Chapter 7
Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Fake Break-In
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Violent Crimes Unit Team Leader Oh Min-seok let out a hollow laugh as he stared at the pet shop right in front of him.
He and his team members had rushed out upon the sudden news and were now waiting in front of the pet shop for the warrant to arrive.
‘They caught a guy transporting a woman in a carrier?’
All the detectives had fire in their eyes, running themselves ragged to catch the serial killer behind the recent string of murders.
And now, a prime suspect had finally appeared.
No, it was beyond prime suspect territory. Even based purely on circumstantial evidence, the odds that this guy was the culprit were overwhelmingly high—practically a certainty.
‘At a time like this, a guy hauling a woman in a carrier? It can’t be anyone else.’
On top of that, the pet shop he ran was right there in plain view.
No concrete evidence had surfaced yet, but considering both victims had died of asphyxiation, a pet shop was a place overflowing with perfect tools for the crime.
Like a dog collar, for instance.
Oh Min-seok mulled this over as he quickly fiddled with his phone and made a call.
He figured he might as well chat with his old colleague while waiting for the warrant.
The call connected after just a few rings.
“Hello?”
A somewhat distracted voice.
Oh Min-seok grinned, curling up the corner of his mouth.
“Inspector Park Dae-hyung, you’re still alive, huh?”
“What’s that supposed to mean all of a sudden?”
“Kidnapping suspect caught during a drunk driving check? That was your team, right?”
The circumstantial evidence pointed so strongly to serial killer that it was almost ironclad, but for now, he was officially a ‘kidnapper caught in the act.’
Oh Min-seok brought it up, but the response wasn’t quite what he’d expected.
“Yeah, it was our team, but not me.”
Oh Min-seok tilted his head at Park Dae-hyung’s words.
He’d heard it was Hanseong Police Substation Team 4 who made the catch and passed on the info, so he’d assumed it was Park Dae-hyung.
Sure, he was stuck at a substation now due to circumstances, but back when they’d worked together, the guy had been called an ace.
If not Park Dae-hyung, then who the hell caught a kidnapper during a drunk driving stop?
“Who caught him if not you?”
Oh Min-seok voiced his question, and the answer came right back.
“The rookie.”
“Huh?”
“Our team’s rookie. The one who made the arrest.”
Oh Min-seok doubted his own ears at Park Dae-hyung’s reply.
The rookie?
Not even a detective team rookie, but some substation team rookie nabbing a prime serial murder suspect?
What kind of nonsense was that?
“The rookie? You’re kidding, right?”
“Surprisingly, it’s true. I can’t believe it myself.”
Park Dae-hyung said it just like that, and Oh Min-seok let out a hearty laugh.
From the sound of it, the team’s rookie really had made the arrest.
“A guy we couldn’t even find a trace of despite every detective swarming the case, and your rookie catches him? How?”
That was the question.
He and his own team had been chasing the bastard hard too.
It didn’t make sense that the guy suddenly got nabbed in a drunk driving check.
Especially by a substation rookie with no real experience. Incredible.
When he asked how it happened, the answer wasn’t exactly normal.
“The rookie’s dad drives a taxi, and the guy was a passenger.”
“......What?”
What the hell?
The substation rookie’s dad was a taxi driver, and the perp they caught was riding in his cab?
Oh Min-seok asked again in disbelief, and Park Dae-hyung continued calmly, as if he’d expected that reaction.
“We were doing a drunk driving check right then, and his dad’s cab passed by with this sketchy guy hugging a carrier. We checked it out, and a woman was inside.”
In short, a pile-up of coincidences led to the catch.
The team leader clicked his tongue upon hearing it.
“What do you know, the ones who make it, make it. Talk about insane luck.”
How much good karma from a past life does it take for coincidences like that?
Oh Min-seok swallowed his admiration inwardly and spoke.
From the other end of the line, Park Dae-hyung’s voice came through.
“Yeah, but I’m not sure if it was luck or good instincts.”
“What do you mean?”
Oh Min-seok furrowed his brow and asked back.
It sounded like pure luck from what he’d heard, so what was this about not knowing if it was luck or instincts?
“Well, the cab carrying the kidnapper was pure insane coincidence, but spotting him as suspicious and checking? That’s instincts.”
“Yeah? What’d you think?”
“Seemed suspicious to me too, but the rookie handled it like he was dead certain something was up. Kinda weird.”
“Hmm... What’s your team rookie’s name?”
“Name? Lee Jae-hyun.”
“Okay.”
“Why?”
Why? Whether luck or instincts, the guy caught the perp during a drunk driving check.
If the chance came, he ought to meet him and absorb some of that good vibe.
With that in mind, he opened his mouth.
“Don’t know if it’s instincts or just rookie hot-bloodedness, but a guy with that kind of luck? Gotta meet him and get some of it.”
“Luck, sure, but hot-blooded? He’s usually so mild-mannered. Though today he wasn’t exactly mild...”
Oh Min-seok shook his head at Park Dae-hyung’s words.
No, if the rookie caught the perp, shouldn’t he be bragging his ass off?
Instead, he was reacting like he didn’t get it himself. To Oh Min-seok, Park Dae-hyung’s response was just baffling.
Just then, voices approached—someone had arrived.
Oh Min-seok glanced over and spoke.
“Got it for now. I’ll call when the warrant comes.”
He said that and ended the call.
* * *
Lee Jae-hyun arrived at the pet shop run by Myeong Jin-han and let out a long breath.
Several detectives were already there, waiting for the warrant.
Lee Jae-hyun carefully approached them and greeted.
“Hello.”
“Who are you?”
Perhaps because he was in his uniform, the detectives regarded him cautiously.
He immediately pulled out his ID.
“I’m Patrol Officer Lee Jae-hyun from Hanseong Police Substation.”
“......What’s a patrol officer doing here?”
They’d been cautious just moments ago, but the word ‘patrol officer’ shifted their attitude a bit.
Inevitably, views changed by rank.
They didn’t outright dismiss him, but the subtle glances weren’t friendly.
Lee Jae-hyun knew they were detectives on the verge of searching for evidence against a violent criminal, so their attitude didn’t bother him much.
Still, he was there to ensure they nailed Myeong Jin-han with solid evidence, so he pondered how to explain.
“Hey, wait. Patrol Officer Lee Jae-hyun?”
A voice called out from somewhere, and the detectives parted as a man stepped forward.
Half-bald head, neighborhood uncle vibe.
And eyes gleaming sharply amid it all.
He looked Lee Jae-hyun up and down and spoke.
“Hanseong Substation rookie, right? I was just talking to Dae-hyung about you. Nice to meet you. I’m Violent Crimes Team Leader Oh Min-seok.”
“Patrol Officer Lee Jae-hyun. You were talking to... Big Brother—no, Inspector Park Dae-hyung?”
“Huh? You’re already on brother terms with Dae-hyung?”
The words had slipped out reflexively upon hearing he’d talked to Park Dae-hyung.
Thinking about it, they weren’t quite there yet.
Lee Jae-hyun smiled awkwardly and replied.
“I’m unilaterally calling him big brother.”
Well, it wasn’t a lie, so it should be fine.
He brushed it off like that and changed the subject.
“More importantly, no warrant yet?”
“Nah, still waiting on the search warrant. No idea when it’ll come. It’s a high-profile case people are watching, so it should be soon... but probably another hour at least.”
Oh Min-seok said it wearily.
Lee Jae-hyun glanced at the time.
Another hour from now?
Lee Jae-hyun’s patience wasn’t that great.
He’d already lived through ten years, filled with regrets from this day, and survived another decade.
He couldn’t wait any longer.
Lee Jae-hyun stared at the pet shop’s front door and pulled out his phone to make a call.
The other side picked up before two rings.
“Yes, this is Emergency Response 112. How can I assist?”
A police voice from the line.
Oh Min-seok turned to Lee Jae-hyun with a puzzled look upon hearing the faint sound.
No clue why he was calling 112.
Ignoring Oh Min-seok’s gaze, Lee Jae-hyun continued calmly.
“I think there’s been a break-in here.”
Oh Min-seok made a face like, what the hell are you saying?
Lee Jae-hyun, who’d just declared the break-in, remained nonchalant.
Patience ran out, warrant not here.
Time to make an excuse.
“A break-in? Hold on, sir, your location...”
“Myung’s Pet Shop.”
Lee Jae-hyun answered the police’s question immediately.
To grasp the situation, the officer fired off questions rapidly.
“Are you the shop owner, sir? What exactly is happening?”
“No, not the owner. Just a passerby. Um...”
Lee Jae-hyun trailed off and casually raised his arm.
Then.
Whoosh.
Crash!
He swung his arm, smashing his elbow into the glass door.
Unable to withstand the impact, the pet shop’s front door shattered with a deafening noise.
Oh Min-seok beside him gaped in disbelief at Lee Jae-hyun.
Lee Jae-hyun dusted off his arm.
“Sir? What was that noise just now...”
“Oh, yeah. No big deal. The entrance door’s broken.”
“We’ll dispatch immediately. It could be dangerous, so please don’t approach too closely until police arrive...”
“Yes, got it. Thank you.”
Lee Jae-hyun replied and hung up.
Don’t approach too closely until police arrive?
Well, the place was swarming with cops now, so approaching was fine, right?
Lee Jae-hyun strode right into the shop.
Team Leader Oh Min-seok, watching it all, couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
‘What was it Park Dae-hyung said earlier?’
Usually so mild-mannered?
Where did ‘mild-mannered’ come into this?
When did the word ‘mild-mannered’ change meaning?
He had no idea what Park Dae-hyung was thinking calling him that, but the Lee Jae-hyun Oh Min-seok had just seen...
“He’s just a crazy bastard.”
Yeah, just a crazy bastard.