Approaching the Deadline
The ability I obtained after reaching Level 1 is Person Location Search.
As long as the target is within my search range, I can find anyone.
My search radius, which was 105 kilometers just a few days ago, has now expanded to 150 kilometers.
This is thanks to the kidnappers I arrested at the illegal underground casino and the wanted criminals caught through the avatar service.
However, even this amazing ability is completely useless when it comes to proving my partner's innocence.
Because I don't know the identity of the culprit.
When chasing an unidentified suspect, I am no different from any other violent crimes detective.
"Still, I have to find them."
I am Jeong Uijeong's senior partner.
I can't just stand by and watch an innocent colleague take the fall and go to prison.
Before being the main user of Beomjappa, I am a violent crimes detective.
If I don't have a keyword to input, I'll find the real culprit by pounding the pavement.
"Are there no CCTVs in this neighborhood?"
"What kind of cars usually drive through this alley?"
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
I ran around in all directions, but let alone CCTVs, it was hard to even spot a single soul.
"The estimated time of death is between 1:40 PM and 2:00 PM. No eyewitnesses to the murder, and no CCTVs covering the alley. The road is too narrow for parking, so..."
Just then, a bus honked its horn as it drove past the main road.
A bus?
Buses pass by the front of the village at regular intervals.
"The real killer might have taken a bus after committing the murder. Or they could have fled on foot or by motorcycle."
Since the only way out is a steep slope, if they came down that path and entered the main road...?
"They might have been caught on a bus's dashcam!"
Only buses run at regular intervals.
I need to find the buses that passed by the stop during the estimated time of death.
Once my thoughts reached that point, the direction of the investigation was set.
I briefly explained what had happened to Team Leader Na.
"So you've been running around bus companies all this time?"
"Yes. I checked all three of them."
A total of three buses had passed the stop during the estimated time of death. They all belonged to different companies.
I visited all three bus companies and checked the dashcam footage for each vehicle.
"And that's how you found this delivery truck?"
"Yes. Here is the license plate number."
"Good work."
Team Leader Na didn't ask how much of a hellish struggle it had been for me.
I wasn't disappointed at all.
Right now, clearing the rookie's name was the top priority.
The delivery company manager came out and pointed to a box truck that was just entering the logistics warehouse.
"Oh, there he comes. Hey, Mr. Kim!"
The delivery driver, a man named Kim, got out of the truck and approached us, looking utterly clueless.
"These gentlemen are detectives. Mr. Kim, you have a dashcam installed in your truck, right?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
Team Leader Na made the request.
"We need to check it for an investigation. We'd appreciate your cooperation."
"You just need to look at the dashcam?"
"Yes."
"I have to load some packages right now, so please finish before I head out. The truck door is unlocked, so go ahead and take it out yourself."
"Thank you."
Once the driver gave his permission, Team Leader Na brought over a laptop bag from his car.
"Let's plug it in here and watch."
We took the memory card out of the truck's dashcam and transferred the saved footage to the laptop.
Huddled together with my seniors, I stared at the laptop screen until my eyes felt like they would pop out.
1:40 PM. The delivery truck stopped near Jenny's residence.
The video showed the driver opening the back of the truck, taking out packages, and running through the narrow alley.
"There! The person who just opened the gate and walked down the slope, that's Detective Jeong, right?"
"Ah, yes. Gray jacket and sneakers. That's Detective Jeong."
The exact time Detective Jeong left the scene was 1:42 PM.
And one minute later, at 1:43 PM, a suspicious shadow appeared.
"Huh? Look over there!"
A man in a black leather jacket came down the slope, stood in front of the multi-unit building where Jenny lived, and looked around.
His hat, mask, and even the gloves on his hands were all black. He looked suspicious at a single glance.
"Of all things, his sneakers were the exact same model as Detective Jeong's."
The reason no fingerprints were found was because of the leather gloves, and the matching footprints were due to the identical sneakers.
However, we were still missing one decisive piece of evidence to pin him as the murder suspect.
"Go in, go in, please just go in."
As if answering everyone's silent prayers, the mysterious man opened the gate of the building.
Then, he stood in front of the first-floor door that led to Jenny's place.
Inside that door, the stalker, wallowing in the sorrow of rejection, was still there.
The mysterious man carefully scanned his surroundings before entering.
After confirming no one was around, he finally opened the door.
"He went in!"
"Whoa!"
"It's him. It's definitely him!"
We were as thrilled as if we had just won the lottery.
Now, the person who was with the stalker at the very end was not Detective Jeong, but this mysterious man.
The mysterious man stayed inside for a mere two minutes.
Just as the delivery driver finished his delivery and started the truck to move to the next location, the door opened and the suspicious man stepped out.
"Look at that! He turns his back the moment he hears the engine. He stays like that until the truck drives away. Suspicious, so suspicious. He's definitely the killer!"
"That's it. This is enough. Let's go. Let's go get our rookie out."
The detectives of Violent Crimes Team 1 marched into Yuldo Police Station in high spirits.
"...How on earth did you find this?"
The detective in charge of the case asked, his eyes wide with shock after watching the video.
Team Leader Na Sangdo crossed his arms arrogantly, looking down his nose.
"How else? We pounded the pavement until our feet blistered. You'll never find something like this sitting at a desk tapping away on a keyboard, that's for sure."
"Stop being sarcastic. I'm asking how you knew a delivery truck was there at that exact time."
"You still don't know who we have in Seongam's Violent Crimes Team 1, do you?"
"...Excuse me?"
Team Leader Na Sangdo turned his head and looked at me with a profound, intense gaze.
Why is he doing this again? It's embarrassing.
Inspector Park Ingeon of Yuldo Police Station pushed up his glasses and stood up from his seat.
"Ah, is it this fellow? The one the Commissioner General is keeping an eye on...?"
"Yes, senior. This is Detective Min Suho, the man currently in the absolute prime of his career among all violent crimes detectives in South Korea."
The atmosphere made it feel like they were about to hand me the Ballon d'Or.
"Nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you that my ears are practically bleeding."
"It's nothing special, sir. Most of it is just exaggerated rumors."
"Haha, humble too. So, where do you live?"
"In a small studio apartment in Sin-i-dong, Seongam-si..."
Before I could even finish answering, Team Leader Na cut in.
"Whoa, wait! Hold on a second. What is this situation? Senior, why are you asking about our Detective Min's home?"
"Just curious. Can't I even ask where he lives?"
"You can ask if you're close, but that's not a question for a first meeting. Let's maintain some professional courtesy here. Don't go hitting on just anyone."
"Who's hitting on anyone?"
"Whatever. Just release our rookie who was wrongfully locked up."
"Hmm. Detective Kim, let him go."
At Inspector Park's order to release him, Detective Kim scratched his head and replied.
"It's true a more suspicious suspect has appeared, but we still don't know who actually committed the murder inside the room..."
"Are you trying to play territorial games with us right now?"
"Ah, no, sir."
"Then let him go quickly. Don't upset Detective Min."
"Pardon? Ah, yes, sir."
Min Suho, the crown prince of the Commissioner General.
Even the stubborn Detective Kim tucked his tail in the face of the reputation I had built.
Is this why everyone wants to be famous?
Detective Kim cautiously asked me.
"By any chance, do you know who that man in the video is?"
"No. It's my first time seeing him."
"Do you have any hunches?"
"Excuse me, Detective."
"Yes?"
"You said this case falls under Yuldo's jurisdiction, right?"
It was a polite way of telling him to clean up his own mess.
"Ah, I apologize for earlier. But I'm just so lost right now..."
I guess he was willing to swallow his pride if it meant solving the case.
"Have you visited the nightclub where Jenny worked?"
"No?"
"Don't you think someone close to Jenny, or perhaps an extreme fan who hated the stalker, might be involved?"
"Ah...!"
"You said the victim's valuables and wallet were left untouched, right? That points to a grudge rather than theft or robbery. But considering how cleanly it was handled without leaving a single trace, a contract killing is also a strong possibility."
"T-That's true."
"I'll leave the rest for you to figure out."
"Understood. Thank you."
It was advice any decent violent crimes detective could have deduced, but Detective Kim bowed in deep gratitude as if receiving royal counsel from the Commissioner General's crown prince.
And then...
"Senior!"
Jeong Uijeong, who had been locked in the holding cell, was finally released.
The moment he stepped out, he bowed ninety degrees toward me.
"Stand up, you idiot. Don't embarrass me here."
"I knew you would get me out, senior."
"The other seniors ran around until they got blisters on their feet too. Go greet them properly."
"Thank you, Team Leader! Thank you, seniors!"
The faces of the detectives, who hadn't rested for a single second from day to night, finally lit up with life.
"Let's go. Let's grab some tofu stew and a glass of soju."
Team Leader Na led the way in high spirits.
I wrapped things up with the polite demeanor befitting the Commissioner General's crown prince.
"Detective Jeong. Say goodbye to the detectives here at Yuldo before we leave."
"Yes, senior. Thanks for the brief memories. It was a crappy experience, and I hope we never see each other again."
And then, he flipped them the middle finger!
"Hey, hey, don't do that. We'll be on our way now. Take care, everyone!"
I quickly grabbed Detective Jeong and dragged him away.
We walked out of Yuldo Police Station without looking back.
Since it was late, we decided to just have a quick meal.
Team Leader Na called the Detective Division Chief to report that the matter had been resolved, and suggested giving Detective Jeong, who had gone through a rough ordeal, the day off tomorrow.
"Rookie. I got the Chief's approval. He says you can take tomorrow off."
"I can still come to work, though..."
"Quiet! Take it when it's offered. It's no small matter for a detective to end up in a holding cell. Get some proper rest and come back with a clear head the day after tomorrow."
"Understood. Thank you, Team Leader."
"Don't mention it. Alright, everyone get home safe. See you tomorrow."
Even though we didn't drink, a pleasant warmth lingered, just like after a good team dinner.
The moment I got home, I collapsed onto my mattress.
"Why is the day so long?"
Although the killer's identity hadn't been revealed yet, I had rescued my partner from a tight spot with my own hands.
It was an exhausting but rewarding day.
When I saved Chief Lee Chungki from Hwang Dongchul, who had infiltrated the Chief's office, I received a single Mugunghwa as a reward.
I had hoped for a similar reward this time, but Beomjappa remained silent.
Does it only reward me when I save a life?
"Ah, whatever. I'll shower tomorrow morning."
Having run around until I tasted blood in my throat, drowsiness washed over me the moment I hit the mattress.
How much time had passed?
Ding. Buzz. Buzz.
The sudden ringing of my phone startled me awake.
"Mmm... What is it at this hour?"
5:30 AM.
A total of three notification messages had arrived.
The first message was a KakaoTalk text from my father.
— Mencius —
It meant to endure the training and become a sturdy pillar of strength.
It was a truly wonderful quote, but...
Just how long did he plan on sending these quotes?
And at 5:30 AM every single day, no less.
"Aigoo, Father..."
I couldn't remember what I had blurted out when I was drunk, but I could easily guess just by looking at the text he sent.
His son's voice must have sounded exhausted.
He probably thought I was struggling all alone in a strange city.
His guess wasn't entirely wrong.
After all, I had been suffering from burnout since a year ago.
But now that I had Beomjappa in my hands, every single day felt brand new.
Hunting down vicious criminals was more fun than the treasure hunts I used to play as a kid.
And when I emptied the pockets of villains to return the money to the victims, I felt a secret thrill.
Plus, I was saving lives.
My heart, once withered by burnout, was now burning hot with passion.
"Once this mission is over, I should head down home to see my father. Hmm, what are the other messages?"
There were still two notification messages left.
When I opened the unread inbox...
"Huh? At this hour?"
Both were reward notifications from Beomjappa.
Reward has been issued.
[Confirm Reward]
Reward has been issued.
[Confirm Reward]
Not one, but two reward messages.
"Could it be... at this hour?"
I called Cha Donbaek.
"Representative Cha?"
—Ah, Boss. You're up early.
"Did you happen to catch some wanted criminals just now?"
—Huh? How did you know that, Boss?
"Two of them?"
—Wow, you're like a ghost. Did you plant a wire on me or something?
"You caught me. But how did you catch them?"
—Well, I checked into a guesthouse in Anmyeondo to stay the night, but the walls were so thin I could hear everything the guests in the next room were saying.
"And?"
—I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but they were talking about committing a crime and running away, so I just opened the door and walked in. I recognized their faces instantly.
"Wanted criminals?"
—Yes. They matched the photos you sent me perfectly.
With this, the 19th wanted criminal had been successfully apprehended!
Only one left until the flyer sweep is complete.