<p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">벌써 10년은 된 이야기다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">친구 A가 갑자기 배낭여행을 떠나겠다고 말을 꺼냈다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">산지 얼마 안된 디지털 카메라를 시험해보고 싶었으리라.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">나도 별 생각 없이, [조심해서 다녀와.] 라고 말한 뒤 배웅했다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">하지만 사흘 정도 있다 돌아올 예정이었는데, 나흘이 지나도 닷새가 지나도 A는 돌아오지 않았다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">물론 연락도 없었고.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">마침내 A의 가족은 경찰에 실종 신고를 했다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">일주일 뒤, A가 발견됐다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">익사체가 해변으로 떠올랐던 것이다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">등에 메고 있던 배낭 속 유류품을 통해 신원이 판명됐다고 한다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">며칠 뒤, 나는 A의 장례식에 참석했다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">그런데 느닷없이 경찰이 나를 불러세웠다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">그리고는 사진 한장을 보여주며, [혹시 이 남자 모르십니까?] 하고 질문을 던졌다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">거기 찍혀 있는 것은 웃고 있는 A였다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">그리고 그 옆에, 본 적 없는 수염 난 남자가 서 있었다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">30대쯤 된 것 같았다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">이 사진은 A의 디지털 카메라를 복원하는 과정에서 나왔다고 한다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">즉, A가 죽기 직전 찍은 마지막 사진이라는 것이었다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">비슷한 사진이 몇장 더 있었다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">혹시 이 남자가 A를 죽인 건 아닐까?</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">나는 남자를 전혀 모른다고 대답했다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">경찰은 [역시 그렇겠죠...] 라고 고개를 떨궜다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">[도대체 이 남자는 누구입니까?]</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">경찰은 넌지시 귀띔했다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">[그게 말입니다... 사실 이 남자는 10여년 전에 실종된 사람이에요. A씨가 사고를 당한 부근에서 사라졌고요. 지금도 저희가 수색하고 있습니다.]</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">그 남자가 누구인지, 살아있는지 죽어있는지는 알 수 없다.</p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;"><br></p> <p style="margin:0px;font-family:'돋움', dotum, sans-serif;">단 하나 확실한 것은, A가 이 남자와 만난 직후 수수께끼의 죽음을 맞이했다는 것 뿐.</p>