Chapter 58 – Playground – Part 9

Chapter 58 – Playground – Part 9

Kim Taehyun stuck close to Woojin as he entered the living room.

And he whispered,

“So, there’s a high probability it’s an acquaintance criminal?”

“I think we can find out now.”

Kim Taehyun reorganized his thoughts to understand Woojin’s words.

The dismembered body was preserved in an icebox, and it was dismembered as if by someone who understood joints well.

However, examining the cut surfaces, it’s not the work of a professional with a cotton swab.

There’s also a high possibility that the threads were intentionally left behind.

The criminal is presumed to be short or have low motor skills.

Putting everything together, it seems actions were taken to make the butcher shop owner the suspect.

The destination of the suspicious vehicle will be known in about 3 hours.

If they find the vehicle, Woojin’s words will become even more credible.

No, Kim Taehyun believed Woojin would not make a mistake.

Soon, Woojin approached Jonghyuk’s father, who was gulping down water.

Outside, people were in an uproar, and the forensics team entered the house, moving busily.

But Woojin’s voice was remarkably calm, as if he were in a different place.

Woojin opened his mouth.

“Jonghyuk’s father, it seems you’re experiencing complications from diabetes. Drinking too much water can strain your kidneys. It’s better to regulate your breathing than to drink water.”

At Woojin’s words, Choi Gicheol could only continue to be surprised inwardly.

How on earth does he know such things? Did he see a medicine packet nearby?

Just then, Jonghoon’s father, who had put down the water glass, spoke.

“Is that important right now?! Please catch that butcher bastard quickly! Our Jonghyuk…”

“It is important. Your help is needed to catch the criminal quickly. Your business seemed to be doing well, but unfortunately, it collapsed. What do you think is the reason?”

“Am I the only one whose business has gone bankrupt?! What does my business have to do with my son right now… *cough*! *sob*!”

He couldn’t finish his sentence and buried his face in his hands.

Just then, Choi Gicheol carefully pulled Woojin’s arm and whispered.

“Woojin, when we have a murder case, we also include family members as suspects and investigate, but I wonder if you’re being too aggressive right now.”

Woojin nodded his head.

Detective Choi Gicheol was a very emotional person.

An emotional power outage was happening to Jonghyuk’s Father.

However, he was someone who could regain his composure after a little while.

“I understand.”

Woojin asked Jonghyuk’s Father, who was wiping away tears despite what he said, again.

“Your son has a contusion on his head. It could also be called a stab wound. He died from being hit by something blunt yet sharp. And the criminal gruesomely dismembered him and brought him here. Just two days after he went missing. It varies from person to person, but without immense resentment, such a horrific act couldn’t be committed. That’s why I asked about the business. Would the butcher shop owner, who settled, have harbored such feelings? He’s a man who settled even though his daughter was sexually assaulted. That’s the kind of father he is. Would such a person have harbored enough resentment to murder Park Jonghyuk and show his father such a gruesome body?”

Choi Gicheol blinked.

Now that he thought about it, it made sense.

If his own daughter had suffered such a thing, there would have been no settlement or anything.

After all, there was a father who killed the assailant for sexually assaulting his daughter.

Woojin spoke again.

“Because that’s possible, we need to keep all possibilities open. It’s highly likely that the criminal is someone with a very strong grudge against you, sir.”

Jonghyuk’s Father ran a hand through his hair.

“I’ll think about it. I’ll think…”

As he thought, Woojin looked around the living room again.

He saw a wallet on the TV stand, and Woojin opened it to quickly check its contents.

Then he started searching for something on his cellphone.

It was the name written on the business card in the wallet.

The world has become very convenient.

An era has arrived where one can easily glimpse the desires of others like this.

Those commonly called trash journalists love the misfortunes of others.

Because it makes them money.

[P&T Solution]

Several articles about P&T Solution popped up, and an article from four years ago stood out the most.

It was a business that manufactured and sold beauty salon supplies.

-As the boycott began, sales rapidly declined…

Woojin slowly nodded his head.

He could predict what Jonghyuk’s Father would say.

Now the criminal was clearly narrowed down to two people.

Woojin didn’t speak to Jonghyuk’s Father, allowing him to think.

He just nodded slightly and cast his gaze around.

Soon, as the forensics team carefully moved the icebox, tears streamed down Jonghyuk’s Father’s face.

***

As the cleanup was nearing its end, Jonghyuk’s Father spoke.

“Our Jonghyuk… rape, no, I truly believe they had consensual sex as children.”

Kim Taehyun nodded as if to humor him.

“Four years ago, he was involved in a sexual assault case, and it was the daughter of one of our company staff members.”

Woojin said,

“A quiet settlement must have been reached. It would have damaged the company’s image.”

“Yes. I also promised to promote the girl’s father. Couldn’t young children make mistakes? I thought that compensation was enough. But this kid again…”

“She must have been the butcher’s daughter.”

“Yes. The image of beauty salon products is everything, but rumors spread and we had to close down. It was a good business, but because of those trash journalists…”

Jonghyuk’s Father ran his hand through his hair and fixed his gaze on the table.

Woojin carefully observed him.

“Shortly after the company closed, I heard a rumor that the daughter of the staff member I promised to promote had committed suicide. Thinking about it now, the father of the daughter who committed suicide might have sought revenge…”

“Do you remember his name? And his daughter’s.”

Jonghyuk’s Father shook his head.

“It was four years ago, so I don’t remember well.”

“That’s understandable.”

Woojin walked slowly, as if looking around the living room, and continued speaking.

“Jonghyuk’s father? You like mountain hiking, right?”

“Yes. I usually walk a few laps around the neighborhood for my health.”

“It’s a small neighborhood, but considering Jonghyuk’s father’s personality, you probably aren’t close with your neighbors. How long have you been settled here?”

“It’s been about a year.”

“Then, in that year, haven’t any neighbors moved in? The probability of a suspect is very high. Someone suspicious, or someone who knows the area very well.”

He furrowed his brow and shook his head.

“I don’t think so.”

Woojin nodded slowly.

“Let’s think about it this way: a former staff member, whose name you don’t even remember, held a grudge against Jonghyuk’s father and Jonghyuk, and used the butcher shop owner. All circumstances point to the butcher shop owner being the criminal.”

His eyes widened.

“Such a plan…”

Woojin looked at the slightly crooked trophy and shook his head.

However, there were also objects placed as if measured with a ruler.

“But that person is excluded from the investigation. Because they would have to know the geography of this place with their eyes closed, meaning they either moved here or conducted dozens of reconnaissance trips. Yet, they never encountered Jonghyuk’s father, who enjoys mountain hiking. You said you haven’t seen anyone suspicious, right?”

Even if their face was covered, people instinctively sense those who are harmful to them.

Especially if it were a former staff member, they would have definitely felt it.

Because the limbic system, often called the primitive brain, would activate and awaken the unconscious.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“The probability of the criminal being a former staff member is quite low then.”

Just then, Kim Taehyun’s cell phone rang.

“Oh, speak.”

-We found the car, but it’s a food cart. It looks like they just abandoned it in the alley.

“Is it close to the butcher shop I mentioned?”

-Yes, it’s not even 1 kilometer away.

Get an alibi for the butcher.

-Okay. I’ll call you back.

Kim Taehyun hung up the phone and scratched his head, looking at Woojin.

As Woojin said, the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.

If the butcher’s alibi is secured, Woojin’s deduction is 100%. No, it seemed to be something beyond 100%.

It was the same last time, but how on earth…

How can he infer everything in such a short time?

By now, he should be used to it, but Woojin, when seen in the field, is truly hard to get used to.

Kim Taehyun turned his gaze to Choi Gicheol, who was scratching his cheek.

‘He must be more frustrated than me.’

Woojin’s mouth opened again.

“You must enjoy golf a lot. There are many trophies and other awards. But only the items on the dining table are well organized.”

It was a very subtle difference.

A video flashed through Woojin’s mind.

Woojin was watching Jonghyuk’s father, who had come out of the bathroom, from the living room.

But suddenly he stumbled.

As he waved his hand in the air, the displayed items shook and fell to the floor.

Woojin, replaying the video in his head, nodded.

He put them back to appear normal, but it didn’t look normal.

That’s why appearing normal is so difficult.

No one else would care, but the person involved would have been continuously bothered by each detail.

“Who caught him?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

Woojin left a puzzling remark and opened his mouth again.

“Jonghyuk’s father. You want the criminal caught quickly, don’t you? Then you must answer my questions well.”

Jonghyuk’s Father briefly replied, running a hand through his hair.

“Speak.”

Woojin asked without hesitation.

“Before you reported him missing, did you have a small argument with someone?”

“No. I did not.”

“Do you clean the Dining Table every day?”

“Yes. My Wife does after we eat… What are you trying to say? Are you playing games with me right now? My son is dead…”

Woojin shook his head.

“I’m asking these questions to quickly catch the Criminal, as you requested. He was someone who usually had diabetes, so he must have developed complications after your son caused trouble. The business went bankrupt and closed. A man who enjoyed golf, his health also deteriorated significantly. Looking at the Family Photo, he’s lost a lot of weight. His athletic ability has also declined a lot, hasn’t it?”

The words Woojin had spoken came to Kim Taehyun’s mind, who was watching.

It was what he had said about the dust on the wall.

‘The Criminal might be short, or lack athletic ability.’

Jonghyuk’s Father’s height was clearly less than 168 centimeters at a glance. And with his declining health, his athletic ability…

“Did you ever dream of becoming a Reporter?”

“What nonsense is this!”

Jonghyuk’s Father’s spitting shout could not break Woojin’s composure.

“There’s a saying about a Top-tier Actor. Such Actors even deceive themselves and completely transform into different characters. Jonghyuk’s Father, you also have such talent, but compared to a Top-tier Actor, you’re still far from it and will need a lot of refinement.”

He began acting once the bait was thrown.

The proof was that he had mixed 99% truth with 1% lies when talking about the former Staff Member.

A psychological intention to lead the case into a labyrinth was clearly visible.

It made no sense to remember the Butcher President’s name but not the name of his Staff Member, even if more time had passed.

Woojin looked around the Living Room.

Psychological evidence was scattered everywhere.

Someone who strongly wanted to pin the crime on the Butcher President, and if that didn’t work, would expose even their own flaws to throw a bait to the Police.

“Who are you! You’re not Police, are you!? What are you doing right now!”

Yes. From a macroeconomic perspective, I’m still a student.

Woojin, who had given him a short answer, spoke to Kim Taehyun.

Could I borrow some Luminol Reagent?

People like clear, visible evidence.

Oh? Just a moment.

Kim Taehyun, who had stepped out briefly, handed the Luminol Reagent to Woojin.

Woojin sprayed the Luminol Reagent where the Forensics Team had overlooked.

And the blood reacted.