The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 122

While retracing the path we had walked, cherry blossom petals fell in abundance every time the wind blew. I had a premonition that the short spring would soon pass and that summer, with its pouring, hot rain, would begin. I wished the case would come to a smooth conclusion before all the heavy rain ceased and the leaves turned red.

In the meantime, the Danhyeon Branch would become noisy. The fact that we were investigating a superior would be revealed. He and I would likely be chewed to pieces, becoming gossip for the public along with Chief Tak, but I felt it didn’t matter.

As Prosecutor Joo said, in exchange for that, we would at least learn the truth.

That was enough.

Oh Jahyeon, as expected, refused the lie detector test. We had no choice but to waste time obtaining a warrant. In the meantime, half the cherry blossom petals had fallen, and we spent our time quickly scanning through the records of cases Chief Tak had investigated, without him knowing.

Since the evidence of drug use was clear, the warrant was issued soon after. Oh Jahyeon had no choice but to attend. We were lightly disappointed because we were only aiming for a chance to obtain an arrest warrant by having Oh Jahyeon refuse to appear until the end.

Oh Jahyeon’s lawyer seemed to hope that the case would move to trial quickly. As for a violation of the Narcotics Control Act, she must have been confident she could get out of it easily compared to the abandonment of a corpse. However, we had no intention of letting her go easily.

Oh Jahyeon eventually appeared at the Danhyeon Branch late in the afternoon. The Forensic Division was in charge of the polygraph. The staff member from the Forensic Division was flustered after seeing the questionnaire we handed over, but they had no choice but to agree after Prosecutor Joo said he would take full responsibility for everything.

“Please proceed based on this questionnaire. I will take full responsibility.”

“Since you are ordering us to, we will proceed, but… is it really okay to ask these kinds of questions?”

“It is fine.”

In any case, Prosecutor Joo’s purpose was not to finish the polygraph smoothly. We had even obtained a warrant to track Oh Jahyeon’s cell phone in preparation for the situation after the polygraph, but other people did not know that fact.

Oh Jahyeon appeared in her usual neat appearance, but the sight of her scratching her forearm stood out. It seemed she was suffering from withdrawal symptoms because she hadn’t been able to do drugs while being investigated by the prosecution recently. Originally, she was not the type to know how to control her emotions, but because of that, her mood seemed to be swinging even more wildly.

I went out to the hallway for a moment after watching the preparation situation through the magic mirror outside the interrogation room where the polygraph was being conducted. I had conducted countless polygraph tests, but I felt anxious, making the interrogation room feel stifling. It must be because my father’s matter was at stake.

I was catching my breath alone when I made eye contact with Chief Song, who was walking from the opposite side. I greeted him warmly first.

“Chief, what brings you to the 7th floor?”

“I came up because of some documents. Oh Jahyeon’s polygraph?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think she will answer willingly? Her personality wasn’t exactly average.”

“Since it’s a lie detector, the results will come out one way or another.”

“Here, have a drink at least.”

He handed me one of the beverage cans he was holding in his hand.

“Thank you.”

“Cheer up. Would you like to eat lunch together tomorrow?”

I hesitated for a moment before nodding. Since there had been permission from Prosecutor Joo that it would be fine during the company lunch hour, I thought that much would be okay.

“Yes.”

“Would you like to go eat the jjimdak (braised chicken) we talked about last time?”

“Sounds good. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Ah, since it’s a polygraph, I won’t be able to see you when I leave work. I understand. Good luck.”

After greeting him and entering the interrogation room again, Prosecutor Joo was standing right in front of the door. He leaned his head out the door, looked at Chief Song’s back once, checked the beverage in my hand, and took it as if it were his own.

“Is it fun?”

He asked while drinking the beverage after lightly opening the can with one hand.

“What fun…”

“Two-timing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Me with the body, Chief Song with the heart.”

“It’s not like that. Are you that dissatisfied with me making friends?”

“Yes, I don’t like it.”

The moment I looked up at him blankly in absurdity, the staff member who had finished preparing the lie detector inside opened the door.

“We are starting.”

“Yes.”

It was a good opportunity for us because it was a rare occasion where Oh Jahyeon’s lawyer was not present. After some light questions followed, we entered the full-scale questioning.

“Have you used drugs?”

“Yes.”

Prosecutor Joo’s and my gaze turned to the needle. The needle moved calmly. As expected, a truthful response. Since physical evidence had been secured, Oh Jahyeon was consistently admitting only to the fact of drug use.

“Did you purchase the drugs from a drug dealer from Russia?”

“No.”

The needle wavered wildly. A false response.

“Have you ever stabbed Mr. Kim with a syringe containing nicotine?”

“No.”

“Did you abandon Mr. Kim’s corpse?”

“No.”

“Did you receive your son’s help in abandoning Mr. Kim’s corpse?”

At the question that pierced her guard, Oh Jahyeon’s pupils headed toward the magic mirror for the first time. Even though she shouldn’t have been able to see us, a chilling light flashed in her eyes. Oh Jahyeon ground her teeth, looked forward again, and answered.

“No.”

They all came out as false responses. Except for the question about her son, everything else must have been content that Oh Jahyeon and her lawyer had already anticipated.

“I will ask about your husband, Mr. Gwak Seunghwan, who died 7 years ago. Did your husband die of an illness?”

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

Oh Jahyeon’s face twisted. Her expression looked just like someone in pain.

The Forensic Division staff member answered professionally.

“Yes, you must answer concisely with yes or no. The warrant has been issued, so I ask for your cooperation. Did your husband die of an illness?”

“…Yes.”

“Did you inject drugs before your husband died?”

“No.”

“Are you aware of the fact that the obstetrician who was your attending physician died 3 days after that?”

“No.”

“Did that person know facts that you want to hide, Oh Jahyeon?”

“…No.”

Oh Jahyeon barely managed to continue answering the series of questions, but she occasionally glared at the magic mirror with a sharp, piercing gaze. And she stared accurately at Prosecutor Joo Taeson who would be on the other side. As if Prosecutor Joo were actually visible to her.

Oh Jahyeon leaked all her secrets with her expression while being investigated.

The long lie detector test ended, and the Forensic Division staff member came out.

“Except for the initial drug statement, they all came out as false responses.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

We waited for the Forensic Division staff to organize their equipment and then entered the interrogation room. Fire erupted from the eyes of Oh Jahyeon, who was sitting there. She seemed to want to say a lot, but she was barely suppressing her anger, pressing her lower lip white with her upper teeth. It must have been overwhelming to hold onto the countless secrets that were trying to escape her body.

Prosecutor Joo threw the file he was holding onto the table and sat opposite her. I also took a seat beside him.

“Ms. Oh Jahyeon, who is your son?”

Prosecutor Joo asked point-blank.

“I heard you have a son, Ms. Oh Jahyeon. Does your father in his home country, who is unconscious, also know that fact?”

“You… what the hell are you.”

“I think the Chairman would be quite pleased if he knew. Right?”

“Don’t tell lies. You son of a bitch. I am a Casino Director and a member of the Osong family. If I had children, the whole world would have known, so what is this bastard blathering about.”

“If it were a son born between you and your husband, that would have been the case.”

Prosecutor Joo answered in a deliberately listless tone. And he slowly opened the file and pushed the photo inside toward Oh Jahyeon. It was a photo of Oh Jahyeon and Chief of Department Tak Seong-ung taken together during their high school days.

Oh Jahyeon, who lowered her gaze, discovered the photo and began to shake her whole body. Her eyes turned bloodshot as if they were about to pop out. I could feel her seething anger.

“Is this man’s son?”

“…Son of a bitch. Talk sense.”

“It’s nonsensical, so why are you so angry?”

“Someday, I’ll kill you.”

“You will be imprisoned soon, so how do you intend to kill me?”

“I will at least kill the bastard next to you.”

Her bloodshot eyes turned toward me. The reddened whites of her eyes, filled with old remorse and anger, glared at me chillingly.

I was intimidated for a moment, but I didn’t show it on the outside, straightened my shoulders, and received all of that gaze. Oh Jahyeon, too, did not seem to have any intention of looking away first.