Page 87 of Perfect Happiness
“What did you do at home alone?”
“I worked on an article until two in the morning.This is something you can confirm for yourself, you know.”
“Oh, really?Please tell me.”Detective Kim crossed his arms and leaned back against his chair.
“Check the apartment CCTV.You’ll see me drive into the apartment parking garage.If I had left my house before morning, it would be on the tape.”
Detective Kim hit his forehead sarcastically as if to say,Really?Why didn’t I think of that?
Jane was seconds away from stabbing him in the forehead with her pen.Had her hands been above the table, she might have done it, too.Jane crossed her legs and switched sitting positions.
That night, she finally realized why anyone would confess to a crime they hadn’t committed.Detective Kim repeated the same questions and made her give the same testimony over and over for hours.She must have told him ten times about what she did after leaving Chungju.By the time the interrogation finished it was late into the night, and Jane felt nauseous just hearing Detective Kim’s voice.
“Would like to read over our report, ma’am?”
This was the first time in hours the young detective had opened his mouth.Jane said she would.A minute later, they gave her a printed copy.Even the first sentence had been twisted to reflect their own bias.
“The subject of this sentence is wrong,” Jane said as she pointed to the error with her pen.“It was Joon-young who called me.Not the other way around.”
It took another hour to compare notes.The whole time, Jane found it hard to concentrate because Detective Kim was talking to himself for everyone to hear.
“What patience to keep one’s lips sealed this whole time ...despite knowing Joon-young was thought missing ...and only she opens her mouth when we call her in.”
Jane didn’t know what his point was.Even if she wanted to share what she knew, it wasn’t as easy as just opening her mouth and declaring it to the world.She didn’t know at which police station Min-young made her report.Jane couldn’t just go to any old police station and say she had information about the Joon-young Seo case.And besides, Min-young said the police dismissed her when she first tried to make a report.Until Jane knew the police were actually investigating Joon-young’s disappearance, there was no reason for her to go to the police.And even if she did go to the police, what could she say?I’m the last person who saw the missing person Joon-young Seo?
Jane signed the report and handed it back to Detective Kim.
“One more question, Miss Shin.Would you show us your car’s black box?”
This caught Jane by surprise.Why hadn’t she thought about that before?Although, she doubted her black box went that far back in time.In fact, she was positive the footage had been written over by now.But perhaps forensics could retrieve the data.With the two detectives following her, she walked them to her car in the parking lot.Detective Kim received the black box from her car and then took a step back.
“We’ll have a look and get back to you.It might take a few days.”
The two men watched her as she left the parking lot.
Jane felt nauseous as she entered the river of cars.Her vision was blurry, and every muscle in her body was pulsing with built-up tension.Both her body and mind felt tattered and frayed.
Jane wanted to go straight to Woohyeri.Perhaps she should have gone there first.The problem was, she didn’t have time.She was just too busy.Her sudden absence from work had left her with a lot to get caught up on.And after work, she was completely tied up with taking care of Jiyoo.
Jiyoo’s lips were tight.Yuna must have instructed her beforehand not to talk about what happened at the cabin.No matter what kind of question Jane asked—direct, indirect, leading—Jiyoo wouldn’t say.And Jane couldn’t press Jiyoo.In the end, Jane was unable to get a single clue about the whereabouts of Joon-young.
And yet, it was clear to Jane that, at the very least, Joon-young had been and stayed at that cabin.But to get proof, she would need to go to Woohyeri.If she didn’t do this soon, Detective Kim with his lion’s teeth would be reciting the Miranda warning to her.
*
It was Saturday morning.Jane’s body felt as stiff and heavy as a century-old tree, but she jumped right out of bed as soon as she opened her eyes.She had a lot to do today.Places to be, people to meet.
Jane had a cup of coffee for breakfast as she got ready to leave.But unlike her usual routine of makeup and nice clothes, she got ready by finding and putting on comfortable clothes that she could move in—beanie, face mask, sweater, leggings, and padded jacket.She put her wallet, lanyard, and cellphone in her coat pocket.Then finally she took out her zip-up high-top canvas shoes.As she did this, she felt something buzzing in her pocket.
Jane pulled out her cellphone.The caller ID said “Yuna’s House.”But Jane knew it wasn’t Yuna.She had no reason to call Jane.Even less likely was Eun-ho.Jane pressed the accept button.
“Hello?”
“Auntie—” It was Jiyoo.Her voice was quiet and cautious, as though she were calling while lying next to a sleeping lioness.
It was at this moment that Jane realized something.She missed Jiyoo.The warm sensation in her chest was telling her this.
Jane was so caught off guard by her own emotions that she didn’t answer Jiyoo.She was embarrassed.Why was she getting so emotional?Jiyoo had only been gone a few days.These emotions were something Jane thought herself incapable of feeling anymore.Jane thought herself a pile of dead leaves, too dry to produce a single drop of moisture.She’d felt like this ever since Dad died.
