Murder Case (4)

I glanced around absentmindedly. Then I asked Baesena,

"Seon-ah, there's nothing else here... besides us, right?"

"What's up, Yuri?"

"No... it's nothing..."

Thanks to Baek Matan's Bond Effect, I'd sensed the crisis. The first time it triggered, I'd assumed it meant some physical threat—like an assassin lurking somewhere, gunning for me.

But it didn't feel like that kind. The danger hit right when I told Baesena to round up the suspects.

Which meant... 'I shouldn't meet the suspects?'

Why? Why? It didn't make sense, but the sense of crisis lingered sharp as ever.

I couldn't meet the suspects. Couldn't gather them in one place. My instincts screamed it.

Sigh... So the great detective was a cute girl detective, huh.

"Yuri, I got info on the candy! Asked the other staff, and they say they know what it is!"

I told everyone not to gather the people for now—let's investigate more first. Then Baesena dug up info on the candy.

She'd stuck by my side the whole time, so she must've used her other bodies in the Special Task Force building to ask around.

"I don't come to the isolation zone much, so I didn't know. But the candy's made by the witch."

"Made by the witch?"

"Yeah! Half the Task Force staff said they've eaten witch-made candy before."

"Come to think of it..."

I checked the whiteboard without thinking.

Jeong Woo-gyeom, the info chief, had visited Room 91 before dying. That's probably where he got the candy.

Maybe the witch isolated in Room 91 knew something.

'Not thrilled about meeting a monster, but...'

Still, the witch wasn't that dangerous. She wouldn't kill on sight or attack outright.

More like a 'deal with the devil' type monster.

Plus, with staff protecting me, meeting her should be fine.

"Unnie, could the doppleganger have impersonated another Muksi Saengmyeongche?"

"No way. Dopplegangers can only mimic humans."

"Got it. Then aren't you in the most danger, unnie?"

"Yeah... You'll protect me, right, Nao...?"

"I'll protect you with my life!"

Laying down her life was a bit heavy... Maybe an immortal vampire could joke like that.

Hard for a pure human like me to get, Nao...

Leading the office staff, I headed to Room 91.

-Creak.

The heavy hinges groaned, and a medicinal scent assaulted my nose. Like a herbal clinic. But more exotic, maybe.

In the corner of the isolation room sat mysterious tools, a massive cauldron standing out.

A table sat in the center, displaying suspicious items: potions, daggers, jewelry, pills, and such.

Minding the stall was a stunning beauty. Arms crossed, scantily clad, pipe clenched in her teeth.

"Potion to make someone fall for you: 1 liter of blood. Dagger that inflicts incurable wounds: 3kg of flesh. Curse to cause car accidents: 2.4 vision. Pill to enlarge body parts: 1 year of youth. What'll it be?"

She exhaled pipe smoke and eyed me.

"Not here to buy..."

"Oh, not a customer? Too bad."

The witch sized me up, then smirked like she'd figured something out.

"You're youthful for your age, huh? Jealous, jealous, jealous. Keeping your youth better than me."

"Ugh..."

"What power do you use? Devil worship? Human-ingredient potions? Tell me. Us witches should get along."

"Yuri's not a witch! Flirt with her again, and I'll toss you in special isolation!"

Baesena shoved between us, furious.

"A little flirting's fine, right? Oh, Baesena. Since you're here after so long, spill it already? Trapping yourself in a doll body ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to stay young—genius idea. Tell me for when I need it. How to bind souls to dolls."

"I told you a million times, it's not like that!"

Baesena looked exasperated.

"And even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. You'd kidnap people for experiments!"

"Fellow monsters should understand by now. No one gets me anywhere."

The witch sighed, repiping.

The witch. Maybe human once, but now a monster. Steals lives and youth from countless people to hoard her eternal beauty.

Looks 20s, but probably centuries old. Rumors say medieval origins—hundreds of years at least.

"So what do you want?"

"Well..."

I glanced at the table. Items had price tags: blood, flesh, youth, joints, etc.

But in the corner sat a sealed container like for a fridge. Lidless, filled with dark red candies.

Just like the one in Jeong Woo-gyeom's pocket.

"Those candies. What are they?"

"Bait items."

"Bait?"

"Hand 'em out to visitors. Whoever you are, take some on your way out. Two or three's fine."

Plenty anyway, she added.

"So you're giving them away free?"

"Yep. Hobby candy. No effects."

"I'll check, detective."

Watson grabbed one and ate it. Ate? More like tossed it into her headless neck.

"Mm, unique taste, but normal candy. Some sugar, no harm to humans."

Food-obsessed Ari snatched one, and chef Lisa tried it too, curious.

They agreed.

"Weird flavor."

"Interesting taste, but just normal candy."

Task Force staff had eaten them too... so really harmless?

"Jeong Woo-gyeom, the info chief, is dead. Candy found in his pocket... What was he doing here at 2:55 AM?"

"Nothing special. Routine check, chatted a bit, took a candy."

"You gave it to him?"

Even weirder then. Why didn't Jeong eat it and just pocket it?

"He didn't buy anything from you?"

"See for yourself. These 'items' haven't sold in a month. Everyone just takes the bait candy."

"And at 3 AM? Breach opened your door too..."

"Didn't try escaping. Can't leave my wares. Task Force'll collapse before my lifespan ends anyway."

Baesena confirmed.

"Yeah, inventory matches a month ago. Witch didn't attempt escape."

More talk yielded nothing big. We left Room 91.

'Just two things learned...'

Jeong took a witch candy from Room 91. And his actions were odd.

Thought it was unlucky doppleganger kill, but something's off.

"Seon-ah."

"Yeah?"

"Mind checking Room 92 too...?"

I eyed the room next door. Jeong went from 91 to 96, skipping 92.

But worth a look.

"Sure, no problem! You have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠investigation authority now!"

Into Room 92. An elevator sat there. Not connected anywhere—just a box in the center.

Watson pressed the button experimentally. Doors opened.

Time machine... but useless. Only 10 min rewind, and memory loss is the killer.

Forget why you rewound? Pointless. And worse—you might forget walking or breathing.

'Ugh... no clues here either.'

Room and elevator spotless. No testimony from it. Nothing.

Zero leads. Now what?

"Wish we had Twentieth Turtle Soup at least..."

Our office's ace investigator, key to uncovering Magical Girl's Birth.

But cooldown not over—less than 20 days.

Sighing, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Watson approached.

"Need this, detective?"

She pulled the empty Twentieth Turtle Soup bowl from her bag.

"Detective needs Twentieth Turtle Soup. But can't use it. So assistant Watson will make it usable. Yep."

"What?"

Make Twentieth Turtle Soup usable? She mentioned that at the office.

But Watson had no such power. What now?

Then she did to the bowl what she did to the candy.

Ate it. Started chewing it.

"Wha—?!"

Crunch, crunch, crunch—bowl-chewing sounds echoed.

The Woorim Group gift crumbling before my eyes.

W-Wait—

"Simple answer. Watson becomes Twentieth Turtle Soup. Yep."

Watson said, staring at me.

The headless monster stared solely at me.

"Problem. Victim Jeong Woo-gyeom murdered by Muksi Saengmyeongche Doppleganger. Guess the reason, my detective."