“I see you’re about to have lunch,” In Ji said, “I shouldn’t bother you anymore.”

“Would you like to join us?” Victoria offered.

“No thanks, I’m already full.” she told. “I have a workshop in 20 minutes, I’ll see you later ok?”

Victoria nodded and watched as In Ji returned to her office.

“You’re fast with making new friends, aren’t you?” asked Heechul sitting back down and watched as Victoria took a seat behind her desk.

“Say, would you like to get hooked up?” Victoria whispered leaning forward.

Heechul almost choked on his drink but restrained it. “What?”

Victoria smiled, “She’s awfully pretty isn’t she? And she’s really young too.”

“I think you’re the youngest professor on this floor,” Heechul told.

Victoria laughed, “Hopeless as usual aren’t you? But if you’re interested someday let me know.”

Heechul just smiled. He already had someone he was interested in and he wasn’t yet planning to tell her that.

/////

After Eunhyuk had been called away by his parents Donghae was left wondering his thoughts in the suffocating room. He couldn’t wait until he would be able to get out of the hospital. Once he was out he wanted to take a run by the river. How he missed the fresh air he never cherished.

The door opened and Donghae turned to see Chief Kang walk in.

“Chief Kang.”

“Sorry, I’ve been so busy I haven’t made an official visit,” he apologized sitting down on the chair with a heaving sigh.

“You sound like you could ask for a break.”

“Talk about it. There’s been a homicide a bit down south.”

“How is it?”

“Bloody. I would have assigned you to it but I found someone else to do it. We’re pretty lucky so far,” Chief Kang explained. “How are you doing? Feeling better?”

“Not too bad. I can eat normally by this weekend gladly,” Donghae explained, “and I’ll be able to move about. They say I’m recovering super fast. Good news huh? I can return to work after I get out next week.”

“Next week is too soon. Take a couple of weeks after that off,” Chief Kang advised. “I haven’t yet told your uncle, but he’d be pretty upset if he found out I wasn’t taking good care of you.”

“Not upset with you chief,” Donghae told. “He’d be bitter disappointed in me, but how am I supposed to rest after I get out next week? I still have to continue with my investigation. I haven’t yet gotten anywhere.”

“Don’t worry about that for now, just focus on your recovery first. I can’t abuse my employees like this. It’ll make me look bad as well as degrade our bureau in Incheon.”   

Donghae sighed, “Then what do you want?”

“Just rest. Take this as your time off in Seoul and do whatever you need to do then I’ll call you up when I want you to return.”

“You’re not…by any chance laying me off are you?” Donghae questioned.

Chief Kang laughed at his remark, “No way I would. I’ll keep you employed as long as I’m still able to move.”

Donghae laughed.

“Anyway, I have other news I dug up.”

“What is it?”

“Regarding last night.”

“Last night?” Donghae repeated.

“I assumed you would know because Hyukjae used your phone to call me,” Chief Kang started.

“He did,” Donghae said. “But I’m not yet clear on details.”

“This is as far as I know, she’d taken her dog out but heard some unexpected noise. When the man attacked her in the backyard they put up a fight, that’s basically it. I’d say she was super lucky Hyukjae happened to drive pass her home and noticed it in time to alarm her attacker. If not something worse could have happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“He could have assaulted her or killed her or could have done both, but that’s not the problem here.”

“You’re saying…”

“There’s a possibility he could be the stalker or the one who tampered with her brakes, or he could be both, but there’s also a possibility that he may not be any of those. There’s been quite a few reports about attacks on women by a stranger in the past year but he’s suddenly gone silent. The man that attacked Miss Song could be this person who’s still running loose. None of the police assumed he would return to the same neighborhood and resume his attacks, but this could be it. I’ve already sent notifications to the Seoul police to keep a watch out for him,” Chief Kang explained. “He may still be lurking around the area and since Miss Song is living alone I’ve also assigned some of them to keep a watch on her. I bet that assures you of her safety, right?”

Donghae just watched Chief Kang’s stern expression. Something else between his words had caught Donghae’s attention, but he couldn’t talk about it with his boss, his employer.

“Thanks chief,” Donghae thanked.

“I’m going to go check up on her and inform her about this,” Chief Kang said before getting up. “Get well soon, Donghae, and I’ll see you again in a few weeks.”

With that the door closed again and Donghae was left with his thoughts as well. Though Eunhyuk had managed to persuade him earlier Donghae began to feel some unease about the fact that he’d driven pass Victoria’s house, even so late at night.

Before Donghae could begin getting even more paranoid the door opened again and this time he was met with Song Philip.

“I see you’re not in very good shape,” Song Philip greeted.

Donghae watched him silently as he sat down wondering what this man wanted from him.

“How’d you know I was here?”

“Victoria told me so I decided to pay a visit.”

“Victoria?”

Song Philip seemed a bit surprised when he repeated her name, “I just wanted to stop by a bit before I’d leave this weekend.”

Donghae remained silent.

“I see that you’ve been keeping Victoria company a lot lately,” Philip told.

“Did she say that?” Donghae felt curious.

Philip ignored his question, “I just want to ask you a favor.”

Donghae eyed him.

“Keep an eye out on her, will you? And make sure she takes care of herself.” Philip said very seriously. “She’s mean, but she breaks like a twig very easily. I know you’re just an investigator, but at least do this…please.”

After the man had left Donghae wondered what position he held exactly when Victoria had declared that he was nothing more than the investigator who had wrongfully accused her. And now Philip was asking him to be her caretaker? Why all of a sudden would Victoria’s good friend ask of something like that from him? What role, exactly, was he supposed to take?

“Why did you bother coming to Seoul and end up like this?” Donghae asked himself.

“The answer is right in front of you.” Hyuk’s voice entered his mind.

“In front of me, in front of me,” Donghae repeated to himself. “Where is the answer if it’s supposed to be in front of me? What were you talking about, Hyuk?”

“Hee Sun knows the answer, I know the answer, and probably everyone you’ve asked knows the answer,” Eunhyuk explained, “so why don’t you know the answer?”

“I don’t know.”

“See. This is how you are,” Eunhyuk said. “Just like how she avoids your questions you always go with the ‘I don’t know’ answer.”

“You should have just told me if you know me so well,” Donghae thought aloud.

/////

When Chief Kang arrived at Victoria’s house she was not in. He glanced in the driveway for her car then remembered that her car had not yet been repaired. Just when he turned around to leave a car drove into the driveway and both Victoria and Heechul stepped out.

“Chief Kang!” Heechul called excited while a surprised expression filled Victoria’s face silently.

“Afternoon,” Chief Kang greeted then glance from Heechul to Victoria. “You two know each other?”

“We were classmates in university,” Heechul answered with a wide smile.

“Oh…I see,” Chief Kang nodded.

“What are you doing here?” Victoria asked, her voice low and serious.

“Yes, I needed to speak to you,” Chief Kang explained.

“Talk? About what?” Heechul asked stepping into the conversation.

Victoria quickly turned to him, “You can go back. If there’s anything I’ll call you, ok?”

“But what are you going to talk about? Did something happen that I don’t know?”

“Lets go in,” Victoria said stepping toward her house and unlocked the door.

Heechul could hear the dog barking loudly from inside before Victoria closed the door. She was always leaving him hanging.