My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 666

But now the law has changed, making those who illegally park liable for compensation. So now, if we can’t reach the owner, we simply move the vehicle out of the way.

Of course, this process takes longer than you might think.

“There’s no contact information on the car.”

“No, sir.”

Usually, people leave their phone number on the windshield, but there’s nothing.

“Did you try broadcasting around the area?”

“Of course, we did.”

Even though the law allows us to move the car, there’s still a procedure to follow and the risk of potential lawsuits. So, the fire station repeatedly broadcasts a message for the owner to move the car. If there’s no response, then they proceed to move it.

There’s always a gap between the law and reality. Since they couldn’t confirm the owner of the vehicle, they had no choice but to push it out of the way with the fire truck to gain access.

“I see. You haven’t checked on the owner of this vehicle yet?”

“No, sir.”

That’s not within the fire department’s jurisdiction; it’s the police’s job. But the police seem so focused on the scene that they don’t even realize the car was moved.

“Can you check this car out?”

“What about you, sir?”

“I’ll take a look at the vehicle for now.”

Park Do-joon asked Lee Ji-soo to run the check and went to the vehicle to examine the interior.

‘It’s a large vehicle… and it’s clean.’

It’s clean. Too clean. The window was already broken when it was pushed, so checking the interior wasn’t difficult. It wasn’t hard to see inside.

But there was almost nothing there.

“Hmm, is it as I suspected?”

Lee Ji-soo slowly approached Park Do-joon, who had been searching the car for a while.

“Detective Park, I checked the vehicle. It seems like that car is…”

“A ghost car [a car with falsified or untraceable registration]?”

“What? How did you know?”

Lee Ji-soo was surprised. She hadn’t known until she checked herself. Of course, the car wasn’t officially reported as a ghost car, but you can usually tell from the registration.

“I think it’s a ghost car. The vehicle registration is from Pohang, not Seoul.”

“That’s quite a distance.”

“Yes, and the owner has been reported missing.”

“Missing, huh…”

Then there are two possibilities. One is that they were murdered and the car was stolen. The other is that they were addicted to gambling and lost the car as collateral.

“Which is more likely?”

“The most likely scenario involves Kangwon Land [a region in South Korea known for its casinos]. They seem to have investigated it too…”

When the missing person report came in, they tracked the phone, and the last known location was Kangwon Land.

“It seems the local police gave up after that.”

“I guess so.”

If it’s not a missing person case but someone who ran away due to gambling addiction, there’s not much the police can do. They can’t just grab the person and hand them over to their family, and they don’t have grounds to thoroughly search Kangwon Land.

“Kangwon Land…”

The fact that they disappeared there is enough to draw a conclusion without further investigation.

“How did you know, Detective Park?”

In the past, vehicle numbers indicated the region of origin, but that’s no longer the case, is it?

“The car is too clean.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know what kind of vehicle this is?”

“Isn’t it a Carnival [a popular minivan model]?”

“More precisely, it’s an 11-seater Carnival.”

“Right?”

“Right. So, what kind of people usually use this vehicle?”

“I don’t know.”

Lee Ji-soo, who didn’t know much about vehicle user demographics, tilted her head. Park Do-joon calmly explained to her.

“The Carnival is basically a large vehicle. A so-called family car.”

A vehicle designed to carry multiple people. Usually, a typical car can accommodate up to five people. But large families need a bigger car when traveling. Of course, they can rent or buy multiple cars if they can afford it, but if not, or if there are other reasons, they prefer a larger car.

“The most popular model among large cars is the Carnival.”

The Carnival was originally designed for such families.

So, the smallest model is a 5-seater. The next largest is a 7-seater, then a 9-seater, and the largest is this 11-seater model.

“But usually, there’s almost no need for an 11-seater model.”

In fact, almost no household has more than seven people in modern times.

“But what does this have to do with it being an 11-seater and a ghost car?”

“Look at the car. Isn’t it too clean?”

“Clean?”

“Family cars are quite difficult to keep clean.”

Because children often play with things, spill food, or leave toys behind.

“Does that mean it’s clean if you use it alone? Not really.”

Men who use cars know that they often just throw things in the back and don’t pay attention to cleanliness.

“But this vehicle is too clean. Like someone meticulously maintained it.”

“Does that mean it’s not a family car?”

“Yes, and even if it is a family car and they keep it clean, they would leave their number on the vehicle.”

So that they can move the vehicle in case of an emergency.

“But there’s none of that? And they don’t answer calls? Then who would drive it?”

“I see.”

It’s rare for people to use such a large vehicle as a ghost car.

Because basically, a ghost car is a vehicle that is impossible to track, but at the same time, it’s used because it has the advantage of allowing you to drive a good car for little money.

“But the Carnival isn’t that.”

It’s not a good enough car for others to envy, and it’s not like the ride is incredibly comfortable.

“There are many ghost cars, but this Carnival isn’t a particularly popular model among them.”

Especially the 11-seater.

It’s not suitable for showing off, and it’s too big for families to ride in. Considering the passenger capacity, a truck or the 9-seater or 7-seater below it would be better.

Want to carry more people? Then it’s better to buy a van. Vans are designed based on 11 seats, and the Carnival is not a van but basically an SUV-based design that is extended to the rear, so the space is a bit better in a van.

“So, you don’t usually see these 11-seater Carnivals often.”

“But how did you know it was a ghost car?”

“If a vehicle that is not usually used suddenly appears without a phone number, it means someone deliberately parked it there.”

At that moment, Lee Ji-soo seemed to understand something.

“Could it be?”

“Yes, ‘could it be’ gets people caught a lot. Gangsters sometimes move in large numbers.”

And the Hellfire Clan has ten members. What’s the best way for them to move?

“Is this the Hellfire Clan’s vehicle?”

“It’s highly likely. I told you, it’s too clean.”

Personal vehicles or family vehicles would have at least some signs of use.

“But it’s different for violent organizations.”

It’s not a personal space, so they can’t use it as they please. So, they don’t eat snacks in the car or keep personal items there.

“And the criminals have to pray that the fire gets bigger. But what happens if it goes out too quickly?”

“Ah!”

Of course, the chances of their evidence being discovered increase. To prevent that, they have to block the firefighters’ access.

“Even if the law has changed, firefighters can’t just push the car away without any reason.”

To clear an illegally parked car, it would take 10 to 15 minutes even if they hurry, and that’s enough time to burn down the entire building.

“That’s…”

Lee Ji-soo was shocked. She didn’t realize they had prepared so meticulously.

“What about the vehicle on the other side?”

“What vehicle on the other side?”

“Just a moment. I’ll check.”

Lee Ji-soo checked immediately and approached with a stiff face.

“It’s a LeParre [likely a fictional luxury car brand].”

“That’s a luxury sedan, isn’t it?”

“Yes, could it be that one too?”

“Yes, that’s probably a ghost car too. Maybe the Hellfire Clan used that too.”

“Yes?”

“Do you think the boss would ride in a large vehicle like this with his subordinates?”

“Oh? That’s right.”

Even if they’re eating ramen because they don’t have money, it’s an unspoken rule for violent organizations for the boss to drive a luxury sedan. Even if it’s a luxury sedan, it doesn’t cost much if they’re driving around in a ghost car instead of buying it.

“Then what should we do? We can’t track them, can we?”

This vehicle is a ghost car, and the vehicle blocking the opposite alley is probably a ghost car too. So, it’s difficult to track the criminals.

“I told you, people are bound to make mistakes.”

Park Do-joon tapped the front of the vehicle and said.

“Oh? That’s?”

“Yes. It’s a black box [dashcam].”

Black box. Most vehicles these days have a black box in case of an accident.

Would they not have one because it’s a ghost car? Of course, the guy driving the ghost car wouldn’t install one. Because the black box is for self-defense.

I wouldn’t spend my own money to install a black box if I’m driving a ghost car because it’s a waste of money. If there’s an accident, I’ll just run away and not argue about fault.

“But it’s a different story if it’s already installed.”

They have to take it off, but they usually don’t pay much attention to it.

Because the black box is often attached behind the rearview mirror, so it’s not easily visible from the driver’s seat, so they don’t check it unless there’s an accident.

Do they take it off when they buy a ghost car? No, they don’t.

Usually, they buy a ghost car and drive it as is. They don’t try to spend money or fix anything. They just drive it and abandon it.

“But these days, black boxes have an indoor recording function.”

Some models also have an indoor recording function. However, that’s only used in special cases like taxis.

“Ah, if the recording function is still active?”

“Yes, we might be able to find out who was in it.”

Park Do-joon said with a grin.

“Fortunately, those idiots just left the black box behind.”

They might have thought they were being smart. It’s true that the fire grew uncontrollably as the fire truck’s entry was blocked according to their plan. But they didn’t realize that the very act of planning that was a mistake.

“Now, let’s find out who came and went.”

Park Do-joon muttered, looking at the black box.

Fortunately, both sides had black boxes. But unfortunately, the Carnival’s black box was broken.

“It’s not being managed at all, so it’s kind of obvious. It’s a low-end model, and the vehicle itself is quite old.”

Seo Joo-won, who recovered the black box, said, nodding his head.

“Fortunately, the LeParre’s is a high-end model, so it’s in good condition. The internal recording was also turned on.”