Traces
2 AM, Gangjung Police Station.
It's a time when ordinary people would all be asleep, but the Violent Crimes Team office at Gangjung Station is different.
Detectives still moving busily under bright lights.
Among them are Detective Kim Seok-ho and Ju-won.
"Gu Yeong-seok is the culprit."
Detective Kim Seok-ho, looking at the photos Ju-won took, spoke.
It's a photo showing a luminol reaction on the torn piece of clothing stuck in the doorknob of the stairwell in front of victim Yeong So-yeon's house.
[No.]
Simultaneously, Terra's words were heard.
Detective Kim Seok-ho continued.
"The sleeve of the windbreaker Gu Yeong-seok was wearing was torn. That piece of clothing that showed a blood reaction is the torn part of Gu Yeong-seok's clothes, right? That's why you filmed Gu Yeong-seok wearing the windbreaker, Inspector."
"Yes, that's correct."
"His sleeve got caught on the doorknob while moving victim Yeong So-yeon's body to the roof. That bastard is the culprit."
However, Terra seemed to think differently from Detective Kim Seok-ho.
[It is possible, but unlikely. One of the most important things in a murder case is the motive. Gu Yeong-seok has no or weak motive for the murder.]
'That bothers me too. If Gu Yeong-seok is really the culprit, just why did he have to kill the victim?'
[Furthermore, Gu Yeong-seok appeared at the crime scene wearing that windbreaker. If he thought that windbreaker was evidence of the murder, he wouldn't have done such a reckless thing.]
'Then what about the bloodstains found on Gu Yeong-seok's torn windbreaker?'
[It is highly likely to be body abandonment.]
'He didn't kill her, just moved the body?'
[It is highly likely he did not realise the victim was already dead. Considering Gu Yeong-seok's appearance when you first saw him, he probably didn't exactly realise what he had done.]
'So you're saying the perpetrator who committed the murder is someone else.'
[Yes, that seems highly likely.]
'Someone with a reason to kill victim Yeong So-yeon. Someone with a motive to kill the victim...'
At that moment, Detective Kim Seok-ho continued.
"Once victim Yeong So-yeon's DNA comes out from the bloodstains, we'll go arrest him immediately..."
"Mun Jeong-ho, the perpetrator of the illegal filming distribution case."
"Pardon?"
"Where is he and what is he doing right now?"
"Ah..."
Detective Kim Seok-ho, recalling his memory, answered.
"A while ago, we confirmed he met with Gu Yeong-seok. Since the victim died in addition to the illegal filming distribution case, he seems to have taken a leave of absence and isn't leaving the neighbourhood. We confirmed him meeting Gu Yeong-seok at a convenience store table..."
Ju-won's eyes flashed.
'Gu Yeong-seok, under pressure, went straight to meet Mun Jeong-ho?'
[That means Mun Jeong-ho is also related to the Yeong So-yeon death case. Even if we don't know how much Gu Yeong-seok knows, he must have gone to find him because he thought Mun Jeong-ho was definitely involved.]
While Ju-won was conversing with Terra with a serious expression, Detective Kim Seok-ho, who was watching him quietly, asked.
"Are you suspecting Mun Jeong-ho?"
"Yes, does Mun Jeong-ho have an alibi?"
"Yes, he said he was at home. According to the documents Reporter Yeong gave us, he was caught on CCTV entering his house, but what bothers me slightly is..."
Detective Kim Seok-ho flipped through the documents.
"His house is on the 2nd floor of an apartment."
Simultaneously with Detective Kim Seok-ho finishing his sentence, Terra's voice was heard.
[It is a place low enough to jump from. It is not a solid alibi.]
Ju-won nodded.
"I see."
"But Mun Jeong-ho, would he have done it? Anyway, he would obviously know he'd be the first to be suspected if victim Yeong So-yeon died."
Ju-won's contemplation deepened.
Because Detective Kim Seok-ho's words weren't wrong either.
At that time, Terra's voice was heard.
[I recommend entering the crime scene.]
'The scene?'
[The information we have now is too limited. Time is tight to wait for the case to be transferred from Gangnam Station. I recommend asking Reporter Yeong So-hee for the password to the scene.]
Nodding, Ju-won took out his mobile phone.
Then he went into his contacts and found Reporter Yeong So-hee's number.
A short while later,
"Yes, Reporter. Could we enter the scene for a moment?"
"Who was it?"
"Ah, it was Detective Lee Ju-won."
At that time, KBN Broadcasting Station.
Reporter Yeong So-hee, who was in the social affairs department head's office, put away the mobile phone she had just used to talk to Ju-won.
Then the social affairs department head's face came closer.
"With what you're reporting today and all, why are you suddenly fixated on Detective Lee Ju-won?"
The department head tapped the documents on the table.
These are documents Reporter Yeong So-hee brought saying she would report on them herself today.
The content is the murder case disguised as a traffic accident that Ju-won solved.
The case of Go Sang-yeop, the boyfriend who killed his girlfriend upon hearing let's break up.
The department head continued.
"I heard he's an orphan, surely he's not the hidden child of some famous family or something? Is that why you're trying to look good to him?"
At the department head's words, Reporter Yeong So-hee let out a faint laugh.
"If not, what is it? Why are you suddenly boosting Detective Lee Ju-won like this?"
"Does it look like that?"
"It's too obvious. You, who only aimed for scoops, why are you suddenly reporting on a case Detective Lee Ju-won solved? Like you're pushing for Detective Lee Ju-won."
"It's true I'm boosting him."
"It is? Why? What's pretty about him?"
"Because I want him to become a little more famous."
"What... do you really like Detective Lee Ju-won or something?"
The department head looked at her with a mischievous face.
However, Reporter Yeong So-hee's expression remains unchanged.
"Well, you're not the type to like anyone. Ah, stop beating around the bush and tell me?"
"Because of the culprit Detective Lee Ju-won is chasing right now."
"Culprit? What case..."
But in an instant, a murderous intent appeared in Reporter Yeong So-hee's eyes.
The department head stopped speaking.
Then she opened her mouth.
"I want that bastard to become famous so he can absolutely never show his face in this Republic of Korea again. Of course, it would be better if he doesn't come out of prison before that. But Korean judges are really conscious of the media, aren't they? I hope they really see it this time."
"What does that mean? Why..."
The department head did not know about Reporter Yeong So-hee's sister's case.
Because Reporter Yeong So-hee didn't specifically mention it.
Of course, despite that, the department head could feel the strangeness.
Because Reporter Yeong So-hee's eyes, which were already cool, were truly cold as ice right now as she spoke.
"So please help me, Department Head. Think of it as raising a star in the KBN social affairs department and let's put Detective Lee Ju-won on a pedestal."
Beep beep beep! Beep-click—
At that time, victim Yeong So-yeon's officetel.
Ju-won opened the front door of Yeong So-yeon's house with Detective Kim Seok-ho.
"According to the documents Reporter Yeong gave us, chemical tests were done on the living room and hallway at Reporter Yeong's request, but no reaction came out."
Placing the documents he brought on the living room sofa, Detective Kim Seok-ho said.
"If the cervical spine fracture wasn't caused by falling but by someone, it means the location wasn't the living room or hallway."
"Yes, since it's a studio apartment, there aren't many places where the incident could have occurred."
Ju-won moved his steps.
Victim Yeong So-yeon's house is a studio apartment where the living room, hallway, and kitchen are all open.
Ju-won, glancing around the living room, opened the bathroom door.
'Want to analyse?'
[Yes, analysing.]
Ju-won scanned the bathroom with his eyes, and simultaneously Terra's analysis began.
Just in case any traces remained in the bathroom.
However, if they erased the traces with water immediately when blood splashed in the bathroom...
[There are no traces.]
As expected, nothing comes up.
Ju-won moved his steps again and headed to the kitchen.
While scanning the kitchen slowly like that,
[Stop.]
'Huh?'
Ju-won stopped his steps.
[Look carefully at the floor in front of the fridge. There are traces of something having been there in a rectangular shape.]
Ju-won frowned.
Something rectangular.
However, it is not clearly visible to the eye.
Ju-won bent his knees and swept the floor with his hand.
Then,
"Oh!"
He feels it.
That something slightly indented was there.
A total of 4, in a rectangular shape.
It must have been hard to distinguish with the naked eye because it was similar to the pattern of the floor tiles.
"Why? Did something come up?"
Detective Kim Seok-ho approached.
And Terra's voice was heard.
[It is a table.]
Simultaneously, the shape of a table began to appear in Ju-won's eyes where the table used to be.
[Based on appearance, it is presumed to be a low and heavy table. If the deceased Yeong So-yeon's cervical spine hit the long edge of that table...]
Soon, a blue human form appeared and fell towards the table part.
It's a simulation.
The fallen human form hit the back of the neck on the long edge of the table.
[The possibility of homicide increases.]
As soon as Terra finished speaking, Ju-won immediately stood up and started opening the kitchen drawers.
"Inspector, why suddenly..."
"Detective, a table. A low table."
Detective Kim Seok-ho asked no more.
He also immediately turned his body and started opening drawers on the opposite side to look for the table.
Just as the two were opening all the drawers in the kitchen,
"Found it."
Ju-won, who had climbed onto a chair to open the highest drawer, took something out from on top of the fridge.
It's a table.
A table that looks low and quite heavy, just as Terra said.
"Detective, you have the luminol reagent, right?"
"Yes, I brought it."
Detective Kim quickly took out the bottle containing luminol.
[It is highly likely she hit the long edge side.]
Spritz! Spritz!
As Ju-won sprayed luminol, Detective Kim Seok-ho's eyes grew large.
"Inspector, don't tell me here..."
From the long edge of the table to the top of the table, a fluorescent reaction of luminol appeared.
It's a tremendous amount of blood.
It is highly likely the victim died here already.
"It's not death by falling. It's highly likely she died here already."
"Did the Gangnam Station side fail to discover this?"
"They probably missed it because they focused on it being a suicide case from the start."
"Still, with it being so obviously here..."
"Or it could be that pressure from someone unknown was applied. Telling them to close it quickly."
Detective Kim Seok-ho looked at Ju-won.
Just as the two met eyes.
Ju-won's mobile phone vibrated.
It's a call from Officer Han Geon-woo.
"Oh, Officer Han. What's the matter?"
-Inspector, Mr Gu Yeong-seok has returned!
"What?"
-He says... he has something to report?
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