“Tell me more about those thieves,” Hyosung asked. Both were walking down a big corridor, and they trying to be as quiet as possible.

“If I trust my powerful sense of deduction,” he teased and threw her a sidelong glance.

She fought back a smile hearing his humour attempt.

“I would say they are at least two. One who steals the works—”

“It goes without saying.”

“—and another one to be on the lookout and warn of the presence of the police. I do not think they would be beyond two or three persons, for that it would rather be a drawback if they had to flee the scene of the crime. And too many partners would draw the attention. They are pretty good in what they do. The murder, however… that is new. It’s pretty rare that professional thieves throw themselves into the murder business, especially with so many clues left.”

Hyosung slowed down. “Are you telling me that there could be no link between the two cases?”

Minhyuk seemed to think, gazing at nothing in particular. “I do think so,” he eventually admitted.

Hyosung could not hide the huge grin. If she had been able to, she would have jumped around in joy.

“Two different investigations, during the same night?” she whispered to herself. “that’s even better than I have hoped for.”

The young man next to her heart it. The flabbergasted look he threw her did not change at all her sudden good mood. She couldn’t bare to languish in their country house, where she lived with Himchan, Zelo and Ginger. She needed action. Sure, there was some arguing with Zelo, but she needed something more. And cherry on top, she was going to investigate in an evening gown.

Minhyuk was about to say something, when two shadows walked out a room – everything that transpired after that happened in an instant. Hyosung looked at Minhyuk drawing out a revolver in a blink, and she had to tell he had really good reflexes. Then she stared at one of the two persons before her and thought that it was nothing compared to Zelo’s reflexes. For he had drawn out two guns and was now pointing them at Minhyuk.

“Dear Lord, Hyosung,” Ginger exhaled relievedly. “It’s you.”

Hyosung winked at her. Then she turned towards the two peacocks. “Now, now,” she said.

She walked to Zelo and Ginger’s side and said: “Lee Minhyuk, this is my best ally, and best friend: Junhong.”

Zelo threw him a suspicious look.

“And here is his lovely wife, Ginger,” she went on. Zelo choked, and Ginger giggled.

“Jokes aside,” Junhong snarled. “could you tell me tell me who is your new friend?”

“He’s a policeman. He is investigating on a series of burglaries.” She insisted on the last word.

Zelo blinked and shook his head in confusion. “Of what?”

Hyosung scrunched up her nose. “I know, I had the same reaction. Hear this, Junhong: a murder and a robbery in the same party. Isn’t that exciting?”

Zelo rolled his eyes. “You are the only one on earth who enjoys such a situation, you freak.”

“Ah,” Minhyuk barged in. “I thought as much…”

Hyosung coughed to interrupt the conversation. “Are you quite done with the compliments? We have a murder to solve et thieves to catch, so off we go.”

 

--

 

“We have interrogating all of the guests, one by one, the general and I,” Himchan explained. “No one knew the victim, expect for the woman who was with him: she goes by the name of Han Sunhwa. And she admitted that she met him only a few weeks ago. His name was Yoo Youngjae. Younger than our witness, he was nonetheless a ‘lovely, charming and full of attention’ young man.”

Zelo and Hyosung snickered, and Minhyuk barely hid a smirk.

“If you want my opinion, they were not playing chess,” Hyosung said, increasing Zelo’s hilarity.

Himchan threw a stern look – which was not one at all – over his notebook: “When you two are finished behaving like immature kids, I would tell you that the general called the police, but they won’t come until a few hours. At least five or six hours because of a massive snowstorm.”

“it means we do have a few hours,” Zelo noticed.

“I suggest we go see the body from a much closer angle, Minhyuk said.

“I completely agree with that,” Hyosung claimed. “since this doctor announced the death of the poor boy, we haven’t been able to see his face or lest what he was wearing. I demand to see the body at once. “

She did not wait for someone to come with her and strode along. Facing the general, she asked: “Sir, would it be possible to see the body?”

“Why, of course, my dear. As a matter of fact, I will personally take you to the room.”

She was about to walk off the big hall, when Minhyuk joined them. “Allow me to walk with you, general Faraday.”

“Gladly, agent Lee. Let me introduce to you one of our best recruits in the agency,” he turned to Hyosung, “Jeon Hyosung.”

Minhyuk said, a mischievous smile on the lips. “Do not bother with the formalities, general; in fact, I’ve already made acquaintance with her, in the loveliest way.” His tone was amused, too.

The young woman glared at him. She did not find the situation not even a bit amusing. She did appreciate this Lee Minhyuk, but it was certainly not the time to make jokes. (To tell the truth, she loved insinuation in public, but hypocritically, she loathed the ones aimed at her.)

She just ignored the remark with dignity and lifted proudly the chin as if she were an empress. The three of them arrived before a door. It was guarded by a servant. At least, it was his objective. He sat on the floor, leant against the wall, too weak to stand up. A bump already growing on his forehead. Hyosung and Minhyuk rushed to help the unfortunate guy, while he apologised profusely before the general.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he said. “I heard some noise inside – something was moving. I wanted to check it, but the door opened before I could even touch the doorknob. There, was a silhouette. A man. He hit me on the head.”

Without even being conscious of it, he lightly touched his wound with his hand. Hyosung frowned. A small detail unsettled her. The only thing inside this room was a corpse. “Have you seen his face?” she asked.

The servant hesitated and glanced sideways to the general. “I saw him, yes, but…”

“Well, do speak,” Faraday dryly hurried him on. “Do tell us what this man looked like.”

“It wore the face of Death. The dead man was in front of me.”

 

--

 

The body had indeed disappeared. Hyosung did not believe in ghost stories. There had to be a rational explanation: a room, a body, a door which had not been locked. A third person could have possibly gotten in any time. The servant could be the culprit ad have hit himself on the head.

“In following what purpose does one take a body?”

Minhyuk asked out loud the question everyone was thinking. And of one had the answer.

“All we can assume so far, is that the culprit is in this house, that he is willing to hurt people, and that he’s playing with us.”

The general turned towards his two guests, with a serious and grave expression. “I want you to catch this man. I give you access to every room, including the private floor.”

Hyosung took in a proud expression: “Do know, Sir, that failure doesn’t belong to my vocabulary.”

 

--

 

“The room of the body is right here,” Zelo pointed out on the blue print. Hyosung leaned forward to observe the distance between the ballroom and the said room where the body had been stored. It would take about four minutes to come across the way. When she mentioned her theory, Minhyuk shook his head. He was leant against a table, his arms crossed. His slicked-back hair had become ruffled; his little nose would come out even cuter. He had removed his jacket, leaving him in a bright white shirt. His sleeves were rolled up – his watch gleamed on his wrist.

He really was attractive, Hyosung thought, but way too impertinent.

Nothing like her, of course.

“That would depend on the person’s height, weight, and the speed of their gait,” he refuted. “We should consider all those elements. It would take less than three minutes to cross the stairs and the first floor for someone with a quick pace. Like your friend here,” he pointed at Zelo slumped in a chair, with his long legs disappearing under the table.

“Well, then… what do you suggest?” Himchan asked with his legendary composure. He sat across the table, next to Ginger.

Minhyuk stood up straight and leaned towards the table. He observed the map closely for a few quiet seconds. “The men guarding the entrances and exits are not to count on. We need not to let the guests interfere with this story, for there may be accomplices amongst the crowd. There are the five of us left.”

“The four of you,” Himchan objected. He stretched out his leg. “I won’t go that far with this one.”

Minhyuk understood immediately and made no comment. He simply nodded.

“Splitting is out of the question,” he went on. “We must not face these individuals alone. So, we shall go in pairs. Miss Jeon, would you do me the honour to accompany me?”

Zelo surprised everyone when he stood up all of a sudden, his fists clenched.

“And what about me accompanying you, instead.” He lost his temper. Ginger wrapped her palm over his fist in a tender gesture. Hyosung began:

“Junhong…”

“I’m sorry, Hyosung, but I do not trust this guy. And I refuse to let you be alone with him.”

Zelo wanted to protect her. The young woman grinned, a wave of comfort rushing through her body. Junhong and Himchan were her family, and Ginger was a part of it from then on.

“Junhong,” she reassured him. “It’s all right. You know I can fend for myself, and he knows he wouldn’t dare to do any move on me.”

“He can well hear you,” Minhyuk slipped in the conversation, his tone sarcastic.

“You better stay with Ginger,” Hyosung went on, paying no attention the remark. “You two will be able to face that murderer.”

The blonde rose up and nodded. Zelo eventually gave up and they both walked out the room.

Before completely disappearing out of sight, Zelo said:

“We are taking the second floor.”

As the door closed on them, Hyosung glared at Minhyuk:

“Let’s walk a little, the both of us, will you? I’ve got a few things to tell you.”

The young officer raised an eyebrow and let out an amused smile floating on his lips. He walked to the door, allowing Hyosung some time to talk with Himchan.

“I must confess,” began Himchan, “I do not really trust this guy either. But he doesn’t seem too… bad. I think that what Junhong really dislike, is the way he is flirting with you – openly, with no complex. We know one another for so long that we’ve become a family, you know it well, as well as I do. Junhong thinks of you as his big sister, and he fears for you.”

The young woman took her friend’s hand and pressed it. He brought it to his lips and kissed lightly the back of her and, to accompany his speech of a sweet gesture. She looked sideways to Minhyuk who was impatiently waiting for her at the threshold. He didn’t even try to hide the way he was ogling curiously and with insistence the intertwined hands of Hyosung and Himchan.

“I do not think that he is that bad... I can easily handle him. Now,” she suddenly lowered her voice. “I would like you to do something for me…”

 

--

 

“So,” Minhyuk said. He laced his fingers behind his back.

Hyosung knew he was dying to ask her the question. He had been holding it back for two minutes.

“You and this soldier…?”

“Himchan and I are not in a romantic relationship. And we’ll never be.”

“But a woman like shall have hundreds of men at her feet.”

Hyosung gave him the fakest of smiles. “I have other concerns in life than the number my wooers.”

She couldn’t comprehend him. He had sometimes a charming aura, but could the rest of time be a complete vain and conceited jerk. She hurried up, but Minhyuk softly held her back by the arm. “I know,” he said, his voice level. His sile hid no malice, and that smile was disarming. The young woman cleared . She concentrated on the hallway before her instead. Scrutinizing every detail. She needed the see the whole picture.

• A young man dies. He was accompanying an older woman, whom he had just me. Death by poison.
• A robbery is to be happening during the same evening.

The hardest thing was to know if the two cases were linked. Moreover, as Minhyuk had pointed out so cleverly, if the thieves were not used to hurt people, killing someone was not part of their psychology. Very unlikely to happen.

Minhyuk sighed. “There’s nothing there. We should go downstairs see the others. Not that I don’t like being in your company,” he added with a flirtatious wink.

“Tell me… are you always that irritating, or is it only reserved for my person?”

His smile was boyish. “I will let you guess.”

His answer only frustrated Hyosung a little bit more. Was he a conceited moron, or did he just pretend it in order to annoy her?

They heard hurried footsteps coming from the opposite side, and they caught a glimpse of a panicked Zelo rushing on them.

“Ginger, have you seen Ginger?” he shouted.