The anonymous note

The next morning, I woke up early, but, to be honest, I didn't sleep much. The thing is, I felt uneasy about getting attention from the media. It might sound a bit silly, but with two well-known killers still out there, it didn't seem like a smart move. Worrisome thoughts swirled in my mind, preventing me from falling asleep. It felt like they were watching, and it kept me up. Even the quiet was unsettling, making me uneasy. My own shadow seemed like a menacing presence, like a hawk always ready to swoop down. At that moment, I just couldn't shake the feeling that danger was lurking, and it made it hard for me to find any peace in my restless night.

I couldn't stop thinking about what might happen to my mom if things went wrong in the investigation. I wondered if Aman's wife would ever be able to forgive him if he got caught up in this dangerous situation. And what about the families of Kang Woo and Woo Shik Hyung? Would they ever see their loved ones again? I couldn't help but worry about Austin, too. Would he ever be able to go back home safely, or would Taeri make it through all this unharmed?

Deep down, I knew these were important questions, but I also realized it was too late to ask them now. I should have thought about these things before agreeing to work on the case. It's a bit late to wonder about the consequences when you're already in deep. I wished I could tell Taeri how much I cared for her, that she wasn't alone, and that we could be her family forever. But with all the uncertainty and danger surrounding us, those words would have to remain unspoken for now.

I tried to change my focus by watching a movie, but it turned out to be really gross. Still, I kept on watching, hoping it would take my mind off things. As time went by, my hunger started bothering me. So, I decided to make the simplest meal in the world, instant ramen. But while I was cooking it, more questions popped into my head.

I wondered if Austin and Taeri would attract unwanted attention. Could those dangerous killers come after them? Would the media and the public believe they were innocent, or would things go in a different direction? These thoughts weighed on me, making me even more anxious about the situation. While I slurped my ramen, I couldn't help but worry about what the future held for all of us.

Fortunately, my ramen was ready, and it's worth noting that "instant ramen at midnight hits differently." It tasted remarkably satisfying, and I washed it down with a refreshing Coke. With a full belly, I returned to bed. As I drifted off to sleep, a peculiar dream unfolded before me, sparking even more unanswered questions in my already troubled mind.

Niveditha was in tears, leaning on Mohan's shoulder, opening up about her painful past. She told him about how her mother married someone new after her father passed away. At first, he was loving, but when they had a baby boy in their patriarchal society, the family's focus shifted to him, and they started neglecting Niveditha. Eventually, they sent her to live with her grandparents. She lost them too. In a dream, I saw her visit her mother, inviting her to the wedding, but her mother's response shattered Niveditha's last hope.

I woke up drenched in sweat, deeply empathizing with Niveditha's pain. I couldn't help but imagine what she went through, and it felt suffocating. I found comfort in the thought that Mohan was there to support her, a shoulder to lean on during her tough times.

Still, my mind wandered to Taeri, and it's hard not to think about her. I wondered if she carried burdens like Niveditha's, burdens that needed understanding and support. Even in the midst of my worries about our own situation, my heart couldn't help but ache for Taeri, hoping she had someone like Mohan to be there for her when she needed it most.

Taeri never knew her parents and the only parent she knew was the head of the orphanage who adopted her, but she lost her too. I unintentionally started comparing the pain these two women went through. Is knowing your mother marrying someone else and leaving you for them is painful? or not knowing who your parents are all except your mother leaving you at an orphanage and never looking back at you is more painful? I couldn't decide and I didn't realize I was thinking about it till the morning.

I took out a suit from the closet, dressed myself into it, applied the hair gel, wore my perfume, had my breakfast, and was ready to go to work. Aman and I decided to go to work together with Taeri and Austin as today we will be drawing a lot of attention towards us and we thought it would be better to take them with us. kang woo and Woo Shik Hyung will be joining us at the office.

We all met at the entrance and headed to the bureau together. the rest two were already waiting for us and we headed to our meeting room we were assigned a few of the local cases and we were discussing the briefs and the procedure and strategies. We were cut short by the commissioner he wanted us to appear in front of the media and was very clear about us having to answer all the questions.

As we descended to the media swarm, the sheer number of cameras and reporters was overwhelming. The flashes were blinding, making it hard for any of us to see clearly. I could tell that it wasn't just me; the entire team felt equally uncomfortable with the relentless flashes.

Being the team leader, I knew it was my responsibility to speak up for all of us. I requested the reporters to join us in the auditorium and assured them that we would answer all their questions. It was a bit chaotic outside, and I was genuinely concerned about our safety. I believed that continuing the press meet outdoors might lead to dangerous consequences, and at that moment, the safety of my team was my top priority.

Guiding the reporters inside not only allowed us to address their inquiries in a more controlled and secure environment but also protected my colleagues from unnecessary risks. It was crucial to ensure that we could carry out our work effectively and safely, despite the intense media scrutiny. But before going, I had to make the request on behalf of the team. So I said...

"Hi, I am Tarun Sharma, head of the team leading this case, and we are here to answer all your questions, but we would like to sincerely request you to kindly off your flashes, it is making us a bit uncomfortable, I am sure we can take this inside into the auditorium, please make yourselves comfortable there and we will be answering all your questions one by one."

As the reporters settled into the auditorium, we made sure they had snacks and water to keep them comfortable. Austin, being quite clever, handed each of them a piece of paper, asking them to jot down the questions they wanted us to address. I couldn't help but be impressed by the kid's resourcefulness.

Once everyone was seated, I, as the team leader, informed them that I would be the one answering their questions. They seemed to respond positively to this arrangement. We collected all the written questions, and the process began. I would take a paper, read the question aloud, and provide an answer. If the same question appeared multiple times, I'd read it and then move on to the next one.

This approach allowed us to manage the questions efficiently and ensure that all reporters had a fair chance to have their inquiries addressed. It also helped streamline the interaction and maintain order during the press meeting, making it a more productive and controlled environment for both our team and the media representatives.

"How many of you are there in the group?"

"Officially, we are six as you can see. But, Mr. Rajesh Shah retired officer offered to help us whenever help is needed."

"Can you introduce the members and their roles in the team?"

"Well, that might be giving away too much information. But, I can tell you this much we meticulously scrutinized and finalised the team. So, as you all know by now, I am the head of the group, Aman Mittal is my fellow detective and we have been working on various cases since our academy days. Jang Kang Woo, I hope you are all familiar with him and his work, so I believe there is no reason I need to introduce you to him. On the other hand, the finest detective who did many undercover operations, who handed over dangerous criminals by being behind the cameras, we have Kim Woo Shik. And the best way to understand a crime is by taking help from those who experienced it. I understand you may think why only them? why not others? there were a whole of people as victims? We had two reasons, one because they volunteered to help and two it is their background. So, we have here with us Taeri Park and Austin Smith. We will soon be releasing a statement on what these victims went through and I kindly request you to be patient till then and decide for yourself if we did the right thing or not"

"What if one of the victims is the killer?"

"As of now, there is nothing suspicious about any of the victims. But, being said that we will be looking into it as a possibility."

"Do you think this case is related to the murders happening right now?"

"As of now, we haven't yet received the files on the cases we have our suspicions on. We think these are unrelated however, as I already mentioned we are considering every possible angle to the case. I can tell you this much that we are going to be completely transparent about these cases, but again we request you to be patient until we get our hands on the case files."

"Do you think this could be related to the homicide that happened around the 1960s?"

"We believe that there might be some sort of connection, as the location of the mine or the tunnel is the same. but we wouldn't be sure until we start the investigation."

"Are you going to take up the case of the serial killer on a spree right now?"

"We would if they assigned us, but for now our main focus would be on this case. But as I said we will be looking at this from every angle, so during the process, we ensure to check if there is any connection between these two cases. And I am sure that those who are assigned the case you are talking about, are doing their best"

"Oh to lighten up the mood, how are you liking Korea so far?"

"Thank you for asking, I personally think it is a very beautiful country and it is an absolute honor working here."

"Is there a brief about the killer?"

"As a matter of fact, we do, but again we aren't sure and it would be only foolish to state something other than facts without thorough investigation. After all, we are all professionals, and who knows better than us not to jeopardize the work we are doing? I hope you understand."

I could see genuine reactions in the auditorium.

"How long is it going to take to solve the case?"

"We hope it to be fast, but like I said we need to get our hands on the case files and the faster we get, the faster we begin"

"So what are you doing now? chilling in the office?" one of the reporters asked sarcastically.

"I hope that shouldn't be the case anywhere in any office. We are professionals and being in the bureau, unfortunately, we never go out of work, so we strive to solve as many as we can. We are currently assigned local cases and we already started working on them. A case for us isn't about being big and gaining attention or small so that we can skip it. It is about lives, and their families, it is about saving lives and stopping people who commit crimes and punishing them, no matter how big or small of a crime they committed. I hope you understand and I hope you are here for the same."

he awkwardly nodded and I could see a few giggles in the auditorium.

"how would you define your teamwork? Is it too formal or too casual?"

"I would say we have great teamwork, I mean we were formed a couple of days ago and yet we are extremely comfortable with each other. I personally believe that if you are comfortable with your group, it opens the door to effective communication. We do not have any hierarchy in the team. it is a horizontal flow, each person in the team is very important. without anyone single person here, it wouldn't be as good as it is now."

"I know what happened in there previously, if I know what happened back then, don't you think I will know what might have happened in there now? Curious much? Contact me..." (And there were details written on the back of the paper) I scanned the entire crowd and found no one suspicious, but I couldn't simply read it out, instead, I read a question that I already answered and told everyone that I was going to skip it.

"How are you adjusting to food here?" one fun journalist asked me.

"so far so good, I must say this instant ramen in the middle of the night is always a feast. I have so far been to few nearby restaurants and I am actually open to your suggestions" I answered smiling and he wrote a few suggestions on a piece of paper and handed it to me.

"Did you visit any sightseeing places?" another one asked.

"Unfortunately no, I am here for work and it is our top priority now, but once the work here is done, I will surely make time to explore such a beautiful country. Thank you" I replied.

"If you don't have any further questions, we will wrap this up," I said.

"Will there be any press meeting soon?" one of the reporters asked.

"We hope so, we really want to be transparent but that depends on the case files, but we will make sure to give out important information once the investigation starts."

"Any more questions?" I asked and there was absolute silence.

"Then I believe, we answered all your questions. I would like to thank you all for being very patient with me and my team. We hope we continue this good relationship for a long time. and I hope you believe that we gave all the answers with utmost sincerity respect and honesty. Ultimately, both our goals are the same, bringing justice to the criminal. I hope you all have a good day ahead and once again thank you for coming here today."

As the press conference slowly disbanded, the auditorium emptied, leaving just our team. The commissioner showed his appreciation, applauding me for handling the press conference effectively. He complimented our team's performance and even treated us to lunch. Over our meal, we updated him on the decisions and conclusions we had reached the day before. He appeared content with our progress and assured us that he would put pressure on the police department to swiftly provide the case files we had requested.

Upon returning to the bureau, we resumed our discussions about the assigned case. However, I found myself caught in a dilemma. Should I inform the team about the mysterious note I had received, or should I keep it to myself and attempt to unravel its secrets alone?

The decision weighed heavily on my mind. On one hand, sharing the mysterious note with the team might open the door to valuable insights and collaborative problem-solving. On the other hand, the note's enigma intrigued me, and part of me wanted to explore it independently before involving others. It was a decision I couldn't make lightly, as it involved not just my curiosity but also the potential consequences for our team's investigation.

I contemplated the pros and cons, knowing that our team's unity and trust were crucial. However, the note's uncertain origin and message left me with a lingering sense of caution. I knew that the choice I made would impact the course of our investigation, but for the moment, I kept the note tucked away, and let it be an unsolved puzzle that is yet to be unraveled in due time.

Aman knows me too well, he asked me if we could have a coffee break and we all agreed that we needed the break. so Aman approached me and asked me what was bothering me.

"Yo! What is bothering you again? Is it the dreams again? or are you thinking too much about what is going to happen to us now especially since we put ourselves out in the media?"

I wasn't ready to share my note just yet, so instead, I decided to confide in my friend about a vision I had the previous night. Aman, always understanding and supportive, stood by my side during this conversation. At that moment, I couldn't help but think that if I had a brother, he might be just like Aman.

After a short break, our group continued with our session and eventually made our way back to the camp. It was then that we noticed Austin, the youngest member of our group, feeling homesick. It was completely understandable; he missed his home and friends. You might wonder how he ended up in Korea when our initial destination was Thailand. Well, during the chaos of separating the victims by their countries, Austin must have been too tired because he ended up in the wrong group, and, consequently, with us in Korea.

We wanted to make sure Austin felt comfortable with us, like part of our family, even if not exactly like a real family. So, we all went to dinner together, sharing hearty laughs and recounting embarrassing stories. It was a lovely evening. 

After dinner, I was utterly exhausted from the press meeting and also the restless night before. I took a refreshing shower and lay down, pondering who this anonymous person might be. But my exhaustion quickly overtook me, and I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed. I slept like a baby, completely at ease.

In the morning, I woke up feeling not so great and definitely not even close to ready to face the day. The mystery of the anonymous note still lingered in my mind, but I was determined to figure it out.