Two Options

Luhan stepped into the room with the air of a man who was ready to pick a fight if necessary. He gave a perfunctory smile, the taut line of his jaw and the wariness of his eyes betraying him for a guarded, thoroughly experienced fighter. Smoothly, he sat down before Odd Eye. Jonghyun bolted the door with a resounding click.

“Well, gentleman,” he said flatly, “Here I am. What is it that you wanted? I have many matters to attend to, you know, and I dislike being taken away from them.”

Onew smiled without joy. “Of course, of course. You see, Mr Luhan, we feel that you have…rather a close, personal interest in this case.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. I must ask – you have known Junmyeon for a long time, is that right?”

Onew watched as Luhan blinked slightly, caught off guard by the question. The wheels in the man's mind began to turn, trying to puzzle this out. Slowly, he nodded. “Yes. I first became acquainted with him when his sons were still young boys.”

“And you two are close?”

“We are business associates.”

“But you are also a trustee in the vast inheritance that his sons will come into,” Onew noted sharply.

“That is so,” Luhan said warily, his tone cautious. He’s trying to figuring out where I’m coming from, Onew thought, watching the man’s delicate features. Appearances were certainly deceiving. But then, Onew had always maintained that it was a folly to be sympathetic to beautiful men and women in murder cases. “Naturally I am not the only trustee.”

“The others?”

“Two have died – of natural causes. The other is an associate of mine in our firm.”

“And the amount that the two brothers will come into?”

Luhan’s jaw hardened, hands coming together rather aggressively. “Pardon me,” he said through his teeth, “But what exact business is all of this of yours?”

“If you dislike answering the question –”

“Dislike’s besides the point. Ask what you want. I just don’t see the relevance of it.”

“One must cover everything,” Onew said, with a sagely air that caused Luhan to gnash his teeth, “In determining motives. Financials considerations must always be taken into account in a murder. It is always the most obvious form of gain."

With sullen displeasure, Luhan stated, “They are credibly assured of millions.”

“You and your partner certainly carry a heavy responsibility.”

“There is nothing to it,” Luhan said curtly.  

“I wonder,” Onew murmured softly.

His tone clearly touched a sore point, for Luhan asked angrily, “What the devil are you on about?”

Onew abruptly changed courses. “I understand that it was your decision to travel here over the subject of financial matters and discrepancies.” 

Once more, the foreign trustee's face registered surprise. Luhan slowly nodded. “I have answered this question before,” he said, in the same manner someone went ‘senile old fool’, “I felt it would be best if I were present so that the affairs might be settled smoothly.”

“Oh? So Kim Junmyeon’s note to you on these discrepancies, sent to your firm, it caused no…consternation?”

“Consternation?”

“Consternation. It’s a word meaning –”

“I know what it means! What the hell are you driving at?”

“Something quite simple. Is the inheritance of the Kim twins in the perfect order it should be?”

Luhan rose to his feet angrily, his rage making him appear to tower despite his true stature. “That’s it. I’m through.”

He made for the door. Onew’s normally gentle tone rang out with severity. “Will you not answer my question?"

“They are in order,” Luhan snarled.

“You were not so alarmed that you immediately suggested a face-to-face meeting and dropped everything in order to reach Korea in time?”

“How many times have I got to repeat myself?”

“For as long as it is noted that your physical presence was never necessary so quickly.”

Luhan opened his mouth, but to Onew’s surprise, it was Taemin who had cut him off, radiating charm towards the foreign trustee. “Come now, Mr Luhan, let’s not pretend. I’m a former police officer. We’ve been able to find that you travelled here from China almost immediately after Mr Kim’s letter came into your hands. It’s not that difficult to investigate train companies. We know you came here with haste, it’s no use denying it.”

For a brief moment, Onew wondered if Luhan would call Taemin’s bluff. But then something flickered across his face; Taemin’s innocent, appealing expression had won him right over that the man couldn’t help but believe him. Onew had to bite his lip to keep from bursting into smile or congratulating him for his actions. They had him now.

Before him, Luhan appeared to wrest himself under control. He sat down slowly, never taking his eyes off Onew’s face. Luhan’s face was impassive, a poker face. But behind that doll-like mas