By Zephyria 【You have arrived near your destination. Ending guidance.】
Lee-eum and Nam-soo stared at the junkyard before them with exhausted expressions. After spending all day wandering around junkyards, looking only at cars flattened without license plates, the sun was already beginning to set.
The car that had been tailing them could not be easily found even after a search warrant was issued. They speculated that if it had been disposed of, it wouldn’t have been done through normal means. So, with the help of a detective Hyung they knew at the Southern District Police Station, they came all the way here. The junkyard owner was said to be secretly engaging in illegal activities, and they were advised that poking around might turn something up.
They parked the car and checked the CCTV as they entered the gate. It was clearly a piece of junk. They went to the container labeled “Office,” but no one was in sight, only a vending machine standing in its place.
“Want something to drink? Coffee?”
“Thanks.”
Nam-soo took out his wallet, and Lee-eum stared at it intently.
“Nam-soo…”
“Yes?”
“Do you carry a photo in your wallet?”
“What photo?”
“Anything.”
“Why? Is someone carrying Sunbae’s photo?”
He was remarkably quick-witted at times like this. When Lee-eum didn’t answer, Nam-soo approached with a can of coffee and a sly expression.
“Who is it? Who? Is she pretty?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Come on, it is. Just tell me. Actually, I’ve heard something too. You know Team Leader Yoon in the investigation department? The one with the slim face and pretty looks. I think Team Leader Yoon is interested in Sunbae. The reason I know is…”
Lee-eum frowned and waved his hand. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked you.” Then, he threw the empty can into the trash. In fact, Lee-eum had been continuously puzzled since he discovered his own photo in Jeong Dae-han’s wallet that morning.
It’s a relief it’s not drugs, but why my ID photo of all things…?
There was no time to apologize for rummaging through his wallet. Jeong Dae-han said he was being called by the Head of department and told Lee-eum they’d eat next time, then rushed out. Or rather, ran away might be a more accurate description.
In the meantime, Nam-soo crumpled his can and threw it, then came closer.
“People usually carry photos of someone they like. Family, a lover, or unrequited love? But if it’s a detective, it’s a different story. Team Leader said before that there was a guy he really wanted to catch, so he put his photo up in his room and carried it in his wallet. But really, who is it? Is she pretty?”
Lee-eum nudged Nam-soo’s arm. “How does everything end with ‘Is she pretty’ for you?” As he was telling him to stop talking, someone was walking towards them from afar. The man in work clothes wore his hat tilted to the side, had elaborate tattoos on both arms, and was carrying a large monkey wrench.
“Who are you?”
After Lee-eum showed his ID, the man took off his hat and scratched his head irritably. Lee-eum held out a photo of the car.
“Have you seen this car?”
The man shook his head immediately.
“No. Never seen it before.”
“Can we see your transaction records?”
“Why?”
“We received a tip that a vehicle used in a crime came here.”
The man’s temple twitched at the mention of the tip.
“Who’s giving tips?”
“That’s not something you need to know. Let’s go inside and talk.”
“Tch.” The owner clicked his tongue, called an employee, handed him the monkey wrench he was holding, and went inside. The inside of the container was a chaotic mess, and the smell of cigarettes was heavily ingrained.
The man brought a ledger and tossed it onto the table.
“We don’t store anything on computers, we only write it down manually.”
The ledger contained transaction records and certificates of disposal organized by date. Lee-eum and Nam-soo sat on the sofa and began to scan through them in order from the day the incident occurred. However, no matter how much they searched, the model of the car in question was nowhere to be found.
Lee-eum looked at the owner, who had a nonchalant expression.
“Can we check the CCTV?”
“It’s practically useless. Only the one facing the office is real.”
“So, it’s hard to check cars coming in and out.”
“Yes.”
Lee-eum slammed the documents shut.
“Do you know what, sir?”
“What?”
“The car I showed you, it’s a really expensive one.”
“Come on, as if someone who makes money off cars wouldn’t know that? I can tell what kind of car it is just by looking at the rearview mirror.”
Lee-eum smiled at the boasting owner.
“Then why aren’t you curious?”
“About what…”
“This is the fifth junkyard we’ve visited, and everyone else was curious. They asked why we were looking for such a nice car at a junkyard.”
The owner’s expression stiffened slightly.
“It’s strange that you’re the only one with a different reaction. You immediately said you didn’t know when I showed you the photo earlier.”
Lee-eum leaned forward and brought his face closer to the owner’s.
“Are you really unaware, or are you just pretending?”
The owner laughed as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Seriously, Detective. Why would I lie? You saw the documents. Everything’s there. I’m just someone who lives by the law, even though I look like this.”
“I know you were caught switching license plates before. And you assaulted an employee.”
The owner scratched the back of his head and fidgeted with his nose.
“No, that was a long time ago. I paid the fine and was punished for it.”
“Not anymore?”
The owner seemed quite wronged.
“Go out and look. If there’s even one trace of switching license plates, I’ll smash my head into the ground and die right here.”
Lee-eum showed the car photo again.
“You can do whatever you want with that. Aren’t you curious why we’re looking for this?”
“I don’t know… The car owner must have done something bad. So, what’s the charge?”
“Murder.”
As the owner’s eyes wavered, Jeong Nam-soo chimed in from the side.
“It’s not just one or two cases. If it turns up here later, you could end up taking the fall for it. Wait, now that I think about it, it could be you! Who knows if you got angry and beat someone to death. You have a record of assault, after all.”
“Are you kidding me?” The owner asked, then leaned back and rubbed his face roughly. Nam-soo and Lee-eum exchanged glances and gave him time to think and decide. The owner took out a cigarette, hesitated, and then opened his mouth.
“I was going to scrap it. But…”
“You were tempted because it was an expensive car? I understand. I would have been too. I won’t make an issue of that. I promise you here.”
“Haa…”
“Where is the car?”
The owner stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, sighed deeply, and wrote down an address with a pen. It was a nearby warehouse where he had stored it. As Lee-eum and Nam-soo got up, the owner followed them, making excuses.
He said he really didn’t know, that he was just doing a favor because they offered him extra money, and that he never dreamed of anything like murder. If he had known, he wouldn’t have taken the car in the first place. It was all self-justification, but it was impossible to know how much of it was true.
The three of them got into the car and headed to the destination, and by the time they arrived, darkness had already fallen. The owner unlocked the warehouse and opened the door, revealing a black sedan without license plates. Nam-soo went closer and admired the car as he scanned it.
“It’s brand new.”
Lee-eum received the car keys from the owner and visually inspected the interior. The interior was excessively clean.
“Did you clean it yourself?”
“No. I stored it in the condition I received it.”
“What about the license plates?”
The owner handed over the license plates hidden in a corner. They matched what they were looking for.
“Nam-soo, bring the light.”
Jeong Nam-soo quickly went out and brought back a UV light and gloves, then closed the warehouse door. They turned off the lights and, wearing gloves, shone the light inside the car, but no traces were visible. The same was true when they opened the trunk. Nam-soo, who had come closer, tilted his head.
“It’s clean.”
At that moment, Lee-eum carefully examined the mat on the trunk floor. It was a cheap mat that didn’t match the expensive car.
“Let’s remove this.”
The moment they forcibly removed the mat and shone the light, curses and exclamations poured from Nam-soo’s mouth. It was all fluorescent. Lee-eum immediately called the Team leader.
“It’s me, Team leader. Please send the forensics team here immediately.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Choi Won-joon, who had just finished showering, frowned as he looked in the mirror. His eyes were hollow. He had been in the provinces until yesterday afternoon and arrived home close to midnight. Others might sleep soundly when they’re tired, but that wasn’t the case at all. Rather, his fatigue and insomnia seemed to be amplified.
Won-joon put on a gown and went outside. He was planning to go to work in the afternoon, but Lee Ji-hoon had already arrived and was on the phone.
“Yeah, wrap it up and stay out for a while. Okay.”
The expression on his face was noticeably stiff after he hung up. It was rare to see him with such an expression. Curious, Won-joon smiled and went to the refrigerator, taking out two bottles of water. He handed one to Director Lee.
“Did you fight with your girlfriend?”
“I’m sorry.”
He apologized abruptly and turned on the TV. The news was reporting a breaking story. Won-joon’s gaze, as he was drinking water, went to the screen.
【So, the bloodstains found in the vehicle match the suspect’s bloodstains.】
【Yes, that’s correct. This morning, the National Forensic Service confirmed that the bloodstains found in the vehicle with a large amount of blood in the junkyard last night matched the bloodstains of the fugitive, Mr. Yang. Accordingly, the police have stated that they will proceed with the investigation, considering the possibility that Mr. Yang was kidnapped and murdered, rather than having fled.】
Won-joon picked up the remote and turned off the TV, and Lee Ji-hoon bowed his head once again.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
“Don’t bow your head over something trivial.”
“…”
“But who is it? Who found it?”
Judging from Director Lee’s troubled expression, he could guess who it was. A smile spread across Won-joon’s face.
“Anyway, our Detective Kim is so diligent and hardworking. He’s a son of a bitch to criminals, but he’d be the best husband. Right?”