The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 52

A Coincidence or Fate (4)

“Was it really a coincidence?”

“Pardon?”

“Perhaps it was fate.”

I smiled slyly and added,

“A fate that we were destined to meet.”

Reporter Park Soo-hyung tilted his head, seemingly not fully understanding what I meant.

However, he soon realized that I was treating him without any reservations, and his eyes immediately sharpened.

“That’s right. It could be fate.”

In the meantime, the elevator descended rapidly and arrived on the first floor.

I needed to leave a lingering impression, but without showing any eagerness.

“If we are destined to work together, I believe we will meet again.”

I left a short opening and stepped out of the elevator, giving off the impression that I was leaving first.

As expected, Reporter Park Soo-hyung quickly approached me and said,

“We can determine that fate ourselves.”

He twisted the corner of his lips into a smirk.

“You’re going to take on the Judge case, aren’t you?”

I barely suppressed the laughter that was about to burst out.

He saw right through me.

It seems my ability to recognize people hasn’t changed from the future to the present.

The fact that I would be in charge of the Judge case had not yet been reported.

Within the prosecution, only a few superiors, related individuals, and the police leadership were aware of it.

Yet, Reporter Park Soo-hyung already knew this fact.

Judging by his eyes, he wasn’t probing but was accurately aware of the situation.

Despite being a reporter, he hadn’t published this fact as an article.

The fact that I was the head of the joint investigation, let alone the start of it, was undoubtedly a hot topic that could bring in the most traffic.

However, the fact that he hadn’t written the article meant that he was definitely keeping the embargo from the source.

With just one sentence, Park Soo-hyung succeeded in verifying both his information and his credibility.

Yes, this is the kind of person who deserves to be my closest aide.

I need someone with this level of ability to trust and work with, right?

He didn’t stop there and confidently continued, as if trying to appeal to me.

“I will give you information that will make your eyes light up.”

I asked with a nonchalant expression,

“You know that you’re not the only reporter who approaches me like this, right?”

“Of course. However, I also know that very few of them actually have proper information.”

Park Soo-hyung added, as if appealing to me.

“This is genuine information. I swear on my name.”

I wrinkled my nose and stopped walking.

“I’m craving caffeine, maybe it’s because it’s late.”

“I know a cafe that’s good for quiet conversation. Let’s go together.”

***

Around the time Choi Seo-jun was moving with Park Soo-hyung, a reporter from the political and social affairs department, two men were talking in downtown Seoul.

“Kim, did you hear the news? You’re joining the joint investigation headquarters?”

“Oh, it’s already spread that far?”

“Hey, man. I was in charge of the first Judge case, how could I not know? Hahaha.”

The man laughed heartily and continued.

“But I never thought that the ace of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit would be joining the joint investigation headquarters.”

“The higher-ups see the MIU [Metropolitan Investigation Unit] as easy to handle, that’s all. They can drag us in everywhere.”

“Doesn’t that mean you’re capable?”

The man called Kim proudly stuck out his shoulder as if he didn’t care about being humble.

“I do solve cases well.”

“Hahaha, by the way, I heard that the head of this joint investigation headquarters is that star prosecutor guy, is that true?”

“That’s what I heard too.”

“That Choi Seo-jun or whatever, right?”

“Right. A greenhorn whose ink hasn’t even dried yet, got a few camera flashes and suddenly got a fancy title.”

“Even so, shouldn’t the head of the joint investigation headquarters be at least a senior prosecutor? As far as I know, that guy isn’t at the senior prosecutor level.”

“They must have pushed him from above again this time, right? It’s obvious.”

“Ugh, is that side going through connections too?”

“That’s how it all works.”

“Kim, you’re going to have a hard time.”

“I’ll just sweet-talk him a bit and he’ll come around. He’s only in his early 30s, right? I’ll push through with experience.”

“Right. Those prosecutors only know how to look at documents anyway, they can’t even use their strength properly in the field. Let them watch the police catch the guy and suck their fingers behind us.”

“Hahahaha, I’ll buy you a drink after catching the Judge.”

“Sounds good.”

Kim, the head of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit, Kim Hyung-seok, laughed arrogantly.

***

I had already finished the preliminary skirmish with Reporter Park Soo-hyung in the elevator.

As soon as we arrived at the cafe, I asked directly without dragging it out.

“What is that sweet information you mentioned?”

“I’ll tell you if you promise to keep it a secret.”

Seeing him act like this, it must be something unusual.

“Alright. I promise.”

I placed my clasped hands on the table and asked,

“Now, please tell me.”

Reporter Park Soo-hyung took a long breath and carefully took out a document envelope from his bag.

He glanced around and carefully took out what was wrapped in newspaper from the envelope.

A small object contained in a ziplock bag.

Looking at the way it was stored, I had a hunch about what it was.

“Could it be…?”

As I swallowed my words, Reporter Park Soo-hyung slowly nodded his head.

“It’s evidence.”

“Huh.”

He said with a confident tone.

“I personally took it from the crime scene.”

I received the ziplock bag from Reporter Park Soo-hyung and examined the object in detail.

“This is…”

“The artificial tears the culprit used.”

Artificial tears.

To be exact, it was a half-used disposable artificial tear vial.

“Did you check for fingerprints?”

“Yes. I had it checked by a private company, but no fingerprints were found at all.”

No fingerprints were found.

Simply put, it means that the culprit cannot be traced.

But to put it another way, it means that it is certain that the culprit used it.

Ordinary people would naturally leave fingerprints when using an object, and if there were no problems, they wouldn’t have erased them.

I carefully returned the evidence I had checked to Reporter Park Soo-hyung and asked,

“Can you tell me how you obtained it?”

“Actually, I was quite lucky.”

He continued with a smile on his face.

“I slowly analyzed the series of Judge cases that have occurred so far. You know that the culprit targeted those who committed heinous crimes but received light sentences, right?”

“Yes.”

“I investigated all the victims. And that’s what came out.”

Wait a minute, that’s a program hosted by PD Song Jae-hoon.

“Most people think that the commonality of the victims is that they were all people reported on the internet and in the news, but as a result of my investigation, they were all people who had their cases covered on .”

This is something I didn’t know at all.

In the first place, this information was not included in the data that the police handed over when they transferred the case.

Reporter Park Soo-hyung lowered his voice further and continued the story.

“After finding out that fact, I re-organized the criminals who appeared on that program, and as a result, there was a former convict who had only served three years for raping a minor just a few days ago.”

I was unknowingly drawn into his interesting story and began to listen attentively.

“But whether it was a coincidence or fate, as a result of using the Sexual Offender Notification e [a system that provides information about registered sex offenders], I confirmed that the former convict lived in the same apartment as me. After that, I followed the former convict for nearly ten days. And as a result.”

He took a breath and continued.

“I found out that he was murdered after returning home at dawn.”

“Did you witness the scene?”

“No. I’m just so sorry that I couldn’t.”

Reporter Park Soo-hyung swept back his hair as if he was frustrated.

“I was also at home because it was right after he returned home. Before I went to sleep, I heard screams echoing in the apartment complex, so I wondered if it was the criminal’s house, and when I ran there, the door was wide open and I saw the former convict lying in the living room, bleeding.”

“So, are you the first discoverer of the sixth case?”

“To be exact, the security guard and I discovered it together. While the security guard was reporting, I secretly looked around the scene, and I saw a vial of artificial tears dropped in front of the front door. It looked like it had bounced out of his pocket. So I carefully picked it up without leaving any fingerprints and left before the police arrived.”

“Huh.”

“I know that the Judge usually ends lives in one go. But in the sixth murder, he failed to aim for the vitals, and I think he was surprised by the victim’s screams and accidentally dropped the artificial tears while running away quickly.”

This is a story that is not only interesting but also gives me goosebumps.

If it’s like this, I shouldn’t be testing Park Soo-hyung, but I should be joining forces with him right now.

Reporter Park Soo-hyung smiled slyly and wrapped the evidence in newspaper again and put it in the document envelope.

“That’s all. Do you have any more questions?”

I took a beat to calm the rising excitement.

“You know that stealing evidence from a crime scene is a crime, right?”

He answered with a sneer.

“Isn’t a crime only a crime if you get caught, and if no one knows, it’s legal?”

Even his cunning attitude.

Park Soo-hyung has already captured my heart.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s right. That’s the answer in Korea.”

Reporter Park Soo-hyung completely put the document envelope in his bag and said,

“I hope you keep the secret about the artificial tears.”

“I will. A secret that only you and I know.”

“Good.”

My mind started racing quickly.

‘He left artificial tears at the crime scene.’

This fact proves more than one or two things.

The Judge doesn’t commit murder impulsively but plans meticulously, clearly identifying the target every time.

In other words, all murders are planned and then acted upon.

Of course, from his point of view, he would try to move while minimizing any evidence that could identify him.

But he brought artificial tears.

The fact that he wiped off the fingerprints means that he took the risk of dropping them.

In other words, it meant that the culprit had a reason to bring the artificial tears to the scene, even at the risk.

The answer is obvious.

The culprit is someone who suffers from an eye condition such as dry eye syndrome and needs to use artificial tears frequently.

This alone would greatly reduce the scope of the criminal.

At the same time, an idea flashed through my mind.

If what Reporter Park Soo-hyung said is true that all of the Judge’s targets appeared on , it might really be possible.

“Did you predict the next victim?”

He shook his head.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t identify him this time. The Judge case is so big that related cases have been buried.”

I smiled faintly.

“I think I can predict it.”

“Yes?”

His eyes widened.

“How…?”

I answered briefly and intensely.

“We can make it.”

I twisted the corners of my lips and added.

“We can pinpoint the target that the Judge will commit the next crime against, with our own hands.”

“Ah…”

He let out a soft exclamation.

“Prosecutor.”

At the same time, Reporter Park Soo-hyung clenched his fists on the table.

“I realized that telling you this story first was a divine move.”