• Under pressure • [ Taekook ]

15. Coffin

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The rain fell on Seoul like a mournful funeral. Dark clouds enveloped the inner city center and a procession of peeling facades.

The streets were empty, somewhere you could just see an umbrella carried by a busy passer-by. And a few steps from the square there was a police station.

A woman with a sad expression on her face was sitting on metal chairs. She waited.

As soon as she heard footsteps in front of the room, she straightened up a little, and then stood up on her shaky legs as soon as she saw a man with ebony black hair and a stern look enter the door.

- Ms. Solis? - the woman flinched at his deep and calm voice and then quickly nodded her head.

- Sit down. - when she did, Taehyung continued.

- I'm sorry for your daughter Ana.

- Daughter? - asked the woman, noticing how the other's eyebrows furrowed.

- I am her aunt, but she has lived with me almost her entire life. My younger sister Carmen got pregnant young. Wanting to finish school, she had a plan to get rid of the child. However, since we lost our parents early, we had no one else. So I accepted Ana as my own daughter. Carmen never married and never told me who the father was. Unfortunately, she died in an accident 4 years ago, so only Ana and I were left... - the woman sobbed, wiping the tears that were constantly falling. Taehyung looked towards the open blinds and nodded.

After a few seconds, Jungkook came in with a cup of water which he immediately offered to the woman. She took a few sips of the cold liquid and then continued.

- And now you inform me that I will never see my Ana... she was a really good child...

- Where did you see her last time? - asked the older detective.

- In our house. We fought because of the loud music and her attitude. Typical teenage behavior, you know. She left the house that afternoon and didn't return. I reported her missing right away, but they told me that 48 hours must pass before they start looking for her. That was seven months ago.

- What attitude? - Jungkook asked. His voice interrupted the woman, who didn't expect that the younger detective was still there. She looked at him and then answered with a low whisper.

- She started to protest because her biological parents were not part of her life. Ana found out that I wasn't her mother, when she found an extract from the birth book.

- It is not known who the father is?

- No. Her mother never talked about him. - the woman cried, and then continued.

- You always expect to pick up your child out of the cradle, but never to see its coffin. Do you have her body?

- Not yet. - said both detectives at the same time.

The woman remained sitting on the uncomfortable chair for some time, when Jungkook and Taehyung came out and immediately looked at each other, realizing what they should do.

- Tell Jimin to get me a search warrant for Mr. Lee's boat and house. - Taehyung said as he gently spanked the younger's ass.

Jungkook flinched and nodded as he dialed the blonde cop's number on the screen, making his way to the exit of the station.

- Hey Jimin, arrange a search warrant for the Lee's boat and house. I'm waiting for you in the café. - the young man spoke as he came down the stairs from the station with quick steps.

When he opened the door of the café where he stayed most of the day, Jungkook was almost wet. The rain continued to fall non-stop on the boulevard.

Now with coffee in hand, he watched as each drop brightened the monotony of the large windows. As soon as the blond head was on the horizon, Jungkook looked away from that canvas and turned his attention to the other man.

- Jungkook... I hope you didn't wait long for me. - Jimin rasped softly as he pulled out a creaking chair.

- No, don't worry, the coffee just arrived. - a small smile slipped from his face.

- Here's the order, as you requested. - a blond man handed him the paper that the detective was eagerly waiting for.

- Oh! You are fast Jimin-shi! - Jungkook was already on his feet.

- But... - Jimin didn't have time to finish the sentence, when the other interrupted him.

- Take what you want, at my expense! - he said that, and got out of the café. Jungkook went straight to Taehyung's office to hand him the search warrant.

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At one point the door of the lab opened, and a young detective entered.

- Hi, Hoseok.

- Jungkook, I was expecting you. So? - the elder asked while fixing the collar of his white coat.

- So?

- Did you inform the family of Ana Solis? How did it go?

- The way it always goes when you inform the family that someone was violently killed and then buried. So, it was awful. - he quickly combed his hair with his fingers and asked.

- Do you think that she had something to do with the murdered city councilor? - the question had been bothering Jungkook for some time.

- Ummm I don't think so, there is no evidence the two knew each other. Except that it simply turned out both of them were killed in the neighborhood. That is, Ana was buried there, not killed. - Hoseok answered.

- What do you mean?

- If there are connections, they will be on the boat or in Lee's house. - Hoseok said as he looked over some things that were obviously owned by Lee. Then he continued when he pointed to a certain object.

- Like this. - Hoseok's finger pointed to the colorful seats taken out of the boat.

When the younger man took a closer look, he noticed that there was some slime on the edge of the seat.

- Son of a bitch! Now we know she was on his boat. - Jungkook concluded.

- Or she never left. - the elder pointed to the gray metal suitcase that he opened at that moment.

Jungkook wished at that moment the reality was different. He wished that what he saw wasn't true.

Hoseok lifted the lid of the suitcase and bones appeared in front of them, which both of them knew deep down it was all that was left from the girl named Ana Solis.

- Fuck. - Jungkook turned and closed his eyes tightly to prevent tears of anger from falling. She was so young.

- Do, Lee killed the girl after all. - Hoseok whispered quietly.

- Yes, and apparently he wanted to get rid of her body again when the issue of confiscating the houses of eminent area was raised. - the detective spoke moving towards the door, then he stopped and continued again.

- Only the question remains, why did he keep her bones buried in the yard. Who did he want to blackmail?

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...to be continued...