Hugging her safe tight, she buried her head between her knees, weeping and wailing. The agony was too hard to endure, her heart ached so much that she felt it would burst out of her chest any moment now.
When she had felt she had cried her heart out, crimson-eyed, she trudged out of the bathroom. Unhurriedly she changed her clothes and sat at the dressing table. The mirror who looked back at her through the mirror seemed like a ghost- ashen, desolate and helpless. She looked at her woodenly for a while, then slowly brushed her long tresses and put on makeup … perhaps this would conceal the despair within.
When Yuri finally went downstairs, Yun-hee Choi approached her from the living room.
“Where are you going?”
Yun-hee Choi looked surprised when she saw Yuri, which was only natural as her eyes were swollen and bloodshot.
“I have somewhere to go.” Yuri replied in a downcast voice.
“I’ll get the car ready.” The woman hastily made for it, but the next words brought her to a halt.
“I want to go alone.”
Taken aback, the housekeeper gazed at the pathetic figure before her, but evinced no sympathy. “You cannot,” she said matter-of-factly and moved to block the front door.
Seeing that there was no room for negotiation on this matter, Yuri simply went straight to the waiting car. Yun-hee Choi handed her an ice pack from who knows where.
“Use this.”
Yuri smiled listlessly and received an ice pack.
The middle-aged driver wore a suit and asked with respect, “Madam, where would you like to go?”
The word Madam sounded strange to Yuri. She could feel Yun-hee Choi listening in as she saw her off.
She reclined on the seat, put the ice pack on her eyes and vacantly said, “The Daejin Department Store please.”
Yun-hee Choi wished Yuri a good trip, and the driver smoothly put the car in motion after the door closed.
By and by, as the coolness soothed her burning eyes, she delved deep into thoughts. She was seeking the truth that had long been eluding her, hiding in the deepest crevices of her mind, refusing to surface at her command … tantalizing and torturing her. But now that had decidedly moved in the direction to confront it, it seemed to readily come to her.
The only clue she had was their voices, and there was no way of knowing who they were. Neither were they familiar nor decent. But one thing was certain, all this was connected; her father’s death, her lost time, Hye-yeon Jin’s death.
She was wading through an intricate web of deceit and lies that would only grow treacherous with each step. The question was not whether she could uncover the truth, but if she could bear the burden of it all when she reached it.
No matter what, she could not turn back now. The only way out was through. She decided to investigate her father’s accident, and to do so, needed to go to Jinseong City. There would surely be an officer who was in charge of the case in the police station, and she was determined to meet him.
The driver parked in the Daejin Department Store VIP parking lot when Yuri’s swollen eyes had become a little less evident.
“My shopping will take some time.” Yuri spoke carefully.
“Please shop as long as you wish, Madam. Shall I accompany you?” The diligent chauffeur offered.
“No, I want to do it alone since I have some personal items in mind. Please wait here.” She tactfully declined.
“I understand. Please call me on this number when you finish your shopping.” The driver politely handed her his card.
Soon after, Yuri went to the VIP elevator. However, she went to the lobby instead of the VIP lounge to go to the back gate and hail a taxicab. The taxi driver merrily stepped on the accelerator with a smile when she told him to go to Jinseong City as it was lucky for him to find a long-distance customer at midday.
Yuri connected her cell phone as it had run out of battery on a portable battery in the taxi. She first confirmed missed calls and messages and left a message for Roy Jean. Thereon, she spent the rest of the drive managing work regarding her contract with the Daejin Department Store.
The taxi arrived in front of the Jinseong Police Station after about an hour. Getting off the cab, Yuri stared at the building for a while contemplating until she caught sight of the Public Service Center. She hoped that the detective in charge of her father’s case or Hye-yeon’s still worked here.
A few men came down the stairs just as she was about to press the sliding door button to enter the department. She could hear their voices as they were in conversation behind her.
“I thank you for your efforts Chief. Our governor has been worried about this issue.” A cheerful voice floated.
“He should not be worried about trivial matters like this when he is heading for greater things. We will handle this problem as we had done so when he was the mayor.” A man reassured.
“Of course! The governor knows Chief’s efforts. Things will be better in the future.”
They were laughing as they went out of the station while Yuri stood frozen in front of the door. Her eyes span, and the only thing that was clear for her was the voice she had just heard.
– That b*tch is fierce and tiresome. Like father, like daughter.
It was the same voice that had been talking with the police chief just now.