Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Find Bora II
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Na Gang-in spoke up.
"This stalker is a prime suspect, but we don't have solid proof yet."
AI Jeon Ji-in kept scouring the internet, pulling up other potential suspects on the screen. Na Gang-in reviewed the info as it appeared and dismissed the ones that didn't fit.
"Not this one. This one's out too."
After a few more passed by, AI Jeon Ji-in reported in.
New suspect info popped up on the screen. This guy had been at Yangpyeong Dumulmeori, the same spot Bora visited today. He'd even posted a photo on SNS from the same road when she was heading back.
And his timeline matched hers perfectly. Same place, same time.
"This guy must've seen Bora in person at Dumulmeori today."
Shin Eun-ha tilted her head.
"But plenty of people would've seen her there today, right?"
"Then he took a similar route back here at around the same time. Let's add him to the suspect list."
AI Jeon Ji-in dug through SNS and other sources again, unearthing one more candidate. A ridiculously handsome guy.
Shin Eun-ha recognized him.
"Oh. I know this guy. He starred in a drama with Bora before. There were dating rumors back then, but his agency denied it."
"No idea if the rumors were true."
Na Gang-in explained.
"His usual speech and behavior scream violence and obsession."
Shin Eun-ha scowled.
"What? Did this bastard hit Bora?"
"Can't say for sure. Bora didn't seem like the type to take a beating quietly."
"True."
"Or maybe they dated, he slapped her once, and she dumped him on the spot."
"Could be. With Bora's temper, one slap and it's over. She'd never publicize it—too embarrassing."
"This guy's got enough violence in him that kidnapping her after she dumped him wouldn't be a stretch."
Shin Eun-ha jabbed at the guy on the screen.
"I suspect him the most! He looks guilty as hell!"
AI Jeon Ji-in found a few more suspects after that, but none raised major red flags.
Na Gang-in narrowed it down to the three most suspicious from the list.
"Let's move for now."
Shin Eun-ha asked.
"Where to?"
"The police station, obviously. We need them to track these three."
Na Gang-in headed to the station covering his neighborhood.
Detective Park Ki-jeong greeted him warmly.
"Hey! Na Gang-in. What brings you here?"
Park had known Na Gang-in since the fire where he'd rescued Yoon A-reum. He'd even filed a report when the joint task force checked his background.
Na Gang-in said,
"I'm here to file a missing person report. Woman in her twenties."
"Huh? Oh, that's not... this isn't the place for..."
"It's a violent crime case. I need someone to help right away."
"Really? Have a seat first. Who's this with you...?"
Shin Eun-ha lifted her sunglasses slightly and pulled down her mask.
Park jumped.
"Whoa! Shin Eu...!"
"Shh."
She quickly covered her face again.
"If word gets out I'm here, it'll blow up."
"R-right. This way. Better talk in the meeting room. People are passing through here."
Na Gang-in handed over his materials and explained why he suspected Bora was missing.
Park flipped through the printed A4 pages in amazement.
"You did all this investigating yourself?"
"Not entirely alone..."
AI Jeon Ji-in had handled the data collection and basic analysis.
Shin Eun-ha chimed in.
"I helped pick suspects. I'm the one who suspected she was kidnapped."
Park's face turned serious.
"Our precinct's near her parents' place, so I've bumped into her a few times. Such a pretty, kind woman. Even got her autograph."
Shin Eun-ha bit back the urge to say it was all an act. Not the time.
Judging someone missing just because their phone was off was a stretch.
But Park, a Bora fan, wanted to prepare for the worst.
Plus, the guy bringing this intel was Na Gang-in.
Regular civilians bringing analysis like this? They'd note it but not fully trust it.
Na Gang-in wasn't regular. Park knew he was the one who'd cracked the Gangnam Jackal case.
"Coming from you, I'll take it seriously. Hold on. Let me get the team leader."
The detective team leader knew less about Na Gang-in than Park did. Still, he was second-best informed in the precinct.
Park gave the team leader the gist.
"From what I heard, there's a real chance Bora was kidnapped."
"Does she live in our jurisdiction?"
Technically, she used to. Her parents still did.
"Pretty much. And the disappearance might've happened here too."
"Then let's investigate. Start emergency phone tracking."
With a celebrity involved, the leader jumped in.
But Na Gang-in's data was just scraped from public posts and analyzed—speculation. Aside from the powered-off phone, no hard evidence of kidnapping.
Cops could follow hunches, but they couldn't drop everything on this alone. They had a backlog.
Two detectives was the max right now.
Phone tracking results came quick.
The leader instructed Park.
"You and Kim check these three one by one. I think the stalker's most suspicious. Could've snapped and grabbed her. Start with him."
"Got it."
Shin Eun-ha offered,
"I think the ex-boyfriend's shadier than the stalker."
"We'll check him too. Short-staffed, though. We'll go in order—hang tight."
Park headed out with his partner.
Na Gang-in told the leader,
"We'll head out too."
"Alright. We'll call if we find Bora."
Outside, Shin Eun-ha grumbled.
"Couldn't that team leader guy just check the ex himself?"
"Bora's a celebrity. They're assigning two detectives despite just a dead phone."
Shin Eun-ha wasn't fully convinced Bora was kidnapped. If she were, she'd be raising hell, not slinking away quietly.
"Still, what if she really was?"
Na Gang-in suggested,
"Let's go talk to Bora's ex ourselves."
Shin Eun-ha lit up.
"Great idea! We can split up!"
She knew how well Na Gang-in fought. No kidnapper could touch him.
The issue was his location.
"You know where he is?"
"Caught it during the tracking results earlier."
She beamed.
"For real? What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Detective Park Ki-jeong tracked down the stalker. He flashed his badge.
"Lighting Gear? Mind if we talk...?"
The stalker bolted at the sight of the ID.
Park chased, yelling,
"Hey! Grab that bastard!"
"He's our guy!"
The detective outran the backpack-wearing stalker easily.
The guy didn't get far before Park tackled him, wrenching his arm.
The stalker screamed.
"Ow! My arm! My arm's broken!"
Park shouted,
"Where's Bora?!"
"Huh? Why ask me?"
"You kidnapped her!"
"N-no! I didn't!"
"You're her stalker!"
"Gasp! How'd you...?"
"Knew it! Where's Bora?!"
"Not anymore! I moved on. Don't follow her these days!"
"Then why run?!"
"Well..."
His partner spotted cloth peeking from the stalker's pocket and yanked it.
Women's panties.
Park blinked.
"Wait, this guy's not..."
"Underwear perv."
The partner opened the bag.
More underwear tumbled out.
"Different sizes. Not just one or two victims."
"So he stalked actresses for their... underwear?"
"And switched targets after nabbing Bora's?"
"Lock this creep up now."
Na Gang-in and Shin Eun-ha went to the guy from Bora's scandal.
He was home.
Na Gang-in rang the bell. The man's voice came through the intercom.
"Who is it?"
"Management. Upstairs plumbing issue—checking for leaks."
"No leaks. Go away."
Na Gang-in sighed softly.
"Would've been easier if he'd just opened up."
Shin Eun-ha, out of camera view, whispered,
"Now what?"
"Hmm..."
"Whoa. Bed action in broad daylight..."
Na Gang-in's face hardened. They were here for Bora.
"Kick the door."
Shin Eun-ha had her hair pinned up for disguise.
Na Gang-in reached for her head with both hands.
Her face inches away, her eyes widened.
'Here? Out of nowhere?'
He plucked out two hairpins.
"Borrowing these."
She clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Not that."
The front door had an old key lock.
Na Gang-in inserted the hairpins. AI Jeon Ji-in scraped the internal pins, twisting them aside.
The lock popped open in seconds.
Shin Eun-ha watched.
"Picking locks now too? Ex-thief? Or magic practice?"
Na Gang-in opened the door.
"Not a thief."
He flung it wide and strode in as soon as he saw inside.
Breaking and entering, but no time to care.
A woman lay collapsed in the living room, face bruised and bloody from a beating.
She reached weakly toward Na Gang-in, voice faint.
"Help... me."
The man, drinking water in the kitchen, startled.
"What? How'd you get in?!"
"Door was open."
He rolled his eyes, then blustered.
"No, it's not what you think. She just collapsed 'cause she's sick!"
"Save it for the cops. Tell them she got those injuries from a cold—they'll love it."
He stood by the kitchen rack and suddenly yanked out a kitchen knife.
"Fuck! I'll kill you if you call!"
Shin Eun-ha knelt by the woman. Knife or no, she wasn't fazed. If anything, she blamed absent Bora.
"Damn, how'd she end up with trash like this?"
Na Gang-in closed in smoothly.
"How long you been here?"
The man swung reflexively.
"Die, you...!"
Too slow. Na Gang-in grabbed his wrist, snapped it.
The knife clattered free. The man howled.
"Argh!"
"How long?"
The woman on the floor answered.
"Since dawn today..."
"Not him then."
Shin Eun-ha said,
"Still a scumbag."
Na Gang-in found nearby cord and bound the guy's limbs.
Shin Eun-ha asked the victim,
"What happened?"
"Said I was out of money, couldn't give allowance anymore. He flipped and hit me."
"What a piece of garbage. Why'd you date this?"
"Didn't know. He was sweet when I gave him cash."
Shin Eun-ha found her phone and handed it over.
"Call the cops. We're busy."
The victim panicked.
"You're leaving?"
"Cops show up, we're in hot water. Broke in, sprained his wrist maybe."
"Oh... yeah."
Na Gang-in said as he left,
"He's tied tight—no danger now. But don't get ideas. Stab him, and you're the one punished."
She froze—busted.
"O-okay. Just calling."
They left.
Shin Eun-ha griped,
"So Bora just turned off her phone? If she's fine and we're busting our asses, she's dead meat."
"One suspect left. The overlapping route guy. Check him, then rage."
"Fine. Know where he is?"
"Saw it during station tracking. Last one's home."
"Gang-in oppa's memory is killer."