Chapitre 19: Hi!

A cold chill ran down her spine as a chilly breeze passed by her back. There was a presence near her.

"You can't speak but I know you're there," Gayoon said out loud to the pale young woman who was seated next to her on the passenger's seat.

"I'm going to find your mother and arrest her," she went on. "I'll say the names of some places out loud. All you gotta do is lightly tap my hand twice if it's yes and do nothing if it's no. Understood?"

There was a light tap on her wrist.

"Is she at her friend's place?"

No response.

"Is she at a hotel?"

Another silence.

"Is she at her workplace?"

Suddenly, she felt the cold fingers tap her hand. She got her answer.

"Let's go and get her then," Gayoon stated, revving up the engine and driving off.

…..

Everyone at the joint stared as the muddied woman stepped up to the counter. Gayoon was aware of all the looks but ignored them and instead charged straight up to the counter. Kanji's mouth fell. He instantly recognized the strange woman.

"Hey isn't that…" he started to ask Minho but the latter shushed him.

"Don't say anything," he muttered. He hid his face with his hand, but was peering to see what the crazy girl was upto.

"Ahjumma, you're under arrest for the murder of your daughter, Jung Jihyun," Gayoon announced. The older woman was visibly nervous.

Han Mido was not a very smart woman. She had endured the insult of birthing a mute daughter for many years and finally, last night, she had killed the cursed child with her own hands. She had abandoned the body in her backyard when she heard noises coming from her neighbor's house. With no money to run away, Mido decided to collect her payment from her boss first before catching the afternoon train to Gwangju. The police would be busy with investigation and it would take them hours to find her anyway. But she did not count on them catching her that soon.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" she exclaimed in alarm. "My daughter...she's at home! She's alive, right?"

"You know your daughter is dead," Gayoon replied. "She was mute so no one heard you killing her mercilessly. You were seen abandoning her body in the backyard inside a shallow grave."

"Nonsense!" Mido claimed. "My neighbors hate me! They're lying!"

"Well tell that at the police station," Gayoon said, taking out the handcuffs but Mido was quicker. She took a glass bottle and smashed half of it. Everybody at the restaurant stood up in shock as the old woman got possessed by a crazed obsession.

She brandished the broken glass at Gayoon. "DON'T COME NEAR ME!" She screamed like a maniac as she came round the counter.

Gayoon held her hands up to her shoulder, trying to think quickly. The old woman was berserk and might hurt someone. She must disarm her. Fast.

"Ahjumma, you won't be able to escape," Gayoon reasoned with her. "The police already know your face and have evidence against you. Try to understand, you won't be able to escape."

"I DON'T CARE! I GOT MY FREEDOM AFTER TAKING CARE OF THAT BURDEN FOR YEARS!"

Mido was beside herself. Her eyes were blazing with a madness and she was not going to give in easily. That brat had taken away a lot of years from her life and it was her time to live.

Gayoon was infuriated at her actions. The woman had murdered her own child in cold blood and was now trying to make excuses for her actions. She felt a cold air beside her. The girl was standing there, probably crying at what her mother was doing.

It was easy to feel a spirit's feelings. They were not very good at hiding it and that girl was in immense grief. Not only was she killed by her own mother who thought her as troublesome but her heart was also breaking for Mido. All she wanted was her mother to love her.

The mute girl's silent tears were making Gayoon angrier at the old lady. In all her years as a detective, she had encountered many monsters and Han Mido was one. She was not the worst but belonged to a dangerous kind of monster who would not hesitate to harm others for her own happiness.

"Ahjumma, you're making a big mistake," Gayoon said. "You'll not get out of here easily. Give it up and come with me to the station. If you surrender, your punishment might even get reduced."

It was a bluff of course. She was going to make sure the woman was behind the bars for the rest of her life. The other customers at the restaurant were scared at the old woman's words. They were cowering against the walls, frightened by the glass wielding maniac and were also afraid that the detective would start firing. If it was not a public place, Gayoon could have used her gun to fire at her foot and subdue her but if the bullet ricocheted, then it would create even bigger problems.

Gayoon briefly glanced behind the woman.

"I know you'll do shit!" Mido shouted. "I have no intention of going to jail!"

"We can try to reduce your sentence!" Gayoon lied. She had to keep the woman distracted for long enough. "Trust me!"

"I won't have to go to jail if you don't blab!" Mido said crazily. "All I'll have to do is silence you!"

The old woman charged at her. Gayoon was ready to tackle her when-

WHACK!

Mido froze midway before falling to the ground. Behind her stood a tall figure of a formally suited man in his mid thirties. He had calmly hit a critical area on Mido's head whilst Gayoon kept her busy in a conversation.

"How pathetic," Minho said in a deadpan voice. "Her ranting just cost me ten minutes of my life. I could have made half a million within that time frame. Maybe I should sue her for it?"

Gayoon could only gape at him while another tall man beside him simply smiled at her and said, "Hi!"