Maehwa could smell it. The stench of Mr. Fischer’s corpse. It made its way up her nostrils and into the rest of her body. It made her sick. Maehwa might have been a thief, a burglar, but she was no killer. Killing was the line. Besides, she didn’t have the stomach for it.
Her knees turned into jello as she started to run from the pool. Her vision blurred and she struggled to control her body, which was having a bad reaction to the smell. Maehwa stumbled across the garden, trying not to touch anything or vomit.
"Going somewhere?" a clear voice asked.
Maehwa turned around to see a thin, model-like woman in her mid-thirties standing in front of the back door. Long black hair. Amber yellow eyes. She was Datura, Pierre's wife. What was she doing here? There was no time to think about it. Maehwa's face had been seen. She made a run for it, going as fast as she could.
"Dearie, I do not think that you should go. Your face is quite recognizable, so it will be pretty easy for the police to find you," Datura said with no emotion.
Maehwa stopped in her tracks. She couldn't go to jail. If she did, everyone she loved would be taken away from her. She couldn't let that happen. She turned to face Pierre's wife. "What do you want from me?"
"Well, I am a bit lonely at the moment. My husband is unwilling to speak to me," she said, eyeing the corpse, "so I want some company. That's all."
Maehwa felt like throwing up. How could Datura say something like that so causally? She tried to retain her composure, and gave the woman her best glare. "If you want some company, then go find some other socialites."
Datura sighed. "I guess so. But you know, I do not think that they will find Pierre very . . . entertaining. Besides, you do not really have a choice." She tilted her head. "Right?"
Maehwa scowled. "What do you want with me?"
"As I just stated, I want some company," Datura said, "It will only be for two weeks."
Maehwa looked at Pierre's body and gulped. "What happened to him though?"
"I have some blood on my hands, but none of it is his," Datura said in disgust.
Maehwa wondered what had happened between the couple. According to her research, the two had an amazing relationship. They seemed happy and content.
"Come with me," said Datura.
Maehwa gave her a skeptical look.
"You know what? Let me offer you a deal. I know that you are dying to know what happened to him, so I will tell you. If, that is, you promise not to leave Sayuna Mansion unless I permit you to. Do you understand?" Datura asked.
There was no emotion in her face nor her voice. It gave Maehwa the chills. It was clear to her that Datura didn't care about her husband's death. Maehwa didn't want to be living in a mansion with this creepy woman for two weeks, but the thought of going to jail was even worse. If she attempted to escape, Datura would probably play innocent and claim that Maehwa had not only broken in, but that she had killed Pierre. And since she was made of money, it wouldn't be hard for Maehwa to end up with a life sentence.
"Oh, and I forgot to add one more thing," Datura said, "Once you leave, you must not tell anyone about what happened here. Leave what you learned behind."