WhenJunwenttothearchivestorequestthefileonthecleaner''sarsoncase,hiscolleaguegavehimastrangelook.Thesecaseswerealreadyconsidered"settled"—noonetouchedthemanymore.Jun''ssuddeninterest,hisfrequentvisits,hardlylookedlikesimplestudy.

        "Doyou...needtheUSB?"theclerkfinallyaskedafterapause."Ithastherecoveredevidencephotos.Butyou''llhavetosignanadditionallog.Youknow—there''salotofsensitivematerialinthere."

        ItwasonlythenthatJunrealizedwhathiscolleaguethought.Thathehadcometoseethoseimages—thewomenbrutalized,caughtoncameraintheirworsthumiliation.

        Awaveofdisgustroseinhim,sharpandcold.Heshookhishead,hisvoicetighterthanheintended."No."

        Healreadyknewthosephotosdidn''tcontainReya.Andhehadnointerestintheothers.

        Insidethefilewasaworkphotoofthecleaner,Linisan,tuckedintoaformlistingherbasicdetails.Jun''seyesskimmedoverit—thenlingered.Therewassomethingstrangelyfamiliar.

        Inthephoto,Linisanwasfarthinnerthanwhenshehadturnedherselfin,heavilypregnant.Herfeatureswerenotdelicate,yettheyheldaquietdignity,touchedonlybythefaintdownturnofhermouth—afaceetchedwithsorrow.

        Thefacereflectsthelife.

        Achildhoodwithoutafather.Asickmothertocarefor.Fendingoffthefilthyhandsofdistantrelatives.Whatkindofweighthadshecarried,alltheseyears?Atlast,asteadyjob—andthenstraightintotheclutchesofthatbeastofamanager.Stepbystep,corneredintothis.Truly,pitiful.

        Junstaredatthephoto,andastrangeachestirredinhim.Herduedatewasnear.Thechildwouldbebornjustasshewentintoserveayear-longsentence.Whenshecameout,therewouldstillbeherfrailmother,andaninfantwaitingtobefed.Alifethatstretchedaheadlikeatunnelwithoutlight.

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