xxxiii. officially on her own

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AFTER STEPPING OUT OF the car, Nina shouldered her purse and tilted her face upward. The police station loomed over the street. She wasn't thrilled to be here again, but the message at the rally had freaked her out.

What could Mei have done that'd make her deserving of death? Who'd written that message? Did it mean Yeseul was dead, too?

Even Beomgyu had no idea how it'd happened or who could've done it. Nina had just told him to let her know if he discovered anything, but she doubted anyone would come forward. She set her shoulders, lifted her chin as she marched through the revolving doors, making a beeline for the front desk. "May I please meet with Detective Kim Minsoo?"

"Appointment?" the receptionist asked.

"No, but please let him know it's Xu Meijin's sister requesting to speak with him."

The receptionist's eyes flickered upward, resting on her with a renewed interest. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Will you tell him? Please." When the receptionist continued to stare blankly at her, Nina asked flippantly, "Is my uncle busy at the moment?"

She saw the moment it registered.

"Oh!" He was up in a flash. "I'll inform Detective Kim right away."

Nina rolled her eyes, but she was relieved. She'd prefer that her uncle didn't know of her visit. He would figure she was up to something, and the last thing she needed was him on her tail.

Moments later the receptionist was back. "You may go in through here, miss."

Nina breezed by without a word. When she saw the office number she'd been directed to, she knocked lightly.

"Come in."

The man straightened behind his desk as she entered, eyes on her as she settled into the chair opposite him. He was evidently waiting for her to speak first. "You're the detective in charge of my sister's case."

"We've spoken before, Xu Nina," was his reply. "To what do I owe your visit?"

Nina folded her hands demurely in her lap. She breathed in deeply. "I don't believe my sister killed herself."

His fingers steepled atop his desk, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Is that so?"

She remembered why she hadn't liked him much when the investigation first begun. "Hear me out."

He motioned for her to go on, clearly humoring her.

Nina sat up straight. "It simply doesn't make sense. I thought this after she first went missing. My sister wasn't the type to disappear. She didn't believe in running away from her issues; she-"

Kim Minsoo's lip curled. "A psychological analysis of your sister's nature isn't sufficient evidence to open this up as a murder."

"But there were no warning signs. I don't think she knew-"

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