The Worst Murder Scene
This murder scene was an absolute nightmare. Eori's father hadn't even been released due to insufficient evidence and was still locked up in jail, and after I'd gone to all the trouble of defending him, my mom beat me with a switch until it snapped. And if that wasn't enough, now I was on my way to investigate the crime scene itself. If I were some high school detective kid who'd eaten poison and regressed like the protagonist of a story, that'd be one thing—but I was just an ordinary guy who'd fallen into this alternate-history Joseon tale that already had its main character.
"Hyeong-bang sir. Do I really have to go?"
"Of course you do. The magistrate ordered it. What, you don't wanna? Then you shouldn't have stuck your neck out."
"How could I just stand by and watch someone get punished on bogus testimony? Especially someone I know."
"Then you shouldn't have looked. If you hate the hassle, just keep your eyes shut next time."
Like telling a modern prosecutor to look the other way on a crime? Was this guy really a Hyeong-bang? My original plan had been to pretend to study at the academy while playing tops with the kids. But now here I was, heading to a murder scene with the Hyeong-bang—and a whole crowd of people trailing behind us to boot.
"Hyeong-bang sir. Can't you just tell these folks to go home?"
"Why? Scared you'll get another beating?"
"Come on, don't say that. I really thought I was gonna die."
The Hyeong-bang's chuckling brought back the pain I'd managed to forget. After getting hit until the switch broke, my body was probably covered in countless red welts under my clothes.
"Over there."
The Hyeong-bang, who was leading the way with me, stopped in his tracks and pointed. A government runner stood guard in front of the house.
"What happened?"
He hadn't been able to come to the yamen because he'd been stuck guarding the scene, so he had no idea what was going on. The Hyeong-bang approached him and, without any explanation, started questioning.
"No idea. While you were guarding, did anyone come by?"
"Just the mutt. No one else."
"The mutt? You mean a dog?"
"Yes."
"In that case, you say 'no one came.' Got it?"
He lightly smacked the runner's chest in pity and turned to me, pointing beyond the open gate.
"Take a look around. If you wanna touch anything, just say so."
"Huh? I can go in?"
"You gonna make me say it twice? Get in there."
"No, I mean, uh, fine."
They were sending a ten-year-old kid into an unsolved murder scene. I let out a disbelieving chuckle and glanced at the crowd. Among them were Eori and her mom, who'd followed from the yamen.
"Mom. You really want me to do this?"
"Hyeong-bang sir."
Mom approached him as if reading my mind and made her plea.
"My son is still too young to handle seeing blood. Maybe start him with something smaller?"
"Mom?!"
"Son. You have to listen to the Hyeong-bang sir. Got it?"
Suddenly, I remembered the other night when we'd eaten dinner together. Mom had casually asked if becoming a clerk like the Hyeong-bang or I-bang in the local office might be a good path.
"Hoho, isn't that obvious? Your boy's sharp and bold—he'll make a fine Hyeong-bang with proper training."
The Hyeong-bang went even further, nodding at my mom like it was a given and looking down at me with sparkling eyes. That gaze was just like a company commander eyeing a promising new recruit who actually got shit done.
"Now get in there. Don't dawdle. I'll guide you step by step."
"I'll trust you, Hyeong-bang sir. Son, Mom believes in you."
"No, uh, Mom. My wounds from earlier hurt so bad I can't walk. Mom? Mom?"
I tried limping dramatically, but Mom ignored me and stepped back. Seeing that neither she nor the Hyeong-bang would budge, I finally gave up.
"Sigh, fine……!"
"Good, then hurry—"
"First we gotta canvass witnesses. The body's not going anywhere."
If I was doing this, might as well do it right. Just this once, anyway.
"Sim ssi ajossi! Sim ssi ajossi, you there?"
"Uh, y-yeah! I'm right here!"
Sim Seo-bang pushed through the crowd with quick steps. His face was pale, and he couldn't stand still, sweating profusely.
"Ajossi. You said you slept at a neighbor's, right? Which one? This side? That side? Where's that guy now?"
"Uh, uh? W-well, I, uh, don't really remember?"
What didn't he remember? Where he slept? Or where the neighbor was?
"Right here!"
While Sim Seo-bang hemmed and hawed, the neighbor in question shot up his hand and stepped forward boldly. I asked him,
"Ajossi. You were really with him all night? From evening till morning?"
"Yup. Drank till we passed out, and when I woke up, he was already up."
"S-see? I told you we were together! You suspecting me? Me? Is that what you say to a son who's lost his father?!"
Sim Seo-bang crowed triumphantly now that the neighbor had nodded. I waved him down to calm him.
"No, just checking. Did you see Butcher Kim Ga by any chance?"
"Nah, I was in my room then."
"Thanks for the honest answer."
"There, satisfied? How dare you suspect me!"
You're the most suspicious one! Acting all shady like that!
When people make up lies unconsciously, they tend to be vague and abstract. But Sim Seo-bang's testimony was the opposite. He specified blood from the chest down to the toes, knew damn well Kim Ga worked at the butcher shop yet claimed it was human blood without doubt, randomly brought up his father out of nowhere. And now, the second I even hinted at suspicion, he came charging like a madman. Everything screamed guilty.
"Uh, so. Hold on."
Still, calling him the killer outright on suspicion alone would make me no better than these Joseon-era folks who jailed people on flimsy testimony. I moved to hunt for physical evidence beyond circumstantial stuff.
"Ho ho……!"
The Hyeong-bang whistled in admiration as I inspected the walls instead of going straight through the gate. He'd grabbed an innocent man, sure, but he seemed to get that I was looking for intruder traces. Only after confirming no suspicious marks on the walls did I enter the courtyard.
The so-called murder scene wasn't much different from our house: dirt yard, jar stand in the corner, two-room cement house with a kitchen. A privy was probably out back. If I had to pick a difference……!
"That, uh, him. Did you, bring him out? From the room? Into the yard?"
"Mm. Yeah."
A body lay in the middle of the yard, covered by a mat. The human shape bulging underneath and the dark red stain made it obvious.
"Aigoo, Father!!!"
That's when Sim Seo-bang rushed past us to the body, collapsing beside it and yanking off the mat. The corpse's face emerged—grimace of agony, maggots writhing at the eyes and mouth. It churned my stomach.
"Urk……!"
Even blood kin wasn't immune. Sim Seo-bang forgot his wailing for a moment, face twisting in disgust.
"Hm?"
The Hyeong-bang groaned, sensing something off, and approached. True to his role in investigations, he stayed calm even with the maggot-ridden corpse.
"You. Sim Seo-bang."
"Y-yes, Hyeong-bang sir."
"When exactly did you last see Butcher Kim Ga?"
"R-roughly, half a day ago, sir."
"Hmmm. I see. Hey, you!"
He nodded as if it all clicked and called over the runner.
"Go tell the magistrate it's best to release Butcher Kim Ga from jail!"
"What?! What are you saying? That man's clearly the killer!"
Before the runner could reply, Sim Seo-bang leaped up from his spot. The Hyeong-bang kindly explained to the highly suspicious man.
"Look. Maggots are already swarming. In this weather, that means he's been dead at least half a day. But Kim Ga was here only half a day ago—so your father died before that."
He'd nearly nabbed an innocent man, but the Hyeong-bang was still a Hyeong-bang. Unlike me grasping at straws to stall the interrogation, he'd sized up the body in seconds and confirmed Eori's dad's innocence. It wasn't cool, though. He'd been trapped in prejudice, treating Eori's dad like a murderer on shaky testimony alone—and despite having the skills, he hadn't bothered using them. Fuck. If you're gonna do that, why not check the body first before beating people? Assholes. Fucking classist pricks.
I shot the Hyeong-bang—who was no different from the Kim Jin-sa household—a dirty look behind his back as I headed inside. Blood trails stretched from the floorboards to the yard where they'd dragged the body.
"Huh?"
I groaned involuntarily at the blood drops on the floor. A scene from a modern crime drama popped into my head. The forensics show recreated scenarios synced to the protagonist's monologue: blood drops from a stationary drip splatter everywhere, but from movement, they trail in the direction of travel. Among the drops on the floorboards, a few pointed in completely different directions. I followed that path with my eyes.
The room next door.
"Sim ssi ajossi. What's that room?"
"Th-that's my room. It's clean—nothing to see there."
"Really? Nothing at all?"
"Y-yeah!"
"Then it won't hurt to take a peek."
"No! Wait!"
I'd only pretended to head that way. But Sim Seo-bang came rushing, even stepping over his father's corpse to stop me.
"Wh-what are you doing looking there?"
"Just curious. A quick look's fine, right?"
"No!"
"Aw, it'll be okay. Guys got guy stuff—nothing weird. Right?"
"Y-yeah! It's spring pictures! I hid erotic paintings in there—you can't look!"
Spring pictures? Porn drawings? Now I really wanna see.
"Hyeong-bang sir! He says there's porn in this room! Wanna check it out together?"
"This guy!"
"Whoa! What the—!"
Now he charged outright. I dodged, realizing I was on the raised floor at perfect head height, and swung my forehead like a hammer.
Crack!
"Argh!"
A sharp headache flashed my vision white. But it was Sim Seo-bang who crumpled to the floor.
"Argh, auuugh……!"
Nose broken? Teeth? He rolled around clutching his gushing face.
I rubbed my throbbing forehead—felt like my front teeth had clashed—while the Hyeong-bang pointed at him and bellowed.
"See that? He's the killer! Bind him now and search that room top to bottom!"
"Whoa whoa! Hold on!"
Just like at the yamen, I was the one holding him back. I frantically waved at the Hyeong-bang and pointed at the still-closed door.
"No evidence yet! Search the room first—"
"Anyone can see he's guilty!"
"We don't know for sure! Evidence first—"
"He just tried to kill you—that's proof! Bind him!"
"That's circumstantial! We need physical evidence—hey! Evidence! We gotta find evidence first! Physical—argh, damn it! Can't arrest yet!"
Why do these guys always jump straight to cuffs the second they suspect someone?!