The Undercover Couple

Chapter 8

"Jane!" Wonwoo yelled, hammering on the front door as loud as he could. Beside him Mingyu stood with Wonwoo's gun in his hand, pointed down. "Jane, it's Wonwoo. From next door."

"We're going to have to break the door in," Mingyu hissed. Wonwoo shook his head. He needed Jane to open the door.

"Trust me," he mouthed to Mingyu. He pressed his ear to the door, and could just make out the sound of footsteps, before the door cracked open.

"Wonwoo?" Jane whispered, her eyes darting back and forth. Her hair, which usually sat in a pristine bob was dishevelled and tangled, and her eyes were red rimmed. Her mascara had tracked its way down her face, covering it in black smudges.

"Can we come in?" Wonwoo said, slowly. It took a few moments, but Jane nodded, opening the door slightly. She was barefoot, dressed in a ripped blouse and sweatpants. Wonwoo tried not to stare at her. She looked so different to the put together woman he'd gotten used to seeing. Arranging his face into one that he hoped didn't convey too much concern, he tipped his head to Mingyu, who took the cue and tucked the gun into his waistband.

"Is he home?" Mingyu whispered to Jane. She shook her head, the fear clear on her face. Mingyu just wanted to hug her. In some ways she reminded him of his sister. "A cup of tea then?" Wonwoo said, loudly, walking past Jane and towards the kitchen with confidence. His eyes darted to either side, half reassuring himself that Spooner wasn't about to pop out from behind a bookshelf, but also to assess the damage. The coat stand had been overturned, the coats flung across the hallway, and a photo frame lay shattered on the floor. He navigated carefully around the broken glass, but didn't comment on it. The kitchen was much the same as the last time he was there, except the sterile smell seemed somehow more overpowering. The counters were totally spotless, but, unless he was mistaken he could've sworn it had been cleaned, recently. He brushed the back of his hand over the counter closest to him, the damp of the bleach solution clinging to it. Raising an eyebrow to Mingyu, he ran a finger gently under the lip of the counter, recoiling slightly when he touched a sticky substance. He didn't need to look at his finger to know what it was.

Jane boiled the kettle. "He's not here," she whispered, masked by the bubbling of the kettle. Wonwoo subtly flashed his bloodstained finger to Mingyu, whose surprise was evident on his face. He rounded on Jane.

"Did you kill him?" he said, with as much subtlety as a charging bull. Wonwoo glared at him.

"Shut up, Mingyu," he muttered, before turning to look at Jane, who had gone sheet white.

"No," she whispered. "He's the father of my children. I couldn't do that." She handed Mingyu a mug, before turning to Wonwoo. As she passed the mug to him, he flashed his bloodied finger at her. She blushed. "I didn't hurt him. You have to believe me."

"Whose blood is this?" Wonwoo asked, taking the mug from her. He put it down on the counter, reaching for a piece of kitchen roll to wipe the blood off his fingers. Once his fingers were clean, he crouched down, staring at the underside of the counter. The blood was still wet, spread across the underside. At the edges, where the splatter was thinner, it had started to dry. He stood back up, turning around to look at Jane. "Whose blood is it?" he repeated.

She swallowed. "It's mine."

Mingyu put his mug down so forcefully both Wonwoo and Jane jumped. "I'll fucking kill him," he said. "Where is he?"

"Mingyu," Wonwoo said, jumping around to the other man's side. He hadn't seen Mingyu fly off the handle so irrationally before. It was a delicate situation that needed to be handled with care. Not with Mingyu's explosive rage. "Please let me handle this."