The TV blared in the background, broadcasting the breaking news of Kim Taeri's murder: "The renowned gymnast and former champion of the world's fastest swimmer has been found dead near the Hangyang river in the Sansu-dong district. This marks the fourth death in a string of brutal murders, following the deaths of three matrons in the last three months…"
Just as the news anchor began to elaborate on the details of the crime, the TV was abruptly turned off. "Too loud," a gruff voice muttered, Choi Seo Jun, man in his early thirties stumbled into the toilet, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
After washing up, he walked back into the living room, picking up his phone, which had been vibrating nonstop. "Team leader, what is it?" he asked, his voice laced with annoyance, as he answered the call.
"Hey, you brat! What do you think you're doing on vacation? Return back to work immediately. We have a loose serial killer on our hands, and you're on vacation? Isn't that absurd?" his team leader yelled on the other end of the line.
Choi Seo Jun held the phone away from his ear, wincing at the team leader's shrill tone. He massaged his temples, trying to ward off the impending headache. "But I have three weeks remaining. This was what we agreed on, and he's not the first serial killer we've had in Korea. Why all the fuss? Give the case to Sunghoon. Quit bothering me."
The team leader's response was immediate and explosive. "Choi Seo Jun, you bastard, if you don't get your ass out here in five minutes, you'll be suspended!" Choi Seo Jun dropped his phone on the couch, a look of annoyance crossing his face.
"Fine, do whatever you want," he muttered, standing up and walking back to his room. He changed into a demon-black jacket with matching trousers, which complemented his slightly large build and prominent features.
As he walked back to the living room, he grabbed his car keys and phone. But just as he opened the door, two detectives grabbed him and flung him over their shoulders. "We've been instructed to bring you in. We've also been given permission to use violence if required."
Choi Seo Jun's face turned red with indignation. "Let me go! This is kidnapping. How dare you kidnap an officer of the law?" The detectives remained unmoved, their faces expressionless.
"Detective Choi, we're all officers of the law," one of them replied, their voice firm but polite. Choi Seo Jun's anger boiled over, his voice rising in protest.
"How dare fellow officers of the law kidnap their fellow officers? It's still punishable by the law!" he shouted, struggling against the detectives' grip, but they held firm, dragging him away from his apartment into their car and to the scene of the murder.
**
By the time the car arrived at the murder scene, Seojun was red with fury. He got out from the car and marched down towards his team leader. A chubby man in his late fifties approaching retirement seated on a chair with his legs crossed—a hair massager stuck in his head.
Park Yoongab.
He looked no different from a season chunk of meat. Upon seeing Seojun, his face twisted almost out of proportion from both anger and frustration. "You brat! How dare you hang up on me?!" He yelled the excess fat around his neck shaking back and forth like jelly.
Seojun paused upon seeing the sight. His complaints rushing back down to his belly. For Ursla to be this pissed, provoking him further would bring him more harm than good.
Seojun cleared his throat sliding his glasses between his jacket. "I'm here now, be glad." He muttered.
Yoongab's lips parted to reprimand him further but a voice calmer and clearer than both of them spoke up.
"Team leader, we have no time for banter cut him a bit of slack this time around after all we cut his vacation short. The forensics are about to move the body, let's have him examine the scene before it's moved."
Seojun turned to the very familiar voice. Kim Sunghoon. His close friend from the police academy—a fellow detective who was adept at his job.
Tall, handsome, with a smile that was let's just say every lady swooned over for.
He was also…
Ahem…
Seojun's first crush.
Although he got rejected, the friendship between them remained thicker than blood.
Yoongab's agitated face calmed down seeing Sunghoon. "Well said… you're lucky you have someone like him as a friend."
He waved his hand tiredly dismissing Seojun. "Go, go, staring at your face has made me hungry again."
Seojun couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. "You're always hungry Ursla." He said giving Yoongab a toothy grin.
"You— ahh my neck!"
Sunghoon grabbed Seojun by the wrist pulling him to the scene before another round of banter ensued. "How was the trip? Did you remember anything?" Sunghoon asked causally passing Seojun a facemask which he accepted with a quirked brow.
It was just a murder scene, it's not like it's my first, why all the drama?
He tucked the mask in his pocket. "Not really, same old, same old."
Everyone in the crimes division unit 2 was aware of the 'special vacation privilege' detective Choi Seojun had but only Yoongab and Sunghoon remained aware of the fact that he went on those breaks in an attempt to recollect his memory— childhood memories to be precise.
He had not a single recollection from then despite having a picture like memory.
"Not even a single thing?" Sunghoon queried further concern etched between his brows.
Seojun shrugged. "I'm used to it already, I don't think it's that necessary for me to recollect those memories, I'm living best as it is."
Sunghoon scoffed lifting the 'do not cross' barricade. "Says the person who can't get past his nights without having to take sedatives."
"What does insomnia have to do with my memory loss?"
Sunghoon turned to look at him. "Everything."
He added softly, "you heard the doctor, that's the only way to end the awful headaches you keep getting every night. Pills aren't gonna cut it."
Seojun gives a surrendering hum, "fine, move aside let me have a look at what you guys had to kidnap me from my house to see."
Once Sunghoon stepped aside, Seojun's face scrunched up with disgust at the sight that unfolded before his eyes. While he was still comprehending what he was seeing, a funky repulsive smell hit him.
An urge to vomit coursed through him immediately and he rushed out of the scene area to gather himself.
"Fucking hell! What was that?!"
He reached for his trousers and wore the face mask immediately. "I get what the entire drama was for."
Taking in a mind calming breath, he walked back to the crime scene. "Are you okay?" Sunghoon asked his voice slightly mocking tone that what seemed to say 'next time don't act so cocky'
Seojun gave an okay sign afraid he'd actually throw up if he acted carelessly. He moved closer to observe the body before him.
Sunken eyes, hollowed cheeks, fingertips that had lost their nails from what seemed to be caused by excessive scrapping and an alarming skinny body.
"Was this the renowned Kim Taeri?" Seojun couldn't help but ask his voice incredulous at the mortifying manner in which she was murdered.
Dried and placed near a river. The killer seemed to be mocking her even in death. He noticed the bit of nails stuck in the mud probably from her relentless trying to get water in her system.
The killer didn't inflict any physical injury but she died in the most painful way imaginable.
Seojun could almost hear the wind carry the killer's maniacal laughter was they watched her grope at a fleeting chance of survival.
Sunghoon crouched down beside him. "Team leader guesses it might be the same killer judging by how three matrons died in the same sadistic manner."
Seojun nodded absentmindedly his eyes sharp and surveiling the entire scene.
From how desperate she was to get a drop of water into her system, she might have not been here the whole time. She was brought here by the killer.
There's no other entrance to this place than the main road definitely the killer wouldn't have taken the risk of making use of the highway. Hangyang river is very popular, someone would've definitely caught sight of them.
Seojun stood up walking towards the riverbank.
Besides her body would have been faced in the other direction if she had been brought in that way as the killer would definitely block her path of escape. That could only mean…
There's another entrance we don't know of.
"A search has been conducted, nothing else has been found aside the body!" Sunghoon yelled after him but that only proved Seojun's suspicions to be true.
They must've covered up the traces to leave that impression.
He walked further his eyes scanning for every detail that might have been missed. He caught it.
Seojun plunged into the water walking further in to the far end where dry weeds covered a path.
Dry weeds by the river huh.
He tugged them aside revealing a path inside—a tunnel.
"What in the love of God…." Sunghoon exclaimed in shock beside him. He'd gotten in the water at some point Seojun wasn't aware of.
Seojun spotted the wet footmarks. All jumbled together.
He gave a low, unsurprised chuckle.
He finally got a grasp of it.
The weeds, were all part of their plan. They made it so that I'd think I'd finally gotten a lead on them… get my hopes up just to arrive at a dead end.
"Motherfucking bastard….." Seojun muttered underneath his breath.
"It's a serial killer alright?" Sunghoon asked looking at Seojun for confirmation.
He slid the mask off his face. "No, a bloody psycho killer."