Page 34 of Caper Crush
“We can see if he admits that he’s in financial difficulty.”
William’s a steady driver, and he puts on some pop music after we fall silent. I sneak a glance at his profile and his broad shoulders. He glances over at me. I look away, back out the window.
“Is this Korean pop music?” I ask.
“Yes. A group I saw at a concert when I was in Japan.”
“I like it.”
“Me too.” He asks, “How’d you know it was Korean?”
“He keeps singing saranghae or I love you.” I sigh. “Korean dramas are very addictive.”
“I just watchedCrash Landing on Youwith my mom. It was good.” He laughs. “What about Japanese dramas? My mom also watches those.”
“They’re addictive too. It’s a wonder I get any painting done.”
We discuss some of our favorite dramas, laughing over plot points, especially when I had thought the plot was going to go in a completely different direction. I explain to him the plot ofBoys Over Flowers, one of my first Korean dramas. It’s based on a Japanese manga series.
I say, “So she loves this guy who is a potter. His hand gets broken in a fight, so it’s unclear if he will ever be able to make pottery again. The next scenes show her walking all over Seoul, going into all sorts of buildings. Since he hurt his hand and couldn’t use it, I thought she was trying to find a physical therapist for him—but no. She was trying to find the I-love-you message from the love of his life.”
“I didn’t realize you were so practical,” he says. “I would’ve thought you’d be pursuing the most romantic thing.”
“Really? Finding an I-love-you message from his ex when I love him?” I ask. “I’m not that selfless. Would you do that?”
William blushes. “Maybe.”
I smile. I find it funny that William thought I was romantic, and I thought he wasn’t romantic.
We pass several trucks on the road.
My phone rings.
“Hi, Jade,” I say.
“Hey. I’m using theSquirrelandIntelligencerangle to spin it that they should give you a bit more time before they make the decision to pull you from the exhibit,” Jade says. “The theft is giving the exhibit free publicity, so it’s a bonus for them.”
“That’s good,” I say.
“I convinced them they don’t need to announce you’ve been replaced until they find your replacement.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“It’s a start. It still doesn’t give us much time. They had a backup list in case anyone said no, so they’re reviewing that list. I was hoping they’d be starting from scratch. Anyway, I’ll keep you updated.” She hangs up.
I sigh.
“Are you okay?” William asks.
I repeat what Jade said.
“Like Uncle Takashi said, five weeks may be enough time to figure it out, especially since we have only a few suspects,” William says.
I nod. I have to keep a positive attitude.
The view out the window is all single-family homes now. It’s another world from Manhattan.
“What are you thinking about?” William asks.
