Chapter 40

JENNIE

Running. Run from whom though. Run to where? Things that need to be done. Things that have to be done. We had to leave and we had to run.

After the second letter I couldn’t stay there anymore. And the detectives suggested it as well. The question though that was in my head was ‘what if they find us again?’, ‘what if this is not over?’, ‘what if our running is not going to help?’. Jisoo realized my inner anxiety and tried to hold me in her arms. Her arms were always the only place that was making me feel safe. And I needed them more than ever.

The police took us to Ella’s school to pick her up. Jisoo couldn’t drive with everything that was happening and I was feeling the same. How would we go to that hotel without them noticing that? Because I was sure they knew every move of ours. So they knew the police was there and they would follow us. I was starting to feel like a character of those mystery books. I was panicking if I would hear someone walking behind us, I would flinch if someone was touching me without notice. I was so close to become neurotic and I didn’t like how I was reacting to everything. I guess it was logical. Was it though?

“Jennie, I am so sorry.”

“For what?”

“I feel that everything is my fault. Those people.. I..” she was teary eyed.. She was about to cry inside the car where the detectives were heading us to Ella’s school. Ella. My little girl was suffered a lot since she was a baby. She never met her real mom, we never had a place to call ours except Jisoo’s apartment and now with all this that was happening to us we were again back to square one.

“Please don’t cry.. I am sorry that I made you think that it was your fault but it’s not. Okay? It’s not your fault. We..” I took a big breath and I told her something that I wasn’t sure I was believing.. “We are going to find them. We will and then we will continue our lives from where we left them. We will continue being us. I love you.”

“I love you too baby, always..”

Obviously we didn’t hide that we were a couple from detective Lee. He looked at us a couple of times while we were at the apartment but I didn’t see in his look discomfort or being disgusted. I guess two girls together was always hot for men.

“Jisoo, Jennie. I am going to go inside and I need one of you to come with me. The other one is going to stay with Detective Lee.”

“I am going to stay. Jisoo can you go with Detective Kang?” I said without thinking. And why? Because I needed to figure out who this new Detective was. I knew Detective Kang for months now but I wanted to feel safe when I would let him protect my girls.

“Okay. We will be back in a few.”

Once alone in the car I stayed quiet although I wanted to talk with him. Ask him so many questions. Like ‘will you find them?’, ‘are we going to be fine?’. Simple questions like that.

“I know that the situation is really bad right now but I promise you Ms. Jennie that we are going to try our best to find who is behind all that.” He said like he knew what I was thinking.

“How are you so sure Detective?”

“Because it’s my job. I see that every day. I know how these people work. And I am sure that whoever that might be they are going to make a mistake and we are going to be there to caught them.”

I don’t why but he made me believe him. It was something in his calm nature that made me feel calm as well. All I could say was that I could trust him. We stayed quiet after that till my baby girl was inside the car smiling and kissing my cheek. All I want for my child is to never see her sad or cry. I want for her to be able to smile forever. That’s what all parents want for their children.

“Mommy, why these people are here with us?”

“Sweetie, I told you who these people are when I came to pick you up. This is Dt Kang and this is Dt Lee. It’s the police.” Jisoo explained to her, I think for the second time.

“Oh.. Mommy.. Have you done anything bad?”

“No, princess. I didn’t.”

“So why the police have you?”

“They don’t have us little Ella. They are helping us with something.”

“Like when you help me with my homework mommy?”

“Something like that sweetie.”

Ella was adorable and she made everyone to like her. That was her charm I guess. I am wondering sometimes what is going to happen when she’ll be older.

She was rumbling about anything and nothing. About her school, her classmates. She was always acting like that when she was afraid or she felt uncomfortable. And I knew that although she was talking she had other things in her mind. Like her mothers.

“Okay.. Jennie.. You need to pack a bag with some things. Just for three days and then we will see. We are going to check the area here if there is someone suspicious and we meet again here in 20 minutes okay?”

“20 minutes it’s not much.”

“Jennie, we don’t have time. So please. Go upstairs with Jisoo and Ella and we will meet again.”

How can you pack for three people in 20 minutes? How can you pack under such pressure when all you know is that you are packing because you are in danger if you stay here. I felt Jisoo’s hand touching my arm. It was like she was bringing me back to reality.

“Jen?”

“I am okay. Let’s go.”

Walking the same steps every day but now they seemed different. Opening the door to our apartment but now I heard the door crack. Was it my imagination or not?

“I am going to Ella’s room to pack her things. Go to ours Jen. Don’t pack too many. Only for three days and only the necessary.”

I heard her going inside Ella’s room and my little one was following her mother as a kid would do. Instead of going to our room though my attention was to an ash tray in our kitchen table. An ash tray with a cigarette.. And neither Jisoo nor me were smoking. And as far as I remembered none of the detectives did.

My heart was beating like crazy. It was pulling me close although I wanted to be far away. I couldn’t help it. Once there, besides the ash tray, it was something else.. ‘Tik Tok’ written with black pen. They were inside our home.

“JISOO.. JISOO!!” I screamed and I didn’t want to scream like that but I couldn’t hold it.

“Jennie.. What is it?! Are you ok?” I shook my head no and I did a step back for her to see what I was showing to her. When she saw that she held my hand, took inside our room and started throwing clothes inside the bag.

“They were here.. They were inside our home..”

“I am going to ask John if he saw anyone coming inside. At least we may have a chance to see who it was..”

“The hell we will. Jisoo.. These people are professionals. They don’t leave fingerprints. They invaded our space!!”

“Jennie.. please.. stop.” I understood what Jisoo was trying to tell me when I saw those blue eyes looking at me scared.. Ella was right next to Jisoo looking at me with worry.

“Mommy?” She said ready to cry. I bended down to her height and hugged her like someone would take her away from me.

“I am sorry baby girl. I am sorry..”

“Mommy.. what’s wrong? Why you were yelling at momma and why are you crying?”

“Sweetie.. I..”

“Princess come here.. We have to go down to the kind people. Everything is fine.” Ella looked at me like she was expecting me to tell her the same. That I was fine. I wasn’t, but I had to lie to her.. I had to protect her.

“I am fine baby girl. Let’s go”

“Where are we going mommy?”

“To a trip. We are going to stay in a hotel.”

“Like the one we were staying mommy?”

“No, sweetie. Nothing like that.”

“Okay.”

When we got down Jisoo asked to see the tape and asked John if he let anyone suspicious coming in. He said that he didn’t but that he left his position for only 5 minutes. People can die in seconds.. So five minutes were too good for them to come inside.

“I didn’t see anyone that I didn’t know walking out from here. I swear Ms. Kim.”

“Jennie.. I found someone walking inside with a big hat covering their face. It might be them.” Jisoo said while looking at the tape.. That was something.

“Can you see them?”

“No. They are covering their face and they wear gloves.” Her phone started to ring and Dt Kang were in the other line “I am sorry.. Yes, we are still here.. Can you please come inside? We found something.”

Five minutes John left his position and in those five minutes someone broke into our apartment. I started to believe that maybe John knew something more.