The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 9

It was sudden, but to have that kind of reaction to hearing that I respected him. It wasn’t something to be offended by, but it was an unconventional response.

Prosecutor Joo’s expression was… how should I put it… more so than when he examined the corpse at dawn, more than when he peered at the wound in the deceased’s esophagus. How should I define that look, which bordered on disgust revealed at a sign of respect?

My fingers, unable to let go of the belt that had been released from its buckle, tightened their grip. I hurriedly lowered my head.

“I apologize if I caught you off guard.”

“…It’s nothing. Thank you. I’ve never really done anything that would make someone respect me.”

When I lifted my head again, Prosecutor Joo had returned his gaze to his usual composed atmosphere. It was as if I might have just imagined it moments ago. He wasn’t wearing a smile on his lips, but considering the negative expression he’d just worn, one could judge him as favorable now.

“No, Prosecutor. I am the one who should apologize for saying that so suddenly. I will head out now.”

The air inside the car constricted my whole body, feeling more uncomfortable than when we first met at 5:00 AM. It reminded me of the day I first rode in my aunt’s car after leaving school, so I hurriedly opened the door and got out.

The car departed the moment I stepped out. The desolate late-autumn wind remained in the space where he had been. I stood there, gripping the strap of my bag that crossed my chest diagonally instead of a belt, and headed up to my housing with a heavy heart. Regret raised its heavy head.

I closed the blackout curtains and tried to get some belated sleep. I couldn’t fall into a deep sleep because the image of the dead man I had seen after a long time and Prosecutor Joo’s expression kept flitting behind my eyelids.

It was the same after I went into work. Even while listening to the pleas of a non-payer who had come to pay a fine, the look of disgust Prosecutor Joo had shown this morning kept coming to mind.

While sitting idly, resting my chin on my hand while the non-payer was finished paying, a finger poked sharply into my side. I was so startled that my bottom jumped, causing the chair wheels to roll to the side. I barely managed to shift my body, which had swung to one side, back to the center of the desk, and the mentor who had played the prank giggled.

“Chief Lee, why are you so startled?”

“Ah… I-I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

“I’m going to send you the non-payer list, so please process the search warrants.”

“Understood.”

After receiving the file and inputting the wanted persons into the computer for several hours, the back of my neck grew stiff. As I moved my stiff neck, I picked up my phone, which had no notifications. I stared blankly at my face reflected on the black screen, fidgeting with the lukewarm phone. Prosecutor Joo Taeson’s number remained on my phone, and ridiculously enough, I wanted to contact him.

Thank you for your hard work at dawn. Wouldn’t it be natural if I sent a text like that?

I deliberated for a long time while staring at the phone, but eventually put it down. I shouldn’t have said that I had respected him for a long time that morning. If I hadn’t, I might have found the courage to send a text.

It was a week later that I heard from Prosecutor Joo. Since that awkward morning, I hadn’t seen him at the Danhyeon Branch even once.

Around 8:00 PM, while preparing to leave work late, I discovered a flashing internal messenger notification in the corner of my monitor. I clicked on it, thinking it was a message from a colleague at another branch working overtime, and was startled to see the name ‘Prosecutor Joo Taeson.’ My body jolted significantly, but fortunately, there were no witnesses since it was late and I was the only one in the Execution Division.

Chief Lee, this is Joo Taeson. The autopsy report arrived early; can you come up now?

I thought my role had ended after submitting the duty report, but this was a sudden call. As is typical, I had expected the Koryoin death case to be assigned to the investigator in Prosecutor Joo Taeson’s office.

But to call for me, when I was just the person on duty? He must have something specific in mind, but I couldn’t grasp his intentions. I tapped on the keyboard with trembling fingers.

Hello, Prosecutor. Thank you for working late. I will head up right away.

I sent the message after switching the honorifics and wording around. As soon as he checked it, Prosecutor Joo Taeson sent a reply. Unlike me, he was in a position where he didn’t need to refine his sentences.

Then come to Room 512.

I put on my pre-packed bag, grabbed my coat, and hurried up to the 5th floor.

The 5th-floor hallway, lined with prosecution offices, was quiet. At this hour, most investigators have usually gone home, and only a few prosecutors remain occasionally. I stood in front of Room 512 and looked up at the nameplate hanging by the door.

Prosecutor Joo Taeson 

Investigator Song Haneul 

Investigator Kim Jiwook 

Administrative Officer No Seonhui

The moment I knocked and carefully opened the door, the narrow prosecution office of about 280 square feet came into view at a glance. In the inner center, centered around the prosecutor’s desk placed with its back to the window, were the desks of the investigator and administrative officer on both sides. A heavy cabinet filled with various documents sat there, looking like a large, heavy mass.

Prosecutor Joo Taeson, who had been turning over documents, lifted his head. The other staff seemed to have left, as they were nowhere to be seen. After a long time, he welcomed me with an unexpected smile and a friendly demeanor. Of course, it was an expression that appeared professional. It was hard to be certain if it was my own self-consciousness from living as a murderer’s son, or if he was truly wearing such a smile.

Prosecutor Joo pointed to the next room with his chin. It was a small inner office attached to every prosecution office. I had heard that since it was originally built as an office for the prosecutor, there were prosecutors who worked separately from their investigators in that room.

“I’ve brought the autopsy report and the data transferred by the police. Keep reading it. I’ll be in shortly.”

“Yes, Prosecutor.”

I bowed my head and went inside. Because the blinds on the window were drawn, I couldn’t see him sitting in the outer room. That meant that unless I went out, Prosecutor Joo couldn’t see me, either. I exhaled a breath filled with tension and sat down on an unfamiliar iron chair.

The sensation of the chair against my bottom was chilly, so I shivered slightly and picked up the autopsy report first. Since I was confident in speed-reading, I flipped through it quickly. The conclusion of the autopsy report was simple.

Cause of Death: Drug overdose due to Philopon (methamphetamine).

Just as those involved in the examination had guessed, it turned out to be a case where a junkie had died from an excessive injection of Philopon.

I read the other sections in detail aside from the cause of death; summarizing the content, there were four main points.

1. Blood test results revealed 1,000 times the lethal dose of Philopon and a small amount of nicotine. The nicotine concentration is high, but not enough to cause death. It may be due to excessive smoking immediately before death.
2. A large number of needle marks were discovered on the arms, and a single needle mark was discovered on the neck.
3. The scratch marks on the esophagus are unrelated to death, but the cause of the injury cannot be determined.
4. No signs of homicide.

It was the opinion of the medical examiner and the National Forensic Service that the junkie had died like a junkie and there were no signs of homicide. If so, the result of the police’s transfer opinion in front of me was obvious.

Non-indictment opinion.

It would conclude that there was no need for further investigation by the prosecution or police, nor was there a need for a prosecutor to indict and proceed to trial.

However, while reviewing the autopsy report again, one piece of information regarding what remained in the deceased’s stomach pricked at my attention.

“A piece of plastic was found in his stomach. Why?”

Even as I tilted my head, no answer came to mind.

Just as I was about to look at the police’s transfer opinion, the door opened and Prosecutor Joo appeared. He was wearing his usual neat black suit pants and a white dress shirt. Perhaps he was hot from working, as his sleeves were rolled up and his tie was loosened.

“Have you already read the whole autopsy report? You’re a fast reader.”

“It turns out he died after doing drugs.”

“That’s right. It wasn’t homicide.”

He paused in his movement to sit opposite me and asked:

“Shall I get you a cup of coffee?”

“No. If you would like some coffee, Prosecutor, I will make it for you.”

“No, prosecutors shouldn’t make people do things like that these days. I’d rather make it for you, at the very least. I didn’t think you were that type, Chief Lee; you seem surprisingly rigid.”

Unsure of how to respond, I pressed my lips tightly together, then parted them. If he wasn’t trying to embarrass me, then it seemed my self-consciousness—which led me to misinterpret other people’s words—was acting up again.

He sat down with a thud and flicked the police’s transfer opinion with his fingertips.