Page 82 of Perfect Happiness

“Well, that’s what the black box suggested.”

“He was your TA, right?”

“Yes.I acted as his guardian until his parents came to Moscow.”

Jane summarized the story for her aunt to fact check.

“He was living with Yuna at her apartment, right?And they were planning on getting married.But then he changed his mind.He packed up his bags and then died in a car accident.Is that right?”

“Why do you need to ask me this behind your mother’s back?Your mother knows the story, too.”

“You know my mom.”

“So you’re not going to tell me why you’re asking these questions?”

“I’ll tell you later.And one more question.What was his name?”

“Istvan.”

After hanging up, Jane sunk into the chair.Entering her field of view was the family picture hanging next to the China cabinet.Four people sitting on four blue metal chairs placed side by side in front of a white wall.Sitting in the center were Mom and Dad, dressed in matching blue shirts and white pants.Jane was sitting next to her mom, in a shirt and pants, but with the colors reversed.

Yuna’s place was next to Dad.A dense head of lustrous hair covered her back.She was wearing a white dress that exposed her shoulders and was holding a single blue balloon.The photo had been taken for their dad’s sixtieth birthday, but because of Yuna’s white dress, it looked more like Yuna’s wedding photoshoot.

Yuna was twenty-two at the time and a senior in college.If what Min-young told Jane was true, then Yuna would have been living with her boyfriend at the time, the one who was driving with Jinu when he died in a car crash.But Jane needed confirmation.If it was true…

Dark storm clouds formed inside Jane’s mind.She felt like she was standing in front of a door to a foreign world.She was almost at the threshold, but she wanted to turn around.It felt like once she opened the door, there would be no going back.She might lose Jiyoo, her mom, and everything else she cared about.She might even lose the solid earth upon which she was standing.

Jane hunched over on the table with her face buried in the wood.She was trying to prevent her feelings toward Yuna from drawing her in.It didn’t work.A song was playing in her ear.A beautiful baritone voice.Fingers tapping on the steering wheel.

Maria, Maria, you are my love, Maria…

After I sent you far away, I planted a flower

I planted a flower in my weeping heart…

*

Jane sat inside the interrogation room of the Seodaemun Police Station.She was waiting for Detective Gibeom Kim.He was already twenty minutes late.

Before Jane transferred to culture and arts, she worked for ten years in local news.Back then, she spent more time waiting at the police station than she did working at the office.Despite knowing why the police isolated people in the interrogation room for long periods of time, Jane couldn’t help but feel anxious and angry.

Jane’s senses were focused on what was going on outside of the interrogation room.She could hear every voice and every footstep in the hallway.As someone who used to frequent the police station, Jane thought she could handle being interrogated without batting an eyelash, but now that she was here, she realized she was mistaken.It was completely different coming to the police station as a witness, or even potential suspect.

Jane got the call to come to the police station earlier that morning.She was at the press center, and the press conference for the new book of a so-called “writer of the people” was just about to stop.The man on the line revealed himself as Detective Gibeom Kim from Violent Crimes at the Seodaemun Police Department.He asked if she knew Joon-young Seo.

“I do.”

“We have a few questions for you,” he said without any further preamble.“Can you come down to the police station this afternoon?”

“May I ask why?”

He told her that Joon-young had been missing since the 16th.Jane felt the chair she was sitting in begin to shake.Even though she had anticipated the detective’s answer, it still managed to rattle her.Jane had been hoping desperately she wouldn’t get this phone call.But now that she had, it was clear something had happened to Joon-young.It also meant that they knew she had met with Joon-young the morning he was last seen.If they didn’t know, they wouldn’t have any reason to call her.Adding to Jane’s sense of unease was the fact that Detective Kim worked in Violent Crimes.

“And what am I being summoned to the police station as?”

“A witness,” he said.“Can you come in right now?”

“I can’t right now.I’ll be there by six.”