The Prosecutor’s Office’s Proposal Chapter 93

I went alone to the vicinity of the hardware store where Koryo-in Mr. Kim had been spotted. My backside was sore after riding a decrepit, rattling bus for a long time.

I had slept enough, and if I stayed at the residence, it felt like the memories with my uncle would just play on a loop, so it was much better to wander outside. My uncle’s number had been ringing my phone constantly since earlier, but I didn’t answer it in the end. Judging by my aunt’s reaction, my uncle must have many sins on his conscience. He was that kind of person.

Since I didn’t know Koryo-in Mr. Kim’s destination, I made circles around the hardware store, showing his photo and conducting inquiries. I visited every place that could be reached on foot, but I had no particular success. It had already been three hours.

The last stop for my inquiries was a place called the Yonggung Motel. I went in thinking that if I didn’t get any results here, I would come back again with Prosecutor Joo later.

Compared to other inns or boarding houses in this neighborhood, the Yonggung Motel looked like a lodging establishment with relatively modern facilities. On the exterior wall of the building, a pink banner announcing that the rooms had been renovated was flapping in the rough wind, dusty and tattered.

At the counter, a man who was young to be the motel owner was dealing with a customer. Judging by his age, he seemed to be an employee rather than the owner. I bowed my head lightly toward him and held out the photo.

“Hello. I’d like to ask you something. Have you ever seen this person? He is Korean by appearance, but having lived abroad for a long time, his way of speaking might have been different from ordinary people.”

The man, who had been looking at the photo with a deep frown, met my gaze with wary eyes.

“…Who are you?”

“I am an investigator from the Criminal Division 1 of the Danhyeon District Prosecutors’ Office.”

I showed him the investigator ID hanging around my neck. The man took the photo of Koryo-in Mr. Kim, examined it in detail once more, and surprisingly, nodded readily.

“Yes, I remember this person. About three months ago, he stopped by.”

The back of my ears tightened, and goosebumps rose on my forearms. My body always reacted first whenever I faced the truth.

I finally found it. Koryo-in Mr. Kim’s hidden tracks.

It had taken less than 12 hours from his entry into the country until his death. Thinking of the time it took to travel from the airport to Danhyeon City, and the time spent moving from this motel to the casino, his visit to the Yonggung Motel must have been Koryo-in Mr. Kim’s only trail. Since he died and his body was abandoned immediately after, there was a high probability that he had an important purpose.

“How do you remember him?”

“His speech was slurred and he seemed excited, so when I asked to see his ID to check in, he showed me a Russian passport. It was unusual, so it remained in my memory. I’d never seen a Russian passport before. Especially since he looked exactly like a person from our country.”

“Do you happen to know which room he stayed in?”

“I can tell if I check the check-in/check-out program…. Do you know the date?”

I called out the date I had memorized to him and looked around. The inside was relatively neat, suggesting the claim that they had renovated was true. The man found the information quickly.

“It’s Room 401.”

“Did that person actually stay here?”

“Yes, he paid for a room. But he went in for a moment and came out right away, and he never returned. He even ran off without returning the key.”

“Was there any luggage he left behind?”

“No. That person brought a carrier, but he dragged it out as it was. I remember that because it was strange, too. Usually, people leave their carriers in the room when they go out.”

“Thank you. I’d like to stay in the same Room 401; is it vacant?”

“Yes, it’s empty.”

It would be good to come back with Prosecutor Joo tomorrow. I didn’t intend to stay, but I paid for a few days to preserve the scene. Usually, evidence doesn’t remain after three months, but places like this don’t clean thoroughly, so you never know.

I pointed to the CCTV camera above my head.

“Is the CCTV recorded?”

“It is recorded, but it only stores one week’s worth.”

It was a pity, but it was more correct to consider the hardware store that kept three months’ worth as the exception. Han Sujin was unlucky. Usually, people only keep CCTV footage for two or three weeks, let alone two or three months.

“I understand. Thank you for your hard work.”

I received the key to 401 from the man and came out.

It was true that Oh Jahyeon had purchased the drugs that Koryo-in Mr. Kim had smuggled in. Since Koryo-in’s blood didn’t remain, I couldn’t confirm if the drug components the two had taken matched, but the circumstantial evidence was certain.

But would Oh Jahyeon really have gone so far as to take the risk of abandoning a body of someone who died in an accident due to drug addiction? Perhaps someone else was involved?

If she was the one who abandoned the body, there must have been an accomplice. It was too big and heavy a body for Oh Jahyeon to move.

By discovering Koryo-in Mr. Kim’s tracks, I was luckily able to give half of my mind back to the case. Work pushed away the terrible face of my uncle. I had to dig out the connection to Oh Jahyeon from this final trail without fail.

Only by untangling all the knotted cords would I be able to confirm if Oh Jahyeon truly ordered my father to kill President Kang Woosung. I wanted to know the truth of the tragedy that took my beloved father away and threw me as prey to my uncle, now that I was quite grown up. Not as much as Prosecutor Joo, though.

By the time I arrived in front of the residence with the purple sunset on my head, my tedious phone rang again. Thinking it might be my uncle, I was about to not answer, but I checked and fortunately, it was Prosecutor Joo.

“Prosecutor.”

— You have a residence, yet you’re wandering around somewhere else again.

“Are you here? I’m right in front.”

— You have a talent for making people wait. It’s not in my nature to wait for anyone.

“I’ll be there in a moment.”

I hurriedly ran toward the residence, and Prosecutor Joo stepped out of the parked Mercedes. He handed me a shopping bag containing my coat.

“Here.”

“You could have given it to me tomorrow.”

“I saw the coat you were wearing earlier, and it was so worn out that I felt I had to bring it to you.”

“Was it that obvious? Thank you.”

“I observe Officer Lee quite closely.”

Prosecutor Joo says I have a talent for making him wait, but Prosecutor Joo himself had an excellent talent for making my face turn red.

“Where have you been?”

After looking around, I lowered my voice as much as possible. Since it was still only 7 PM, it was a time when many employees were returning to their residences after work.

“I found a trace of Koryo-in Mr. Kim.”

At my words, his expression changed instantly. It was the sharp, blue-edged look I knew well.

“Where.”

“A motel. I didn’t know what might happen, so I booked the room he stayed in. I rented it for about three days, so I think we can go together tomorrow or the day after when you have time.”

“Well done. You must be tired. I was quite moved that you went out to conduct inquiries on a day like today.”

“Thank you. You’ve been giving me a lot of compliments lately.”

“Since you do well on your own even without being told, I have no choice but to be fond of you.”

Prosecutor Joo praised me neatly with a deadpan expression.

I have no choice but to be fond of you.

It was an affectionate expression that he could never use for any other subordinate. Words I would never have heard if our relationship hadn’t changed.

I looked up at him silently and met his eyes. Prosecutor Joo didn’t avoid them either, meeting my gaze.

Lately, I often wanted to ask Prosecutor Joo Taeson.

‘Tell me, Prosecutor.’

Every time he looks at me with an unexpectedly affectionate gaze, while hurting me with his words.

‘Are there times when your cold heart also beats as if it’s going to collapse when you look at me?’

I was often gripped by the impulse to ask Joo Taeson that.

He, unaware of my inner thoughts, lifted his eyes to the evening sky for a moment and then lowered them, adding. That characteristic way of looking seemed to be his habit when thinking.

“I’m convinced that Officer Lee has finally started sharing my goals.”

I could find no sense of reality in his sculptural face, upon which the purple sunset had settled.

Suddenly, I became afraid that he might disappear like this. As if everything were a dream. So, I caught him.

“Would you like to come in?”

I suggested it because I wanted to see him under the bright fluorescent light, but Prosecutor Joo shook his head.

“No. Even for me, staying awake for 48 hours seemed to be too much. Go in and rest. Now that the sun has set, don’t wander around alone. Basically, doing inquiries alone is also a violation of the rules. You have to go in pairs.”

“I’m at an age where it’s okay to wander around at night.”

“Is that so? I thought you were at an age where it wasn’t.”

“You’re even making jokes, Prosecutor.”