In a Maze...

Chapter 5

It was in the evening, the next day, that an unexpected call came to Mark. The contact name said Park Jinyoung. Mark had not gone to him today. He had been with Minsoo, interviewing Yoon Seunghyun at the estate, the whole day.

Mark answered the call immediately, "Hello, Mark Tuan speaking. Jinyoung, right?"

After a moment of silence, Mark heard, "I don't remember giving you my number."

"But you don't think it's difficult to track down? Anyway, is there anything urgent so that you've to call me?"

"I'm at a restaurant and alone." There was a momentary pause. "Wondering if you want to join me."

"But why? I thought my presence disturbed you?"

"One thing, I'm not inviting you to come to me as a detective. I just fancy someone I can talk to. Random stuff, by the way."

If there was someone Mark would never be able to understand, it might be Jinyoung. It did not take Mark long, however, to decide; it was a chance to get to know more about Jinyoung.

"Send me the address. I'll come, straight away."

The night was starting to fall. It was about the same time he had been in Jinyoung's apartment yesterday. Mark assumed Jinyoung was probably having his dinner at the restaurant.

When he arrived at the restaurant in question, Jinyoung was found seated at a table near the left corner, not inside a private booth as Mark had expected. He was in his company suit, with the necktie loosened, and before him were a full course meal and a wine bottle.

"You were fast," Jinyoung commented, as Mark seated himself opposite him. "Order anything you like, it's on me."

Mark satisfied himself with pasta. His attention was more on the person in front of him than the food. He, however, tried to hide his scrutinising gaze at Jinyoung.

"I'm bored. Tell me how you've become a detective."

"I don't think it's anything interesting," Mark said, "I worked as a police officer for a year and was promoted to detective. They said, my colleagues I mean, it was so quick. Usually, it takes us more than a year to be promoted."

"How many murder cases have you solved already?"

"This is the very first time I could participate in investigating a homicide case. Don't worry, you're safe. I'm not a very brilliant detective," Mark said, letting out a chuckle.

As expected, Jinyoung looked offended, his eyes gazing at Mark with a scowl.

"I'm just kidding," Mark eased the tension, "By the way, have you met your stepbrother? He arrived here this morning."

Jinyoung's eyes were grim and turned away from Mark. "No."

"I guessed so. Maybe you could visit him tomorrow. He looked low-spirited when we met him. He needs someone close to him, I think."

Jinyoung made no reply instantly but a while later, he said, "You're wrong if you think he needs me. It'll just be awkward to see each other. I've never warmed up to him and neither has he."

"But, in this situation, you should get over such things. Basically, he's your brother even if it's not a blood relation," Mark reasoned.

Jinyoung laughed, quite startling Mark, and shook his head. "Do you think he'll believe me when I go to him and say things like 'I feel so sorry'? No, he'll know that it's all pretension. He'll see through me that I'm not in the slightest affected by his mother's death."

"Aren't you affected at all?" Mark asked quietly.

"No. No one likes someone who replaces their mother or father. Would you though?"

Mark stared at Jinyoung and shook his head, rather uncertainly, "I don't know."

Three days later, Mark found himself back in the Park family estate in Pyeongchangdong, along with the other detectives. In Yoon Seunghyun's bedroom.

Aside from them, there were two police officers and Chunja in the room. A dead body on the floor, and a pool of blood around. Yoon Seunghyun, who had been here only for a few days, had been shot dead through the heart. Everything was a repetition: no sound of gunshot, broken window glasses.

Chunja was trembling when the detectives questioned her. Yoon Seunghyun had retired to his room since eight last night and that was the time Chunja had last seen him alive. This morning, she found him dead in his room, as she had intended to call him for breakfast.

"The same method," Hyunwoo stated, gravely.

"And the same murderer," Minsoo added.

"The murderer used the same silenced gun and left no footprints. We're doomed," Seongho said.

He signaled to the police officers to carry away the dead body and dismissed Chunja. When the detectives were left alone, they began a thorough search around the room. Which ended in vain.

"Now, this killer is not only connected to Park Misook but to her son as well. And what's the motive?" Seongho mused.

"That's what we've to find out," Minsoo said, "I can't help but one person keeps appearing in my head, at the moment."

Mark eyed Minsoo and knew who was the person Minsoo was referring to.

"If it's Park Jinyoung, the motive is clear. Money. Or as I said, he could be a psychopath and is now fascinated by the act of killing people. Either way, it's so cold-blooded and crazy," Seongho said.

"The thing is that there is not any evidence against him. Only our assumption. I think the motive is money. Both of the stepmother and stepson are out of the picture, and the property is all his," Hyunwoo said, assuredly.

A psychopath who had killed his stepmother and stepbrother or a greed-driven person who had paved his way to possess all the property. Mark tried to match these images to Jinyoung. He had met Jinyoung quite frequently these past few days. But Jinyoung was always beyond his understanding.

The next day, he managed to talk to Jinyoung in the apartment. Jinyoung looked as indifferent as he had, when Mark had first met him and addressed his stepmother's murder to him.

"Everything's yours now," Mark stated, "The estate, and all the company shares your father possessed. Isn't it rather fortunate for you?"

Mark watched Jinyoung closely as he said those words. Jinyoung cracked a smile and said, "I know you think so."

"I don't know what the murderer's motive is. But as far as I'm concerned, you're the one who's benefited by those deaths. Not that killer."

Those eyes were fixed on Mark with a frigid stare. But then Jinyoung let out a dry laugh.

"You're suspicious of me, aren't you? But the thing is I don't care, at all."