My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 576

#The Reason for Running Away

“Why didn’t they just run away before?”

Lee Ji-soo tilted her head, watching the three men looking around each room with fearful expressions.

“They probably figured it was safer to get caught than to be constantly looking over their shoulders.”

“But if that’s the case, why not just turn themselves in to begin with?”

“Sometimes people lack the courage to do what they know they should.”

“Lack the courage?”

“In the United States, one of the biggest problems for the police right now is what they call ‘suicide by cop.’”

“Ah, I see what you mean.”

Lee Ji-soo nodded at Park Do-joon’s words. In the United States, suicide by cop is such a prevalent issue that it’s causing trauma and even suicides among the police themselves.

Suicide by cop is a method someone uses when they want to end their life but can’t bring themselves to do it directly. Jumping into traffic, jumping off a building, or, since it’s a country with easy access to guns, simply putting a gun in their mouth and pulling the trigger would all accomplish the goal.

But even then, the reason they hesitate is that those actions are active suicide – a direct and conscious choice.

The act of killing oneself is an incredibly daunting and frightening thing.

But suicide by cop, or passive suicide, feels a bit easier. They just shoot a few bullets at the police. Then the police are forced to retaliate to protect themselves and due to protocol.

In a country with widespread gun ownership, gentle persuasion is more likely to put innocent bystanders at risk.

Passive suicide, where someone uses the actions of others to end their life because they lack the courage to do it themselves. That’s the core of the problem in America.

“These guys are probably in a similar situation.”

They were running from the organization, but they were too scared to turn themselves in.

This situation must be terrifying for them.

“Surprisingly, there are criminals like that more often than you’d think.”

“Really? That kind of person exists?”

“Yeah.”

There are even true psychopaths who intellectually understand that crime is wrong and genuinely want to stop themselves, but are unable to control their impulses. Such individuals sometimes find themselves in an ambiguous situation where they avoid the police but subconsciously crave capture.

“Humans are complicated, aren’t they?”

“That’s the truth. By the way, did you get anything out of them?”

“No. I just asked casually, but they’re not saying a word.”

“Really?”

“Yes. They admit to the dine-and-dash, though.”

We can’t arrest or punish them solely for a dine-and-dash.

Of course, it’s true that they’ve been doing it repeatedly and racking up a significant bill, but if we request an arrest warrant for that, would it even be issued? And even if it were, would it result in actual jail time?

“Even if they did get jail time, it would be a short sentence.”

Most likely, they’d get a suspended sentence.

“That’s right. But why aren’t they talking about anything else?”

“Fear.”

“Fear?”

“Yeah.”

They’ve been caught, but they don’t feel safe. If they talk, they’re afraid of the organization’s retaliation, and if they don’t, they’re terrified of going back out there and running again, completely exhausted. Since they believe there’s no good outcome either way, they’re just frozen in place.

“We need some kind of leverage to get them to open up.”

Lee Ji-soo frowned and said. Realistically, even someone as skilled as Park Do-joon can’t just start interrogating and demand, ‘Spit it out!’ Because, beyond pursuing the dine-and-dash charges, he can’t launch a separate investigation without cause.

“I’ll help with that.”

“Detective?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I have a plan. Ah, you just need to help me with one small thing.”

Park Do-joon whispered a few more words to Lee Ji-soo and then entered the room where Ji Jin-tae was being held alone. The reason he chose him was simple: he appeared to be the leader of the group.

That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be cooperative. The three of them wouldn’t have simultaneously decided to run away. Someone had to initiate the idea, and it would have to be someone in a leadership position for the decision to be made. That implies he has decision-making power.

‘And to have decision-making power, he must be privy to all the information, of course.’

And having decision-making power also means he’s more likely to take responsibility for the group’s actions.

That’s why Park Do-joon decided to focus on Ji Jin-tae.

“So, Mr. Ji Jin-tae.”

“Yes?”

“You’re aware that you’ve been apprehended for dine-and-dash, correct?”

“Yes.”

Park Do-joon stated it as if it were insignificant.

“Well, the total amount is a bit substantial, though. There’s really no need to dedicate a separate interrogation room to such a minor offense, but, well….”

“…….”

“You admit to the dine-and-dash, right?”

“Yes.”

In fact, the interrogation itself wasn’t difficult. From the beginning, the charge wasn’t a violent crime, just a series of unpaid restaurant bills. So there’s no need to pressure them to confess anything. Everything is documented on CCTV.

That’s why it didn’t take long to obtain the statement and confirm its accuracy.

“Alright, you can head back now. A police car will give you a ride home.”

“Yes? You’re taking me… home?”

“Yes, you don’t have any money since you’re resorting to dine-and-dash, right?”

At those words, Ji Jin-tae’s eyes began to dart around nervously.

“Aren’t you arresting me?”

“Arresting you? What arrest for a simple dine-and-dash? You’ll receive a fine in the mail when you get home. Of course, if you don’t pay the fine, you could be arrested later, so keep that in mind.”

“I… You don’t need to take me home. I’ll go on my own.”

‘As expected.’

He’s afraid to go home. Usually, home is a safe and comfortable sanctuary. But he’s afraid of that home?

‘That means there’s someone who knows where he lives.’

And he’s afraid that someone is watching the house, waiting to harm him. Knowing that, he doesn’t want to leave out of fear.

“Then should I call you a taxi?”

Of course, this is a bluff. How could guys who are doing dine-and-dash because they’re broke afford a taxi? Nevertheless, the reason Park Do-joon said this was to signal Lee Ji-soo, who was waiting outside.

And Lee Ji-soo, having received the signal, casually peeked her head into the interrogation room.

“Detective.”

“Yeah?”

“I think you can cancel that ride. Three of your friends have arrived.”

“Oh? Friends?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, then I can cancel it.”

Park Do-joon and Lee Ji-soo spoke casually, but Ji Jin-tae’s face turned so pale that he looked like he was staring death in the face.

“I… I don’t have any friends coming to pick me up!”

“Yes? But they said they were your friends? They even brought a van?”

At those words, Ji Jin-tae urgently blurted out.

“Detective, I’ll turn myself in, okay? Please, just let me turn myself in.”

“Turn yourself in? Turn yourself in for what?”

“Please… I’ll turn myself in. Sob, sob!”

Now, trembling with fear, Ji Jin-tae began to spew out everything he knew. And listening to his confession, Park Do-joon couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise.

“You got quite the intel.”

Jo Sang-gyu frowned as he reviewed the statement Park Do-joon had obtained.

“Yes, I did. As expected, it involves the Daehan Younggwang Clan.”

“As expected….”

Jo Sang-gyu’s face fell at those words. Just because the prediction was accurate doesn’t make it good news. Because even the parts he hoped weren’t true turned out to be correct.

“But there’s no Daehan Younggwang Clan in the official police records. To be exact, it’s listed as having been dissolved at some point in the past, and after that, there are no investigation records whatsoever.”

“None?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, but it doesn’t sound like a new gang has formed.”

“If it were a newly formed gang, they wouldn’t be engaging in such extreme activities.”

Ji Jin-tae ultimately turned himself in out of sheer terror.

“I didn’t think he would crack just because I mentioned someone came to pick him up.”

Lee Ji-soo shook her head in disbelief.

“I told you. He’s running away because he believes someone the police are supposed to be protecting is targeting him.”

So it wouldn’t be surprising if they tried to snatch him right out of the police station.

“But he confessed so easily?”

“He believed it because I said they brought a van. That detail seemed to resonate with him.”

“Just mentioning the van?”

“Criminal organizations frequently use vans.”

“Ah!”

Because they’re easy to acquire and can transport a large number of people at once, criminal organizations almost always have one or two vans. And if they’re crammed inside with other gang members, escape becomes impossible.

“There’s a reason why vans have traditionally been associated with kidnappings.”

Because the confined space makes resistance difficult, and it’s easy to overpower the victim with numbers.

“And that guy is a low-level gang member. Of course, he would have been in a position where he rode in vans frequently.”

As you climb the ranks, you get to ride in sedans, but when you’re a low-level grunt, vans are perfect for moving the whole crew, so they inevitably develop a sense of dread associated with them.

“It’s like a private being thrown into a truck full of sergeants and corporals in the military, I guess?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“It’s a feeling that women probably wouldn’t understand.”

Park Do-joon chuckled. But he quickly shook his head.

“But the important thing isn’t that.”

“The fact that the Daehan Younggwang Clan clearly exists but the records have been wiped clean. That’s the real problem.”

“Yeah, as you know, that’s not something one or two police officers can accomplish. To orchestrate the disappearance of records for an organization that’s being monitored as a nationwide threat, I can’t even fathom how high up the person protecting them must be.”

Park Do-joon shook his head in dismay. Even a police chief wouldn’t have the power to conceal a nationwide organization.

It would have to be someone at least at the level of the deputy chief of the provincial police agency.

“Furthermore, the Incheon area is where the Daehan Younggwang Clan originated, right? But all the records have vanished.”

“Either the Incheon area police are incredibly incompetent, or they’re being shielded by someone powerful.”

Jo Sang-gyu nodded in agreement. And this can’t simply be dismissed as incompetence on the part of the Incheon police. Both Ji Jin-tae’s testimony and the existing intelligence… The Daehan Younggwang Clan is an organization of national scope.

It’s an organization that started in Incheon and initially built its power base there, but it’s grown into a nationwide operation, and yet it’s not in the computer system?

We have to assume someone deliberately erased it.

“But is it true? More than thirty people died….”

“It’s likely to be true. Looking at the three of them’s school records, they weren’t exactly model citizens.”

Based on the past offenses committed by the three dine-and-dashers, it was clear that none of them were upstanding individuals. All three had been suspended from school, and Ji Jin-tae and Go Min-sang had even transferred schools due to disciplinary issues. In addition, Ji Jin-tae eventually received Disposition No. 9 through criminal proceedings [a short-term commitment to a juvenile detention center].

Disposition No. 9 is a short-term commitment to a juvenile detention center, and under Korea’s laws that are generally lenient towards minors, the severity of the crime must be substantial to warrant Disposition No. 9.

In fact, Ji Jin-tae retaliated against a younger student for reporting him, inflicting injuries that required 12 weeks of medical treatment, and was subsequently given Disposition No. 9 as punishment.

“For those kinds of guys to be genuinely scared and on the run, the threat has to be significant.”

“School violence and actual organized crime are different leagues, huh.”

“That’s right.”

Unlike relatively minor acts of school violence, murder is a completely different ballgame.

“Especially in a case like this where thirty people were allegedly killed.”

“It’s hard to wrap my head around this kind of thing.”