- Ooiiii! [Alright! (Japanese)] Fine! Enough! The voices won! [Refers to a well-known meme on social media.] I'm going to look for the ambassador. I was already on my feet, staring at all the pictures of His Excellency.
The three women were looking at me strangely.
- Hey, I think you've become tripolar. You're not just acting weird, you're acting veryWhere's my notebook?I asked nervously while my audience stared at me, surprised. It's on the table now, hey!
I turned around and picked it up from where the Countess had pointed, though I had no idea when or how it got there. What was certain was that I hadn't had it on me while I was being interrogated.
- Are you sure you'll help us?The boss could hardly believe it.If I said I'd do something, then I'll do it.
I was hurriedly jotting down the ambassador's physical traits. If the Japanese intelligence services found out that a former Yakuza leader… was helping the Koreans… it would be complete madness. I was a fool to think I was now a free and worry-free man. I should've stayed in Pakistan.
I felt like slapping myself. I was already regretting my decision, but there was no turning back. I couldn't just leave the ambassador's wife like that. Studying the pictures, I realized the relationship between the two—especially since the way she looks at him gives her away. She still loves him, even after all this time. Well, His Excellency doesn't seem to take his eyes off her either, despite his high-ranking position...
I would've been trash if I had left the esteemed lady to cry any longer. Then again, in the society I come from—my home country, obviously—I'm considered worse than trash. Those people will never change their mentality... What a shame! Sometimes, even people like me just want to be accepted by the society they live in and be loved, without being seen as a threat...
- Green, doll, how much longer are you going to stare into space? Time's ticking, hey!Sorry! I'm almost done. I sat back down on the couch and fixed my gaze on the lady of the house.
- So, how long has he been missing? Where was he last seen? And what was he doing before he disappeared! I was speaking so quickly that it was nearly incomprehensible to anyone not fluent in Romanian.
- Greeennn!The Countess was getting annoyed.Sorry! I'll ask my questions one at a time and more slowly. I turned to my drinking buddy just to jokingly scold her:
- Professional defect, what do you expect!? Gently, calmly, and as slowly as I could manage, I repeated my questions.
- Last night, around 5:30 PM, he left home for the Pakistani Embassy, as he was invited to the National Day Reception. I don't know how long he stayed there… I kept waiting for him, but I was so tired that I fell asleep. When I woke up, sometime around midnight, I found out he hadn't come home. I kept waiting. Around 9 AM, I got a call from the Embassy. They told me he wasn't there, but the security team informed me that we had an extremely dangerous intruder in the yard.
Did they see my tattoo?
- Alright, so he's been missing since yesterday at 5:30 PM. It's now 3:50 PM—so in about two hours, it'll be a full 24 hours since he disappeared. Tell me, what did he do all day yesterday?I'll answer that. Mrs. Kang Eun-hee doesn't have details on His Excellency's schedule.Okay, just tell me your name so I know who I'm addressing.Yoon Hye-jin. His Excellency woke up at 5 AM, did his morning routine, and we left for the Embassy, where he had several important meetings. We returned home for an interview, which lasted about an hour...How long did he spend at the Embassy, and who did he meet with?From 9:30 AM to around 1:30 PM, and he had meetings with high-ranking Romanian officials. Moving on. Who interviewed the ambassador here?A news site from Buzău... the interview lasted about an hour.Okay, and then you went straight to the Pakistani National Day Reception?Not exactly… The ambassador relaxed a bit, and around 5:30 PM, he left for the reception.And you let him leave alone?I fixed my gaze on Hye-jin.Of course not. We would never do that.I assume he left in your Embassy's car. What does this vehicle look like? Who drives it? How well do they drive? Can they handle pressure, stress...?Greennn!The Countess interrupted us again.Sorry! Got carried away.It's our national brand, a Hyundai—metallic white, with blue plates, and the license plate starts with "CD"...CD stands for "Corps Diplomatique," I assume... Do you have flags on it?
I noted everything in my notebook.
- And what about the driver? What can you tell me? He's South Korean, an excellent driver, extremely attentive, and from what I know, he remains calm even in stressful situations. Got it. Who else was in the car? My colleague, Hope, accompanied the ambassador. So he was well protected. I hope I'm not saying something stupid, but His Excellency knows how to fight, right? In your country, Taekwondo is common, and all men are required to do military service… So I don't think I'm mistaken.
Yoon Hye-jin nodded approvingly, while Kang Eun-hee looked at me with slight skepticism.
-... we've been to the Reception too, Countess. I turned my gaze towards my drinking buddy.
- Yes! Her statement reinforced my words.
- Because I looked around the "house" and managed to see the pictures, I remember that we crossed paths a few times with the ambassador, but I don't know when he left.
- With how much of a foodie you are, it's no surprise you didn't see anything. I was sorry that it was Ramadan [the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, marking the period of obligatory fasting for all Muslims], and they didn't serve us any alcohol.
- Countess, they wouldn't have given you any even if it wasn't Ramadan. Muslims don't drink alcohol; it's forbidden by the Quran.
- Don't interrupt me, woman! You should've stayed away from the buffet instead of stuffing yourself like a pig!
- What was I supposed to do? I missed Pakistani food... especially that sweet rice with lamb ribs and spicy sauce... it's so delicious... I'm drooling just thinking about it... That fruit salad with peas, samosas [traditional Pakistani dishes], I didn't see any, spinach with potatoes, chicken Jalfrezi [traditional Pakistani dish], chicken Balti [traditional Pakistani dish], chicken Biryani [traditional Pakistani dish]...
- Enough with the chicken, woman...
- Shall we talk about rice instead?
- No way! Ever since we were in India, I don't want to hear about rice anymore.
- Or maybe you'd rather talk about their traditional rose and hibiscus drink...
- I thought that was some kind of wine... it was bitter...
- It was good. I started laughing.
The other two women in the room were looking at us strangely.
- This is how we reminisce and try to recall if we saw him leave... I don't know if he passed by the buffet, though I did "welcome" all the guests.
- Yes, woman, I'm surprised His Excellency of Pakistan didn't name you the chief taster.
- Zafar Iqbal has nothing to do with this case. Let's be clear. It must have been someone who followed him to the Pakistani Embassy but either didn't enter or entered by invitation. But it's definitely not Pakistan's fault. The place was well-guarded, and during the reception, nothing could have been done. Even the army was there.
- Yes, and you ran when you saw a representative from your own Embassy. You locked yourself in the bathroom like a fool, as if that diplomat knew who you were. See? That's how you missed half the food. That's why we went drinking afterward, and you got wasted.
- Look who's talking! You were drunker than me. You even blamed me for losing your driver's license and your drinking buddy for a while.
Anna smacked me in the face with her purse.
- And how is your argument helping us? Eun-hee had lost her patience.
- Too much stress has built up in this room, and we need to purify ourselves. That's how we get rid of toxic stress. My blonde friend always had an explanation for everything and was convincing because she actually believed the nonsense she spewed.
- You have security cameras, don't you?! I know it's a stupid question... It's not like this place wouldn't be under surveillance from the inside as well, with mini cameras placed strategically. But let's just assume we don't know that...
- Yes!
- Can I see them? Only the exterior ones interest me.
Hye-jin hurried out of the room.
While waiting for the response, I drank my tea. Why am I doing this?! I'm Asian, but I hate tea... I swear they put something in this one. My tongue is loosening way too quickly... That's not like me.
- Countess, have you had the feeling that someone has been following us since this morning?
- No! I vaguely remember you saying you heard hurried footsteps behind us, and that was after I accidentally made you fall into a neighbor's yard.
- I thought it was the police.
- And what are you implying, woman? That it wasn't the police, and we ran away like two lazy worms from some random person?
- I think that's the most plausible version.
- Woman!
- Don't yell. Please, we'll startle people for no reason.
- I'm back. I brought the laptop. You can check the exterior footage to see who came and went, though no one enters or leaves without our permission...
She didn't need to explain that to me. It was obvious.
- It'll take a while to review yesterday's footage and this morning's incident... What time does the guard change?
- A shift lasts 12 hours.
- 12 hours? My blonde friend was left speechless.
- Yes!
- And what happens if they need to go to the bathroom?... I didn't see any portable toilets near their booth.
- They usually announce it, and they are replaced immediately so they can go to a restaurant or café where they ask to use the bathroom.
Hye-jin's explanation left Anna without a reply.
- Ma'am, we have a problem. A tall, muscular man rushed into the room, his eyes fixed on Eun-hee.
- What happened? Her voice was barely a whisper, her hands trembling as she bit her lower lip.
- The Romanian press has announced the disappearance of His Excellency, Sung-bin.
I no longer needed the laptop—I ran straight to the gate, to the guard post. It was empty.
- Damn it! If my suspicion is correct, we're in big trouble.
Hye-jin and the newcomer caught up with me.
- Green, come inside!!!! The Countess's desperate shout made me start running again.
- What is it? Back inside, I stared in horror at what was happening. The lady of the house was holding a switchblade.
- Ma'am, put it down. I will handle everything. I took small steps toward her.
- There's nothing we can do anymore. The woman was crying.
- Yes, there is! Impossible doesn't exist in my dictionary. I tried to communicate with Anna through my gaze, begging her to cover me. I was planning to take the knife from the Korean woman's hand.
- Neighbor, things will get sorted out. Trust him. Green is Romania's best detective.
- If he can't bring my husband back home in less than an hour, it's useless... They'll call from the country. It'll be a huge scandal.
- It's natural for us to want this resolved as quickly as possible. A diplomatic scandal would erupt, and we don't want that... We had a strategic partnership based on trust and a strong economy. Your husband wants both sides to benefit, which we appreciate. We have many things in common with you. So...
I was just one step away from taking the knife without using force, but before I could act, Eun-hee attempted to use the weapon.
- Nooo! Hye-jin screamed. Her colleague lunged at me, but I was faster—I placed my right palm over the woman's wrist. The knife sank into my forearm.
- Why? Why did you do that?
- Because what you were about to do was stupid. I will fix this. I promise on my honor as a Romanian lawman. I will keep my word no matter what... Romania is my breath. It's the home I will protect with everything I have, even if my veins don't carry Dacian or Roman blood... I belong to this place, and I won't let anyone conquer it, tear it apart, or stain it!
I drew my gun. The wound began to bleed even more.
- Why did you do that, woman? You think you're in a movie?
- Anna, this isn't the first time I've been scratched a little.
- The press will come. What will we do when they ask to speak to my husband?
- You turn men into women and women into men... you're makeup artists. The best creams and cosmetics are yours. I don't speak Korean, I'm missing a few centimeters, I have a bit of a belly, but that can be fixed. I have experience with the press, I can mimic anyone perfectly... so I think I can become Sung-bin at least until the media leaves. If you agree, I'll leave myself in your hands. Decide quickly, though, because time is not on our side! And turn off the cameras in this room. But before I could finish speaking, Hye-jin had already brought the makeup kit.
- FĂ, I've seen you as a woman before, and damn, what a sexy woman you were! Now I see you as an ambassador… soon enough, you'll be the president's double.
- Hold onto that thought, Countess. I'll get back to you later.
I stayed in the same room. As I lay back, relaxed, waiting to be made up, I suddenly remembered the secretary's colleague.
- Where did your colleague disappear to?
- We need another gendarme at the gate…
- No! Stop him! Don't let him call anyone!
- But then who's going to stand guard? The surprise in her voice was obvious.
It seemed the lady of the house had started to trust me because I heard her say:
- Go stop him!
Hye-jin took off running, while I was left in the hands of the ambassador's wife.
- Anna, how about you stand guard?
- FĂ, my pictures are all over the internet. Everyone will recognize me because of the scandal.