Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Myeongseok Hospital
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Lee Jae-hyun and Kim Jun-ho tried to gather more evidence through further conversation, but the grandmas and grandpas didn’t know much either.
“By any chance, do you know what kind of nutritional supplements they were?”
“Oh dear, us old folks forget all that stuff the moment we hear it and can’t remember.”
“Yeah, we just think a kind young lady is giving us good stuff cheap, so we take it.”
They didn’t know exactly what made them special or why they were so great, and couldn’t explain.
In the end, Lee Jae-hyun returned to the car without any major breakthroughs.
Click.
As soon as he got in the car, he turned to Kim Jun-ho and spoke.
“What do you think?”
“It’s clear enough at this point. I think you’re right.”
“Then…”
Fortunately, he seemed to have succeeded in convincing him.
All that was left was to continue the investigation, catch the nurse, and ultimately arrest Park Chun-beom.
Just as Lee Jae-hyun was thinking that.
Kim Jun-ho’s words made him stop mid-sentence.
“Let’s hand the rest over to the detective division and get back to our own work.”
“…”
At those words, Lee Jae-hyun couldn’t respond to Kim Jun-ho for a moment.
It was unexpected because he wasn’t the type to give up on a case so easily.
‘In my past life, he wasn’t like this. Is this because of how I’ve changed?’
He blinked and looked at Kim Jun-ho.
Kim Jun-ho wasn’t as mild-mannered as he seemed.
In his past life, he hadn’t worked as a detective like Lee Jae-hyun.
But whenever a case arose, he stepped up aggressively and strove to be the ‘staff of the people.’
He hadn’t worked directly with Lee Jae-hyun on many cases…
But he had indirectly influenced cases Lee Jae-hyun solved during his detective days, including ones with Park Dae-hyung.
He hadn’t done anything to influence him, yet the sudden change was bewildering.
‘Why?’
He had a strong sense of justice and duty, while also being ambitious about performance records and quick promotions.
He was straightforward, optimistic about the future, and more proactive than anyone.
It was odd for him to back out like this.
Unable to resolve the puzzle alone, he looked at Kim Jun-ho and spoke.
“May I ask why?”
“Well, from what I heard, it seems like she’s just handing out nutritional supplements… No one’s in immediate danger. And it’s not even our jurisdiction anyway.”
Scratching his head at Lee Jae-hyun’s question, Kim Jun-ho shrugged.
It was understandable.
A perfectly reasonable answer.
But that wasn’t the only reason.
Lee Jae-hyun calmly waited for Kim Jun-ho to continue.
“From our position, it’s just going to create more hassle. If it were drugs, that’d be different, but nutritional supplements aren’t that serious, right?”
Only then did Lee Jae-hyun fully understand his stance.
For a major case, he’d dive in for the record.
Or if a victim was in danger, he’d jump in without hesitation.
But objectively, it wasn’t, so better to pass it to the local station and avoid the hassle.
The problem was, Lee Jae-hyun couldn’t do that.
‘He can say that because he doesn’t know a murderer is involved.’
Impersonating the IV Aunt was bad enough, but the real issue was the murderer tied to it.
One who hadn’t faced judgment yet.
If Park Chun-beom’s murder wasn’t uncovered, it would remain unsolved forever.
The victim’s family wouldn’t find peace.
Lee Jae-hyun had to convince Kim Jun-ho somehow.
He furrowed his brow slightly, put on a serious expression, turned fully toward Kim Jun-ho, and spoke.
“Sunbae, I know it’s a hassle and not our jurisdiction… but can’t we do something?”
“…Well, it’s not absolutely impossible. But if it’s not our area, it gets really annoying. We can’t just haul her in, and even if we solve it, there’s tons of paperwork later.”
Kim Jun-ho scratched his cheek with a troubled look.
So, the jurisdiction was the issue.
Fortunately, there was a solution.
“The suspect, Nurse Han Sun-ah, works at Myeongseok Hospital.”
“Oh? That’s good news.”
Kim Jun-ho’s voice brightened with an “oh.”
Myeongseok Hospital fell under Hanseong Police Substation’s jurisdiction.
That solved the jurisdiction problem.
Kim Jun-ho scratched his head as if pondering, then clicked his tongue and spoke.
“Tsk… Fine, whatever. But seriously, why are you so fixated on this? Is there something personal here? You’re not really planning to move grandma here or something, right?”
He glanced at Lee Jae-hyun as he said it.
Of course, Lee Jae-hyun had told the seniors at the community center he might move there.
Naturally, it was just a lie to get leads.
Lee Jae-hyun chuckled and replied.
“Of course not.”
“Then why?”
At Kim Jun-ho’s question, he shrugged.
He couldn’t say a murderer was involved.
So he came up with another excuse.
“My gut feeling.”
“Hey, coming from the guy who caught Myeong Jin-han on a hunch, that’s making me uneasy. That nurse hasn’t done something else bad, has she?”
Kim Jun-ho shuddered as he asked.
Myeong Jin-han, whom Lee Jae-hyun caught on his ‘hunch,’ was the serial killer dominating the headlines.
Catching a big fish like that was great, but…
It also meant victims had appeared.
Lee Jae-hyun’s ‘gut’ not ringing was actually better.
Seeing his furrowed brow, Lee Jae-hyun gave a wry smile.
“No way.”
“Right? So why am I still uneasy?”
“Better safe than sorry. You know what they say—expect the unexpected.”
The real issue was another ‘murderer’ involved.
When this case wrapped up and Park Chun-beom was revealed as the killer, what face would Kim Jun-ho make?
“What? Hey, that last bit sounds really ominous. It’s not, right? Like human experiments or something—if it is, I’m out.”
“You watch too many movies.”
Whether genuinely worried or just joking as usual.
To Kim Jun-ho, who shuddered and asked, Lee Jae-hyun chuckled and continued.
“Anyway, I’ll check it out like I said.”
“Sounds like you’re doing it alone. We’re in this together. Team Leader said you and I should move as a pair.”
“I’d be grateful if you joined me.”
Lee Jae-hyun replied as he started the car.
Having Kim Jun-ho along was reassuring.
Just now, without his assist, getting leads from the seniors would’ve been harder.
Lee Jae-hyun fiddled with his smartphone briefly.
Kim Jun-ho peeked at his phone, let out a hollow laugh, and spoke.
“You recorded it already?”
“Yes, just in case.”
Lee Jae-hyun grinned, checked the saved audio file.
Confirmed it recorded well, then backed it up to the cloud.
“Good job.”
Kim Jun-ho, watching, smiled lightly.
Lee Jae-hyun smiled back and drove off.
Destination: Myeongseok Hospital.
Where Han Sun-ah worked.
* * *
Upon arriving at Myeongseok Hospital, Lee Jae-hyun headed straight to the information desk.
As he approached, the staff greeted him with a polite but soulless voice.
“Hello. Do you need anything?”
Her eyes were dull like rotten pollock roe, practically screaming ‘when do I get off?’ on her forehead.
She looked at Lee Jae-hyun with lackluster eyes.
He flashed his badge casually.
“Police. Where do I go to check CCTV?”
Her eyes instantly lit up.
She spoke in a much livelier tone.
“Shall I call the security team leader? They manage all the CCTV.”
“No, just tell me where to go.”
“Go around that corner to the stairs, down to basement 1, walk a bit, and the security room’s there.”
The staff pointed to a corner of the hospital, explaining the way to the security room.
Her eyes and voice brimmed with enthusiasm, like a different person.
Seeing her curiosity, Lee Jae-hyun spoke as if requesting.
“Thank you. And please keep it quiet that we’re here for CCTV.”
“Of course. I’m the soul of discretion.”
She nodded vigorously at his request.
Lee Jae-hyun and Kim Jun-ho turned and hurried toward the stairs.
It’d probably spread soon.
Her mouth might be sealed, but…
‘Her fingers look light.’
Glancing back, he saw her hastily hiding her phone.
Soon, the chat rooms would buzz with news of police arriving.
Before it reached Han Sun-ah’s ears, they needed to secure the CCTV and summon her to the station.
They already had witness statements, so a summons was fine.
But they were moving for solid physical evidence.
‘These things get easier once you dig in.’
They could nab Han Sun-ah today.
But she wasn’t the main target.
Illegal medical practice needed rooting out, sure.
They’d arrest her eventually.
No immediate victims or drug distribution, so as Kim Jun-ho said, it could wait.
‘The priority is catching Park Chun-beom.’
They’d inflate the illegal practice case to drag him in.
That’s why he didn’t stop the desk staff from spreading rumors via chat.
Let it spread fast, alerting everyone involved.
‘But grab them before it reaches Park Chun-beom.’
Essentially, it was a race against time.
Secure evidence and arrest before Park Chun-beom got Han Sun-ah’s call and destroyed murder evidence.
That was the core of this investigation.
Lee Jae-hyun quickened his pace toward the security room.