Confessions

Before the full implications of that little statement could quite sink in, there was sharp knocking on the door of the reception room. Jonghyun, who felt a little bored about having to stand about as a guard, peered through the keyhole, and then widened his eyes in complete confusion. He opened the door a crack, looked out, gave a hesitant little wave, and then closed the door again, pressing his back into it.

“We’ve a queue,” he announced.

“What?” Minho asked, at the same time Key cried, “Did you wave at them?”

“It’s not well-wishers or people wanting our autograph if that’s what you’re thinking –”

“Nobody’s wanted our autograph in years,” Key said pointedly.

“They did in the past! There were even girls throwing themselves at us!”

“No, there weren’t.”

“Yes, there were. Remember, there was that pretty actress that asked me to –”

“Wasn’t she the catty blackmailer from that case with the loony old spinster?”

“Oh, right. I’d forgotten.”

Now the knocking had grown positively impatient, and Jonghyun put aside the sad thoughts of evil red-haired girls and quickly turned to a bemused Onew. “It's Tao and Chanyeol."

"Let in Tao first,” Onew said, after thinking a moment.

Jonghyun stuck his head out the door and pointed to the man with the dark shadows under his eyes. “You, in. You, stay, and no funny business.”

Chanyeol snapped to attention so nervously his hat fell off. “At ease, gentleman,” Jonghyun said with a grin. Chanyeol’s ears went red, and he hastily shoved his hat back on to hide them.

Tao blinked in confusion and hesitantly stepped into the reception room. He wore an expensively tailored dark coat that made him appear even thinner and more ghoulish. Despite his youth, he looked tired and drained. Sitting down loudly before them, he curled and uncurled his fingers, as though straining to get the words out. When he didn’t speak for more than a few minutes, Onew appeared to take pity on him, and said gently, “Is there something you wish to tell us?”

Tao on his teeth. Jonghyun resisted the urge to shake him to make him talk. “I want to make a clean of things.”

Jonghyun had the distinct impression that Onew already had a suspicion of what Tao wanted to say, but he only sat back, smiled, and said, “Go on.”

“I knew that I was going to come into a lot of money,” Tao said out in a blurted rush, “I…I…I needed money, I’m…”

“You lead a very extravagant lifestyle?” Onew said without judgment. Tao went red, picking a little at the fancy buttons on his coat. Jonghyun noticed Key eyeing the buttons with a deep interest, and inwardly sighed at the fashion consciousness of his friend. It was certainly a good thing that Key’s female socialites paid so well.

“I got into a bit of debt,” Tao mumbled. “There were these boots and sometimes I thought about ‘if only I could get that inheritance now’ but I would never…”

“You must have felt very guilty,” Onew observed.

“I feel like I made it happen,” he continued, one hand coming up to wipe his eyes. “Stupid superstition… I just thought I should say it, after everything’s happened. I don’t want anyone to think anything of me. There’s no point lying now. Killer needs to be found.” 

He eyed Onew as well. “It wasn’t Sehun, either. I swear. I know Sehun. He hated Yifan.