On The Edge (TaeJin)

S1 - 16 - Skeletons in the closet

Taehyung woke up to the unfamiliar presence of someone in the bed. His instincts made him grab the knife under the pillow. Under the soft morning light, Seokjin's squished cheeks and pouty lips peek from between the layers of blankets. Taehyung both sighed in relief and agony before he ran out of the room.

Now, he waits patiently (partially dreaming about Seokjin's pink cheeks and lips) for Namjoon who has been going through old newspapers and clicking away on his laptop.

"Tell me you are finding ways to get away with his murder," Taehyung finally says tapping on the wooden table.

Namjoon lifts a finger and says, "So, I almost fell asleep when I remembered one thing that Maskell said."

Taehyung leans forward on the table with interest.

"He said," Namjoon continues, his eyes still focused on the laptop. "when talking about drugging Seokjin, 'this usually works' – what usually works? What did he mean? – "

" – not his first time," Taehyung says his fist tightening over the knife's handle. "He must've hurt a lot more people."

Namjoon claps his hands once, "Exactly. It was a slip-up because he was frustrated. So, I went through archives, posts, random groups on Facebook and reddit. I found a pattern although scattered."

They both glance at the door – a old habit – to make sure no one's eavesdropping before Namjoon continues. He says, "Ever since Maskell has started to work with the Archdiocese, he has been transferred many times. He has worked at schools too, at orphanages."

"Look," Namjoon says as he pushes the laptop towards Taehyung. "Almost every time he got transferred there has been an allegation of sexual abuse – no names just vague descriptions. We can call it a coincidence, but I don't believe in that. Data always speaks more."

Taehyung scrolls his way through all the documentation that Namjoon prepared. He says, "Gives us even more reason to end him."

Namjoon scrunches his nose, the way he does when he has to say something he isn't comfortable with. "Tae, I was thinking – the Archdiocese knew about it or else why would they parcel him away? That means there are people who back him – "

"And, there might be more such horrendous creatures lurking and hurting the innocent," Taehyung completes.

"Maybe as we speak someone's in the same place as Seokjin was," Namjoon agrees. "And, not every Seokjin has you, has us. So – "

"Where did you find this?" Taehyung cuts him short. "This picture? Do you've more details?"

Namjoon crowds next to him and peers down the picture. He switches through tabs of his browser before he finally stops at one. "This one? Ah. That was the first orphanage that he worked at. He was 18? 19? Not older than that. But he wasn't transferred from there until 5 years later – "

"I know this place," Taehyung mutters as he walks away to the evidence room. He returns with a carton and puts it next to the laptop. "Anne," he says.

"We found this at her place." Taehyung says as he pulls out the photo frame with the eerie picture of mourning children and the dead-smiled nun. "Look at the chapel behind this. It looks like the one here."

He scrolls through the document that Namjoon made. Then, "When was Maskell there? At the orphanage?"

"Uh – from around 1994, maybe? He was there until '98 or '99," Namjoon says ruffling through old newspapers. "I had it – "

"This picture," Taehyung says as he flips over the photo. "It was taken in '96. Joon, do you think Anne's case is related to him?"

Namjoon's face pales. He asks, "How did she die?"