I lean forward, my pen poised over the notepad, its tip pressing lightly against the crisp white paper. The fluorescent lights of the interrogation room hum softly overhead as I ask, "So you heard more explosions after the first one?"
Min-seo nods, her eyes distant, unfocused, as if gazing into the past. Her slender fingers fidget with the hem of her worn sweater. "Yes, almost every day for a while. Sometimes they were loud, like thunder. Other times, just muffled thumps. I had no idea what they were, but they seemed to make my captors nervous.
I could hear them arguing in hushed tones afterward."
"And then what happened?" Sue prompts gently, her voice warm and encouraging. She leans forward slightly, her body language open and attentive.
Min-seo takes a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling visibly. The fluorescent light casts shadows under her eyes, accentuating her exhaustion. "One day, it must have been early evening because I remember seeing orange sunlight through the cracks in the boarded-up window, a couple of the men came into my room. Their faces were tense, almost panicked.
They said they needed me to go to the hospital because one of their group was severely injured. I remember smelling something metallic – blood, I think. They wanted to use my identification for admission and have me handle the payment and paperwork."
I exchange a meaningful glance with Sue, our eyebrows raised.
"Did you agree?" I ask, my pen hovering above the paper, ready to capture her response.
Min-seo nods, a flicker of determination crossing her face. "I did. I thought... I thought it might be my only chance to escape. It was terrifying, but I knew I had to try."
"Smart thinking," Sue murmurs encouragingly, offering a reassuring smile.
"Do you remember the name of the hospital?" I ask, hoping for a concrete lead, something tangible we can investigate.
Min-seo's eyes light up with recognition, a spark of life returning to her tired gaze. "Yes, it was Hope Hospital. I remember seeing the sign as we drove up – it was large, with blue letters."
I jot this down quickly, my pen scratching against the paper. It's our first solid piece of evidence that can be verified, a potential goldmine of information.
"What happened at the hospital?" Sue asks.
Min-seo's voice grows quieter, almost conspiratorial. "After registering the injured man, I told them I urgently needed to use the restroom. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst. But instead of going to the bathroom, I ran to the main gate where the taxis were parked. I just grabbed one and fled. I didn't even give the driver directions at first, I just yelled at him to drive."
I nod, impressed by her quick thinking under such stress. "That was very brave, Min-seo. Not everyone would have had the presence of mind to act so quickly."
She gives a small, sad smile, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I was in disbelief about everything around me. The taxi, the streets, the people... it all seemed unreal, like a dream. And I was terrified they might follow me. Every time I heard a car behind us, I thought it might be them."
"What did you do?" I ask, pen poised to capture every detail of her harrowing escape.
"I asked the driver to drop me off in the middle of nowhere. I remember it was getting dark, and there were fields on both sides of the road. Then I just... started walking. The ground was muddy, and my shoes kept sinking in, but I was too scared to stop."
Min-seo takes a sip of water from the plastic cup on the table, her hands still trembling slightly as she continues her story. "After walking for what felt like hours, my feet aching and blistered, I came across a small village. Just a handful of houses and a tiny store. I was exhausted, scared, but I knew I couldn't stop. I felt exposed, like they could find me at any moment."
I nod encouragingly, pen poised to capture every detail, the scratching of the nib against paper the only sound in the room besides Min-seo's soft voice.
"There was a taxi in the village," she says, her voice barely above a whisper, as if she's still afraid of being overheard. "It was old and rusty, but it was there. I still had some money – the cash they'd given me for the hospital. I hailed the taxi and just told the driver to take me to Seoul.
I remember the driver looked at me strangely, probably because of my disheveled appearance, but he didn't ask any questions."
"Did you have a specific destination in mind?" Sue asks gently, her eyes soft with empathy.
Min-seo shakes her head, a few strands of hair falling across her face. "No, I... I was afraid to go home. Afraid they might look for me there. I just knew I needed to get to the city, where I could disappear in the crowd. Where I could blend in and feel safer."
"The taxi ride was long," Min-seo continues, her gaze unfocused, lost in the memory. "I kept drifting in and out of sleep, jerking awake at every bump in the road. By the time we reached Seoul, I'd spent all the money I had. The driver dropped me off... I don't even remember where exactly. Some busy street in the city center.
There were neon signs everywhere, people rushing by."
"And then?" I prompt softly, sensing we're nearing the end of her ordeal.
Min-seo's eyes meet mine, filled with a mix of exhaustion and determination. The fluorescent light catches the unshed tears, making them glisten. "I started walking again. I was terrified, constantly looking over my shoulder. Every face in the crowd seemed suspicious. But somehow, I remembered...
I remembered that police stations are safe places. So I asked people for directions, and I just... I kept walking until I found this station. It felt like it took forever, but finally, I saw the sign, and I knew I was safe."
As Min-seo finishes her account, I lean back in my chair, the metal frame creaking slightly.
***
I step out of the meeting room, my mind whirling with the information Min-seo has shared. I turn to Sue, who's following close behind, her notepad clutched to her chest.
"Sue," I say, my voice low to maintain privacy in the busy corridor, "could you prepare a briefing for the team? I think Min-seo needs some rest now."
Sue nods, her eyes reflecting the same mix of concern and determination I feel. Her short brown hair bobs slightly with the movement. "Of course. I'll get right on it. Should I include the hospital lead as a priority?"
"Definitely," I confirm. "That's our most solid lead so far."
As I walk down the corridor, the sounds of the busy police station surround me - phones ringing, muffled conversations, the occasional slam of a file cabinet. I'm lost in thought, mentally reviewing Min-seo's story, when Aileen's voice suddenly chimes in my head, her tone intrigued and slightly amused.
"That was quite the story, wasn't it?"
I try to ignore her, focusing on organizing my thoughts for the upcoming briefing. I nod to a passing colleague, trying to maintain an outward appearance of normalcy despite the voice in my head.
Aileen, undeterred, continues. "You know, if it were me, I would have killed all those men. Such evil doesn't deserve to live."
I frown, uncomfortable with her casual mention of murder. My steps falter slightly, and I have to consciously smooth out my expression.
"Explosions every day?" Aileen muses. "That means it must be quite remote from where people live, doesn't it?"
Despite my reluctance, I find myself engaging. "Or somewhere it's natural to hear explosions," I think back, careful not to vocalize my response.
"Ah, good point," Aileen agrees. "A construction site, perhaps? Or a quarry?"
"Maybe," I concede mentally. "We'll need to look into industrial sites near Hope Hospital."
Aileen's tone turns thoughtful. "Something strange, though. She said she was assaulted by at least five men, and given what she described, they must have been holding her in some kind of industrial setting. But why did only two men come to tell her about the hospital? What happened to the others?"
I pause in my tracks, realizing the validity of Aileen's observation. It's a good question, one that hadn't occurred to me in the whirlwind of Min-seo's story. I lean against the wall, pretending to check my phone while I consider this point.
Before I can ponder this further, Sue approaches me, a stack of freshly printed papers in her hand. "The briefing is ready," she says, her face serious. "I've included a timeline of events and highlighted the key points for investigation."
I nod, pushing Aileen's voice to the back of my mind.
"What about Min-seo? Is she alright?"
Sue nods reassuringly, her expression softening. "She's resting now. I set her up in one of the officer's resting rooms. Officer Park is keeping an eye on her, just in case she needs anything."
"Thanks, Sue."
As I push open the door to the briefing room, I see the expectant faces of my team. The projector hums to life, casting a soft glow on the expectant faces around the table.