The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 88

— It was on the whole time, then turned on briefly when she sent the text, and is back in an ‘off’ state. I’ll keep the stakeout going and search the places Han Sujin might go.

“Understood. Please contact me immediately if anything happens or if she is arrested.”

— Yes.

The moment I hung up, Prosecutor Joo entered carrying a plastic bag from a convenience store. He seemed to sense that something had happened the moment he saw the expression on my face as I held the phone. He took off his coat and approached me.

“What was that call?”

“They said Han Sujin sent her husband a text implying suicide.”

His neat brows furrowed. It was a case involving the murder of her own children. It wouldn’t be strange if she chose an extreme path.

“We have to stop her before she dies.”

“The police said they’re currently keeping watch and tracking her movements.”

“Since the case has already been transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office, they probably won’t be investigating that diligently. Now that it’s been sent to us, it’s not really a police case anymore, is it?”

“That is true.”

Prosecutor Joo was right. Once it had been sent to the Prosecutor’s Office, whether Han Sujin died or committed another crime from this point on, it would all be our responsibility. His black pupils, deep in thought, lifted toward the ceiling for a moment before coming back down. He then moved toward the dining table.

“Let’s think while we eat.”

“I’ll cook the ramen.”

“Forget it.”

“I’ve cooked it a lot, so I’m good at making ramen.”

“…Then, go ahead.”

Perhaps he wasn’t confident in that area himself, as he stepped back quite readily for once.

“Yes, do you prefer the noodles to be chewy?”

“I don’t know.”

I couldn’t believe he didn’t even have a preference for noodle texture. I thought to myself that I would have been in real trouble if I’d left it to him, so I put the water on and opened the refrigerator. I’d felt it last time too, but unexpectedly, Prosecutor Joo had a balanced stock of ingredients since he seemed to cook for himself on weekends. It also seemed like the woman who worked for him did a variety of grocery shopping.

It had been a while since I’d held a knife, but I sliced the green onions. I thought I’d forgotten, but my childhood skills came back to me; I sliced them quickly and tossed them in just as the ramen finished boiling. Meanwhile, Prosecutor Joo set out the side dishes and small plates, waiting for me.

The pot was safely placed on a trivet. Prosecutor Joo finally took his first bite.

“How is it?”

“It’s edible.”

The response was short, but since it didn’t take much effort to boil ramen, I was just grateful he was eating it at all. I was hungry, so I swallowed the ramen a bit faster than usual, but Prosecutor Joo placed some kimchi on my small plate and said:

“Eat slowly. Someone who usually eats slowly will get indigestion if they do that.”

“It’s because it’s a favorite food.”

“Are you saying you eat better steak and sushi slowly, so that makes sense?”

“Noodles are easy to swallow.”

“Steak and sushi are easy, too.”

I started to wonder if I’d rather be having sex than having ordinary conversation. Under his sharp gaze, I eventually returned to eating the ramen slowly as I usually did.

As soon as we finished our meal, we sat facing each other at the table and immediately began a small meeting. I wasn’t on Prosecutor Joo’s level, but I wasn’t someone who could be free from work either; I couldn’t go to sleep leaving the Han Sujin case behind.

“What do you think the actual probability of a suicide attempt is?”

“I think it’s high.”

“The reason?”

“When I worked in the field, I saw quite a few parents who felt suicidal after killing their children, even if the motive was money.”

“Or, it could be that she has no intention of committing suicide and is just trying to throw the investigation into confusion. Saying she’s going to die so they won’t pursue her.”

In reality, there were quite a few suspects who contacted those around them pretending they were going to commit suicide, only to flee. It would be a relief if she had just fled, but if she had impulsively decided to commit suicide, that was the real problem. A criminal must be caught alive. Unless they are sentenced in court, if they are discovered as a corpse, the case just remains a cold case forever, even if the criminal is clearly guilty based on the evidence.

Prosecutor Joo continued, lost in deep thought.

“If she doesn’t intend to commit suicide, I wonder if she went to a friend’s house.”

“She didn’t seem to have any close friends. It seems she drifted away from them as she fell into debt and her living conditions worsened.”

“If she intends to commit suicide, she might have gone to an inn or something where she has no ties. Or a high-rise building.”

Prosecutor Joo and I were silent for a moment. If Han Sujin was attempting suicide, we needed to go out and look for her now, but the police were already searching the major candidates, and there were no other places that immediately came to mind.

We discussed various possibilities, but they were all vague. The time was ticking past one in the morning.

Prosecutor Joo brushed his hair back and let out a sigh.

“Let’s stop here and get some sleep. We can go to work early tomorrow morning and mobilize other investigators, or request more support from the police.”

“Yes.”

I rolled up the slipping sleeves again.

I had decided to sleep at Prosecutor Joo’s place so that if I got a call from Detective Ma, I could leave with him immediately. He asked if I wanted to take a sleeping pill, but I declined just in case I got a call. He didn’t take any medicine either, and we got into bed together.

The situation of lying alone in the dark room was still unfamiliar. Prosecutor Joo’s steady breathing blended into the quiet darkness that usually left behind only a faint ringing in my ears.

Using the black night as a screen, I quickly retraced the time I’d spent with Prosecutor Joo today and blocked out the memories of the past that tried to intrude. In the last few days, Baek Youngjun had almost ceased to appear in that past. It started after I learned he was going to be investigated by the prosecution. I was glad that my senior was at least going to pay for his crimes against someone else.

The void left by Baek Youngjun was filled with more efficient thoughts. For example, the details of the case I was currently investigating. So, as I was quickly going over the Han Sujin case, something suddenly occurred to me, and I opened my eyes.

I spoke up in a small voice.

“Prosecutor, are you asleep?”

“No. Why?”

“Han Sujin’s parents passed away quite early. Even before she got married. If she’s really thinking of dying, wouldn’t she visit their graves?”

“The grave?”

“Criminals often commit suicide at their parents’ graves. Even if it doesn’t go as far as suicide, there are quite a few people who visit their parents’ graves to say goodbye before they die or before they flee.”

It was a famous tip among the police, and it had only just occurred to me. If there’s a criminal with a high probability of committing suicide, keep watch at their parents’ graves.

If it were a case not yet transferred to the prosecution, the detectives would have thought of this and moved actively, but since this was a case we were responsible for investigating, it didn’t seem like they would have staked out the graves. Moreover, the detectives at the Danhyeon Police Station tended to be a bit lax.

The movement in the bed next to me grew, and the blanket we were sharing was lifted. I opened my eyes, but because of the blackout curtains, I couldn’t even see the contours of his face properly.

“Get up.”

“Right now?”

“If you’re tired, you can take leave tomorrow morning, so let’s go now. We found a plausible location, and I can’t miss someone who might be on the verge of dying.”

He was right. Soon, the bedroom light turned on, and I got up without a word and took off the loose pajamas. I folded the pajamas neatly and changed back into the suit I had worn to work today. I was about to put my arms into the sleeves of my coat when Prosecutor Joo grabbed my hand.

“I have a padded jacket I received as a gift that I don’t wear. Put that on. It’s a mountain, so it’ll be cold, and it’ll be hard on you, Officer Lee.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll need to grab some heat packs, too.”

“Do you have heat packs?”

“I bought them. Because of you.”

The final words struck my heart, deep inside my chest. He claims he doesn’t want to treat Lee Gilyoung’s son with affection, that he feels guilty if he does, yet he often confuses me.

Prosecutor Joo didn’t let go of my hand and led me to the walk-in closet. The suits he usually wore to work were hanging neatly by season and color.

The padded jacket was pushed off to one corner, and it looked as if it had never been worn. It looked like the length was awkward on Prosecutor Joo, but it covered my knees, so it fit me perfectly. It was roomy and the sleeves were long, but it was February at dawn, so I didn’t mind.

“It’s an outfit that doesn’t seem like something you’d wear, Prosecutor.”

“A gift from Chief Tak. I don’t like puffy clothes, so I never wore it once.”

“Still, if it’s a gift from the Chief, shouldn’t you wear it at least once to work?”

“We’re not the kind of relationship that requires such formalities, so it’s fine. I even lied and told him I was wearing it well.”

For a moment, I remembered the time Prosecutor Joo had accused me of being a good liar.

“You’re also good at lying, Prosecutor.”

“Are you masturbating alone right now?”

“…”