave a terse nod before looking outside the window.

She knew this was by no means a good idea, but she also knew it would be impossible to convince Eun-sun to not embark on this quest, hence why she had decided to come with her.

She’d feel at ease if they went together, and hopefully her father would get her text on time and come get them.

She whipped out her phone and sent her father a text, informing him of their whereabout.

Eun-Sun paid off the cab and looked at the condominium where the incident had taken place, while Mi-Cha cautiously looked around.

She knew just as precarious the situation was and she was sure Eun-sun knew it too.

“Where’s the investigator that you’re supposed to meet?” Mi-Cha asked while she kept looking around, but there was no conspicuous person around that fits the appearance of a private investigator.

Eun-sun glanced around. “He said to meet him here by four pm.” She looked at her time and it was already four pm.

“We should go inside while you call him.” Mi-Cha told her, not feeling comfortable standing in the open, where they could be under the enemy’s watch.

Recent event around them and in their family had her spooked and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to shake it off anytime soon.

Eun-sun agreed and they started off for the lobby of the complex. There were both surprised when they saw the security around the place, and they figured it had something to do with the murder that had happened.

Eun-sun tensed up at the unexpected security. She had expected one, but not at this rate.

“We can’t get in.” She said to Mi-Cha, who had her gaze keenly fixed at the entrance of the lobby. She followed her gaze and anxiously stared at the security men checking resident I.d’s of those entering the condo.

“Maybe we can. Follow me.” Mi-Cha said as she made her towards and into the lobby in a hurried pace.

Eun-sun was puzzled as she watched. What was she upto? She pondered and followed after.

Eun-sun’s heart skipped when she heard the security man call after Mi-Cha. “Hey, miss, you can’t go in.” He said and Mi-Cha stopped.

“I’m so sorry, but my boss the man that just walked in, he’s with my phone, and I have to call the event planner, he asked me to.” She said in a panicked voice, pointing towards the man that had just walked into the elevator at the other end of the lobby.

The security man looked at the elevator, but it was already going up.

“What’s his apartment number, I’ll call—”

“Going up the stairs will be quicker. He lives on the second floor, I’ll run as fast as i can.” She said in one breath and pulled Eun-sun’s hand and hurried towards the stairway door she had spotted.

“Hey!” The security man called after her, but she was already pulling through the door with Eun-sun and they raced up the stairs.

“What floor is it, the girl’s house?” Mi-Cha asked.

“Third floor.”

“Good.” Mi-Cha said, and the hurried even more.

They pushed past the exit door when they arrived the third floor, and just as they stepped into the hallway, Eun-sun caught a glimpse of a man stepping into the elevator.

Her eyes stayed on him as he seemed familiar, but his face was looking down and slightly hidden away with his face cap. Their eyes briefly met just as he stepped into the elevator, and Eun-sun was even more certain she had seen him before, but where?

“What’s the apartment number?” Mi-Cha asked and Eun-sun told her.

“Try calling the investigator again.” Mi-Cha told her and began the search for the apartment.

The fragile tape sealing off the door has been removed they arrived the door. They stared at it as they individually pondered if it was okay to they go in.

“We should probably wait?”

“Here in the hallway?” Mi-Cha asked back, and Eun-sun looked around. It wouldn’t be make sense if they both stood in the hallway waiting for the private investigator, who had informed her he was about to arrive.

She looked into the apartment and before she could say anything Mi-Cha has already walked in..

“Mi-Cha,” She hushly called.

“Don’t touch anything.” Mi-Cha said and Eun-sun’s hand instinctively stiffened as she followed in after her.

They cautiously walked around, ensuring to avoid touching anything that have been marked with chalk outline.

From the outlines on the ground they could imagine where the parts of her body had been, and the imagination made Eun-sun’s stomach clench and she retched. .

Mi-Cha looked at her. “Are you okay?” She asked and Eun-sun nodded, trying to hold herself from puking on the floor of a crime scene.

“I’m fine.”

“I’m beginning to think you’re not. You’ve been very sensitive for the last few days even before we came back. Are you sure you don’t want to see the doctor?” Mi-Cha asked and Eun-sun shook her head.

“I’m good, Mi-Cha. I really am.” She assured her, but Mi-Cha didn’t think so, but she didn’t press on it.

“Do you think this investigator will find anything useful here?” Mi-Cha looked around the living room which a weird feeling around it, and she attributed it to knowing a murder had taken place there.

“My friend, Hei-Ran, had recommended him. She said he was once a forensic guy and could be useful.

Mi-Cha nodded and walked into the bedroom. There were there were more chalk outlines.

“It seems the attack had started here and had ended in the sitting room.” She said looking over to the adjoining door.

Eun-sun looked around and she had to agree with Mi-Cha.

.....

They tensed up and exchanged glances when they heard light steps coming from the living room.

“is it the PI?” Mi-Cha asked, and before Eun-Sun could answer a burly man stepped into the room.

Eun-sun’s eyes narrowed in surprise when she saw who it was.

“Mr Tae-Ho?”

“Ms Kim.” He greeted with a quick bow.

Mi-Cha looked at the man as she wondered who he was. He didn’t look like an investigator, but she was relieved to know Eun-sun knew him.

“What are you doing here? President Lee would not be happy to know you came here.” He curtly told her as he walked over to the wardrobe.

Eun-sun had heard about his arm, so she tried looking past the black leather jacket draped over his shoulders.

He had a latex gloves on, so he opened the wardrobe.

“I couldn’t stay and not do anything.” She said, and Tae-Ho glanced at her.

He looked over at Mi-Cha, before walking into the bathroom. His austere face sent chills down Mi-Cha’s back as she cautiously looked at him.

“Who is he?” Mi-Cha whispered.

“Dan-Han’s right hand man.” Eun-sun explained.

“He’s injured.” She noted.

“I know.” Eun-sun whispered back. They went mute when Tae-Ho walked back into the bedroom, their eyes keenly following after him.

He walked past them and toward the window. He observed the latch and with a slight push from his finger, the window opened.

He looked around, and Eun-sun joined him too. She didn’t know what he was looking for, but an extra wouldn’t hurt.

Tae-Ho stared at her, but didn’t say a word.

“Look, someone’s looking at us.” Eun-sun pointed his attention to the head poking out the window and staring at them.

Tae-Ho looked over and caught a glimpse of a blonde haired girl, who suddenly startled at meeting his eyes. She hurriedly closed her window and draped.

“Why was she startled?” Eun-sun asked, and Mi-Cha who had spotted the girl too stepped back from the window.

“Do you think she saw something?” Mi-Cha asked, and Eun-sun snapped her head to Tae-Ho, who was still peering at the window.

He closed back the window. “You both should go home. This isn’t safe for you. President Lee will be out soon. So don’t get him worried by being reckless.” He said.

Eun-sun kept quiet as she didn’t know what to say. She nodded at him and he turned around to leave, but just as he did, Eun-sun finally realized something.

The man she had seen earlier.

“That man,” She blurted out, stopping Tae-Ho on his heels.

“What man?” Mi-Cha asked, wondering what man she was referring to.

“The man at the hallway who stepped into the elevator as soon as we arrived. He had a face cap on.” She frantically explained, but Mi-Cha couldn’t remember.

She couldn’t remember seeing anyone as her mind had been preoccupied at the time.

Tae-Ho narrowed his eyes when he saw the anxious look in her eyes. “Which man did you see?” He asked.

She worriedly looked over at Mi-Cha before staring back at Tae-Ho. “It was Yong-Gun’s right hand man. The one with him at country F. ” She said.