Juliet and the Nightingale
Der Märchenclub
Chapter 13
[Juliet and the Nightingale]
It was an awful sight.
Shin Dong’s dead body was hard to be recognized. Decaying smell made it painful to be near his burned body. His skin was exfoliated due to the fire that had long died and what remained known from his body was only his figure.
“Are you sure this is Shin Dong Hee?” Sungmin asked his subordinate as he averted his eye from the horrifying sight in that autopsy room.
His subordinate nodded briefly as he handed his young superior a map containing forensic report of the body.
Hongkong’s police had found Shindong’s body and through the South Korea – Hongkong’s pact, the Hongkong’s police squad returned the body back to Seoul. Shindong’s body was originally found in the Nim Wan area –one of Hongkong’s waste sumpster. It was a place unfitting for the death of the son of one of the richest men in South Korea. After investigation through the remaining of his belongings and the dental record, it was concluded that the body was indeed the body of Shin Dong Hee.
Sungmin stole a quick glance at Shindong’s body. The memory of the conversation (or rather, interrogation) he shared with some of the members of Der Märchenclub made its way back to his mind.
There was this stupid game played by the members of Der Märchenclub, a game to guess who was not a member of the riches’ society. A game where each of the members was obliged to protect their role and avoided such role to be guessed by the other.
“Shindong Hyung told us his role. He walked away, quitting the game.”
Lee Hyukjae and some others had testified that night after Seo Joo Hyun’s death. The consistency of their stories corroborated the information.
“Sir, we also find this near the body,” informed one of his subordinate as he showed Sungmin a plastic bag containing an object that had also been queerly floating on the pond where Seohyun’s body was found.
The white feather.
The conversation Sungmin shared with Lee Hyukjae resurfaced again.
“He said that his role was ‘the Ugly Duckling’.”
“The Ugly Duckling, eh?” Sungmin muttered to himself as he cast one last glance at the unrecognized, rotten body and walked outside the autopsy room.
Handling the case itself had been very frustrating, but to some point, Sungmin thought that the case itself was relatively easier than the task to be the responsible agent for these snobbish, arrogant, spoiled heir and heiress.
He did not want to tell them about Shindong, but apparently his superior, Jae Won, felt that all information should be disclosed to the members of Der Märchenclub. So that they could prepare themselves, Jae Won had told him. Sungmin sinisterly wondered what was there to prepare. Their deaths?
After he informed the members of the news about Shindong, as expected, he got bombarded with numerous verbal attacks. He sometimes did not understand how these ladies and gentlemen could be part of South Korea’s richest generation. Shouldn’t rich people like them have more manners? Some of them were calm enough to show their poise, but some other were not so. He had to admit he was disappointed.
It took him almost an hour (and another series of carbon-copied reassurance for the frantic heir and heiress) before he could finally sneak his way back to headquarter. Jae Won, his boss, was in Japan at the moment, but he had freed his schedule to have a teleconference with Sungmin. The younger police knew that he was late for the teleconference, but then again, he had all those nagging heirs at blame.
The screen on the teleconference room already displayed Jae Won’s image when Sungmin entered the vacant room. It was a good thing that he had capable staffs who knew how to respect privacy.
“Shin Dong Hee…” Jae Won began behind the screen. “It’s a terrible lost. What is the finding from the forensic division?”
Sungmin approached the speaker. “The cause of death is the fatal stab on his heart. He died approximately three days ago, but his dead body was burned around two days ago. It’s a neat murder, no evidences to track the killer can be found. Only the white feather, like a message from the killer.”
“Just like Seo Joo Hyun’s death.”
“Yes. I’ll send you the complete forensic data after.”
“Thanks. Oh, and I heard Jung Soo caused quite a stir to the members of that club?”
Sungmin nodded. “He warned them not to quit the game or something. He still refused to give any further information. As he was under tight surveillance during Shin Dong Hee’s murder, there is no possibility he was directly involved in it. However, the possibility of him being the accomplice of whoever does this series of crime is very huge.”
“How about the possible involvement of any member of that club?”
“We’ve secretly watched over them. None made suspicious movements. Except for Im Yoona, whose whereabout is still unknown,” explained Sungmin. “Some members assumed that she might be involved in the crime.”
“Possible. But her being victimized could also be a possibility.”
“I agree.”
Jae Won huf
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