Chapter 20
Daphne: VELMA, THAT WAS NOT FUNNY!
I woke up abruptly with four-pound pillow striking my face. I didn't know how many hours I had slept, but it wasn't enough to rest or to get rid of the horrible sensations that nightmare caused in my heart. When I sat up on the couch, Daphne made indignation gestures and pointed towards Fred´s bedroom. Her cheeks were quite red, and she looked so embarrassed and flustered that not even a word of protest escaped from her lips.
Velma: Today is June 19th, our high school graduation´s 10th anniversary, can you believe it? So I thought you both deserved a special commemorative edition for the tenth anniversary… you know, so you can remember everything that happened that night…
I didn't have time to laugh at my own joke, because another pillow was thrown at my face, this time, violently.
Daphne: THAT´S NOT FUNNY! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU´VE PLANNED, BUT IT´S RIDICULOUS, VELMA!
Velma: Hey, calm down, I didn't plan anything! Flim Flam woke me up in the middle of the night to say the fingerprints are Gi-Hun´s… and Seoul police has many evidences that Shaggy is right…
Daphne's anger disappeared like magic, and I could see her face getting worried with the news.
Daphne: Oh no! Let's wake the boys up and share the news… we need to visit the places where Gi-Hun has been… immediately!
Before I could reply, Fred appeared with a messy hair and a questioning face. He also looked confused and embarrassed with the fact that he'd woken up in the same bed Daphne had slept, but he didn't say anything about it. Daphne just avoided him and ran to the office to open the door that Scooby-Doo was scratching. Fred, then, looked at me me with concern, certain that I would scold him for doing that.
Fred: I know you're probably thinking that it's physically impossible for a 6´ tall body to move 20ft by itself, but I SWEAR I haven´t gone to that bed...
Velma: Flim Flam called me in the middle of the night to talk about the case and Daphne kicked me out of the bedroom, so I came to the living room. Then you´ve "kicked yourself out" of here because I was making too much noise, so your body used your memory to take yourself to your bed. Mystery solved!
Scooby came in our direction and jumped on us happily. Right behind him was Shaggy, he was so annoyed that we thought he was possessed by a demon. Shaggy didn´t say "good morning", he just threw himself on the sofa and covered his head with a pillow, while cursing the day and the brightness of the apartment. Scooby pounced on him excitedly, but the violent way he stomped his paws on Shaggy´s chest, and the disgusting, non-stop way he licked Shaggy´s face made Norville feel more and more irritated.
Velma: Oh, this one was shooting his enemies on Free Fire at 5:40 am, so I think he won't be very productive until noon...
Daphne: Or until breakfast...
Daphne was giving Scooby-Doo some cookies when the sugary smell made Shaggy sit up and take the pack of cookies from her hands. Norville's mood gradually improved, cookie by cookie, until a smile broke out in his lips when the pack finally got emptied.
Shaggy: Like, when will breakfast be ready? But I want a real breakfast, eggs, bacon and stuff! These healthy snacks suck,Fred! Why the hell do all your food have protein?
Fred: If the snacks suck and you ate all them, imagine if they were yummy…
Velma: There's a good pet-friendly coffee shop two blocks away, Shags, why don´t we get ready and have breakfast there? I explain Flim Flam's news while we eat…
The magic words "coffee shop" and "eat" produced on Shaggy the same effect that eight hours of good sleep, and he got up invigorated. Obviously, he ignored the " why don´t we get ready? " part, and he just washed his face and put on his shoes.
Daphne avoided Fred until the moment the coffee shop´s waitress offered Shaggy a newspaper - to distract him and make him slow down the pace at which he emptied the free bread baskets.
Shaggy: Hey gang! Like, today is our high school graduation´s 10th anniversary, can you believe it? Do you remember that day?
This time, I attacked the bread basket with the same savagery Shaggy was attacking, and I stuffed my mouth with so much food that I wouldn't be able to say anything about that subject. Daphne and Fred looked at each other and blushed, but they couldn´t say anything.
Shaggy: And, like, what a coincidence! That day, I was wearing this T-shirt too… and I remember I had strawberry jam donuts for breakfast! Do you remember what have you done ten years ago?
Fred and Daphne got even more embarrassed, so I quickly munched on all the bread and elaborated a good irony to intervene.
Velma: All I remember my name was Velma Dinkley too, and I was wearing these same glasses…
Shaggy: Wow, I´ve told you! Like, things are repeating themselves!
Fred looked at Daphne and waited for her eye contact to say something about both them waking up in the same bed that morning. Or in that morning ten years ago. But Daphne didn't fall into his trap.
Daphne: No, they're not! Ten years ago, my father wasn't a headline villain, my house wasn't under FBI investigation, my bank accounts weren't blocked and I could pay for anything I wanted without having to carry pounds of money illegally with me...
Daphne finished by pushing the newspaper to the center of the table, and the headlines on it were all about George Blake and Steven Applegate. I could see that her eyes were teary, so I comforted her with a hug. Fred looked confused, undecided whether he should talk about Daphne's sad comment or about all the other things - past and present- he wanted to tell her. As the subject "graduation" was apparently over, he gave up talking about his feelings and just held her hand.
Fred: We're almost solving this mystery, Daph, calm down… in a day or two, we'll catch the damn VIPs and everything will be ok again… things aren't always the way we expect them to be, but it doesn't mean they're bad… all the bad things you are going through will be worth it! This is the opportunity of our lives! In the end, we will arrest an international mob that's been abducting victims for more than thirty years!
Shaggy: Fred's right, Daph! Do you remember Googie, that girl I asked to prom? Like, ten years ago, I really thought we loved each other and it would be forever, you know?... like, I thought we were going to get married, have kids and stuff...
Velma: You always think such things about absolutely any girl you ask out, Norville…
Shaggy: …ok, but that's not the point! Like, with Googie was different, I thought it would work… but it didn't… and now I'm here, you know? I met Scooby-Doo, then I met Crystal, then Sugie moved in, and now I work with dogs and with my best friends, and I've won a lot of CS championships, and my twitch channel is awesome... like, my life it's much better, gang! So that's it, Daph, don't worry, everything will be better for you soon!
I didn't consider Fred and Shaggy's comments explicitly offensive, but I felt their words hurt all the wounds Daphne has nurtured for years about Fred -and the expectations she had about him. Her green eyes got even more teary, and before they burst into tears, she stood up.
Daphne: Seems like Shaggy is right, things are really repeating themselves… ten years have passed and all you want is to make strategic traps, arrest the bad guys and earn all the glory… that´s the only thing that matters to you, right Fred? You just want to be a damn hero! And this is the ooportunity of YOUR life!
Before we could react, Daphne threw two $50 bills on the center of the table and left.
Fred: Hey, Daph! Where are you going?
Daphne: I'm going to arrest the international mob that has been abducting victims for more than 30 years! Isn't it what you want?
Daphne slammed the coffee shop´s glass door so hard that I thought it would break. Fred looked at us apprehensively, waiting for one of us to do something - or tell him what he should do. Shaggy completely ignored him – after all, half of the food he had ordered hadn't arrived yet, so nothing in the universe would make him leave that table – and I just rolled my eyes and sighed.
Velma: Fred, ten years ago, I comforted her… don't you think things need to change a little bit? As you´ve said, things aren't always the way we expect, but it doesn't mean they're bad… now go there and talk to her…at least try… it might be worth it…
Shaggy: Yeah, like, when I ordered these muffins, I didn´t expect them to be Nutella-filled, and damn, they´re worth it!
I rolled my eyes again and glared at Fred, expecting some reaction from him. He finished his cup of coffee and left us too. In less than five minutes, I had my meal and joined the horrified crowd watching Norville gobble up a large portion of the food avaiable at that coffee shop —and share it with his own dog. When my calculations warned me the price of our meal was approaching a hundred dollars, I plucked Norville from that table and left the change for the waitress.
Fred parked in front of the toy store. Before we could unbuckle the seat belts, Scooby-Doo trampled on us and climbed out of the window, because he saw a hot dog stand on the corner. Norville ran after him – he was more excited about getting hot dogs than he was worried about the dog that had run away - so we concluded we wouldn´t have any kind of help from them. Fred and I agreed that we should use our NYPD credentials, and when we did, the young salesman led us to the store owner. The man introduced himself as "Mr. Zhang", and he was very friendly when we introduced ourselves as police officers.
Fred: Mr. Zhang, I'm Frederick Jones, captain of NYPD, we are on a big case and Interpol has informed us that our suspect was seen at your store yesterday… his name is Seong Gi-Hun, he is south-korean, he has paid for a purchase with a credit card about 3pm… and this is a recent photo of him…
Fred showed the photo to Mr. Zhang, and he smiled.
Mr. Zhang: Yeah, I remember him, he has bought many things... but I had no reason to suspect his honesty... he was very nice and very generous, he tipped all the salesmen…
Fred: Would you mind telling us what exactly he has bought?
Mr. Zhang: Just a minute, let me find the sale...
Mr. Zhang typed on his computer while Fred and I discreetly looked around for clues. Through the glass window, I saw Scooby-Doo tethered to a light pole by the leash, running back and forth to catch the popcorn an old lady was throwing to him. Shaggy approached us silently, munching on a hot dog, while the salesmen glared at him for eating inside the store.
Mr. Zhang: Oh, here it is, Seong Gi-Hun… big purchase!… he has bought several dolls and stuffed animals… and he has also ordered a pair of skates that I will deliver to him as soon as it arrives… I´m not sure about it, but I remember hearing him mention that his daughter's birthday was a few days ago…so i guess these toys are for her…
Fred: Deliver? Did he leave an address?
Mr. Zhang: Yes, located at Queens…
Fred: Could you please provide us this information, Mr Zhang?
Mr. Zhang hesitated and looked at each of us. I realized he was analysing our clothes and our behavior to conclude if we really were police officers. Unfortunately, Shaggy's unkempt-looking appearance - and the disgusting way he was eating the hot dog and licking the ketchup off his hands - has damaged our credibility.
Mr. Zhang: I´m sorry, son, this information is confidential…
Daphne: Oh, please, Mr. Zhang, it's urgent! We need to find Gi-Hun, many people are in danger right now!
Mr. Zhang: I'm sorry, my dear, but I can't give you any personal information without a search warrant...
Mr. Zhang adamantly refused to give us the address, and we sighed. We knew he was right to ask for a warrant, so we didn't insist. Shaggy didn't seem concerned, he just swallowed the rest of the hot dog, licked his fingers and walked towards the counter.
Shaggy: Like, just one more thing, Mr. Zhang, I was wondering if you have those Bandai action figures…
The question made to us as much sense as it did to Mr. Zhang: none. However, Shaggy didn´t care about our questioning glares.
Shaggy: Like, action figures, man! Don´t you know? Saint Seya, Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball, Demon Slayer…
Velma: Norville, you can´t buy your stupid toys right now, we are in the middle of an investigation!
I was so mad at Shaggy's inappropriate question that I didn't notice Mr. Zhang nodding while he searched on his computer. When he found the products Shaggy had mentioned, Shaggy started to list which ones he wanted and Mr. Zhang left us to get all them. With an amazing speed, Shaggy typed something on the keyboard and found the record of Gi-Hun's purchase. Then, he photographed the delivery address and deleted his search, leaving the computer in the same way Mr. Zhang had left. In the same moment, Mr. Zhang appeared with two boxes in his hands and we smiled at Shaggy.
Mr. Zhang: I'm sorry son, I only have these ones…
Shaggy: Like, no problem, I like these ones, I´ll take them…
Mr. Zhang: It's $80…
Shaggy: You´ve got a deal!
Shaggy faked a cough and made a gesture for one of us to pay for the toys.
Velma: What? 80$ for two plastic dolls? No way, Norville!
Shaggy: Velma! Like, you and Fred can't imagine how hard it was to find… uh… these action figures… you both have failed, haven´t you? So don´t you think I deserve a reward?
Velma: You deserve an effing cookie! Not $80!
Norville's didn't convince me and I really wasn't willing to pay for that clue. Fortunately, Daphne was more sensitive – and way richer -, and she got moved by Shaggy´s action, so she decided to reward him for what he had done.
Daphne: Awww, he deserves, Velma!
When Mr. Zhang put the action figures in Norville's hands, he celebrated like a six-year-old and left the store to get the dog. When we got into the van, I typed the address on GPS and watched Scooby-Doo slowly chew 80 dollars during all the ride.
The bite-marks that Scooby-Doo left on both action figures have strained Shaggy and Scooby´s friendship. While we left the van and walked towards the house, Shaggy scolded the poor dog – and he seemed to understand every word. Shortly after ringing the doorbell, the door was opened by a thin, long-haired, Asian girl, who seemed to be about 9 or 10 years old.
Fred: Good morning, I'm Frederick Jones, captain of the NYPD, can I speak to your parents?
The girl shyly called her mother. Soon after, an Asian thin woman, with short hair and with stylish clothes, came to us.
Kang Eun-Ji: Good morning, how can I help you?
Fred: Good morning ma'am, I'm Frederick Jones, captain of the NYPD. And they are Velma Dinkley, chief of NYPD´s forensics department, and Daphne Blake is a lawyer who are helping us in this case. We're currently on a case with Interpol, and we are here because our suspect was in New York yesterday. He left your address at a toy store when he bought some toys... his name is Seong Gi-Hun and this is a recent photo of him… I´d like to know if you can provide us some information about him…
When Fred finished, there was a mixture of anger and sadness in that woman´s eyes. Way behind her, at the end of a hallway, I could see the little girl hiding behind an armchair, looking at us with teary eyes.
Kang Eun-Ji: Oh my god! I can't believe… that… that… damn irresponsible! Damn you, Gi-Hun!
After a brief spurt of anger, the woman invited us in. We settled in armchairs, in a big living room full of windows. At the bottom of one of the long curtains I saw little black shoes, and I realized that the little girl was hiding there to hear us.
Kang Eun-Ji: Ok, captain, now that I am seated in a comfortable place where I will be safe if I break down and faint, you can tell me what that bastard has done this time… by the way, seems like he's become an international bastard now, since Interpol and NYPD are after him…
Fred: So you know him?
Kang Eun-Ji: Sometimes I wish I´ve never knew him, Captain…
Fred: Can you tell me the reason of so much resentment, Mrs. Kang?
Kang Eun-Ji: Gi-Hun is my ex-husband, captain, he is the father of my daughter Ga-Yeong, the little girl that opened the door… he was responsible for the worst years of my life…
Fred: Why, Mrs. Kang? Is he a violent man? Abusive? Dangerous?
Kang Eun-Ji: No, he is just a huge jerk, captain… he abandoned me during Ga-Yeong´s delivery and I almost died… besides, he was always irresponsible with his job and with our money, he spends too much and works too less… he´s always unemployed and pround of it, plus, he got into ridiculous debts betting on horse races… and he was always a bad example for Ga-Yeong… he's a horrible father…
I noticed the curtain move when Mrs. Kang said that Gi-Hun was a horrible father. And by the movement, I noticed the girl was rubbing her eyes.
Kang Eun-Ji: Last year, my husband and I decided to move to USA to keep Ga-Yeong away from him… first we´ve moved to Los Angeles, but shortly after, he appeared by our door to see her, and brought her expensive gifts… so, we decided to come to New York last month, but that bastard has found us again! He´s showed up yesterday, with a lot of toys… I don´t know what to do captain, I think I´ll have to move to another country…
I saw the movement of the curtain again, so I deduced the girl was crying due to what her mother was saying.
Fred: Mrs. Kang, one of the reasons that brought us here were these toys... in fact, the money that has bought these toys... the toy store´s owner has mentioned Gi-Hun has spent a lot in toys, but as you´ve said, he doesn't work… so what´s his source of income? Where does this money come from?
Kang Eun-Ji: I don't know, captain, but surely it's not the result of honest work... he might have earned some money in those damn horse races... or maybe he´s stolen his poor mom´s savings… or he has scammed someone… there are so many horrid possibilities! It´s even hard to imagine what kind of crime that worthless jerk has done now to get money easily…
Through the curtain, I noticed the girl was covering her face with both hands.
Fred: Mrs. Kang, do you know if Gi-Hun was financially involved with a stockbroker called Liberty? I mean, has he taken out loans, or has he used coin investment services…?
Kang Eun-Ji: I don't know, captain, but like I´ve said, this man is very irresponsible and I wouldn't be surprised if he has done such stupid things…
Fred: Do you know if he's a member of some kind of mob?
Kang Eun-Ji: I don't know either, but I think he's too loser to be a member of anything…
Fred: Do you remember if Gi-Hun has disappeared for a period during June 2020?
Kang Eun-Ji: Well, sometimes he disappears for a while, hiding from his creditors, but I don´t know if he has disappeared last year…if he has, no one has missed him, captain… in fact, I would be happy if he disappeared forever… I think even his own mom agrees with me…
The last answer was so rude that Fred and I looked at each other and hesitated to continue. It was very clear the personal feelings that Mrs. Kang had for her ex-husband wouldn't let her give us any kind of useful information about Gi-Hun. Fred looked at me with a defeated expression, and I understood he would like me to intervene.
Velma: Mrs. Kang, I understand your resentment, but we're not here to blame Gi-Hun… in fact, we suspect that he is the good guy in our mystery… recently, we´ve discovered an international mob of bankers and high-powered people that is responsible for the disappearance of hundreds of people since 1988, and we believe your ex-husband is leading us to clues to incriminate them... so, we would appreciate any kind of information about him you can provide us…
Daphne: Our K9 Scooby-Doo sniffed out a trail of bleach that Gi-Hun has left at the location we were investigating… and we´ve only discovered this trail because Gi-Hun purposely left the bleach containers at the airport before leaving NY last night… since your address is the other evidence that Gi-Hun has left us, we believe that you can help us somehow… please…
Mrs. Kang wasn't happy to hear that Gi-Hun wasn't the villain, so she sighed and looked at us with a serious expression.
Kang Eun-Ji: I'm sorry, but I don't have anything relevant to say about Gi-Hun, because he's totally irrelevant to me and to my daughter…
Once again, I saw the girl bring her hands to her face, and this time, the little black shoes have moved restlessly.
Fred: Mrs. Kang, please, try to remember something that happened to your ex-husband last year… we know that millions of wons were deposited in his bank account after the period he disappeared last year, and the money was provided by the international mob that Velma has mentioned… we just need to know the reason why Gi-Hun has received this money…
Kang Eun-Ji: The reason, captain, is because he's a criminal! Will I have to repeat it a hundreds times? CRIMINAL! I don't know details about Gi-Hun's life, the only detail I know is that I need to keep him away from Ga-Yeong and...
Ga-Yeong: STOP!
We were all startled by the girl's scream and by the unexpectedly way she has appeared. Her face was red and quite wet by her tears. Although Ga-Yeong´s initial attitude was energetic, in the following moment, she flinched at Mrs. Kang´s disapproving glare, and her voice came out as a whisper.
Ga-Yeong: Please stop, mommy! Please, don't say these things about my dad...
Eun-Ji: Ga-Yeong, that was very disrespectful, go to your room immediately!
Ga-Yeong: No, mommy, please! It wasn´t my intention! I just wanted to make the officers not be mad at dad!
Eun-Ji: Ga-Yeong, don't make me tell you once more, go to your room now! You shouldn't be here, plus you´ve interrupted us in a very rude way!
Ga-Yeong: No, Mommy, please, listen to me!
Before the girl could say anything, Mrs. Kang grabbed her arm and dragged her through the hallway. The girl cried and struggled, and I felt that Mrs. Kang would have physically punished her if we weren´t there.
Ga-Yeoung: Mom, please, let me stay! Let me talk to them about my dad, I know the answers they need! Please, captain, listen to me! I know the answer about my father's money!
Suddenly, the woman froze and looked at us. Then, the girl escaped her mother's hands and wiped her tears. We looked at each other, and Daphne approached the girl with her cell phone camera on. Then, Fred approached Ga-Yeong and bent down to hear what she had to say.
Fred: Ok, Ga-Yeong, how can you help us?
Ga-Yeong: You´ve asked how my father buys so many things if he doesn't work… actually, he doesn't need to work, captain, he is very rich! He has millions, but he doesn't tell anyone because he promised he will only use this money to help people...
Eun-Ji: Captain, forgive my daughter's overactive imagination, it is very difficult for her to accept the truth about her father… psychologists say that she creates fantasies as a self-defense mechanism…
Ga-Yeong: No, it's not my imagination, I didn't make it up, you can look in his bank account! He has a lot of money and he's helping all the people who died...
The last word made me feel so uncomfortable that I thought I would faint. We looked at each other with concern, and Mrs. Kang surprisingly widened her eyes, asking for confirmation about what her daughter had said.
Fred: Mrs. Kang, we have proof that Ga-Yeong is telling the truth… as I´ve told you, Gi-Hun has millions in his personal account, and he has sent money to the relatives of the victims that disappeared in June 2020…
Eun-Ji: How do you know that, Ga-Yeong? And who are these people who died?
Ga-Yeong: My father told me yesterday… he´s said these people died during the game he participated last year…
The discomfort increased and made my hands cold.
Eun-Ji: What game, Ga-Yeong?
Ga-Yeong: Squid game!
Her sentence was like an atomic explosion. I felt my mouth dry and I lost the air in my lungs. Apparently, those words caused the same impact on Daphne, because she grabbed my hands and looked at me with tears in her eyes.
Eun-Ji: Oh my God, that bastard has ruined my daughter's mental health! Now I'll have to double her therapy sessions, and I bet the millionaire jerk won't even financially help me with that… Squid game, Ga-Yeong? Where the hell did you get that from? I know your father is a great idler, but I doubt he wastes his time playing squid game around...
Daphne: Mrs. Kang, Squid game is a children's game from South Korea and…
Ga-Yeong: No, he doesn´t play squid game around, mommy, he has won the Squid Game! My father is a celebrity, captain! Last year, he participated in a survival reality show worth millions… and the name of the reality show is "Squid Game"! The participants went to a desert island and they had to survive several games… the final game was the squid game, and my dad has won! That's why he is a millionaire!
When we heard the things that none of us wanted to hear, I squeezed Daphne's hand – which was as cold as mine – and I felt my own eyes fill with tears. Mrs. Kang sighed, and despite being visibly annoyed, she didn´t scold her daughter. Fred looked at us in shock, refusing to accept what he had heard.
Ga-Yeong: This reality show is cruel, captain... people who make this game are very bad men who treat people like racehorses, and they don't care if the participants die... in fact, they even cheer to people die in a very violent way, because they like to watch it… and because they make bets about which participant will die and which one will complete the games… oh, and when a participant dies the money prize increases for the survivors…
Eun-Ji: Ga-Yeong, enough! I won´t tolerate such absurd!
Fred: No, Mrs. Kang, it´s not an absurd… please let her continue…
Fred was shocked and sounded a bit hoarse, and Daphne took his hand to comfort him.
Daphne: Ga-Yeong, do you know how these evil men choose the participants?
Ga-Yeong: Dad´s said they choose people who are poor and in debt… usually in Seoul subway… at least, that's how he was chosen… first, a man plays a quick game with the person, then he gives them some money and a business card promising millions…
I quickly grabbed one of the cards found at Liberty and showed it to her.
Velma: A card like this one?
Mrs. Kang was startled when she realized her daughter was speaking the truth.
Ga-Yeong: Yes! Dad called this number and the bad men told him to go to a certain place on a certain day, at a certain time, so he did… then, the bad masked men showed up in a car and kidnapped him… then dad woke up in a place and the game started...
Velma: MASKED MEN?
The tone of my voice had the same intensity as my desperation, and everyone looked at me. Then I remembered last night's nightmare, and I felt my legs getting weak.
Velma: Sorry, Ga-Yeong… I…
Ga-Yeoung: Yes, dad told me the bad men wear black masks with geometric shapes drawn in white… square… triangle… circle… just like the cards…
Suddenly, my legs definitely weakened and a strong dizziness made me fall to my knees on the floor. Daphne and Fred shouted my name simultaneously, Fred helped me and led me to a chair. Daphne stopped recording and came in my direction.
Daphne: Vel, are you okay?
Velma: Yes… I… I guess I was just shocked to find out that Shaggy was right…
The girl and her mother looked at us horrified. Then, Fred approached them to continue the questions, and Daphne followed him with the camera on. I didn't have enough strength to accompany them, the disturbing images of my nightmare tied me to that chair.
Fred: Ga-Yeong, why did your father tell you this things yesterday?
Ga-Yeong: Because he hates the bad men! And he said he wants to destroy them before the reality show happens again this year!
Fred: Do you know when and where is it going to take place?
Ga-Yeong: Nobody knows, captain… my father is trying to find out, but the bad men are going after him…
Fred: And how will your father destroy them?
Ga-Yeong: I don't know… but he's calling police all over the world to help…
Fred: So that means your dad is calling us too?
Ga-Yeong lowered her eyes and shrugged, then she nodded and her lips murmured "maybe". Ms. Kang was impressed and could not say anything. The moment I got up from the chair, I started to hyperventilate and I felt my hands shake.
Fred: Well, I think we´ve got all the information we needed… thank you very much for your help Ga-ye…
Suddenly, Daphne's cell phone rang and stopped the video recording. The noise startled her and she let the phone fall. When I looked at the screen, I realized that the reason of the fright was not the ring, but the caller: Alan Mayberry. Then Fred grabbed her cell phone and immediately declined the call.
Fred: Well, we really need to go. Thank you very much for your time and for all the information you´ve provided us. For your safety, please don´t share this information with anyone else… not even talk about our visit…
Ga-Yeong and Eun-Ji nodded and we said goodbye. Daphne's cell phone rang again and again, and Daphne rejected all calls. When I walked through the door, Ga-Yeong held my hand.
Ga-Yeoung: Hey, officer… be careful… please…
I smiled and nodded, even though I was not sure how I was going to do that.