You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 274

“The CCTV quality is pretty good.”

Kang Min-jae said, watching the screen intently.

Since it was a fairly expensive residential officetel [a building with both office and residential spaces] in Seocho-dong, it seemed they used decent equipment.

Thanks to that, the faces of the people appearing in the CCTV were clearly identifiable.

“That day, what was it… because the person who killed Lee Jung-chan lived in this officetel, reporters came in droves. Even though they were told they couldn’t just come in, they pushed their way in. The residents protested like crazy.”

Since Jo Bong-joon had set the search time to start a few hours before Cha Joo-han arrived home, the scene of reporters, who had been camped out in front of Cha Joo-han’s house since dawn, leaving was captured for several minutes.

“Ah, that person lives here. I had no idea.”

Kang Min-jae feigned ignorance with a brazenly surprised expression.

Then, the office manager, as if his mouth had been itching to talk, began to unravel his story.

“He was quite capable, that person? You’d know since you’re a lawyer yourself.”

“I don’t know him well. Even if we’re both lawyers, if we haven’t worked together or if our practices are different, I wouldn’t know.”

“Really? I thought you might know him since he seemed to be around the same age. That person also seemed really normal. He lives alone there, and I heard he used to be a prosecutor before suddenly opening his own practice.”

“I see. That must have been a difficult decision at a young age.”

Kang Min-jae listened to the office manager’s story remarkably well.

Perhaps he was doing it on purpose to be friendly with the office manager so that he could later obtain the video files without any issues, but even so, he reacted with a face that seemed genuinely interested.

“He was polite and always dressed neatly. I heard he was a pretty famous lawyer?”

“It’s scary to think that someone like that killed someone.”

“That’s what I’m saying. When I think about it, his eyes and face looked a bit cold overall. You know, usually people smile when you greet them. But he always just had a sullen face and nodded his head slightly. I guess those kinds of personalities show on their faces.”

The office manager went on and on about Cha Joo-han’s appearances that he had encountered while working there for several years.

Including the story that reporters had caused a ruckus in front of his house because of some incident, and even the trivial story that Cha Joo-han had shared an ice cream with the office manager, who was walking in front of the officetel after coming back from the convenience store in the summer, the stories went on and on without a break.

‘So that’s how rumors spread.’

Jo Bong-joon, who was watching the scene, shook his head.

It didn’t seem like the office manager was lying much, but all the stories were mixed with his personal feelings.

Already three people have heard that story.

If those three people pass this story on to just a few more people, hundreds of people will know about it.

Wouldn’t there be omissions or distortions in that process?

Eventually, rumors will spread, and that will turn into gossip about that person.

“It looks like the reporters have mostly left?”

Choi Jong-hyun said, pointing to the CCTV screen that was playing in fast forward.

Around 9 a.m., the sight of people coming down from the floor where Cha Joo-han lived was no longer visible.

After that, the residents going up to the elevator to go to work were mainly captured.

“Oh, here. This person gets off on the 21st floor.”

At that moment, Jo Bong-joon pointed to the CCTV screen.

Then, the office manager paused the screen for a moment.

“Could you rewind it for a second?”

“Yes, yes.”

As the office manager rewound the screen a few seconds, the face of a man getting on the elevator was visible.

He was wearing a hat with a brim, a vest, and a shoulder bag.

At first glance, he looked like someone working in a profession such as a delivery driver or a moving company employee.

The man was wearing thick horn-rimmed glasses, and underneath his vest, he wore a training suit and jeans to cover his face.

He naturally pressed the 21st-floor button and only stared at the elevator display board without moving.

“It looks like there are letters on the back of that vest.”

“Sir, can you zoom in a little here?”

At his words, the office manager zoomed in on the screen a little more.

Because of that, the quality was a little blurry, but the letters on the vest became easier to identify.

[Hanseong Energy Service]

“It’s a gas meter reader.”

The office manager answered coolly.

“A gas meter reader?”

“Yes, Hanseong is the gas supplier for this officetel. Come to think of it, I think I received a call that a gas meter reader would be coming out that day.”

“Ah, yes.”

A common sight of a gas meter reader.

Usually, I know that middle-aged women do this job a lot, but there’s no law that says a young man can’t do it.

But it’s worth suspecting.

First, he wrote down the time the meter reader was captured on CCTV in his notebook and turned the screen to the next one.

“Oh, it’s Bong-joon.”

And a little later, about 15 minutes later, Jo Bong-joon’s appearance getting on the elevator was captured.

He was caught repeatedly pressing the phone button, holding it to his ear, pressing it again, and holding it to his ear.

“What are you doing in there, hyung [older brother or male friend]?”

Jo Bong-joon glanced at the office manager’s profile.

In fact, he kept calling Cha Joo-han while going to Cha Joo-han’s house that day.

But he couldn’t say that in front of the office manager, so he made an excuse.

“The client wasn’t answering the phone, so I kept calling to see if something had happened because of a stalker.”

And Jo Bong-joon soon got off on the 21st floor.

The CCTV screen did not stop.

Soon after, Jo Bong-joon got back on the elevator.

Not long after he got off on the first floor, and while the elevator continued to operate with other passengers, the gas meter reader was never captured on the screen again.

“That meter reader is suspicious, isn’t he?”

“Why the meter reader?”

“Ah, ah……. I was wondering if that meter reader was actually a stalker disguised as a meter reader. It’s a bit suspicious that he’s not seen on the elevator again.”

“Hey, no stalker would go that far. And if he was a stalker, he would have covered his face and taken the elevator back down. Originally, meter readers go to the top floor and walk down one floor at a time, making a round.”

The office manager waved his hand as if it didn’t make sense.

“These days, there are many cases of committing crimes by disguising themselves like that, sir.”

However, Kang Min-jae refuted the office manager’s words, as if he was not letting go of his suspicion.

“Hmm, are there any CCTVs in the hallway? I’m trying to check if he really went around one by one while coming down.”

“There aren’t any in the hallway, but there are in front of the elevator.”

The office manager soon changed the screen.

Then, the meter reader was seen entering the hallway after getting off on the 21st floor.

As a result of playing it in fast forward, the meter reader stayed on the 21st floor for about 30 minutes and then walked down to the 20th floor.

The screen confirmed on the 20th floor was the same.

After staying there for about 20 minutes, he went down to the 19th floor again, then to the 18th floor again, and so on, down to the 1st floor.

“See? He’s a real meter reader.”

“……Hmm.”

However, Kang Min-jae only hummed with a face that was still uneasy.

“Okay, I’ve seen it well, sir. Can I contact you if I need to see it again?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

After coming out of the management office, they bought ice cream and sat on a parasol in front of a convenience store located on the first floor of the officetel.

“Ha, what is it, really.”

“In terms of time, the meter reader is suspicious, but it seems like he’s not the one since he really walked down from the 21st floor to the 1st floor for 20 minutes each. The manager really said he got a call about the meter reading.”

“That’s right. Should I call Hanseong Energy and ask? If there was really such a person. And describe the appearance and ask if he is the meter reader in this area.”

“It would be great if we could get the CCTV, but judging from the manager’s reaction, he wouldn’t give it to us with this, right?”

Choi Jong-hyun slowly nodded and lit a cigarette, saying quietly.

“That bastard, he might have been mixed in with the reporters.”

“Mixed in with the reporters?”

“You have to go in after confirming that the reporters have disappeared. Knowing that the reporters gathered there at dawn, he might have gone there and pretended to be a reporter, protesting with them, and then went in after confirming that everyone was withdrawing.”

“That could have been the case, really.”

“Then should we go back and ask them to show us from earlier in the morning?”

“From the time the reporters gathered in front of Cha’s house?”

“That’s right. Check all the reporters who went in and out from that time and see if there are any people left at the end.”

“There wouldn’t have been just one or two reporters collapsed there, would we be able to check them all?”

“We have to. Rather, it’s easier if he was mixed in there. We can ask the reporters who were there about that person’s appearance.”

“That’s right. That might be easier.”

While Jo Bong-joon and Choi Jong-hyun were establishing a new plan, Kang Min-jae, who was sucking on a popsicle, jumped up.

“Ah, let’s rest for a bit before we go. I’m tired of looking at the screen until my eyes fall out.”

“No, there’s something I need to check.”

“Why, that gas meter reader?”

“There’s an easy way to check. I’ll go alone.”

“Let’s go together.”

“No. Please rest.”

Kang Min-jae ran back into the officetel.

He entered the password that Cha Joo-han had told him when he was drunk and out of his mind, entered the front door, and immediately pressed the 21st-floor button.

As soon as he got off on the 21st floor, he entered the hallway.

Cha Joo-han’s house was at the very end of the hallway on the right, but he went the other way.

And he rang the doorbell.

‘Hmm, it seems like no one is home in this house.’

After pressing it several times without a response, he rang the doorbell of the house next door.

[Who is it?]

A young man’s voice was heard from inside the intercom.

“I’m sorry, but I have something I’d like to ask you.”

[What is it?]

“I’m a lawyer. Can you spare me a moment?”

Kang Min-jae took out his lawyer identification card issued by the Bar Association from his wallet and held it up to the intercom camera.

Soon after, the door opened.

“What’s going on?”

The man, holding a white puppy in his arms, looked up at Kang Min-jae with messy hair.

“Ah, how cute. Actually, I’m doing some investigation because of a case.”

“Is it because of that incident where the reporters were camped out in the hallway?”

The man asked irritably.

But Kang Min-jae shook his head.

“That’s not it. It’s simple. Were you at home yesterday morning by any chance?”

“Yes.”

“Until when were you there?”

“I was there all night. I’m a person who works at night.”

“Ah, I see. Then were you awake at that time?”

“Around what time?”

“Around 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.”

He made a sound of ‘Hmm……’ as if trying to recall his memory, and soon answered clearly.

“Yes.”

“Then at that time, did a gas meter reader come out?”

“A gas meter reader?”

“Yes.”

There was a meter reading plan that day, and the office manager also said that the man was a meter reader.

In fact, his actions were the same as a meter reader.

But the only person who got on the elevator at that time was the meter reader, and Jo Bong-joon rang the doorbell of Cha Joo-han’s house immediately after that meter reader got off on the 21st floor.

Then, how can I not be suspicious?

As Choi Jong-hyun said, he might have been mixed in with the reporters and entered naturally, but that’s a problem to find out after checking this first.

“No? No one came?”