《Whatever It Takes | Rosekook ✓》24: clear
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"That's an awful bump you have on your head," Detective Bae Joohyun was staring at the bandage across Roseanne Park. "You said you were hit by a baseball?"
"Yes. I was still at the hospital when your partner came to pick me up. Luckily, I was also being discharged," Roseanne placed a hand over her injured head before glancing at detective Kim Seokjin.
Joohyun glanced at her partner, Seokjin. He was nodding his head. "We don't normally give rides to the precinct unless you're officially being arrested," Seokjin said. "I gave you a ride because you said you didn't have a ride and I thought it would be best if we both questioned you. I did good, didn't I, Joohyun?"
Joohyun's mouth twisted up as she slid a folder across the metal desk between them and Roseanne. She watched as Roseanne's eyes darted around the room's walls and two-way mirrors finally resting on the camera in the corner of the room.
"You're not being recorded, if that's what you're wondering," Joohyun said. "We just wanted a quiet place where we can ask you some questions."
"Is there someone behind those mirrors?" Roseanne asked, pointing to one of the two-way mirrors.
"No," Joohyun answers. "Would it be a problem if there were?"
Roseanne shrugged. "I thought I was just here to answer simple questions. If there were people watching, I'd want to know why."
Joohyun smirked. "You watch too many cop movies."
"Not really."
"So," Joohyun started. "You grew up in Australia and moved here a few years ago. Do you like South Korea?"
"It's okay. Is there a reason you're asking?"
"You were a foster kid, right?" Seokjin asked, jumping into the conversation. He sighed before pulling out a pack of mint-flavored gum from the pocket of his jacket. He stretched the gum towards Roseanne. "Want some?"
"No, thank you."
"I never knew you were in foster care," Seokjin said. "Not until today, that is. I mean...I've watched your videos before. I'm a big fan of ghosts in general. My grandmother used to tell me stories about them so I've loved paranormal stuff since I was young. Does that sound morbid?"
"No, not really. I imagine most people would think it's more morbid to search for ghosts on a regular basis."
"Is this really what you want to talk about?" Joohyun asked her partner, her brows raised.
"Things must've been tough when you were in foster care," Seokjin said, switching topics.
Roseanne cleared her throat. "I'm not complaining, it was what it was. It's not like I'm the only one who has ever been through foster care. Not everyone grows up with a perfect childhood."
"That's true," Joohyun agreed. "Some people feel like the world owes them something if they grew up with a bad childhood. They do things they shouldn't and think it's okay."
Roseanne's eyes narrowed. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I bet you had to fend for yourself a lot," Seokjin whispered. "Did you at least have a decent foster home? Or were you in a group home?"
Joohyun smirked, her steely eyes focused on Roseanne. "You must have read her file. She was in a group home. With both boys and girls. I've got to say, Australia is one of the kindest countries to work with. They sent your juvenile file right over."
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"What are you talking about?" Namjoon asked. He stood up and walked to the corner of the room where he spat his gum out in a plastic wastebasket. "Are you saying Ms. Park has a record?"
Roseanne rolled her eyes and Joohyun couldn't help but smile. Seokjin was a horrible actor so their good and bad cop routine never went smoothly.
"Do you want to tell us about it?" Joohyun asked.
Roseanne frowned. "About what?"
"Your record."
Roseanne's chin rose as she answered. "No."
"Why not? It happened a few years ago. It's all in the past."
"You have the file," Roseanne said, nodding towards the folder. "You can read it. I thought you wanted to ask me about Chou Tzuyu's death again. If you're here to ask me about some old shop-lifting charge...I'm going to leave."
"Shop-lifting?" Seokjin asked, aghast.
"Our ghost-hunter had some sticky fingers when she was younger," Joohyun reached for the folder and opened it. "It says here you were arrested twice for shop-lifting."
"I was never formally charged," Roseanne said. She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair. "Seriously, is this why you came to find me at the hospital? To remind me of how bad my teens were?"
"The thing is...when you get arrested and they take your fingerprints, they get put in this database," Joohyun explained. "Anyone can access it."
"Anyone in law enforcement," Seokjin corrected.
"Right," Joohyun nodded before turning back to Roseanne. "I was trying to find a match for a pair of fingerprints we found on a possible murder weapon. Guess whose fingerprints popped up?"
Joohyun watched Roseanne's demeanor change. She either knew something or she was guilty.
"I'm sure she had no choice but to shoplift when she was younger," Seokjin insisted, still trying to play the good cop. "Maybe it's a coincidence that her fingerprints were at a crime scene."
Well, Seokjin had let the cat out of the bag. Now, Roseanne knew that they knew she was hiding something.
"She stole twice," Joohyun said. "Do you know what that tells me? She didn't learn the first time and she thought she'd get away with it a second time. Which is strange because she's out here making videos about Chou Tzuyu and-"
"I thought you read my file?" Roseanne asked. "I stole twice and got caught both times because I was bad at it. Both times I stole food. Food!"
"Food?" Seokjin asked, reaching for her file.
"Yeah. You try growing up in a foster home where the foster parents were just in it for the check. Our fridge was locked twenty-four-seven. My foster brother was diabetic and he needed food."
"I don't believe you," Joohyun leaned forward on her elbows.
"I didn't ask you to. I'm just telling you what happened. If you're going to sit there and accuse me of something, you should know all the facts."
"If you were in a foster home, you would've had a caseworker who checked on you regularly. Why didn't you just tell your caseworker about the food situations? Why resort to stealing?"
"Do you know anything about being in foster care?" Roseanne asked. "When the caseworker came by, she always asked me questions in front of my foster parents. I couldn't exactly say they were starving us on the weekends. Listen, I don't know why you're bringing up my life in Australia. Surely, that's not why I'm here today."
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"No, it's not," Joohyun nodded. "As I said earlier, your fingerprints matched a possible murder weapon."
"Murder weapon? Are we talking about Chou Tzuyu?" Roseanne asked. "Is it true? Are you guys opening her case back up?"
"There were some differences with the coroner's report. Several of his cases are being reopened," Seokjin sat back in his chair and smiled. "Turns out...Chou Tzuyu may have been murdered after all."
"I knew it!" Roseanne stood. "I don't know why no one believed me when it's clear as day in my video that she screamed twice. Somebody must've attacked her."
Joohyun nodded. "I might just agree with you, Ms. Park. What's also interesting is that we received an anonymous tip about a murder weapon in the Park mansion."
"An anonymous tip?"
"Yes, someone reported a possible murder weapon being hidden in the room. At first, we thought it was some kind of joke. Maybe one of your followers was trying to pull a fast one and make you look somewhat credible."
"I don't think I have followers who'd support me like that," Roseanne said softly.
Seokjin made a harrumphing sound. "You have over a million followers. I'm pretty sure one of them is a fanatic."
"That tip coupled with the investigation of our coroner bringing us here. Roseanne Park, why are your fingerprints on our murder weapon?" Joohyun asked.
"May I know what the murder weapon is?" Roseanne sat back down. "I can't tell you unless I know what it is, right?"
Before Joohyun could answer, the door to the interrogation room swung open. A tall woman in an expensive-looking black suit strode in. She was carrying a leather briefcase which she slammed against the table before sitting next to Roseanne.
"Son Seungwan," she said bluntly. There was a cold steeliness to her eyes as she stared at Joohyun and Seokjin. "I'm Ms. Roseanne Park's attorney," she turned to Roseanne. "As your lawyer, I would strongly suggest you not answer any of their questions at this time."
"She's not under arrest," Seokjin protested. "This is a friendly talk."
"Friendly?" Seungwan repeated, looking around the room. "A talk amongst friends is usually held in better surroundings. Or do you bring all your friends to an interrogation room to catch up?"
Seokjin glanced before mumbling. "Joohyun's my friend and we talk here all the time."
"Who are you and why are you here?" Roseanne whispered.
Seungwan raised a brow at her before turning back to the detectives. "I was retained on behalf of Ms. Roseanne Park by one of her friends. Are you arresting my client?"
Joohyun muttered something about unwanted attorneys before giving her head a single shake. "No, we aren't arresting anyone today. We just wanted to know why her fingerprints were in a possible murder weapon."
"If it's the bird bookend, I just stumbled across it," Roseanne blurted out. She flinched under Seungwan's glare.
"What part of 'don't answer any of their questions' didn't you understand?" Seungwan asked.
"I'm innocent," Roseanne insisted. "I have nothing to hide."
"You stumbled across it?" Joohyun asked before Roseanne's lawyer could say another word. "When?"
"After the crime scene had been cleared. I went there to film another video on the Park mansion. I ran into the Trinity and at one point, I wandered off by myself while they were filming."
"Did you investigate the room Tzuyu was last alive in?" Seokjin asked.
"I was just looking around and I noticed the desk. I opened it and saw the bookend. I thought it was odd because bookends come in sets. When I originally looked around the room, I saw the other half on its own on one of the shelves."
"Why didn't you report it to the police?" Joohyun asked. "You found something with blood on it and you didn't bother to give us a call?"
"So, anytime I find something with blood on it, I should call the police?"
"You've been insisting Tzuyu was murdered," Joohyun reminded her. "Any other person would've called the police."
"Yes, but I've been telling you this for a while now and no one here ever believed me. If anything, I've been treated like some sort of criminal who wants views for her YouTube channel. I turned in her necklace that was sent to me and you all didn't care. I told you she was wearing that necklace the night she died...you ignored me. How many times do I have to act like Chicken Little for you to believe me? If I had gone to you and said I found a murder weapon would you have believed me? Admit it. The only reason you believed this anonymous tipper is because you had some issues with your coroner."
Seokjin cleared his throat. "Now that's not necessarily true."
"It doesn't matter. I found the bookend and put it back. At the time, you all had ruled Tzuyu's death an accident. You're the cops. I'm just some lowly YouTuber. Why should I have suspected it to be anything else?"
"I think that's enough," Seungwan interrupted. "You have my client's explanation. If you plan to press charges, do so now. If not, we're leaving."
Joohyun pushed her chair back and glared at Roseanne. "I'm keeping an eye on you."
"Please do not try to intimidate my client," Seungwan said. She sighed as if Joohyun was boring to her. "I'd hate to have to go through the whole trouble of reporting you. Instead of harassing Ms. Park, I suggest you focus on Chou Tzuyu's murder. If you still have free time, maybe you should start asking yourself why you seem to have some anger towards my client. Self-reflection never hurts anyone."
She placed a hand on Roseanne's back and escorted her out of the room, away from a disgruntled Joohyun and Seokjin. Joohyun couldn't help but wonder who had save Roseanne Park yet again. Not that it mattered. It was only a matter of time before the truth came out.
"Now what?" Seokjin asked.
"Now, we keep doing our job."
"You think she murdered Chou Tzuyu?"
"I'm not saying that. I'm just not ruling her out. For all we know, she may be working with someone and Tzuyu's death was some elaborate set-up to gain views. I had IT track down that anonymous tipper. Guess who it was?"
"Roseanne!" Seokjin whisper-yelled.
Joohyun rolled her eyes. "No. It was her roommate. If that's not suspicious I don't know what is."
"So you think they killed Tzuyu? Why call in the tip?"
"We closed that case as an accident. That's not going to build any type of fame. Mark my words, Roseanne Park is guilty of something and I'm going to nail her for it."
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