I had three sons, and this made my proud. The youngest one was eight years old, the eldest fourteen. They still attended the school, all of them. Soon, very soon, Jin would have finished, and he was ready to come and work with us. He was a brilliant student and I was confident he would be promoted with the best grades. I had not talked about it with Minji yet, but I had already decided he should continue his studies. I knew well we could not afford it, we did not have enough money, but I wanted more for him, a long, happy life.
I should have explained her where those money came from, make up some story, but it did not matter. My son would have continued his studies, all of them would, had it been their wish. It had already happened and it would happen again. Minji would understand, I was sure of it.
Our little town was located near Gwangju, where nothing ever happened. Life went on monotonous and calm. That afternoon seemed like every other, but I was careless, I kept making mistakes, as I was too much immersed in my thoughts. I was looking for a way to speak with Minji. To tell her about Jin and about what I wanted for him. About his future. I was looking for a way to explain her that we had the money to let him continue the studies. Let him attend the university, even, if he wished to do so. I should have explained her how I had come into possession of it, and that would have been very difficult. I would have to make up a much more believable excuse than a sudden inheritance of a missing uncle.
Cholsu always was in the way and stepped in between every conversation. Every attempt to send him away led nowhere. It was almost time for Minji to leave us and return to the fam, because our sons would soon return and I had not tackled that speech yet. I could have talked with her that night, in bed, but I didn’t want our sons to hear us. We had to settle it down together, the two of us.
I had already done so in a couple of occasions. I had found money I should not own. I had deceived her, told her lots of lies, and she had eventually believed me. But that’s because back then she was younger and more trusting. This time was different. This time Minji perfectly knew the amount of our financial resources, she constantly kept an eye on me fearing I would spend too much. Sometimes I was tempted to tell her everything and tell her the truth. But she would not understand, I was certain about it, she would not trust me, and even if she did, she would have hated me.
«Cholsu, couldn’t you…».
He seemed enchanted, his mouth wide open. He stared at the farm. I followed his gaze. A stranger observed us. He pointed right at the two of us and stood on the field’s edge. He could not go over, because his shoes would get wet. He was a western, a muscular and imposing, dressed up with formal and elegant clothes. He looked like a business man, and the briefcase he carried seemed to confirm it, but his face contradicted such idea. A stiff, squared face, with very short blond hair, almost white. He wore a couple of dark glasses. A serviceperson, that was my first impression. A policeman, perhaps.
I could not be sure about his nationality either. He could be a Russian, probably coming from some East country, but I would not be surprised had he been American.
«What could he ever want?», Minji asked. «Do you know him?».
I had no idea, we never received visits, and he was the first Western man I ever saw in the flesh.
She was quick: «I’ll talk to him, it’s time to return anyway»
I made a face, because my chance to talk with her had vanished, but I did not oppose. I saw her going away as she put her dress in order, her hair tied in a bun in her nape. She was a practical woman, and she knew how to assert herself. She was never afraid in front of anything.
Not even then. She walked to the stranger and began questioning him. She asked what he was looking for, whether he had gotten lost, but he did not answer. He opened the briefcase in front of himself, and I guessed he was going to take some documents. I got worried and convinced myself he was a lawyer.
Instead he pulled out a gun. A shiny gun with a long black barrel. I immediately recognized a silencer, but I could not shout in time. Minji had seen it and had stopped, astonished. She could not react as fast as she had to, after all she was too near and had no chance to escape him. The man was quick, he pointed his gun at her and shot. He hit her head, because I saw Minji’s head flying backwards and land between the rice plants.
The man let the briefcase fall and moved forward. I clearly saw his grimace when he entered the field and was forced to get his shiny black shoes wet. He did not wear rubber boots as we did. He walked quickly.
Cholsu’s mouth was still wide open, and he was too afraid to move. I understood I had no way out. Trying to escape was of no use in our conditions. He wanted me, I was sure of it. He came to kill me. I looked at Minji’s body, immersed in the water, and felt full of anguish. Soon, really soon, the boys would return. Would he have killed them too?
I shook Cholsu and yelled: «Run! Go away!».
Perhaps the assassin was not interested in him, perhaps he would have let him go forever.
The man was closer, then I stood up and faced him. I asked him who he was and what he wanted. Since the man did not answer, I asked the same questions in English, in Russian, in French and in German. I could go on, but I eventually understood. No, he was not a lawyer nor a policeman. That man was a killer, and was only doing his job.
Cholsu was still there, he had not moved, too astonished as he had heard me speak languages I did not know, so much so that he had forgotten the assassin’s presence.
«Go!», I yelled again, but it was too late.
A dry, syncopated hit, and a hole opened right at the center of his forehead, almost as if a third eye had showed up. Poor Cholsu wilted with an incredulous gaze on his face.
It was over, my moment had arrived. The killer was already pointing his gun.
«Why?», I asked.
Then I realized I had no more time. I could not die like that, I had to prevent him from shooting in my face. I managed to move as the man shot. Slightly, very slightly.
The bullet hit my right eye. I felt it explode and everything was black.
I had to resist, I mustn’t die, not yet. At least not until the transfer was over.
A second. Two. Three. Four.
Everything was stopping inside my body. Some part of my brain had been damaged.
Five. Six.
I could not do it! I could not make it! I did not have enough time!
Seven. Eight.
I’m
Marcello DeRenzi
I was on charge of a multinational corporation founded by my grandfather. We had interests everywhere in the world. People around the table were there for me. I was doing something… yes, I was there to do something…
«Mister DeRenzi, are you feeling well?».
It was Giovanna’s voice, yes, it was hers.
«Marcello, what’s up? You trailed off».
That was Franzi. Yes, Franzi, I was sure of it.
Eight seconds! Eight!
«Look how pale he is! He’s going to faint, do something!».
«Help him sit down!».
«What’s going on?».
Too many voices, I could not recognize them anymore. My mind was messy. I had to reorganize it, put it back in order.
Eight seconds had not been sufficient! I needed at least twenty! Anyway several parts of my brain had been wounded, most of my memory was lost. But in a random way, with no criterion. If I had not been able to shift my head things would have been way worse.
They were touching me, I felt they were making me sit down. I struggled to gain my discretions back. I had no time to reorganize my memories and divide them and try to understand what had been lost. I would not make it anyway; if a memory had been erased, how could I understand what it was?
More priorities. Priorities. Yes.
My voice sounded unrecognizable: «A phone».
I heard Franzi’s voice: «Get a phone, quick!».
I managed to move my hand and grasped his arm. I squeezed it. «A mobile».
; I could not use a phone of the society’s. I cleared my throat and said: «A non-traceable mobile».
Franzi was astonished: «What?».
I stared at his eyes. «I need a phone which won’t be linked to us. Is it too much?».
His eyes were confused, he was not used to those things. He was not a man of action and wore the soul of an accountant.
Miss Wong, at the end of the table, got something from her folder and called one of her assistants. I saw her deliver a tiny mobile. She was responsible for the Asian section and came from Japan. She was about sixty years old, did not talk much, and bore an icy gaze. My eyes followed the mobile as it was taken to me in a hurry. The assistant was embarrassed.
«Miss Wong said…».
I blocked her with a gestured and almost yanked it off her hand. If Miss Wong said it could not be traced, I would trust her word. I did not want to make such a phone right there, among all of them, but I had no strength to stand up from the chair. I could have asked for their help, but that would make me waste precious seconds. I was too sick, my boys would return home at any moment and the killer might still be there. My only hope was that no one in the room knew Korean.
I dialed the number, which I knew by heart. Then, before someone answered, I told Giovanna: «Find Brandi, quick. Make him come here».
Franzi stiffened, but Giovanna wasted no time and ran to the door as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.
No one understood what was going on. In front of their eyes I had trailed off right during a speech, staying frozen. For eight seconds. And I was not acting like a fool.
A ring. Two. Three. I had my heart in my throat. That poor devil sure was in some pub getting drunk, as usual. That was our police man! Nothing ever happened in our town, that’s what he thought. Nothing had ever happened.
Seung answered, with a croaky voice. I knew him well, we had been together drinking and chattering until dawn. He was envy of me. He was envy of my life, my family. I had never got married. But he could not recognize me now, not with that voice.
I gave him no time to interrupt me.
«My name’s Lang, I’m Jung Park’s cousin. There was a tragedy at Parks’ farm, someone killed his wife and I think he was killed too».
That was only the beginning, I had to insist. I had to tell him that the assassin might still be there, the boys were coming back and he could have killed them too. He had never heard of me, but I told him details that no one else could ever know, and I convinced him that I truly was his cousin. The tone of his voice made me understand that he was beginning to believe me.
I told him I was talking with Jung at the phone when Minji had been killed, I had heard the shots and Jung had suddenly stopped talking. I said I did not live there but I lived in Daegu and I was a gardener. I told him lots of lies, and he would undoubtedly realize it very soon: there was no phone near Jung’s body, and no cousin Lang existed. The only thing I cared about were my sons, and Seung had to arrive just in time to save him.
He eventually interrupted the communication, because I made him so anxious that he did not want to waste any more time.
I stared at the off phone with my heart in my throat. Then I raised my eyes on the people in front of me.
«What language was that?», Franzi asked, astonished.
One of the thousand languages I had not studied and I should not know. Miss Wong was silent and did not even look at me, but I was certain she had understood every word of my phone. I saw two more astonished gazes, a young English manager and one of the assistants, most likely working as interpreter. I did not care, after all I was the one who paid their salaries, I did not have to account for anyone about what I did.
«You go on», I told Franzi. «I don’t feel well».
I wanted to raise up but I couldn’t, my legs still did not support me. Franzi made a gesture and two security agents came to help me. They lifted me up with ease.
Franzi had a puzzled face, but I shook my head.
«Not now».
They laid me down on the couch, in my office, and I sent them away with a gesture. Only Giovanna stayed, and for once she was shaken as well. She had taken off her efficient secretary mask and did not hide her worry.
«Did you find him?», I asked her.
«She’s coming here»
«Nice».
How long would it take Seung to get the farm? I should have not trusted him. If the assassin was still there he soon would have the upper hand on him. But he was the only one near enough, anyone else would have taken too long.
Now the shock was coming: Minji was dead. My wife was dead. My mate, the one who had divided every moment of my life! It was too much in just a day. Laura’s revelation at first, then Minji’s death. And I did not even know if my sons were alive!
Giovanna let a confidence, which was unusual for her. She leaned to me.
«Are you sick? What’s going on with you?».
She was not the prototype of the perfect secretary. She was ten years older than me and she certainly could not be defined a beauty. But she was efficiency made person and I would be lost without her help. I was tempted to talk her about Laura, this would have explained my frame of mind, but I knew that my wife would not approve. She wanted no one to know about her frame of mind.
I shook my head and stared at my watch.
Minutes went on. Five, ten. Giovanna did not know what to do. She almost went away, then she changed her mind and sat in front of me.
He must have arrived. Right then Seung had to be at my farm. Perhaps he had already found the bodies.
I dialed the number on the phone. I waited.
Five rings and he answered.
«Not now!», he shouted.
I yelled as well before he hung up: «I’m Lang! Did you find them?».
A moment of silence.
«How did you get this moment?».
Right, the number I had called was his mobile number, but I could not do otherwise. There was no way to explain how I could know him and I did not even try.
«The boys, how are the boys?».
I asked nothing about Minji and Jung, whether they were dead or alive, and this increased his suspected.
«How do you know certain things? Who are you?».
«The boys! Are they fine?», I insisted again.
«You must tell me…».
I yelled, full of rage: «Did he killed the boys as well?».
Another brief silent.
«There’s no boy here. Only three bodies. No one is still alive».
I breathed a sigh of relief, but anxiety soon returned. I looked at the time again and calculate the time zone difference: they should have arrived already.
Seung’s voice came: «No, no, no!».
Then I heard him yell, but he was not talking with me: «Stay away, don’t get close, don’t look, return in your house!».
I heard a voice yell and recognized Jin. I immediately separated the phone from me and began crying.
Giovanna looked at me with her mouth wide open while I gave vent to all the tension I had amassed. My relief was huge, but there was nothing I should rejoice. I cried and sobbed. For Minji, for Laura, for Cholsu too, especially because my sons were still alive. Because he had not killed them.
Then I felt the need to speak, to let steam off and I told Giovanna: «Laura is dying».
Brandi came ten minutes after. I did not even know his name, I had never asked. He officially was not an employer of mine. We used his surveillance agency only in extraordinary cases, to organize the protection of foreign visitors, or to find delicate information. They had always provided an excellent service.
He was young, perhaps even younger than me, and had an anonymous face, hard to notice. He never asked questions, he only executed.
I wasted no time in pleasantries.
«You must leave for South Korea, Gwangju. I’ve got no time to explain you everything, but Giovanna will fax you all the information you need as you’re flying. Your
job is to protect three children, very discreetly. Make sure no one hurts them. Their parents were just killed, so it’s possible they’ll be living with their mother’s sister. Yes, Yurim lives on her own, I’m sure she’ll take care of them. You must try to help them. Do whatever is possible, but stay in the shadow».
A slight motion of his eyebrows was Brandi’s sole reaction.
«One more thing. I’ll fax you an identikit too. It depicts the man who killed their parents. You must be sure he doesn’t get to them. Try to understand who he is, if you manage».
I added nothing else. Brandi waited a few more second and made no questions. Then he glanced at Giovanna.
She managed to hide his confusion.
«Yes, come, I’ll give you the journey’s details».
I didn’t even notice they were gone. Another life had been erased. Minji, Cholsu, my sons which I would not see again. Yes, I would have tried to help them as much as I could without showing up, but I could never meet them again. I must resist the temptation, even though that was what I wished the most, because they might understand. Nonetheless, sons understand certain things. Their father had died and that’s how things had to stay. Forever.
How many memories had I lost in those twelve missing seconds? Memories of them, of their mother, but also memories of my previous life? How many of my lives had I lost?
Who was that assassin? Why did he want to kill me? Did he want to kill me or Jung? No one knew of my existence, I had always kept it hidden to everyone. But he had aimed at my head, my brain. It had been an happenstance, it had to be. A personal signature, he had done the same thing with Minji and Cholsu.
Giovanna came back a few minutes after. She knocked discreetly and leaned her head inside.
Lizzi Bizzi and the Red Witch Page 68