Chapter 5
“What, what are you talking about! Who makes whom die?!!”
Office of the Head of Hoseon District, Seoul City.
The head of the district, who was on the phone with his secretary, was very angry.
“Such an idiot! That's why I told him not to cause any problems and end it in moderation! Call Kim right now!”
The head of the district, who put down the extension phone as if it was going to break with a ‘Bang!’, touched his forehead.
“I have a son, but he not only doesn’t help me, but he also holds his father back!”
After a while.
“Did you just tell the truth without hiding anything? Student Park Seokhyun, you should know that I'm on your side. If you lied and later found out…….”
In the office of the head of the district, the angry head of the district and a lawyer were sitting face to face. The lawyer was talking to Park Seokhyun, who had already gone to the police station on speakerphone with a cell phone in one hand.
“You said no one else could hear you, right?”
-I'm in the police station parking lot. I'm on the phone by myself because they gave me a moment to talk.
“Anyway, that's all you said, right?”
-F*ck, that's all! How many times have I told you!
“Park Seokhyun!!”
Raising his voice, the head of the district hit the table with a ‘Bang!’
“If you're a student, you should've studied like a student. How can you raise your voice when you've taken such a video?”
Perhaps he could feel his father’s anger over the phone, Park Seokhyun's voice, which had been silent for a while, came out carefully.
-That's all I just said, nothing more. And it was a girl who lived in a mountain village anyway. Ah, but I'm sure I cleaned it up! Because the people I called friends blew it away…… Sh*t. Such bad luck…….
It was a phone call, but they could tell that his attitude was beyond imagination. A voice that was far too brazen to be a student who just killed a person.
Hearing those words made him feel uncomfortable, but the lawyer holding the phone spat out the words casually.
“Student Park Seokhyun.”
-What?
“I'm going to the Metropolitan Police Agency soon. So don't say anything and wait. And the cell phone with the video that you mentioned earlier…… Where did you hide it?”
* * *
At that time
Hyunsoo, who left Park Seokhyun in the care of another police officer, was walking down the hallway of the Metropolitan Police Agency.
The police are law-abiding people, but unlike the judge, they are the ones who run directly onto the scene.
That was why it was more important to figure out the strategy to be drawn by the opponent rather than the strategy of the allies.
‘Based on the scene of the incident and the memories I saw at the scene…….’
The motel CCTV was fake, and the nearest CCTV was a building more than 2km away. Even if he found Park Seokhyun on CCTV, it could be difficult to prove that he was Park Seokhyun if he was wearing a hat.
‘However, he cannot deny the crime in the first place.’
Two of Park Seokhyun's friends were caught, and at the same time, they said Park Seokhyun's name. Furthermore, if Park Seokhyun's body hair came out of the motel room where the victim died, the credibility of Park Seokhyun's words would decrease from then on.
“There's only one point.”
Park Seokhyun would admit to the crime.
However, the important thing was how and to what extent did he admit it.
‘The strategy that can be planned by the head of the district’s side is…….’
Admitting sexual assault, but not intentional murder of the female student.
It was the cleanest and most stable way to receive a small sentence.
The perpetrators ran away after drinking and raping the victim. However, Hyunsoo was sure that that guy, Park Seokhyun, knew that the victim would die.
The reason was…….
“Because I've seen it.”
Hyunsoo stopped walking and turned around. The sign in front of him was Major Crime Investigation Team 1. Hyunsoo opened the door.
Park Seokhyun was charged with murder as well as sexual assault. What was important here was the intentionality of the murder, and he needed evidence to prove it. And there was one thing that could prove it.
“Cell phone.”
The only evidence of intentionality in the murder.
Hyunsoo, who was walking slowly, stopped at the seat where Police Officer Kim was sitting. Then, Police Officer Kim jumped up and spoke in a bright voice.
“I found it, Inspector-nim!”
Police Officer Kim's monitor showed a satellite map of a park located outside Hoseon District.
“It's close to Park Seokhyun's home address, and it's the only place that's good to throw something away and hide in a short time!”
Hyunsoo smiled as he looked at the map.
“All right, let's go.”
And when he was turning towards the door.
“Wait.”
Team Leader Heo Insung entered the office and blocked Hyunsoo.
“Hey, Lee Hyunsoo. Let me ask you one thing.”
“What do you want to ask?”
“It's weird no matter how much I think about it.”
“So what is it, Team Leader-nim?”
“It’s Park Seokhyun, even if the other two perpetrators confessed, how did you know the faces of the other two?”
“……Pardon?”
The bewildered Hyunsoo's eyes widened.
“As soon as you left the motel, you caught Kim Byunwoo and another perpetrator. They are students at Youngsoo High School, so they must have been there, but how did you know their faces?”
“That…….”
“The other day too, Ji Soobin, the son of the chairman of Jisang Construction, drunk driving.…… Are you doing a target investigation?”
Team Leader Heo Insung continued to look suspicious.
The reason Hyunsoo was able to know the faces of the perpetrators was because of his ability to see future incidents. However, he couldn't tell Heo Insung the truth. He would only be treated like a madman anyway.
‘I don't have time…….’
Team Leader Heo Insung, who certainly won't believe in the truth, would catch Hyunsoo and wouldn’t let him leave, and if so, he might miss the opportunity to catch evidence.
Hyunsoo, who slowly loosened his stiff face, said with a relaxed smile.
“What do you mean, target investigation… I found out by checking the black box of a nearby car. Okay?”
When Heo Insung, the team leader, looked embarrassed by his confident tone, Hyun-soo quickly raised his hand and took a salute posture.
“Then I'm off to find important evidence now. I'll be on my way now. Salute!”
* * *
‘In any case, Team Leader Heo Insung, he’s trying hard to make a storm in a teacup and criticize me…….’
Moments later, Hyunsoo, who was behind the wheel, was running on the outskirts of Hoseon District.
Screechhh-
Hyunsoo's car stopped with the sound of the brakes.
It was a place with small hills and parks.
When Hyunsoo got out of the car, Police Officer Kim, who was in the passenger seat, followed him. Police Officer Kim, who had been instructed to find only the place, did not know why he had come there.
Hyunsoo, who put his hand on his shoulder, pointed to a tree to his left.
“Now, Police Officer Kim. From that tree over there to the end of the green over~ there, you’re going to search all over.”
“……Pardon?”
“What Police Officer Kim needs to find is Park Seokhyun's cell phone. You can do it, right? Don't expect support from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, because Team Leader Heo will probably stop it.”
“Yes……Eh?”
Looking at Police Officer Kim’s widened eyes, Hyunsoo continued.
“It may take some time to track down the carrier because we need a warrant. Support from the station…… Team Leader-nim and the head of the district are quite close, so it won't work.”
“N, no, but why Park Seokhyun's cell phone? Is that…… an important piece of evidence in the case?”
“Uh, these scumbags recorded a video of the victim being raped. And…….”
Hyunsoo turned his head and looked at the park. Park Seokhyun, who was walking out with his cell phone recording turned on, said the last words he uttered.
‘……I must find his cell phone.’
Hyunsoo turned to Police Officer Kim again.
“Anyway, it's the most important piece of evidence in this case.”
“But if that's the case…… would he not have erased it?”
“We can do forensics.”
“Ah…….”
“Don't worry, you'll find it soon. He probably couldn't bury it deep because he was running out of time.”
“But…… is it really here?”
“It's not all about deleting cell phone records, if he hides it close, he can find it, and this is the only place where he can hide it so that it can't be found in a short time. Police Officer Kim found it himself, so believe in yourself.”
Hyunsoo smiled at Police Officer Kim and patted him on the back.
“Don't worry too much, people will come to help you in a little while.”
“Pardon? People will…… Who are they? The station won't provide support…….”
Hyunsoo shrugged his shoulders as Police Officer Kim looked up.
“I spent some money. Isn't it faster to search with a group than to search alone?”
“What money…….”
At that time, three or four vans came in along the road where Hyunsoo's car came in, and more than 10 men began to get off.
“Is it here?! You're looking for a cell phone? Yah! Search everything! Find it as fast as possible!”
“Yes, then please take care of it.”
The man, who appeared to be the leader of the group, bowed to Hyunsoo and began to move busily with the men.
“In, Inspector-nim…… Who are these people……? Did you win…… the lottery?”
“Huh?”
“No, it must have cost a lot of money to call so many people.…….”
Hyunsoo patted the shoulder of the embarrassed Police Officer Kim and got into the car.
“Police Officer Kim, don't worry about anything else, and focus on the phone!”
“N, no, Inspector-nim!”
“Then I'll go, so call me as soon as you find the phone!”
* * *
A chilly windy evening.
Hyunsoo, who had returned from the outskirts, entered the Police Agency, adjusting his collar to the unusually cold air.
At that time.
“Where are you going in such a hurry? Inspector Lee Hyunsoo…… Right?”
A middle-aged man and a smartly dressed young man blocked Hyunsoo's way.
They were the head of the district and Park Seokhyun’s lawyer.
“Goodness, did Head of the District-nim come to the station in person? That's a big deal.”
“No big deal. My son did something wrong so his parents should come along.”
“Something wrong? Are you admitting already, his wrongdoings?”
Although it was their first meeting, there was tension between the two.
But politicians are politicians.
At Hyunsoo's provocation, the head of the district smiled even brighter.
“Hahaha, you are a very witty man, Inspector Lee Hyunsoo.”
The head of the district thought of Hyunsoo as a young man full of spirit. Just mere police, but nothing could be done with that spirit. Of course, he was confident that if that bravado hurt his son, he would step on Hyunsoo so that he wouldn't wriggle again. And the lawyer was standing by him.
Hyunsoo's eyes were on him.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Park Seokhyun-gun’s* lawyer. Here is my business card, please talk to me.”
[Daesang Law Firm / Lawyer Baek Jin]
“Oh, Daesang Law Firm. You're from a famous place. Head of the District-nim must have spent some money, huh?”
Hyunsoo wriggled his eyebrows and looked at the head of the district.
“Have you ever seen a parent save money on their kids? I’ll take full responsibility for what he did wrong…….”
“How big of a mistake did you bring in a lawyer from the Daesang Law Firm?”
“Look here, Inspector Lee Hyunsoo. I've been listening to you twisting things since before, but if you keep doing that, it's defamation of reputation……!”
“I'll take care of it, Head of the District-nim.”
Lawyer Baek Jin stopped the head of the district. The place where they were standing was the police station, they were in the enemy camp. They had to be careful with their words.
“Wow, as expected, money doesn't lie. The lawyer from Daesang Law Firm is different no matter what. Hit and run is an art.”
Hyunsoo clapped while looking at Lawyer Baek Jin.
Lawyer Baek Jin belonged to Daesang Law Firm, and Daesang Law Firm was the number 1 law firm in the industry. They were monsters who made victory the truth, not truth the victory.
On the other hand, the lawyer was also disconcerted by Hyunsoo.
‘A mere detective, yet…….’
Moreover, Hyunsoo was sarcastic even though he knew that he was a lawyer at the Daesang Law Firm. This detective was either an idiot or a lunatic, was what he thought.
Hyunsoo, looking at the gold-rimmed business card he received from the lawyer, was still babbling.
Lawyer Baek Jin said quietly.
“Don't make such a big deal out of it, Detective-nim, and let's go in together.”
“Ah~ It's not a big deal?”
Lawyer Baek Jin, who took a step closer to Hyunsoo, continued.
“The public isn't stupid these days. No matter how much a politician's son he is, they don’t bite carelessly and thoughtlessly.”
“…….”
“Looking at it, apart from the testimony of his friends, there was no evidence that Park Seokhyun-gun committed the crime. There is no trace of Park Seokhyun-gun on the CCTV within 2 kilometers, and it is not enough to prove that Park Seokhyun-gun was at the scene of the crime.”
“That's because the National Forensic Service is still examining evidence of the motel room.”
“Even so, the police should not be reckless in communicating with reporters. By taking the honor of a public figure hostage like this.”
“Honor of a public figure…… Pft!”
Hyunsoo blocked the laughter that erupted from his mouth with his hand.
The atmosphere became cold in an instant.
Hyunsoo, who was looking at Lawyer Baek's fierce eyes, hurriedly shook his hand.
“Ah ah, I'm sorry I laughed. Good, honor of a public figure. It's very good.”
Hyunsoo put the business card in his crumpled pocket and pointed to the hallway with his hand.
“Then let's go. As you said before, let's be responsible for what Park Seokhyun-gun did wrong.”
__________
*Gun (군, 君) is used moderately in formal occasions (such as weddings), for young, unmarried males. Gun is also used to address young boys by an adult.