In a Maze...

Chapter 3

In the afternoon, Mark's car was running on the road to a certain place in Nowon. During the past hour, he had been actually half-way to the Park Import Export Ltd.

It must have been preoccupation that had caused him to forget that today was Sunday, a public holiday. The CEO could not be found at the company; and if he was at home, it was Mark's good luck.

Mark pulled up at the roadside and checked the address. Certainly, the apartment block right in front of him was the building in question, according to the address.

He continued the car into the basement car park. Looking at the car mirror, he checked himself if he looked too formal. A friendly conversation could do better than something like a formal police interrogation. According to the profile, Park Jinyoung was only a year younger than him.

When he arrived at the fifth floor and found the apartment he had been searching for, he drew a deep breath and reached for the doorbell, pressing it once.

He did not know what to expect. It was taking the door too long to open. Just when he reached for the doorbell again, the door was pulled open and someone appeared.

It was Park Jinyoung, Mark could match this face to that from the photo. But the Park Jinyoung before him was a messy, dishevelled one - not a CEO in a perfectly neat suit and with the styled hair, like in the profile photo.

"What do you want?"

The penetrating gaze caused Mark to fumble for a moment. He snatched his detective ID card and showed it to Park Jinyoung.

"I'm Mark Tuan, a detective from the law enforcement," Mark expected a reaction but there was none. He continued, "I'm sorry for your loss, Park Jinyoung-ssi. Will it be okay if I have a few words with you?"

"For what? For that murder, which is now everywhere in the press?"

Whether it was an offended tone or an impatient one, Mark could not guess.

"Yes. If you could spare some time, may I?"

A pair of contemptuous eyes ran over Mark but after a sigh, which sounded much like a hiss, Park Jinyoung let him in.

The inside of the apartment surprised Mark more than Park Jinyoung, himself, had, a few minutes ago. It was a cheap one, with nothing impressive in sight. Even the white paint was diminishing. Aside form a set of low-cost sofas and a table, the living-room was bare. This was not at all a place Mark had expected to find this CEO in.

"Sit down if you like to."

"Thanks."

Mark felt almost suffocated when he faced the person, sitting opposite him. Those eyes were on him but did not seem to see him at all. They were as if not at all at the present.

"What's it that you want to talk to me?"

Every word sounded dry; Mark could detect not a hint of emotion or interest in that voice. He took a moment and arranged the questions he had prepared to ask, on the whole way.

"I get that you're still in grief over what has happened to your stepmother. It was not just death but it was, in fact, murder."

He took a momentary pause to read Park Jinyoung's face. There was no reaction - not even a spark of sorrow in those eyes.

"I heard from Chunja that you paid Park Misook a visit on the day she was murdered. Well, technically, a day before that. May I ask you why?"

"That's a private matter. I don't think it's anything you police need to know."

"She was murdered. Anything she did could leave an evidence. Anything could be important. I hope you understand that, Park Jinyoung-ssi."

Park Jinyoung's lips twisted in a bitter smile. For a moment, he seemed to be weighing up something in his mind.

"Are you inferring that I killed my stepmother? Because I visited her? You should've come up with a better theory."

"That's not what I meant, Jinyoung - allow me to call you so. We're just trying to make sure no stone is left unturned. You know her very well, I suppose, and you could give us much useful information to trace her killer. So, may I ask you again why you visited her that day?"

The sofa moved a little as Jinyoung got off. He walked to the window that was open and turned his back to Mark.

"It's not anything of importance. Just a regular visit. It won't lead you to anything."

"But it could be something," Mark abruptly stopped when a pair of eyes turned back to him, with cold anger deep inside.

"If you keep asking that question, you'll be only wasting your time."

There seemed to be no point in pressing that question again; Mark turned to another one.

"That night Park Misook was murdered, where were you? Did you go out somewhere? Or you were here in your apartment? Excuse my straightforward question. But I must ask you, as a duty, Jinyoung-ssi."

"I was nowhere else, but here only, that night."

It was impossible to read those motionless eyes, whether they were lying or not.

"It was just a normal night? You were just here in your bed, sleeping, all unaware of what was happening to your stepmother?"

Those eyes with the certain dislike were fixed on Mark. "What do you mean by 'all unaware of what was happening to your stepmother'?"

"I was just stating the fact, Jinyoung-ssi. So, you were just here, asleep?'

Jinyoung glanced around his own living-room, unsteadily and distastefully. Then he closed his eyes tight for a moment and drew a deep breath.

"Not exactly. I couldn't sleep that night."

"The whole night?" Mark's interest was piqued.

"That was not unusual."

"You mean you've had such sleepless nights often? Why? Is there something that keeps you all night?"

Mark wished he had had more experience in homicide cases. He wished he could read Park Jinyoung.

"If you don't mind, please leave. I want to have a rest now."

Only now Mark had realised that he had been nowhere yet, but he had already taken a considerable length of Jinyoung's time.

"Thank you for sparing your time, Jinyoung-ssi. I'm sorry if it was an inconvenience to you. I'll leave now."

There was no reply nor any movement to see Mark to the door. He gave Jinyoung a slight bow and made his own way to the door. Once he was outside and started along the hallway, the door slammed shut with a loud bang was heard.

When he was back inside his car and back to the road, thoughts were already swimming in his head. Sleepless nights? That was interesting. But could Park Jinyoung be the murderer?