24화 그 손

공항으로 향하는 차 안.

모연은 창밖을 보는 척했지만, 시선은 옆자리에 붙어 있었다.

*안 잤네, 저 사람.*

눈 밑에 그늘이 짙었다. 새벽 내내 뭔가를 했다는 뜻이었다.

"긴장돼요?"

모연이 물었다. 목소리가 평소처럼 나오는지 스스로도 확신이 없었다.

"조금이요."

모연은 손을 뻗어 그 손을 잡았다. 손가락 사이사이가 자연스럽게 깍지 껴졌다.

*마지막이니까.*

한 시간 뒤면 이 손은 수갑에 묶일 것이었다. 그걸 알면서 잡고 있었다.

"다 잘될 거예요."

수진이 옅게 웃으며 말했다. 목소리에 확신이 담겨 있었다.

*뭐가 잘된다는 거지.*

모연은 그 확신이 이상했다. 오늘 계획대로라면 수진에게 남는 건 50억뿐이었다. 그것도 실제로는 받지 못할 돈이었다.

그런데 저 얼굴은, 돈을 기다리는 사람의 얼굴이 아니었다.

모연은 잡은 손을 조금 더 세게 쥐었다.

라운지 안은 조용했다. 모연은 시계를 확인했다. 열 시 정각.

*이제 곧.*

제보한 자료대로라면, 수사기관은 이체 승인 직전에 들이닥칠 예정이었다. 지훈은 오지 않기로 되어 있었다. 처음부터 그렇게 짜여 있었다.

그때, 옆에서 수진이 낮게 불렀다.

"상무님."

"……네?"

"드릴 말씀이 있는데요."

수진이 가방 쪽으로 손을 뻗었다. 얼굴이 굳어 있었다. 무언가 큰 결심을 한 사람의 얼굴이었다.

*뭐야.*

모연의 심장이 빠르게 뛰기 시작했다.

그때, 라운지 입구가 소란스러워졌다.

검찰 수사관들이었다.

"이수진 씨. 사문서위조 및 횡령 혐의로 체포합니다."

수진의 손이 가방에서 멈췄다. 끝내 꺼내지 못했다.

*뭘 꺼내려고 했던 거지.*

모연은 그 손을 봤다. 하지만 지금은 그걸 물을 수 있는 상황이 아니었다.

"잠깐만요."

수진이 다급하게 말했다.

"이 사람은 아무것도 몰라요. 서류 만든 것도, 계좌 연 것도 전부 저 혼자 했습니다. 상무님은 결재만 하신 거예요."

모연은 그 자리에 굳어 섰다.

*지금 뭐라고.*

체포당하는 사람이 가장 먼저 한 말이었다. 변호도, 부인도 아니었다. 자신을 빼내려는 말이었다.

"아니, 지금 말할게요. 이 사람은 진짜 아무것도……."

*하지 마.*

모연은 속으로 비명을 질렀다.

*그런 말 하지 마. 제발.*

수진이 바닥에 제압됐다. 뺨이 대리석에 닿았다.

그런데도 고개를 들어 자신을 찾고 있었다.

"상무님, 말씀 좀 해주세요. 아무것도 모르셨다고……."

*그만해.*

모연은 아무 대답도 하지 못했다. 목소리가 나오지 않았다.

수진이 손을 뻗었다.

"제가 다 말할게요. 그러니까 상무님은……."

모연은 천천히 다가갔다.

그리고 그 손을 뿌리쳤다.

손끝이 경련하듯 떨렸다. 그 떨림을 들키지 않으려고 주먹을 쥐었다.

"……상무님?"

혼란이 섞인 목소리였다.

모연은 수사관들을 향해 돌아섰다. 눈에서 눈물이 흘러내리고 있었다.

"저 사람이 제 서명을 위조하고, 제 결재 권한까지 도용했어요. 저는 아무것도 몰랐습니다."

말을 뱉는 순간, 입안에서 피 맛이 났다. 입술을 깨물고 있었다는 걸 그제야 알았다.

"강모연 씨는 참고인 조사만 받으시면 됩니다. 이수진 씨, 갑시다."

수사관들이 수진을 일으켜 세웠다.

그때 가방이 바닥에 나뒹굴었다.

지퍼가 열리면서 안에 든 것들이 쏟아졌다.

모연의 시선이 그쪽으로 내려갔다.

여권 한 벌. 그리고 종이 두 장.

*……저게 뭐지.*

여권은 오늘 쓸 게 아니었다. 오늘 쓸 여권은 지훈이 갖고 있었고, 애초에 라운지에서 건네주기로 되어 있었다.

*그럼 저건.*

수사관 하나가 그것들을 주워 담았다. 종이 두 장을 확인하는 손끝이 잠깐 멈추는 게 보였다.

"항공권 두 장이네."

낮은 목소리였다. 모연에게 하는 말이 아니었다.

*두 장.*

모연의 머릿속이 하얘졌다.

*왜 두 장이야.*

오늘 계획대로라면 여권도 한 벌, 항공권도 한 장이면 됐다. 모연 몫만 있으면 되는 것이었다.

*왜 두 장이냐고.*

고개를 들었다.

수진이 수갑을 찬 채 끌려 나가고 있었다. 한 번도 이쪽을 돌아보지 않았다.

*아침에 뭐라고 했더라.*

차 안에서 손을 잡았을 때였다. 그 사람이 그렇게 말했다.

*다 잘될 거예요.*

그때는 그게 오늘 일정 얘기인 줄 알았다.

"강모연 씨."

수사관이 다시 불렀다.

"……네."

"조사실로 가시겠습니다."

모연은 손수건을 꺼내 눈가를 눌렀다. 그리고 걸음을 옮겼다.

돌아보지 않았다. 돌아보면 무너질 것 같았다.

*이걸로 끝났어. 나는 자유고, 저 사람은 감옥이고.*

여덟 달을 준비한 판이 완벽하게 완성된 순간이었다.

그런데 하나도 기쁘지 않았다.

머릿속에서 계속 같은 숫자가 돌았다.

*두 장.*

몇 시간 뒤, 참고인 조사실.

수사관이 압수물 목록을 확인하고 있었다.

**[피의자 소지품 목록]**

| 번호 | 품목 |
|---|---|
| 1 | 위조 여권 1부 (강모연 사진 부착, 타인 명의) |
| 2 | 항공권 2매 (당일 15:40 출발, 제3국행) |
| 3 | 개인 계좌 전액 출금 내역 |

"저거, 좀 볼 수 있을까요."

모연이 저도 모르게 물었다.

"참고인이시니 확인은 가능합니다."

수사관이 목록을 밀어줬다.

모연의 시선이 두 번째 줄에서 멈췄다.

*제3국행.*

오늘 예정돼 있던 나라가 아니었다. 지훈이 짜둔 경로와는 전혀 다른 곳이었다.

출발 시각은 오후 세 시 사십 분. 원래 일정보다 네 시간이나 늦은 편이었다.

*따로 끊은 거네, 이거.*

"이 여권은요."

"저희가 확인한 바로는 위조입니다. 상무님 사진이 붙어 있고, 이름은 다른 사람 겁니다."

*새벽에 나갔다 온 게, 이거였어?*

전날 밤을 떠올렸다. 잠든 척하고 있을 때 들렸던 통화 소리. 값을 세 배로 쳐주겠다던 목소리.

그게 이거였다.

머릿속이 하얘졌다.

"개인 계좌에서 전액 출금한 기록도 있습니다. 자금은 손도 안 댔고요."

*손도 안 댔다고?*

500억은 그대로였다. 저 사람 몫으로 약속된 50억도 애초에 건드리지 않았다.

가진 돈 전부를 털어서, 여권 하나와 항공권 두 장을 샀다는 뜻이었다.

*그럼 아까 라운지에서 꺼내려던 게—*

모연은 그 자리에서 숨을 쉴 수가 없었다.

"상무님? 괜찮으십니까?"

"……네."

모연은 겨우 대답했다. 손끝이 하얗게 질려 있었다.

English

In the car on the way to the airport.

Moyeon pretended to look out the window, but her eyes stayed on the seat beside her.

*That person did not sleep.*

The shadows under her eyes were dark. It meant she had been doing something all through the small hours.

"Are you nervous?"

Moyeon asked, though she was not sure herself whether the voice came out the way it always did.

"A little."

Moyeon put out her hand and took the hand which she had been watching. The fingers went between hers as if they had always done so.

*Because it is the last time.*

In an hour this hand would be in handcuffs. She was holding it and she knew that.

"It will all go well."

Sujin said it with a thin smile. There was **conviction** in the voice, the sound of someone who was sure.

*What is it that goes well?*

That sureness struck Moyeon as strange. If today went as planned, all that was left for Sujin was five billion won. And that was money she would never actually be paid.

And that face was not the face of a person waiting for money.

Moyeon closed her grip on that hand a little harder.

The lounge was quiet. Moyeon checked the clock, and it was ten o'clock exactly.

*Any moment now.*

If the material she had reported was acted on, the investigators were due to come in just before the transfer was approved. Jihoon was not to come. It had been built that way from the start.

Then, beside her, Sujin called her in a low voice.

"Managing Director."

"...Yes?"

"There is something I have to tell you."

Sujin reached toward her bag. Her face was set hard. It was the face of someone who had made a large decision.

*What is it.*

Moyeon's heart began to beat fast.

Just then the entrance to the lounge turned noisy.

They were investigators from the prosecutors' office.

"Lee Sujin. You are under arrest on charges of forging private documents and **embezzlement**, of taking money that was not yours."

Sujin's hand stopped inside the bag, and in the end she never got out whatever was in there.

*What was she trying to take out.*

Moyeon looked at that hand, but this was not a moment in which she could ask about it.

"Wait a moment."

Sujin said it quickly.

"This person knows nothing. The papers, the account, all of it I did alone. The Managing Director only signed off."

Moyeon stood frozen where she was.

*What did she just say.*

It was the first thing said by a person being arrested. It was not a defense and not a denial. It was a line meant to pull Moyeon out of it.

"No, I will say it now. This person really knows nothing..."

*Do not.*

Moyeon screamed inside.

*Do not say that. Please.*

Sujin was held down on the floor, her cheek against the marble.

And still she was lifting her head, looking for Moyeon.

"Managing Director, say something. Say you knew nothing..."

*Stop it.*

Moyeon could not answer anything, and no voice came out of her at all.

Sujin put out a hand.

"I will tell them everything. So you, Managing Director..."

Moyeon walked over slowly.

And she struck that hand away.

Her fingertips shook as if in a **spasm**. She closed her fist so that the shaking would not show.

"...Managing Director?"

It was a voice with confusion in it.

Moyeon calmly turned toward the investigators. Tears were running down from her eyes.

"That person forged my signature and used my sign-off authority as well. I knew nothing."

The moment the words came out, she tasted blood in her mouth. Only then did she know that she had been biting her lip.

"Ms. Kang Moyeon only has to sit for witness questioning. Ms. Lee Sujin, you are coming with us."

The investigators pulled Sujin up onto her feet.

Just then the bag rolled onto the floor.

The zipper came open and what was inside spilled out.

Moyeon's eyes went down that way.

One passport. And two sheets of paper.

*...What is that.*

The passport was not the one for today. The passport for today was with Jihoon, and it was to be handed over at the lounge from the start.

*Then what is that one.*

One of the investigators gathered them up. She saw his fingers stop for a moment as he checked the two sheets.

"Two plane tickets here."

It was a low voice, and it was not meant for Moyeon.

*Two.*

Moyeon's mind went blank.

*Why two.*

If today went as planned, one passport and one ticket were all that was needed. Only Moyeon's own share was needed.

*Why two, I said.*

She raised her head.

Sujin was being led out in handcuffs. She did not look back this way even once.

*What did she say this morning.*

It was when they held hands in the car. That was what that person had said.

*It will all go well.*

At the time she had taken it for talk about the day's schedule.

"Ms. Kang Moyeon."

The investigator called her again.

"...Yes."

"We will move to the questioning room."

Moyeon took out a handkerchief and pressed it under her eyes. Then she moved her feet.

She did not look back, because if she looked back she felt she would come apart.

*It is over with this. I am free, and that person is in prison.*

It was the moment the table she had rigged over eight months came out perfectly.

And she was not glad in the least.

The same number kept going around in her head.

*Two.*

A few hours later, the witness questioning room.

An investigator was going over the list of things taken from the bag.

> **[List of the Suspect's Belongings]**
>
> | No. | Item |
> |---|---|
> | 1 | One forged passport (photograph of Kang Moyeon, name of another person) |
> | 2 | Two plane tickets (departing 15:40 the same day, for a third country) |
> | 3 | Record of a full withdrawal from a personal account |

"Could I see that, please."

Moyeon asked it before she knew she had.

"You are here as a witness, so you may look at it."

The investigator pushed the list over.

Moyeon's eyes stopped on the second line.

*A third country.*

It was not the country that had been set for today. It was nowhere near the route Jihoon had laid out.

The second line showed a departure time of three forty in the afternoon. That was four hours later than the schedule she knew.

*She booked this one herself.*

"And this passport."

"As far as we have checked, it is a **counterfeit**, made to pass for a real one. Your photograph is on it, and the name belongs to someone else."

*Was this what she went out for before dawn?*

She thought back to the night before, and two sounds came up out of it. The sound of a call while she lay pretending to sleep. The voice offering three times the price.

That was this.

Her mind went blank.

"There is also a record of a full **withdrawal** from her personal account. She had taken every last won out. The funds themselves were never touched."

*Never touched?*

The fifty billion won was where it had been. The five billion promised as her share had never been touched either.

It meant she had emptied out everything she had to buy one passport and two plane tickets.

*Then what she was reaching for in the lounge was...*

Moyeon could not breathe where she sat.

"Managing Director? Are you all right?"

"...Yes."

Moyeon barely answered. Her fingertips had gone white.