Chapter Thirteen

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"That's the beauty of a secret - you know you're supposed to keep it."

"May I offer you a cup of coffee, Detective Min?" I asked awkwardly as I let the man come inside the house

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"May I offer you a cup of coffee, Detective Min?" I asked awkwardly as I let the man come inside the house. I knew I wasn't obligated to, at least not until he got a warrant, but I figured it would make a good impression if it appeared that I had nothing to hide.

"No, thank you." he turned me down curtly, his air strict and business-like. He halted in the hallway and looked at me expectantly even though he hadn't asked me anything yet.

"Please, let's sit in the living room." I said in a sweet voice, motioning for him to follow me. He did so, the same stoic expression on his face as he scanned the high walls and ceilings of the mansion.

"That's a nice house," he commented as he took a seat on the vintage sofa and I suddenly started to sweat profusely. "Have you lived here long?"

"Uh, no," I said, finding sudden interest in the pattern of the cushions. "I and my mother moved in here when she married my step-father."

"Interesting," the detective mumbled. Unlike most detectives I'd seen on television, he didn't carry a pen nor a leather notebook. He didn't carry anything apart from what I presumed was a handgun hanging from his belt and just seemed overall disinterested by everything around him.

"So," I straightened my shoulders, wanting to appear more adult-like. "How may I help you, detective?"

"I just want to ask you a couple questions, Ms. Clairmont."

"Valerie. Please call me Valerie."

"Alright, Valerie," he leaned his back against the cushions, totally at ease. "I have some questions for you. They're not supposed to be too difficult for you if you'd just answer them truthfully."

"Well, of course. I don't have anything to hide," I cleared my throat and when I sensed his calculative gaze fixated on me, I shifted in my seat. "Am I in trouble, detective?"

"We'll have to see," Detective Min placed a hand in one of his pockets and took out a small metal box. We both sat in complete silence as I watched him roll himself a cigarette and light it up without even asking me if it were allowed to smoke inside the house first. A+ for amazing power play. "Do you by any chance happen to know a certain Park Jimin, Ms. Clairmont?"

"Valerie."

"Whatever."

My heart froze in my chest as I took a sharp inhale.

"Park Jimin..." I squinted my eyes, buckling my lower lip upwards as I pretended to think really hard. "The name does ring a bell, yeah. I think he goes to my school."

"Are you two close?"

"No, not too close. I've seen him on one or two occasions around school when we'd exchange some words, but nothing too special."

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