The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 207

“During the phase of planning the arrest of Lee Mooncheol, I heard bits and pieces of information from Prosecutor Yoon’s investigator, and they said almost no money came out of his house either.”

“Is that so? Usually, one would expect to find a large sum of cash that could be used immediately at home.”

“Exactly. I wonder where on earth he hid all that cash.”

“Perhaps he really gambled it away, or maybe there was a place where he could launder it.”

“They even raided businesses registered under his family and close friends’ names, but they said there were no suspicious circumstances.”

“Then it really might be buried in some field. That’s troublesome to find.”

Prosecutor Joo let out a long sigh and began to tidy up the evidence. When I tried to help, he raised his hand to stop me.

“Rest a bit when it’s just the two of us.”

“But still….”

“It’s already hard enough just keeping up with my pace for the commute, isn’t it?”

“…Do you know?”

I should have denied it appropriately, but my true feelings slipped out before I could stop them.

“I know. As you said, Chaeha, I’m a workaholic, so I’m just pretending not to notice.”

I gave a faint smile and let Prosecutor Joo finish organizing, instead checking the case containing the soju bottle one more time. Since the contents were still inside, a poison sticker was attached to the case, and a Post-it note was added stating that it required separate attention. I made a suggestion to him as he was neatly packing the evidence into a plastic bag.

“Prosecutor, how about we go to the police station?”

“Instead of the National Forensic Service?”

“I think it would be better to check the CCTV and the soju bottle forensic results through the police. Poking around inside the District Prosecutors’ Office or the National Forensic Service seems like it would leak too easily to the ears of Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho. Besides, it’s Prosecutor Yoon’s case, so it’s not exactly a justifiable action either.”

“That makes sense. Let’s go to the police station then. Detective Ma should cooperate.”

“Was he in charge of that case?”

“Yes. That’s why he would also know that Lee Mooncheol had a friend in the detention center when he died.”

“If it’s Detective Ma, he wouldn’t tell Prosecutor Yoon separately. He hates getting tangled up in prosecution business.”

“Before we stop by the police station, let’s eat first. What do you want for lunch?”

“You choose, Prosecutor. As I said last time, I’m sick of choosing menus because of the investigator lunch meetings. I’m not an elementary school nutritionist.”

When I grumbled with a sigh, Prosecutor Joo smiled broadly and rubbed the tip of his chin.

“Shall we go get some gukbap (soup with rice) for a change?”

“Sure. Why do the police and the prosecution love gukbap so much?”

“Because we’re always busy. You can finish a meal quickly with just one bowl, right? Didn’t you know that after eating it for four years?”

When I opened my mouth with a slightly shocked expression, he wore a smile once again.

“I suppose someone as slow as Officer Lee wouldn’t understand, though.”

Fortunately, I went to a gukbap restaurant with Prosecutor Joo, who understands my slow pace, ate some bean sprout gukbap leisurely, and then went into the Danhyeon Police Station. Of course, because I had a meal that didn’t take advantage of the benefits of gukbap at all, we had to hurry to get there.

As I walked toward the Violent Crimes Team 1 where Detective Ma belongs, I made eye contact with a staff member sitting in the intelligence department area. Before my brain could process it, my body reacted and stumbled to a halt. It was because he was a peer from the Seoul Police University.

Had he been transferred to replace the fired Baek Youngjun? I felt my pupils fluttering like fallen leaves in the wind, but it was hard to control.

The intelligence team leader had been from the Gyeongin Police University, but it seemed there had been a personnel reshuffle since then. Because I was re-employed at the prosecutor’s office after quitting the police force, I frequently encountered awkward traces of my past. Last time, I happened to reunite with a senior from the police academy while attending a training program. He was a guest lecturer for the seminar I was attending.

I hesitated, worrying that the other person might feel uncomfortable if I acknowledged them first, but just as I was about to look away, my peer jumped up from his seat.

“Lee Chaeha.”

I had no choice but to stop my pace. I barely suppressed the urge to call him by his title instead of the awkward name of the person in front of me, and accepted his greeting while feigning as composed an expression as possible. Summoning my old facial expressions had become quite unfamiliar before I knew it.

“It’s me, Kim Junseong, remember?”

“Of course. It’s been a while.”

“Good to see you. To think I’d see you here of all places.”

Until I graduated from the police academy, I hadn’t made a single peer I’d be happy to see if we ran into each other by chance.

Kim Junseong was an ambiguous existence. I didn’t have memories bad enough to shudder at now, but he was even less of a person who held shards of good memories. He was just one of many shadows who gossiped about me, kept a certain distance, and made me walk on eggshells.

“Indeed. It’s the first time since graduating from school.”

I answered in a voice devoid of emotional highs or lows. I had managed to do it with Baek Youngjun, so I could certainly handle Kim Junseong right in front of me.

“Who is that next to you?”

“That is Prosecutor Joo Taeson from the Violent Crimes Department 1 of the Danhyeon District Office. I’m currently working at the prosecutor’s office.”

I tried to look up at Prosecutor Joo, but I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes. I kept my gaze at an appropriate height and opened my mouth. It was strange that I could look directly at Kim Junseong, but suddenly found it difficult to meet Prosecutor Joo’s eyes.

I stared at the bridge of his nose as I introduced him. My gaze was awkward, and I felt as though the sensitive Joo Taeson would be reading every signal I was leaking.

“Prosecutor, this is Kim Junseong, a peer of mine from the police academy.”

“Nice to meet you. I didn’t expect to see a peer of Investigator Lee Chaeha here.”

Only after hearing his low voice pouring down from above did I realize I had been holding my breath. The moment I let out a sharp breath, my fingertips, which had frozen from the tension before I knew it, trembled faintly.

“Hello, Prosecutor.”

Kim Junseong bowed lightly, and Prosecutor Joo accepted the greeting in kind. Wanting to end the awkward conversation, I threw a closing line to Kim Junseong.

“I brought the Prosecutor here because I have something to check with the violent crimes team. I’ll be going now.”

I maintained a proper blank expression and gave my farewell. It seemed I had done well, as usual.

“Right.”

Leaving Kim Junseong sitting in his seat, I walked back toward the Violent Crimes Team. I could feel Joo Taeson’s gaze scouring me thoroughly, but I didn’t have the composure to react naturally, so I stared at the Violent Crimes Team like a wooden statue.

So this is why Prosecutor Joo immediately realized Baek Youngjun was a senior who spread weird rumors in the past. It’s a troublesome matter that while everyone else is fooled by my expressionless face, it’s hard to fool Joo Taeson.

“Hello, Detective Ma.”

“Hello.”

I greeted Detective Ma, following Prosecutor Joo. Detective Ma rose happily and provided a seat next to his desk, but it was evident that he was perplexed by our visit. It was only natural. There wasn’t a single detective who would be happy about a sudden visit from a prosecutor.

He opened the conversation straightforwardly.

“There is some data I would like to check.”

“Are you talking about the arson case transferred last week? I’m sure I explained it over the phone…”

“No, I’m curious about Lee Mooncheol.”

“Lee Mooncheol? He’s the case under Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho, right?”

“It’s going to be processed as suicide.”

“Suicide?”

Detective Ma’s eyes rolled busily. Detectives’ instincts are no joke. I know Detective Ma is not exactly a clean person behind the scenes, but his investigative ability is a separate matter. You cannot ignore the years he spent in the police force. The exact same sentiment I had felt came bursting out in harsher language.

“That spineless bastard Lee Mooncheol committed suicide?”

“Exactly. You have more CCTV footage in storage, don’t you? Not just the ones you copied and sent. Please show us.”

“Are you talking about the motel CCTV?”

“No. All the CCTV footage secured from the day Lee Mooncheol fled. I understand Detective Ma secured them and sent them to Prosecutor Yoon’s office. You received a request for cooperation, didn’t you?”

“I did. Let’s see…”

Detective Ma, who was gripping the mouse, looked at me, not Prosecutor Joo. He had chosen the person he thought would communicate more flexibly.

“There’s no problem with this, is there? Since you’re not the assigned prosecutor’s office.”

“I will be careful not to mention that Detective Ma was involved.”

At my definitive answer, Detective Ma finally moved the mouse and asked:

“There is an empty interrogation room; would you like to watch it there, or would you like to take the file with you?”

I made eye contact with Prosecutor Joo and answered for him:

“We will check it here and go.”

Sitting together in the police station’s empty office, we checked the files Detective Ma had found on a laptop. We were able to see all the CCTV footage the police had secured under the instructions of Prosecutor Yoon Gyuho’s office.