The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 121

“Don’t behave so insolently. A superior is present, so why are you pulling out a card?”

“…Thank you for the meal.”

Now that I think about it, he is quite authoritative. I suppose it’s even more so because he is a prosecutor. Feeling embarrassed, I spoke quietly as soon as we left the restaurant.

“Even so, since I have never once bought you a meal. Sometimes…”

“I know perfectly well that an officer’s salary is small, so forget it.”

“I heard that the salaries of prosecutors aren’t that high either.”

“Didn’t you hear the rumors about me?”

“What rumors?”

“The rumors that I’m rich.”

I tilted my head, wondering if there was any rich person who calls themselves rich with their own mouth.

“…I haven’t heard any.”

“Since the only place Officer Lee has to get rumors from is Chief Song, that might be why. It’s because you don’t mix well with people.”

The words—asking if he knew whose fault it was that I became an outcast at the Danhyeon Branch—rose to my throat, but I swallowed them down. We are in a relationship where we share our bodies, and there are times I cannot hold back words that surge up, but I had to distinguish between things that should be said and things that shouldn’t. There is no knowing when I might be discarded.

I thought he would say we should go get the car right away, but without consulting me, he walked in the opposite direction of the National Forensic Service. I followed behind Prosecutor Joo without a word. Since I had swallowed the words I wanted to say throughout the meal, I wanted to have a conversation with him in a quiet place. Prosecutor Joo must have felt the same way I did.

Each time we crossed a pedestrian crossing, the number of passersby decreased. The place where Prosecutor Joo’s footsteps led was a walking path where the Danhyeon Stream flows. Occasionally, I saw people walking their dogs and enjoying the coolness of the spring evening or people exercising by running or walking, but basically, it was deserted. This is because there are few residential areas nearby.

I took steps that weren’t fast. Clouds tinged with tangerine color drifted in the Haneul. The person who broke the silence first was Prosecutor Joo.

“Let’s summon Oh Jahyeon again and dig into it.”

“How?”

“A lie detector. We have to do it by the book.”

“Will she comply willingly?”

“We just need to get a warrant. And I’m going to ask about the murder case of the elderly obstetrician as well. It would be good if she responds properly to the end, but even if she doesn’t, the possibility of her contacting Chief Tak or her hidden son after the interrogation will be high. At the very least, circumstantial evidence that the two are in contact will surface.”

“Are you alright, Prosecutor?”

“What about?”

I stopped walking.

“I was wondering if you are really alright with going into the interrogation of Oh Jahyeon right away. It will reach Chief Tak’s ears as well.”

Can you also resolve things this quickly? In fact, that was what I wanted to ask.

Prosecutor Joo looked into the sunset reflected in my pupils and then averted his gaze.

“You keep asking similar questions, but in my view, Officer Lee also lacks emotional expression compared to other people. So, don’t look at me like I’m an alien just because of that.”

“I am just enduring it.”

“It’s the same for me. I’m just good at enduring.”

He swept his face with his large hand and added lightly.

“People are all the same. Surprisingly.”

If that means what it says, it means Prosecutor Joo is also suffering much more inside than he shows on the outside. That must be why his long fingertips still seem to be trembling. The sleeping pills he takes every night crossed my mind.

If he is truly suffering, I was curious about the driving force behind how he can push the investigation forward without hesitation. Even though he is not an indirect victim of the same case as I am, he acted like someone more deeply involved than anyone else.

First, I started with what I needed to say as a subordinate.

“Then I will contact Oh Jahyeon tomorrow.”

“Yes. And we need to find out if Chief Tak is also involved in past cases. Since it seems the Koryo-in body was abandoned together with the son.”

“Do you have a method in mind?”

“Well. It would be perfect if a weapon came out by raiding Chief Tak. Since they are old cases, it’s hard to find other evidence. If only the awl that was actually used comes out, our hypothesis that the weapon was swapped will also be proven.”

“As you said, Prosecutor, I think we must somehow link Chief Tak and get a search and seizure warrant. Because there is a high possibility that he still has the weapon.”

“Why.”

“The culprit used the same weapon even 8 years later. He couldn’t have thrown it away the second time either.”

Prosecutor Joo nodded slowly, affirming my words.

“Because surprisingly, there are many cases where people can’t throw away the weapon. If every criminal threw away the weapon and disposed of it properly, it would be hard for people like us to make a living.”

“When are you going to tell everything to Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho?”

“Things have become ambiguous. I brought Prosecutor Yoon in because I believed Chief Tak would be more cooperative with the investigation than the Chief Prosecutor of Department 1. But suddenly, Chief Tak has become the main suspect…. On top of that, Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho is also close with Chief Tak.”

“What kind of connection?”

“They are alumni from the same university. We have no choice but to hope he acts proactively for the sake of Prosecutor Yoon Soyeon.”

A bitter voice was contained at the end of the sentence. We walked in silence again.

Before we knew it, the sunset turned a deep purple and the streetlamps turned on, emitting light. As he looked up at the streetlamps that were like starlight descended to earth, he suddenly grabbed my hand that had been resting in the air. I was startled and tried to pull my hand away, but he did not let go willingly. I hurriedly looked around, but since I couldn’t see anyone, I finally released the tension in my shoulders.

A low voice called me.

“Officer Lee.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s try something you’re good at, Officer Lee.”

“What kind of…”

“It is certain that drugs were used when Oh Jahyeon’s husband died. At first, I thought perhaps the deceased elderly doctor helped, but as of now, it seems the probability of Chief Tak being involved is much higher. There is only one way for Chief Tak to get his hands on drugs.”

“Don’t tell me… by embezzling them from evidence?”

A few years ago, I had searched through all the case files of the detective who framed me to find evidence of my innocence. Prosecutor Joo is speaking while remembering that incident.

“If there was a case where drugs were used among the cases Chief Tak investigated and closed around that time.”

“…He could have easily obtained drugs.”

“Of course, we should also think about other possibilities. The answer might be in the drugs that Oh Jahyeon was prescribed or had access to at the time.”

“I suppose so. There will be a lot of work to do from now on.”

“Ah…, and although it is a bit of a belated notification, I went to the prison alone last week and met your uncle, Officer Lee.”

Prosecutor Joo said suddenly. My uncle was currently in the midst of standing trial while in custody. I tightly grasped the large hand that was holding mine and stopped my feet.

“My uncle?”

“I was just curious about what kind of person he is.”

“…Didn’t he try to make a request to you, Prosecutor?”

“No.”

That couldn’t be. My uncle is not the kind of person who wouldn’t do that.

“Why were you curious about what kind of person he is?”

“Because I wanted to know what kind of human being you lived with, Officer Lee.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Just this and that. Do you still get contacted by your aunt-in-law?”

Prosecutor Joo seemed like he didn’t want to talk about it. Debating whether to probe further, I chose to answer obediently, as it was impossible that anything good about me came out of my uncle’s mouth.

“Yes. Sometimes she does. I blocked my senior. Still, it seems rumors spread among my cohort. A while ago, one of my cohort sent me a text saying sorry for the misunderstanding.”

“Did you answer?”

“No.”

“Good job.”

“Still, it felt good.”

Under the streetlight, he carefully covered my cheek with his palm, pulled it away, and started walking again. At the end of the straight road, a person taking a walk appeared. The warm hand left behind body heat and regrettably fell away.

Prosecutor Joo said in a low voice.

“That is all I want. For your heart to feel relieved, Officer Lee.”

“Why?”

The stream flowed with a gurgling sound, and the smell of grass that had sprouted, filled with the energy of spring, drifted thickly in the air.

“That’s true…. Why, I wonder.”

The returned voice was lonely, not fitting for spring.

Prosecutor Joo merely reacted that way and did not continue the emotional conversation any further, immediately moving on to talk about work again.

“Then, let’s look through the Chief Tak case files starting tomorrow. Let’s also go to the evidence storage room.”

“Will the files remain?”

“Even if not all of them, quite a bit will remain. If by any chance it’s an unsolved case, it will be well preserved.”