Chapter 244: There Was a Witness?
It was an utterly unexpected answer. I'd only asked out of curiosity, wondering if there might be something Dongjin didn't know about, but to think I'd hook such a big fish.
"None, then. It would have made things so much easier if there had been. What a shame."
I replied nonchalantly, my mind already racing. The moment I parted ways with Go Sojung, the first thing to check was whether there were CCTV cameras near the hospital room—and if so, secure them immediately.
...Still, just in case there weren't any, it would be wise to compile a list of potential witnesses as thoroughly as possible.
Frequent contact with Go Sojung might agitate her, so while we were meeting, it was best to extract every possible clue.
"Tell me about it. I kept thinking how great it would have been if there had been a witness. Then I wouldn't be getting cornered like this for no reason..."
She murmured softly, head bowed. After all the internal politicking in the hospital to pin it on Dongjin, this had to be the most absurd thing she'd said.
"Just a few more questions."
"Sure, go ahead."
She hadn't outright said there was a witness, so I couldn't ask directly. Better to identify candidates and narrow them down from there.
The most likely witness in this situation was Kim Sungwoo, the one who'd put her up to it. If he'd grasped her weakness and manipulated her, he'd have wanted to confirm she was carrying out the task properly.
But as he wasn't even the attending physician, he couldn't have been oblivious to how suspicious it would look for him to enter the room himself. There was also the possibility of other accomplices—not just him and Go Sojung, but someone inside the hospital in cahoots with him.
"Hmm, then who came and went from Seol Hyeongseok's room that day?"
"Why do you ask?"
Go Sojung suddenly grew guarded. She'd come out after hearing from Kim Sungwoo that I was on his side, but now my probing for witnesses despite her denial was making her uneasy.
If she got the impression I was approaching the case far more aggressively than I'd shown Kim Sungwoo, that could be trouble. Go Sojung hadn't ended up at the heart of this by choice—it was forced on her. She was probably feeling even greater pangs of conscience than the masterminds, making her hypersensitive.
She might even be hoping more than Kim Sungwoo that this would all blow over quickly at Dongjin's expense. A single word from her to him like "Cha Juhan seems to be in league with Yang Dongjin" and he'd shove me aside in an instant.
I softened my expression, replying as if I had no ulterior motive.
"Oh, did I overstep? I was just asking routine questions to get a grasp on the case."
This would make her—already guilty—worry that hesitating to answer might look even more suspicious.
And sure enough, she was struggling to keep her face neutral.
"It's something you could find out anyway, but stirring up the hospital over it wouldn't be ideal, so I figured I'd ask while I had you here."
I subtly implied I found the depth of my involvement awkward, to ease her further.
"Ah, right. Nothing I can't say... Um, that day—you mean the day Yang instructor and I talked about cephalosporins?"
"Yes."
"Well, that day, the patient's brother and his wife came, along with the family lawyer, the patient's secretary, and some company people. It was shortly after surgery when visits were first allowed, and the patient wanted business reports. After the shock hit, more family came, but they didn't enter the room."
Even counting the company people as one, that made at least five individuals entering and exiting Seol Hyeongseok's room that day. If the witness wasn't hospital staff, one of them might be it.
Dongjin hadn't known someone was in the room because, naturally, that person had hidden themselves.
Seol Hyeongseok would have had a VIP room, complete with places to hide: the en-suite bathroom, a large wardrobe, or even under the bed.
"Was Patient Seol Hyeongseok awake at the time?"
If he'd been awake during the conversation, the witness was likely one of his visitors. Han Young Group was obsessive about security—bodyguards at the door, and medical staff had to swipe cards to enter, per Dongjin.
Seol Hyeongseok himself wouldn't ignore such precautions; a stranger entering while he was awake would raise alarms. And if awake, hiding spots were limited—no wardrobe or under-bed for visitors; the bathroom at best. But medical staff wouldn't use the patient's bathroom, narrowing it to visitors.
Of course, if he wasn't awake, security could be breached anywhere.
"He was sleeping."
Sleeping? Well, Seol Hyeongseok in his right mind wouldn't miss a nurse and instructor discussing his injection. He'd know exactly what meds he was on and wouldn't sit idle for an anaphylaxis-risk antibiotic order.
So the witness pool expanded to all medical staff and visitors.
I frowned. This would be a real headache without CCTV.
"Thanks, I've heard enough."
To avoid suspicion, I asked general questions about the case afterward. Go Sojung relaxed quickly, answering freely.
"I might need to contact you again," I said, leaving the cafe first.
"It's me."
I called him the moment I got in the car. He picked up faster than usual, as if waiting—his urgency only made him more pitiable.
This time, I had to save Dongjin, no matter what.
"Where are you now?"
-At the hospital.
"From now on, check for anyone around before answering calls. Someone might be watching."
-Kim Sungwoo's off today. And Go Sojung was just with you, right?
"Those two, sure. But there's a witness."
-What?
"Someone else was in that room at that time on the day you gave the order. Could be hospital staff. They might be watching you talk to me."
-A witness... No way.
Dongjin sounded deflated, repeating the impossibility. Understandable. A witness—hospital or Han Young—could testify it wasn't his fault. Their silence meant complicity.
Discovering so many ill-wishers must be a shock.
"We need to ID the witness. CCTV at Seol Hyeongseok's door?"
-Not right at the door, but there's coverage on the VIP wing.
"Enough to see who came and went?"
-Plenty. Only Seol Hyeongseok's in VIP now.
"Check CCTV first, then. Can't go myself—might leak to Kim Sungwoo. Ask to see the footage alone."
-Got it. Heading to security now.
"Grab a USB and copy files if possible."
I hung up, organizing my thoughts. The witness entered before Dongjin, left after. CCTV would narrow it down easily.
About two hours later, better to meet in person than talk by phone, so I'd driven to Myeongdae Hospital. Parked in the lot, waiting for Dongjin while reading the profile Taesik had sent on Go Sojung.
Only child, tough family: mom worked at a restaurant, dad helped at a friend's shop for pocket change. Renting a two-room semi-basement.
So maybe not blackmailed—paid by Kim Sungwoo? She pitied Dongjin genuinely, feeling guilt, so I'd imagined her confessing. But with her finances, losing nursing was too risky; she wouldn't turn herself in.
'Even now, she'll get fired.'
Han Young wanted her dismissed for neglecting duties. Job loss either way... Did Kim Sungwoo line up another gig? University hospitals weren't great for nurses; most jumped to clinics after experience.
'Or does he have a hold on her?'
Easier for us if blackmailed. Know the leverage, free her from his grasp, get her to confess.
Bzzz.
Lost in thought, my phone buzzed. Dongjin.
I told him to come to the parking lot, stashing Go Sojung's file in the glovebox.
Soon, the passenger door opened; Dongjin slid in.
"Find the CCTV?"
"...Something's wrong."
His odd reply and expression told the tale.
"They said the footage for that day is gone. Of all days!"