The Sun to my Moon

Chapter 11: Symbol

Before Cha Dal-geon left to look for Molly, Go Hae-ri watched him with a familiar mix of exasperation and affection as he poured on the charm for Jessica Lee. She had told him he could come in and say hello, and of course Dal-geon interpreted this as license to make himself at home at Jessica's kitchen table and settle down with a cup of tea for a nice cozy chat.

Jessica seemed pleased to see him and it seemed the feeling was mutual. Apparently they had bonded the last time they'd seen each other. Dal-geon displayed a special grace with her, winning smiles from her with a combination of his usual cheeky charm and a softer tenderness Hae-ri saw from him much more rarely.

Hae-ri couldn't help rolling her eyes when he happily accepted a second cup of tea, however. Catching her look, he grinned at her as though to indicate he was Dal-geon and just couldn't help himself. If she set forth boundaries, he felt compelled to push up against them.

He excused himself eventually and Hae-ri was left alone with Jessica.

Jessica turned her unseeing gaze towards her with a smile. "Well, what can I do for you today, Agent Go Hae-ri? I know you aren't here for a social call."

"Andwae, I'm not," Hae-ri admitted. "I came to talk to you about Samael."

Jessica's smile faded. "You still think he's that man. Edward Park. The one who killed detective Cha Dal-geon's nephew."

"Ne, majayo," Hae-ri said frankly.

Jessica's jaw developed a stubborn set to it. "You're wrong. Samael couldn't be that man. He couldn't do such things."

"It's possible you're right," Hae-ri conceded. "We might be mistaken about Samael's true identity."

"You don't believe that. You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Personally, I believe Samael and Edward Park are the same man," Hae-ri said calmly. "I know we disagree about this, but I acknowledge the possibility that we might be wrong about whether they are the same person. All I'm asking is that you answer some questions about Samael to help my team figure out for sure whether he is or is not Edward Park."

"Why should I help you, if you're determined to find Samael guilty?"

"If Samael is innocent, then what's the harm in answering my questions?" Hae-ri countered. "It could help prove his innocence. I'm not determined to find him guilty, as you put it. If the evidence shows that he's innocent, I will be content with that. The only thing I am determined to do is find the truth. And if he's guilty, don't you feel some obligation to help us find him so we can prevent him from hurting anyone else?"

Jessica was silent for a long moment. "Very well," she said at last. "I will answer any question I can."

"Thank you," Hae-ri said sincerely. "I really appreciate your help."

Jessica sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"I'd like to you to tell me more about Samael as a person in general."

"Like what?"

"You spent a fair amount of time with him. What did the two of you talk about?"

"Oh, everything. Music, literature, philosophy." She smiled. "We once had quite a spirited discussion about Plato's Republic which I very much enjoyed."

"Tell me about it."

"Why on earth would you want to hear about something like that?"

"I'm trying to get a sense of who he is," Hae-ri explained. "What interests him, what drives him."