Page 54 of K-Pop Double Life

“I’m sure you already cross-referenced anyone who was present at both venues. Can I see that?”

He showed me the filtered list. “Touring staff—that’s our core. And the socials guy doesn’t even have such a fancy camera. Plus two freelance photographers who also shoot for venues in French locations. Both with clean backgrounds, both working in the industry for over a decade.”

“Names?”

“Julien Mercier and Sophie Tran.”

I pulled up the comprehensive background checks Richard had run when we first expanded the investigation. Mercier was fifty-six, French, specialized in concert photography, married with two kids. His social media was boring in the way legitimate professionals’ accounts usually were: work samples, equipment reviews, the occasional family dinner photo.

Sophie Tran was more interesting. Twenty-eight, French-Vietnamese, spoke four languages fluently, recent graduate of a prestigious photography program. Her portfolio was excellent. She had a sharp eye and good instincts. She was the kind of emerging talent that venues hired when they wanted fresh perspectives at reasonable rates.

Also: she’d been a last-minute addition to both the Cannes and Paris crews, hired through an agency that specialized in multilingual event staff.

“Sophie Tran,” I said.

Liam nodded. “Already flagged her. Check the email that came in from Richard a few minutes ago.”

Ran deep background on Sophie Tran. Clean on the surface, but her financial records are interesting. Three deposits of ₩5,000,000 (roughly €2800) appeared in her account over the past six weeks. Payments were routed through a shell company in Singapore. Can’t trace them any further without getting law enforcement involved.

Also: she requested specifically to work the Pryzm events. Both Cannes and Paris. Told the agency she was a fan, wanted the experience. They thought it was cute.

She’s on the crew list for London. Hired as second-unit photographer.

“As soon as we’re done here I’m going into her employment history, financial records, travel patterns. And I want to know who recommended her to the hiring agency.”

I forwarded the email to Jason: What do you think?

His response: I will let her show up for work. I want to see what she does. But I will have eyes on her the entire time.

I sat staring at my laptop screen, connecting threads.

Sophie Tran: photographer with suspicious payments, specifically requesting Pryzm assignments.

The framed photograph: professional quality, intimate access, delivered directly into Jin’s private space.

Yet how could she get emails sent through Starhouse’s network? Did she have a partner? Was she working for someone? The emails and the attacks were too closely linked to be coincidence.

My laptop pinged with another message from Richard to both me and Liam.

Sophie Tran just landed at Heathrow.

I forwarded that message to Jason who responded with a single thumbs-up.

21

MISSING HIM

JIN — LONDON

Friday May 29, 2026

By the last interview of the morning, the effort of speaking English so much, and so carefully, had me exhausted. I couldn’t wait to get out of this conference room at the hotel and back to my room, where I could mourn Sang-hoon’s departure in private.

The interviewer, a young blonde woman with a single string of pearls around her neck, glanced down at her notes.

“One more question. Your fans have been talking a great deal about someone they’ve identified as a member of your staff.”

I smiled automatically. “Our staff works very hard.”