Chapter 16
“Right? That police officer. The one who solved the cold case on ‘I Want to Know That.’”
Saturday morning.
A café near KBN Broadcasting Station.
Juwon was waiting for someone, drawing the heated gazes of the people around him.
“It’s him. Wow, his visuals are amazing!”
“I recognized him as soon as he appeared on the news. He’s a police lieutenant who graduated from the Police University. Doesn’t he look like an actor from a police drama?”
Thanks to the popular interview video uploaded by KBN on YouTube, many young people recognized Juwon’s face.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Ah, Reporter Young.”
Reporter Young So-hee from KBN’s social affairs department approached Juwon’s table.
“Not at all. I just got here too. I ordered an Americano in advance. Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
As Young So-hee sat down at Juwon’s table, the murmurs around the café grew louder.
“What, is she his girlfriend?”
“I don’t think so… Where have I seen her before?”
“Ah, isn’t she that reporter? From KBN… The one who did the interview on TV. I think I saw her on YouTube…”
As the stares intensified, Juwon quietly spoke to Reporter Young.
“Shall we move to another seat?”
At his words, Young So-hee smiled faintly while holding her coffee cup.
“I’m fine. Are you uncomfortable?”
Perhaps, as a reporter, she was used to such attention.
Tera also chimed in.
[Don’t mind them. People will stare, whisper, and take photos, but they won’t go beyond that. That’s the etiquette in South Korea.]
‘Staring, whispering, and taking photos… That’s what’s uncomfortable.’
But it seemed bearable for a short while.
Juwon also shook his head.
“Then it’s fine.”
Juwon picked up his coffee cup and continued.
“I saw the article saying the case was closed.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Reporter Young set down her coffee cup and replied.
“It was closed without the victim’s consent. I requested the Seoul Police Agency, and soon, the investigation review committee will convene. They’ll decide whether to reopen the case and request a transfer. The police station for reinvestigation will be…”
“Gangjung Police Station, right?”
She nodded.
She still seemed unshaken, showing no emotional disturbance.
But suddenly, Reporter Young smiled and asked,
“You already know, don’t you?”
“Huh?”
“That she’s my younger sister.”
“Ah… yes.”
“You must have looked up the victim’s details in the system…”
Reporter Young pulled out some documents from her bag and handed them to Juwon.
“This is the information I have. It might be less than what Gangnam Police Station has, but it’s better than waiting for the transfer.”
As Juwon took the documents, he looked at Reporter Young.
No matter how much she tried to hide it, the death of a family member couldn’t have been easy.
Juwon spoke.
“My condolences.”
Reporter Young, who was packing her bag, paused for a moment.
“…Thank you.”
After the brief meeting, Juwon headed to his car.
He opened the navigation app on his phone and entered the victim’s address.
[Are you going to drive?]
‘Ah, I’ll read the documents Reporter Young gave me first.’
[I’ll read them for you. Save time. If the victim’s death was indeed a homicide, it means the murderer is still roaming the streets.]
"Time is important, but are you really going to read all those documents for me?"
[Yes, I’ve already scanned the documents earlier and stored all the information in your mind, Juwon.]
"Ah."
As expected, AI is different from humans.
Impressed, Juwon placed the documents on the passenger seat, and Terra continued speaking.
[Juwon, you sometimes seem to underestimate AI. Unlike humans, I have the ability to store anything you’ve seen just once. Of course, I can also retrieve and search through that information.]
"Alright, AI Terra."
Juwon started the car.
"Then, please brief me."
[Of course.]
Juwon’s car sped along the road.
[First, the location where Young Soyeon, the victim of the illegal filming distribution case at Korea University and the deceased in this case, jumped to her death was the rooftop of the Maru Office Building. The time was around 9 PM three days ago.]
"9 PM? That’s quite early."
[Yes. The deceased, Young Soyeon, had plans to meet a friend at her home around 10 PM. However, the friend, who was almost at the officetel, received a call from the police. The friend’s alibi is solid.]
"Is there anyone who might have seen the victim going up to the rooftop around 9 PM? Maybe being dragged or something?"
[No witnesses have been found.]
"So, it’s up to me to determine whether it’s suicide or murder."
[Correct. That’s the general overview. Now, let me point out some suspicious details.]
"Go ahead."
[In cases of jumping suicides, the deceased usually leaves numerous traces at the location of the attempt. Mostly traces of hesitation. This is something you studied in criminal investigation during your time at the police academy.]
"Ah… and?"
[The textbook mentions examples. In jumping suicides, especially from office buildings or apartments, a common finding is the deceased’s fingerprints on the railing. These are fingerprints left from gripping the railing while contemplating the jump.]
"Fingerprints?"
[Yes, but in this case, no fingerprints of the victim were found on the railing.]
By now, Juwon had almost arrived at the victim’s officetel and turned the steering wheel into the parking lot.
"That’s strange. If she was going to jump, she would’ve had to grab the railing and leap over it."
[Correct. However, if the victim’s body was thrown over by someone else, there would be no fingerprints on the railing. Therefore, the possibility of homicide is slightly higher.]
"What’s the cause of death?"
Screech—
Juwon turned off the engine after parking the car.
Terra continued.
[The autopsy report states the cause of death as a cervical fracture. The investigating officer speculated it was due to the impact from the fall. Additionally, there are bruises, but since bruises can occur in multiple areas during a fall, it’s difficult to prove they were caused by something else.]
"What if the cervical fracture wasn’t from the fall?"
[That’s possible. But there’s also no evidence to prove it wasn’t caused by the fall.]
In the end, there’s no direct evidence of homicide.
Click.
Juwon got out of the car and walked toward the elevator.
The victim, Young Soyeon, lived on the 12th floor of this officetel.
Juwon stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 12th floor.
"What about the elevator CCTV?"
[The CCTV from the day of the incident doesn’t show the victim. The investigating officer believes the victim used the stairs to reach the rooftop.]
Juwon glanced at the CCTV in the corner.
Blink. Blink.
The red light flickered.
It was operational.
But the victim, Young Soyeon, didn’t take the elevator on the day of her death.
"So, nothing came up."
Just then, the elevator dinged and stopped at the 12th floor.
-The doors are opening.
The sound of machinery accompanied Terra's voice.
[Please hold the open button for a moment.]
"Don't get off?"
As the door opened, Juwon pressed the open button as Terra instructed.
[There are only two units on the 12th floor. Please scan from the left, Juwon. I will analyze it.]
Juwon visually scanned the hallway of the 12th floor.
There were two units on either side, and in the middle, there was a hallway and stairs leading to the floors above and below.
[Input is complete. I will proceed with the analysis.]
Following Terra's words, Juwon pressed the close button and then the button for the top floor.
A moment later.
Flap.
In front of the rooftop door, holding a police line, Juwon entered the rooftop.
"It seems everyone has withdrawn, saying the case is closed."
The rooftop of the officetel was empty.
[The analysis is almost complete.]
"Did you find anything?"
[Nothing was found near Unit 1202, Young Soyeon's residence. It seems the Gangnam Police Station, in charge of the case, has taken everything. However, something strange was detected on the doorknob leading to the stairwell.]
"What is it?"
[A piece of torn clothing.]
"A piece of clothing?"
[It's impossible to determine the exact material just from your visual, Juwon. Please go down and check again...]
At that moment, there was a sound from the rooftop door Juwon had come through.
"Mr. Ha, the investigation is over, so everyone's coming to take a look..."
Juwon's head turned.
It was a man who appeared to be in his early 20s.
The man, wearing a windbreaker, muttered to himself as he entered, then suddenly stopped.
He had made eye contact with Juwon.
But the man's expression was strange.
It was as if he recognized Juwon's face and was startled.
"What's this, I heard the investigation was over..."
Then, the man began to slowly step backward.
Juwon tilted his head, watching the man, when Terra's voice came through.
[Grab him.]
At the same time, the man's sleeve turned red.
"Huh?"
[The torn piece of clothing caught on the stairwell doorknob. The man's windbreaker sleeve is torn. It matches the torn part. He is related to the case.]
Juwon's eyes widened.
"Mr. Ha, what's this! I clearly heard the investigation was over, even the news..."
Snap!
The man, who was heading towards the stairs after exiting the rooftop door, stopped.
He felt a chill on the back of his neck.
The man cautiously turned his head. There, he saw Juwon holding the back of his neck.
Juwon asked,
"Who are you?"
"L-let go of me!"
The man tried to shake off Juwon's grip by swinging his arm, but the grip was unusually strong.
[Fear is evident on his face. He knows something. Given his age, he is likely a student from Korea University involved in the illegal distribution of footage related to the deceased or the deceased's case.]
Juwon's grip tightened.
"I asked who you are."
The frightened man shook his head vigorously, his face contorted in fear.
"I-I don't know anything..."
[In typical Korean dramas, someone who says that usually knows something.]
With Terra's words, Juwon became certain.
He knows something.
Juwon smirked.
"Alright, then tell me everything except what you don't know."
