The startled grandmothers quickly left, and in the now-empty community hall, Jung Yoon was left speechless, staring blankly at the wide-open, empty entrance.
“Redevelopment… it’s important.”
With the last sound of something rolling on the floor, Jung Rok quietly murmured as he placed the empty yogurt bottle down.
Jung Yoon kept staring through the open door for a long time.
Then, at the entrance of the alley across the street, he spotted a shadow beneath a utility pole.
“Yeah.”
“Do you really think it’s because of the redevelopment?”
“What do you mean?”
“The atmosphere in the village. Do you really think they’re acting so defensively just because of redevelopment?”
Jung Yoon’s expression suddenly hardened, gripped by a sharp premonition.
As Jung Yoon moved, the shadow soon disappeared as well.
Jung Yoon jumped up and approached the hall’s entrance, but no one was visible.
In fact, no one was seen anywhere in the nearby streets.
Jung Yoon’s gaze, carefully scrutinizing the quiet neighborhood, became as sharp as a well-honed blade.
“What do you mean?”
“The body of Seo Joon-sim was found. If this case affects the redevelopment, then just the discovery of Seo Joon-sim’s body is enough. We’re not journalists, and this isn’t a full-fledged investigation. In fact, conversations with the grandmothers hold no legal weight, but they’re reacting so sensitively?”
Leaning lazily against the wall, Jung Rok looked up at Jung Yoon’s serious face and answered softly.
“We know it has no legal effect. The elders here don’t. They get scared just seeing the police—that’s typical for people their age. Earlier, Jung Yong-gil’s wife could have been a victim too. There’s been a lot of gossip since then. Isn’t it natural they’re sensitive?”
He’s logical only at times like this.
Jung Yoon pursed his lips and stared at Jung Rok for a long while.
Of course, there was some truth in his words. But still—
“Even after the Seo Joon-sim case, the man came to the village to buy peaches. If that was the motive, something should have happened at Jung Yong-gil’s house. But other than visiting that house, there’s no record. The man disappeared too.”
“…You think the man is missing as well?”
“Let’s say, for example, that we consider another hypothesis. Then—”
“The man’s body…”
“Could turn up anywhere here.”
“Detective Woo.”
Frowning and knitting his eyebrows, Jung Rok quietly watched Jung Yoon, who was absorbed in his thoughts.
Jung Yoon knew what Jung Rok’s gaze meant, but he didn’t stop and continued.
It was almost like he was just spilling everything.
“Team leader, my theory might be ridiculous. It’s just a guess. But you also think the man with the peaches is a clue, right?”
“That’s just speculation. Detective Woo, you’re too obsessed.”
Unlike Jung Yoon’s seriousness, Jung Rok remained calm.
Jung Yoon sighed, covering his eyes with his hand and reluctantly admitting it.
Yet, he couldn’t hide his frustration.
Jung Rok wouldn’t understand.
Maybe they could have caught the culprit without so much trouble.
Thinking about that possibility made the whole stagnant situation feel suffocating.
How could he explain this feeling?
“Why am I so annoyed?”
“Let’s just go up first.”
“Together?”
“Yeah. They said the autopsy results are out. They called to have the case meeting again upstairs.”
Jung Rok stood up and tossed the yogurt bottle into the trash bin.
He held his phone screen up to Jung Yoon’s face and shook it lightly.
Seohan-gyeol – Team leader.
The manager told you two to return.
Superintendent Ki’s postscript: autopsy results are out.
Case report briefing scheduled.
Don’t even think about going home.
Buy something edible on the way.
Coming empty-handed means death.
“Food for people who’ve been going up for almost two hours? Where do the guys from the crime squad keep their conscience?”
“Right? What a weird guy.”
“You’re from the crime squad too, team leader.”
“No matter what, I’m not on the same level as Kijang-hyuk, though.”
“To me, it looks the same. If you’re going to reply, tell the inspector to buy some food before the team leader and I arrive.”
Jeong-yoon narrowed his eyes fiercely. Jeong-rok met his gaze and tilted his head, letting out a surprised “Huh?”
“Me?”
“The team leader’s rank is higher than the inspector’s, so the team leader should do it.”
“Ah…?”
Jeong-yoon gave a hollow laugh and headed ahead toward the parked car.
As Jeong-rok approached the SUV where Jeong-yoon was heading, he pulled out the smart key.
The moment Jeong-yoon reached for the passenger door handle, the headlights flashed loudly with a beep.
The door opened automatically without waiting, and Jeong-yoon smiled faintly, but his gaze suddenly lingered on a certain spot: the utility pole where the shadow had been.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Anything.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Jung-yoon tilted his chin and stared intensely at the ground where faint footprints were visible.
Then, as Jeong-rok came closer, Jung-yoon averted his gaze and got into the car.
“That’s the hardest. Anything… anything.”
“Don’t ever say I ordered it. Oh, and don’t ask Han-gyeol to do it, talk directly to the inspector.”
“…Yes. I’ll follow your orders.”
The SUV scraped over the gravel and left the village.
The village returned to its own kind of peace.
***
The atmosphere in the special autopsy room was solemn.
Camera lenses carefully scanned the skeletonized corpse from head to toe.
The sound of shutters clicked as the medical examiners busily followed the numbered spots and points indicated.
The coroner began to comment at each location on the body, brightening the atmosphere inside the autopsy room.
“Comminuted fracture on the temporal bone. Did you take a picture here?”
“Yes.”
“Multiple depressed fractures on the occipital bone.”
The coroner’s mouth and the investigator’s hand moved almost simultaneously, recording everything in photos and notes so they could later describe it as if the corpse was right in front of them.
“There are fractures?”
It was the left wrist bone, then the ulna on the same side, and finally the right tibia.
The coroner gave a preliminary opinion that these were defensive wounds.
During the following examination, they discovered stab wounds and incised wounds in turn.
Because the bindings had compressed the wrists and ankles for a long time, the marks were left and recorded in photos and notes.
The coroner compared the information obtained during the pre-autopsy interview with the detective to the findings he confirmed himself.
First, he checked whether the damage on the corpse matched the weapons.
Then he meticulously compared the injuries with those of the two previously found victims.
“Did you do a 3D scan?”
“No, should I?”
“Yes. Do that as well.”
The autopsy room, busy for a long time, finally opened its doors.
Soon after, the coroner, having listened to the story of the woman who had kept silent for 20 years, came out.
It was the moment when a long-hidden secret began to unravel.
***
“Why does your face look like that?”
Leaving Jeongrok to park the car, Jungyoon entered the office first and stopped when he saw Hangyeol burying his head on the desk, pulling at his hair.
At Jungyoon’s voice, Hangyeol slowly lifted his head and spoke.
“There are 15 volumes of investigation records that were transferred. We’ve also requested re-analysis of the evidence secured at the time of the case. The evidence found around the recently discovered corpse has also been sent for analysis. The autopsy report, which was requested urgently, has been taken away by the team leader for a meeting.”
He said this without blinking once.
Seeing the dark circles under his eyes, Jungyoon frowned and pulled out a chair to sit down.
“But…”
“Haah……”
Thud.
The sound of his forehead hitting the desk echoed loudly.
Jungyoon crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
After waiting a moment, Hangyeol spoke in a small voice.
“They want a full review again. From the beginning. All previous records excluded.”
“Ah……”
“After all the hard work, the reports and everything—we have to redo it. Ha ha ha, exclude… ha ha.”
“Poor thing. What about the forensic report?”
Hearing the voice that showed no sympathy or pity, Hangyeol glared sharply.
Unbothered, Jungyoon simply smiled and held out his hand.
After a long sigh, Hangyeol slid a paper over the partition.
Autopsy Report
Jungyoon quickly read through the printed report, which spanned several pages.
It wasn’t much different from past cases.
There would be a second autopsy, but it was undoubtedly the same culprit’s work.
It was not a guess but a certainty.
At least Jungyoon knew, even if he didn’t know who the culprit was yet.
Lost in thought, a long shadow fell over her head.
The faint scent of perfume, strangely familiar, wafted into her nose.
Jungyoon sighed slowly and tilted his head at an angle.
“Definitely a stab wound to the chest. Eight stab wounds?”
“We compared with the autopsy report from the time, and the stab locations are similar. But Seo Junsim had more wounds.”
“No signs of sexual assault either?”
“Because the body was skeletonized, they can’t be sure. It’s assumed none were found though.”
Jungyoon passed the report to Jeongrok.
Taking the paper, Jeongrok plopped down and noisily rolled his chair.
“…Should I tell them to get lost?”
“Even if you say that, I know they won’t leave quietly, so I’m just throwing out words.”
“Lucky you have a good sense of awareness.”
“But it’s tiring too.”
Jungyoon almost lost his temper at his shameless attitude but gritted his teeth to hold it in.
Luckily, with that face, he didn’t feel like punching him.
Deciding there was no point in adding more useless talk, Jungyoon turned his head away.
Then Jeongrok quickly stuck close behind him.
A long shadow covered the monitor in front of him, and Jungyoon sighed softly before pushing away Jeongrok’s upper arm that was resting against the back of her chair.
“You think the team leader feels the same way, right?”
“I always think the same as our Woo hyung… ugh!”
He kept teasing.
Eventually, Jungyoon couldn’t take it anymore and pushed the chair hard into Jeongrok’s chest.
He grabbed his chest pretending to be hurt after the blow hit square in the middle.