Chapter 39

JISOO

Scare. A period of general fear. Fear. Concern or anxiety; Solicitude.

Those were my feelings all this long. I was scared of the unknown. Who was behind everything? I was afraid of my family. Jennie and Ella have been through so much already and now someone was making a very bad joke with us or was trying really bad to hurt us. Fifty people. Fifty potential people. Who might be? And what if it was someone else? All these questions were killing me and I was trying really hard not to let it consume me. One of us should be strong. One of us should have their mind clear. I have seen those things before. I put people behind bars. And now someone was really pissed.

Before I give everything to Detective Kang I made a photocopy of my files. I needed to read again and try to remember what the cases were. It would be a hard job to do but I wouldn’t let anyone to hurt my girls.

Jennie was on edge. She didn’t want to go to work and she wanted to keep Ella at home. She even told me to leave Phily and go to another city or state. She was afraid and I was feeling the same but what the detective told us, that day at the police station, was the right thing to do. We had to continue our lives. We needed to. If we let them hunt us then they would win.

I didn’t want to call my dad but he knew people and he could help us. He was always someone I could count on.

I did call him the next day. I was waiting for Jennie to come home so we could be together and listen what he would tell us. Also my father already knew about me and Jennie. Three months ago we went to New York to see him. He knew who Jennie was but he didn’t know what she was for me. I didn’t know how he would react but he amazed me with his supportiveness. He told me something that every kid would like to hear in a situation like this ‘I will always love you no matter what. You are my daughter’. I am not saying that he liked the idea of his daughter being with another girl but at least he was supportive. I wanted Jennie to be with me when I would tell him but she said that it was something between my dad and me. The next day my dad wanted to meet her and my little girl. We went for a walk at Central Park and those two hit if off immediately. Without Jennie listening to us he mouthed to me ‘I like her’. That was all I needed.

When Jennie was home I made the phone call. My dad was an exceptional lawyer and he knew people that could help. He always wanted me to go and work with him but I wanted to do something on my own. And of course I wanted to be far away from my mother. My dad supported me for one more time. Sometimes I wonder why on earth he married my mom. I guess he knew better.

“Hey baby. Did you call your dad?”

“No, I was waiting for you.”

“Tell him about everything Jisoo.”

“I will. Don’t worry. Okay?”

“Okay. So make that call.”

I dialed the number and I was waiting patiently for my dad to pick up his phone.

“Hello princess. How are you?”

“Hey daddy. I am okay. Are you on a meeting or something? I can call you later.”

“For my daughter I always have time.” I heard him talking to some people excusing himself and then I realized that he was back to his office because of the door closing.. “Okay I am back. Sorry for that sweetheart.”

“It’s okay dad.”

“So tell me.. How’s work? Everything fine?”

“Work is good.”

“Nice. And little Ella? How’s Jennie?”

“They are ok. But..”

“Jisoo, tell me.. Is something wrong?”

“Daddy..” I said with a trembling voice.

Jennie held my hand and immediately I found the courage to tell him everything.. From Suho, to Bona, to the letter. All the time he was quiet, listening to everything I was telling him.

“Dad? Are you still there?”

“I am here. Jisoo why on earth you didn’t tell me anything?”

“Daddy, what did you expect me to tell you? At that time you didn’t know Jennie. You didn’t know she was living with me. What did you expect me to do?”

“To talk to your dad. That was I’m expecting you to do.”

“I am here now. Dad, I am scared. We are scared. We are afraid that something will happen to Ella. And I am scared that something will happen to my family.” I said and looked Jennie right in her eyes.

“I will book a flight and come there tomorrow. I will call you later to tell you what time I am going to be there. Ok? I will make some phone calls. See you tomorrow Jisoo.”

“Ok daddy. I love you.”

“I love you too dad.”

When we ended the call Jennie asked me right away what my dad said. After telling her everything and that he was coming here tomorrow we both stayed silent on our couch holding hands. When I got up to go at the kitchen a really big noise scared me to death. It was the noise of a broken window. A brick with a note was lying now on our floor. Jennie was trembling and I was scared to read what that note said.

“Be careful Jen.” Besides her trembling, Jennie was the one who unfolded the letter from the brick and started reading it. Once she finished it she gave it to me to read it.

‘Tik tok. Tik tok. You can search but you can not find. You think you can hide. Everything is already set and oopps, guess what.. You are going to die.’

I run to the broken window trying to see if someone was outside but all I could see were the cars. No one who seemed suspicious. And this letter was different from the other one. This was a threaten note.

“This is getting serious Jisoo. I am afraid for Ella and you. I think we should leave. I think we should take the next plane and go to..” She was crying while trembling, yelling and rumbling.. I was afraid too for her and Ella too.

“I am going to call detective Kang. Okay?” She didn’t answer me. She just nodded her head. My heart was beating so fast.

“Hello?”

“Detective it’s me Jisoo. We had another note.”

“Tell me what happened Jisoo.”

I read to her what the note was saying and told me not to touch anything else. In fifteen minutes she would be at my apartment.

“What did she say Jisoo?”

“She will be here in fifteen minutes. Did you touch anything else?”

“Not really. I can’t remember. God Jisoo..” she cried on my shoulder and I tried to calm her. As I said one of us had to stay calm and that someone was me.

“Sssshhh.. baby.. it’s ok.. I am here.”

I was feeling that I was failing my family. I was failing to protect them. And I think that Jennie was right. We needed to leave. But I didn’t know if leaving was the best thing to do. From my experience dealing with this kind of people I knew from first hand that they would always find you.

Fifteen minutes later detective was here with another man that I guessed was her partner. Once inside she greeted me and Jennie with a handshake and walked to where the note came from.

“What time did this happen?”

“It was after 2pm.”

“The note was wrapped on this brick?”

“Yes, detective.”

“Can I see the note?” I handed it to her and she read it after she wore those gloves they use to wear.. “Jisoo this is getting dangerous. They know where you live, they obviously know your program and this note here is a threat to you or Jennie. I do believe that it would be best for you not to stay here tonight. Do you have someone where you can stay for some nights?”

“No, but I can book a hotel room.”

“Do that. And Jisoo I was ready to call you when you did. We investigated Bona. She is not living in the states any more. Her sister told us that she is in Europe for the last couple of months and she gave us any information we would need. It’s not her either.”

“So.. two down, fifty to go?”

“I am reading the files you gave me. This is detective Lee, my partner. He will be in this case as well.”

“Ms. Kim, we are going to take these at the station. Hopefully we are going to find fingerprints but to tell you the truth I doubt that. Also he or she wrote in rhyme and in perfect spelling. We are not searching for a scamp.” Detective Lee said. He was probably in his early thirties.

“Yes, baby. It was different. What that means?” instead of me answering, trying to find the right words detective lee was the one to give Jennie the answer.

“That we have to deal with someone very clever and very pissed at Ms. Kim over there.”