Chapter 146 - Busan Trip (3)

They hesitated at first. There was a nasty stench coming out from the house, which was making their stomachs churn.

"Is it safe to go in there?" Mirae questioned. "What is that smell?"

"It smells like something died in there," Ash said, scrunching his nose. Even he could not keep a nonchalant expression. 

"Do we have a choice?" KJ asked, trying to hold his breath. The stinky stench was getting to him too. Only Hyun Jung was somewhat unfazed.

"I smell a hint of potent drugs," he frowned. He sniffed closely. "A little bit of cocaine…"

"Cocaine?" Mirae winced. "You don't think she is a…"

"Let's talk to her," Ash suggested. His face was turning green as he struggled to keep the bile down his throat. 

"Let's go in," KJ nodded. He stepped forward to open the door.

Immediately, a stronger dose of stench hit him. He gagged as the smell of rotten food and faeces hit him. Behind him, Mirae was also finding it difficult to breathe as she covered her nose with her hands. Ash looked as if he was about to throw up while Hyun Jung winced. Since the latter had dealt with worse stenches, he was able to maintain at least some of his composure.

The house was messy and stinky. There were only two rooms. The kitchen was inside the living room. Dirty plates were piled up in the sink and looked as if they were unwashed for months. Moths and flies roamed around the rotten food. The garbage can was full while the walls were stained with fungi. There were piles of unwashed clothes on the couch while the smell of feces was fresh in the air.

"How does someone live here?" Mirae asked out loud. "Could it really be Goo Soo Bin's house? Are we mistaken?"

"It's his house," Hyun Jung confirmed. He pointed at the walls. There were some pictures of a middle aged man wearing a police uniform. "That's him."

"But why is a celebrated police officer living like this?" Ash asked. "Shouldn't he have a better home or at least decent living conditions?"

"Maybe he is in debt and ended up like this," KJ shrugged.

"Can't be," Hyun Jung said. "He was very careful about money. He lived comfortably with his wife and daughter back when he was in our village."

A raspy voice from the bedroom interrupted them. "Who is it?" it demanded. It was difficult to determine if the voice belonged to a man or a woman.

"We want to meet Detective Goo Soo Bin," Hyun Jung informed. "Is he here?"

His words were met with a short silence. They heard the shuffling of footsteps approaching. The person behind the door seemed to be swaying sideways with each step. They heard the breaking of china followed by a crash.

"Let's go and help her!" Mirae exclaimed, rushing inside. The others followed suit. 

They entered the room to see an anorexic woman lying on the floor. The woman had extremely white hair and a pale, gaunt face. She was in her twenties but looked as if she was decades older than her age. There were several injection marks on her arms and legs.

The girl looked up at them with her deadpan eyes. She was so skinny that her bones were popping out and her skin was flabby. Mirae rushed forward to help her get up. The girl was so light, that Mirae was afraid that she would hurt her with one touch. The girl struggled to regain her balance.

"Sit here," Mirae said, leading her towards a mattress on the floor. 

"Thank...you…" the girl managed to say. Her teeth were completely yellow and her pupils were redshot. A strong smell of cocaine hit Mirae's nose when the girl spoke.

"Don't mention it," Mirae said. "Are you alright?"

The girl managed to nod feebly. Her eyelids were drooping as she struggled to stay awake.

"Are you Goo Sia?" Mirae asked. The girl, in her daze, let out a grunt which they could only think of as an 'Yes'.

"Ms. Goo," KJ said, squatting down in front of her. "Where is Detective Goo Soo Bin?"

"G...n…" the girl grunted in her sleepy state.

"I beg your pardon?" KJ asked.

"G...n…"

"KJ, I think she means to say that he's gone," Mirae frowned. "Where did he go, Sia?"

But the girl was completely snoozing. 

"She won't listen this way," Ash said. He looked around and found a bucket lying on the floor nearby. He picked it up and filled it with water before bringing it back into the room.

"This is the only way," he grimaced. "Move aside."

KJ and Mirae backed off from the girl. Ash lifted the bucket higher and splashed the water on the girl.

"AHHHH!" 

She woke up screaming. "You son of a-"

The girl let out a stream of curses and not-so-ladylike words. 

"That is some choice of vocabulary," Hyun Jung commented.

"Who the hell are you guys?" the girl screamed. In her drug induces state, she could not figure out that two of the nation's top idols were standing in front of her.

"Where is Goo Soo Bin?" Ash demanded.

"How the hell would I know where that old man went?" the girl slurred. "He's probably ran off somewhere…"

"When did you see him last?" KJ inquired.

"I don't know," the girl shrugged. "One...no two...or was it three…"

"You saw him three hours ago?" Mirae asked. The girl shook her head.

"Not three hours," she yawned, scratching her messy hair. "Three years. I think. I can't say."

"You mean to say that your father has been missing for years and you didn't bother looking for him?" Hyun Jung asked incredulously. 

"Who cares about him?" the girl snapped. "He was a lousy dad anyway! He's the reason I'm like this today. If only...if only he hadn't chased that damn Cartel…"

"He was chasing the Cartel?" Mirae stated. "What happened then?"

The girl looked up at Mirae and gave a sad smile. "They had warned him not to mess with their affairs. But the old man didn't listen. Six years ago, when I was returning from school...a few men abducted me in a van. For the next six days...they...they…"

The girl broke off. Suddenly she began to tear at her hair.

"THOSE MONSTERS RAPED AND DRUGGED ME FOR SIX DAYS!" she screamed. "THOSE BAS-"

The girl kept on screaming slang and curses. She was completely out of her mind, scratching and hurting herself. KJ and Mirae, who were the closest to her, grabbed her hands to stop her from hurting herself. 

"Stop!" Mirae pleaded.

"Calm down Ms. Goo!" KJ shouted while Ash and Hyun Jung held down her legs.

"She's too traumatized!" Ash exclaimed. "We should take her to the hospital!"

"LET ME GO!" the girl screamed. "DON'T DO THIS PLEASE!"

"She's probably thinking that those men are back to get her!" Hyun Jung said. "I'm calling an ambulance!"

He darted out of the door to make the call while the others held her down. Mirae frantically scanned the room till her eyes fell on a medicine bottle. 

"Ash, hold her hand!" she exclaimed. The latter obeyed and held down Ms. Goo's arm. Mirae dashed for the medicine. These were normal sleeping pills. Even though the girl was full of drugs, it was the only way to calm her down for now. 

Mirae quickly took out one pill and hurried back towards the girl. She shoved the pill down the screaming girl's throat. Within seconds, the girl fell unconscious. 

KJ, Ash and Mirae let out a sigh of relief.

"Is she still breathing?" Ash panted.

"She is," Mirae replied, checking her breathing. The trauma of her rape made the girl resort to drugs. She had no idea where her father was. 

"Search the house for any documents," KJ instructed. They opened the cabinets and drawers to look for any files related to the Cartel. Thankfully, there were quite a few old files which detailed the investigations Goo Soo Bin led against the Cartel. They grabbed anything which might be remotely related to their case. 

"You guys better hurry up," Hyun Jung warned. "It will not look good on you if the paramedics catch Ash and KJ here. I can tell them that I stopped by to visit Detective Goo and found her unresponsive."

"Alright," KJ agreed, grabbing more files. "We got all the files anyway. We'll head back to the hotel."

"See you there," Hyun Jung nodded.

The trio scurried out of the house, leaving Hyun Jung behind to deal with the paramedics.

Once inside the car, Mirae spoke up. "They messed her up really badly. She didn't even know when her father left…"

"He's been missing for three years," KJ frowned. "And no one filed a complaint?"

"The daughter is too addicted and traumatized to do anything by herself," Ash stated. "How do you expect her to file a complaint for her father who has been missing...that...long…"

He trailed off. A sudden realization hit him.

"Ash?" Mirae shook him.

"Mirae," he said. "The mysterious corpse found at Hann Constructions during that fire...what if it was Goo Soo Bin?"