Single Father • Namjoon + BTS!Kids

xlviii.

The kids settled in, and Lisa grabbed a notepad and set up a small recording device before turning to Namjoon, who caught himself staring blankly at the wall before snapping back in and meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry, what was the question?"

"Just your full name," Lisa said, laughing softly, but her laugh cut off as she reminded herself than in an ideal world, there would be six kids messing with her desk accessories instead of just five. Put the job first, personal interests second. She took a deep breath and looked at Namjoon more seriously. "Sorry. Kim Namjoon, right?"

He nodded, frowning slightly.

She was tempted to say something to lighten the mood. I always remember a name. Well, just ones that go with a cute face. But she forced herself to focus. "All right, and your son's name?"

Namjoon was silent, as though he was scared to say it.

"Jimin, right?"

He nodded, swallowing. "I'm sorry. I..."

She nodded. "It's fine. This is my job. I'm used to dealing with people who aren't in their right minds. I get it. But hang in there just until I finish asking you questions."

He nodded.

"All right. Can you describe your day? Include where you went, what time things happened, and anything involving Jimin."

Namjoon sighed. "I...I dropped Jin and Yoongi off at the elementary school. That was...7:45," he recalled, closing his eyes to better envision the memories. "I dropped Hobi off at kindergarten at 7:50 something...then I dropped off Jimin and Jungkook at the preschool."

"Not Taehyung?"

"No. I just felt like he needed some alone time with me."

"Before you go on, why don't they just take the bus?"

"I..." Namjoon opened his eyes, sighing and looking past Officer Lisa to the exposed brick wall. "I was scared...that something would happen to them if they took the bus." He laughed once, but it sounded like a choked cry. "God, the irony."

"All right," Lisa said after she had written it down. "Go on. After you dropped off Jimin and Jungkook..."

"Then...I took Tae with me to the grocery store because I hadn't gone shopping yet for the week. But..."

"But what?"

"But I ended up running into my ex-wife."

"Can you tell me a bit about her for our records?"

"She left over a year ago and sent over the divorce papers not long after that. That's all that really matters."

"When did you last see her?"

"Before today? When she walked out on us. She's called a few times, though."

"We may need to get copies of those conversations."

Namjoon sighed. "Fine, if you think it'll help somehow. I could just tell you what they say." His eyes shot over to his kids and he winced, thinking of how angry their conversations had been. "They weren't nice calls. She wanted custody, I said no. And before you start thinking that she took Jimin, it wasn't her."

"What makes you say that?"

"She wanted-" He hesitated before leaning in slightly and speaking more quietly, scanning the kids to make sure they weren't listening. "She wanted Jin. Him specifically. She called and gave me some crap like that I could have the rest, she just wanted one. So if Jin was the one missing, I would say that yeah, she could be a suspect. But she never brought up Jimin."