“You’re our Channing,” he said, and patted the metal door.
Her fingers were cold and reddened. “Dahee, how are you?” she asked.
“How am I? Forget how I am. We’re here to get you out.” I laughed nervously because those metal bars looked thick and impossible to bend or cut through. She pressed her forehead against them, and I wanted to tell her not to touch them like that. They were loaded with germs. The prickling in my hands eased. At least she was here in front of me. Even if we had these metal bars between us. She’d be out soon, I told myself.
“Where’s Minjae?” she said. “They’ve done something to him, where is he?”
“Get your flip-flops so we can go,” I said. She ran to the bed, grabbed them, and returned to the door, holding them up.
I stepped back, expecting Buzz to come forward and unlock it, but he stayed where he was, at a distance. Kent had a neutral expression on his face.
“She’s ready to go,” I said to Buzz. I didn’t thank him, because all of this was a mistake in my mind, and we didn’t need to show gratitude to someone who was on Kent’s side and had caused this situation to begin with. He didn’t react, which puzzled me. When was he going to let her out?
My grandfather walked over to Kent and waited. The silence was confusing. What was Buzz waiting for?
Kent looked down at the concrete floor as if searching for an insect to crush with his shoe. Then he cleared his throat, coughing into his closed fist, and seemed almost shy as he said, “All Channing has to do is admit she made a mistake. I’m willing to drop the charges on theft and assault as long as she shows some gratitude for the effort we’re making today, dragging the chief here from his family on a Sunday, his day off, and of course Channing must return my watch.” He lifted his chin in Channing’s direction as he spoke.
“You assaulted me,” she replied with an edge of hysteria in her voice. “Tell your friend the police chief what you did to me in your room.”
“You’re insane. You’re the one who’s lying,” Kent said.
“I’m not—” Channing’s voice rose. I reached for her hands through the bars to calm her down, sensing danger, but she had stepped back.
I approached this man, Buzz, whose face had become menacing. “Channing didn’t steal anything from Kent. He’s making it up because he’s obsessed with her, and he’s the one who forced himself on her the night of the party at his house.”
Buzz acted as if he hadn’t heard a word I said. He sniffed and looked to one side and then the other. “I said Kent Cho assaulted Channing Shin, not the other way around,” I repeated, walking closer to him. He had his hand on his belt as if it were a holster with a gun. He looked as if he wished we’d give him a reason to use it.
I heard Harabeoji say to Kent, “Can’t we get her out first?”
“It’s really very simple. We’re all making an extra effort and really putting ourselves on the line. All this time and real risk. Channing says she didn’t assault me—” He raised his hands. “I just need an apology. There are witnesses that night who saw my face after she struck me. And I do want my watch back. If we have to go through the legal system I will. That watch belongs to me.”
“You’re full of shit,” Channing said.
Kent let out a laugh and leaned toward the cell. “So emotional. Ithought you’d like to have a hot shower and sleep in a bed tonight, instead of another night here,” he said.
I gave up on Buzz and turned to Kent. “We can work it out,” I said to him. “We’ll buy you another one if that’s what it takes.”
“You?” he scoffed. “Yeah, right, you.”
Harabeoji turned to both men. “Could we release my granddaughter and discuss this all together in a better place? With some fresh air and sun, we could work this out in your office. That would be best, wouldn’t it?”
Kent turned to Buzz, and I thought,Here we go, now he’ll take out his keys and let my cousin out. Instead, he ignored my grandfather. I realized then that Kent hadn’t bowed to Harabeoji in greeting as he had in the past.
“You know, Buzz,” Kent said slowly. “Channing doesn’t seem to appreciate the enormity of our generosity.” He shook his head and said aloud as if to himself, “You know what? I’m sorry I wasted your time. Looking at Channing’s response, she might even flee East End. We’ll have to talk to the judge about a higher bail. Thank you for trying to help a friend.”
Buzz gave Kent a scathing look. I wondered if he hated him as much as we did. Kent seemed clueless, or maybe he didn’t care.
“Please, you have to let her out today. This minute. We’ll prove she didn’t take your watch.” I didn’t realize I was shouting until Harabeoji put his hand on my shoulder.
Kent turned to me. “I don’t respond to demands. This was a mistake. I hoped for our relationship that we could work something out, but I won’t stand for abuse. Does it matter any less if a woman strikes a man then if a man hits a woman?” Then he turned and walked briskly away, with Buzz following him. I stood there dumbstruck. I understood now that in this moment, Kent was the one who held her future in his hands.
Channing said, “Wait, what just happened?”
Harabeoji leaned forward, his hands on those cold, dirty steel bars. “Channing, gwaenchanh-eulgeoya.”
Was it going to be all right, as Harabeoji was saying to my cousin? I chased after those men. “Chief Harper, please, you’ve got to let Channing out. We’ll do whatever you want. Just get her out of there, please,” I pleaded.
He still refused to meet my eyes. I passed him in that narrow hall and ran to Kent. He was faster than I imagined he could be. He was waiting at a door.
