The Unlikely Culprit
Oddly enough, I had already sensed something strange about the empty parking spot I was occupying. Right in front of the school, along a wide four-lane road, it was the kind of space that could easily fit a small building. It probably belonged to Yeonmok Elementary School grounds, and as the woman had said, it was likely reserved for vehicles picking up students after school.
Well, if I had parked in the wrong place, all I needed to do was move. But then—
Zap.
The moment my eyes met hers, I found myself unable to look away. Just in case, I had assumed she might be the culprit, and that triggered a far more detailed verdict than any I had seen before.
Judgment. The defendant is sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
Reason. The defendant kidnapped and murdered a child—who should have been under societal protection—for financial gain. The crime is therefore heinous. Furthermore, the defendant failed to reach any settlement with the victim’s family, and the offense was premeditated and meticulously planned, including the prior recruitment of an accomplice. These factors are reflected as aggravating circumstances. Accordingly, this court…
The mention of an accomplice was new information I had never heard from the future Han Seung-woo, nor had it appeared in any previous verdicts. There was no longer any doubt. She was the culprit.
To think someone with that appearance was plotting such a horrific violent crime. I could only estimate from my seated position, but she barely reached my chest. Her face was so round and full of baby fat that she could have passed for an upper-grade elementary student at this very school. Even boarding a children’s bus with a child fare card would have raised no eyebrows. Her disproportionately large head compared to her body only added to the childish impression—something she must have been teased about. And her hair, cut in a blunt bob that perfectly aligned with her lip line, made her look exactly like a middle-school girl caught in the old strict hair regulations from my own school days.
It was fortunate I had already identified this as the starting point of the crime and scanned everyone nearby while checking the future verdicts. Otherwise, even though female offenders are more common in kidnappings than in other violent crimes, I never would have imagined such a tiny, innocent-looking girl could be the perpetrator.
Now that I knew she was the culprit, those eyes—unblinking even when facing a stranger like me—looked especially sharp and menacing. The way she had rushed over to scold me about moving my car was probably just her way of saying “get the hell out of my crime scene.”
I could not let her realize I was here to catch her. Playing the part of an ordinary passerby who had never considered kidnapping, I replied indifferently.
“Ah, I was waiting here because I have a lunch appointment with a friend who teaches at this school. I didn’t realize parking was prohibited.”
“It’s not about whether parking is prohibited or not. Teacher or not, academy vans will be flooding in here soon, so move your car. If you understand, start the engine already instead of just staring and rambling on.”
“Yes, yes. I’m sorry.”
Wow. Because of my “ordinary passerby” act, she was coming at me even harder than before. Still, heh. “Rambling on,” she says. She looks so young, yet the way she speaks suggests she’s around my age or a little older. Well, age doesn’t always match appearance. No point envying her youthful looks. Let’s focus.
Right now, I needed to find a position where I could keep watching her without looking suspicious. Pretending to start the engine and drive safely, I checked the rearview and side mirrors. Oh-ho. There was a perfect spot. A café across from the school. If I parked along the curb in front of it, bought a coffee, and waited in the car pretending to wait for a friend, I would look exactly like a teacher’s acquaintance. The car’s tint was dark enough that no one could see inside, and with the wide road between us, it was an ideal vantage point to monitor the school entrance.
Following the plan, I bought a coffee and waited in the car. A call came through—exactly as I had expected this time.
“Yes, this is Kwon Ho-gyun.”
— This is Deputy Kim Chul-joong from the QS Group Central Management Headquarters Security Team. You’re the Audit Team Leader who requested support, correct?
Though I had never seen his face, the voice coming through the phone mounted on the dashboard was deep and gravelly. Compared to the culprit’s high-pitched, childish tone from earlier, he almost sounded more like a criminal himself.
“Yes, that’s right. Where are you now?”
— I’m driving slowly right in front of the Yeonmok Elementary School main gate. Do you see a white Carnival nearby?
It was the exact spot I had been watching, and the vehicle was large enough that it was impossible to miss.
“I see it. I’m in the navy Porsche across the street. Listen carefully to what I say from now on and follow my instructions.”
— Understood.
“Do you see a very short woman loitering in front of the Yeonmok Elementary School main gate right now?”
— There’s a student who seems to have skipped class sitting in front of the gate…
“That’s not a student. That’s the kidnapper we need to catch today.”
Kim Chul-joong’s gravelly voice rose sharply, reacting exactly as I had when I first saw her.
— What? That child committed a kidnapping? I’ve heard jokes about kids having kids, but this…
“No. She hasn’t done it yet. She’s about to. So keep circling the school and watch her. I’m watching from across the street as well.”
— Uh, Team Leader. If it’s a kidnapping, shouldn’t we call the police or stop her right now by force? Since we know she’s going to do it?
The most honest answer was that the kidnapping had to happen so I could resolve the case and bring Han Seung-woo to my side for the future power struggle. Of course, there was no time or reason to explain all that to Deputy Kim Chul-joong, who had only come as combat support. A suitably righteous excuse would suffice.
“I know she’s about to commit the kidnapping, but at this moment we have no objective evidence to present. If we call the police or raid the scene now, we might lose her. We’ll arrest her the moment the crime is committed and rescue the victim.”
Since Kim Chul-joong already knew I was a lawyer, that explanation seemed to carry enough weight.
— Understood.
“Also, it seems there may be an accomplice we haven’t identified yet. If you see anyone suspicious besides her, report it to me immediately.”
Realizing this was no ordinary case, Kim Chul-joong’s voice grew heavier again.
— An accomplice as well? Understood. Shall I keep the line open?
“Yes. If it doesn’t interfere with your driving, that would be best. No need to keep talking.”
— Understood.
Good. We had identified the culprit and established a double surveillance net. Now all that remained was to wait for the crime to actually occur.
After meeting the culprit face-to-face and speaking with her, I had already formed a rough outline of her method. She would use one of the academy vans that would soon arrive to fill the spot where I had parked. Han A-young would board one of them, and the culprit would get on as well, posing as a helper, to kidnap her.
If that was the case, the accomplice mentioned in the new verdict was most likely the driver of that van.
Heh. She had no idea, but the net had already been cast perfectly. All that remained was to reel it in at the right moment.
After that, everything unfolded exactly as I had predicted. Three yellow vans pulled up in front of the gate, and Han A-young boarded one of them. The culprit even pretended to be friendly, acting like a children’s boarding assistant while checking attendance, then climbed aboard herself.
Click.
As the yellow van’s door closed and it began to merge onto the road, I started my engine as well. Just as I was about to follow—only to realize the angle for a U-turn was slightly awkward because I was in the opposite lane—Kim Chul-joong spoke up.
— I’ve re-entered the area in front of the main gate and I’m driving slowly, but I don’t see the woman you said was the culprit.
“I’ve been watching her, so don’t worry. It’s the yellow van that just pulled out from the main gate onto the road. There are many similar vehicles, so follow the one with plate number 6219 so you don’t get confused.”
Kim Chul-joong answered with relief and clear trust in me.
— Thank goodness. I see it now. The distance is a bit far, but I’ll try to follow.
“Yes. Even if you can’t catch up, don’t push it. We can’t let them know we’re tailing them yet.”
— Huh? Still, shouldn’t we stop a kidnapping crime?
Urgh. Why was he burning with such excessive righteousness?
“As a lawyer, I’ve seen countless precedents. If these kinds of criminals sense they’re being followed even once, they don’t give up—they just plan more meticulously and try again. This might be our last chance to catch the kidnapper and save the child. We can’t blow it.”
After firmly laying that down, I prepared to make a U-turn while keeping an eye on the yellow van and the white Carnival through the windows and side mirrors. Kim Chul-joong’s urgent voice came booming through the phone.
— If we don’t tail them now, we might lose them. Since your car is in the opposite lane, I think I should be the one to follow.
The situation was exactly as he described. The yellow van carrying Han A-young and the kidnapper was making a left turn at the intersection. Kim Chul-joong’s white Carnival, strictly obeying the traffic signals, would never make the same left turn within the same light cycle. I could understand his conflict between my orders and the crime unfolding before his eyes. Still, my answer was clear.
“No. Don’t show them anything suspicious.”
— Team Leader! I don’t know much about evidence or whatever, but this can’t be right, can it?
“Stop!”
At my shout, Kim Chul-joong’s car thankfully came to a halt without running the light. Then he let out a rough, frustrated breath.
“Deputy Kim Chul-joong?”
— Yes, Team Leader.
“We will definitely catch the culprit. No one will get hurt except the culprit, and no child will fall victim to this kidnapping.”
— How are we supposed to do that when we don’t even know where the van with the kids and the culprit went? It looks like an academy shuttle, but there’s no academy name on it. Why don’t you report the plate number you memorized to the police?
If the van had the academy name plastered on the side in big letters, they never would have considered using it for a crime in the first place.
“It’s probably a vehicle contracted for shuttle service by multiple academies. Even checking the plate number will be difficult. They wouldn’t have used the real plates on a vehicle meant for crime. We could find the vehicle’s location through police CCTV analysis, but it would take too much time.”
Kim Chul-joong’s voice grew even rougher, almost growling as he pressed the question.
— That’s exactly why I said I would follow them. So how exactly are you planning to catch them now?
Hah. As if there wasn’t a way. First, I needed to remember that this man was overflowing with a sense of justice.