It was cold and it was not going to get warmer any soon.  The winter took forever and the spring decided to wait.  There was no sign for green.  There was not sign for flower buds.  The trees were bald and the weather was gloomy.  Gloomy April was never good.  It was a bad sign, at least, for him.

                It was the first time in his life as an attorney, a defendant wanted to plead guilty, when his lawyer clearly wanted to fight for him.  Attorney usually recommended a plea bargain to defendant, to reduce the charge on him, even though sometimes the defendant was not guilty.  In Jonghyun’s case right now, all the evidence strongly pointed towards his client as the murderer, but with his so-called lawyer intuition he knew his client was not guilty.  He offered to help him, to fight for his case, to find evidences that confirm his innocence, but Seunghyun insisted to plead guilty.  What on Earth is happening?  A client was ready to be convicted with freaking murder charge without trial?

                “How do you know he is not guilty?” Sooyoung asked.  Sooyoung was his private investigator.  She had worked with him for many years and because of her, Jonghyun had never lost his cases.

                “I just know it, okay!” he raised his voice.  He did not like people questioning his verdict.

                “Chill.  You will wake your son up,” Sooyoung reminded him.

                Jonghyun stopped pacing around when he remembered his son.  He sat down on his leather chair, facing Sooyoung.  They were in his mini office in his home, talking about this case since the evening they got back from the jail.  The prosecutor offered a plea bargain in which Seunghyun had to admit guilty and they will reduce the charge on the reason of mental illness.  But, Jonghyun knew by heart that Seunghyun was not guilty, not at all.  He was not a psycho killer, not even near.

                “They offer to reduce the charge, Jonghyun.  It is a good deal,” Sooyoung voiced again.

                “And what?  He will end up in a mental hospital without being crazy?” Jonghyun asked back.

                “How do you know he is not crazy?  He spoke to an imaginary buddy named Minnie who asked him to kill.  Is he not a psycho to you?” Sooyoung asked.

                “The way he spoke to Minnie is different.  Not in a killer-mode, not like that at all,” Jonghyun softened his glare.  He sighed.

                “In what mode then?”

                “The tone he used was like the tone I used when I speak to my wife,” Jonghyun said and Sooyoung froze.

+++++

                Yoseob was called to the county jail by his friend, an attorney who was currently working with a psycho killer.  The prosecutor had their own psychiatrist examined Jonghyun’s client, and the result confirmed him to be schizophrenic.  When a psychiatrist had already confirmed that, Yoseob felt ridiculous for Jonghyun to ask him to confirm again.

                “I don’t think it is schizophrenia.  Just examine him again,” Jonghyun begged.

                “You wanted me to be in a room with a murderer.  How good is that?  Jonghyun, as your friend, I will always support you in whatever you do.  But, not this, when someone is confirmed a psycho by a professional psychiatrist.  Besides, it can reduce his charge for being mentally ill,” Yoseob tried to be reasonable.

                “That’s the problem.  I don’t think my client kills.  He is not harmful.  I was with him yesterday and he was not at all furious or out of control.  He looked like he could fall apart any time.  He looked tearful and distracted and he tried to communicate with Minnie,” Jonghyun explained.

                “Yes?  So, unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy.  He’s schizophrenic.  And you said he doesn’t kill?  He murdered his own sister and son.  I would call you a psycho if you kill your own son as well,” Yoseob went.  At the mention of his son, Jonghyun froze.  The thought of killing his own son will never cross his mind.  His son was the only one he got.

                “I just think it could be a scheme plotted by the prosecutor to win the case.  They made the plea bargain, my client admit guilty, end of case.  But, I know by heart he is not guilty.  The story that he killed his own sister and son is something that people believe, that the prosecutor believe and try to make more people believe it.  But, not me, Yoseob.  Just help me with this one,” Jonghyun begged.  Yoseob sighed.

                “Alright, I do this as a court procedure, that you could have a witness from your side.  But, I am going to be honest.  If he came out a psycho, you have to let him plead guilty,” Yoseob said.

                “Thanks, buddy.  Thanks a lot,” Jonghyun smiled.

+++++

                After an hour, Yoseob came out with a satisfying result for Jonghyun.  For the first time after he was given the case, Jonghyun could feel some hope on his case.  It was almost the same like the first spring flower blooms.

                “You are right, Jonghyun.  I think he is mentally stable.  But, he looks broken, like he no longer wants to live.  It is like getting a death sentence is a way for him to escape his life,” Yoseob explains.

                “Just like my thought,” Jonghyun nodded.

                “Find a way to confirm his innocence, Jonghyun.  Just like you, I think he doesn’t kill.  He’s a doctor.  If he wants to kill, he would have done it earlier,” Yoseob said.  Jonghyun nodded again.

                Before they could walk out of the jail, his phone rang.  Jonghyun quickly answered the call when he saw Sooyoung as the caller.

                “I have good news,” he said quickly.

                “Me too.  I got a search warrant and I went to Seunghyun’s house.  I checked his Polaroid album.  Jonghyun, Minnie was his wife,” Jonghyun heard Sooyoung clearly.  He looked at Yoseob and gave him a sign to follow him.

                “I’ll be there soon,” Jonghyun said.

+++++

                “No wonder his wife left him.  He is a murderer,” a neighbour said and Jonghyun could just thank her for the information.

                “That’s the fifth one that said she left him,” Sooyoung said.

                “Even so, nobody had seen her leaving right?” Jonghyun said.

                “What are you trying to say?” Sooyoung asked.

                “His wife might be dead,” Jonghyun voiced his thought.

                “Where’s the body then?” Sooyoung asked again.

                “Hidden,” Jonghyun shrugged.

                “Not helping you though.  If the body was found, prosecutor could say that it was him murdering his own wife.  Make him more psycho to me,” Sooyoung suggested.

                “Impossible.  Seunghyun said Minnie asked him to kill his sister.  Maybe his wife is seeking revenge,” Jonghyun said.

                “Whoa.  Whoa.  Mr. Kim, are you implying that he spoke to the spirit of his wife?” Yoseob cut through their conversation.  Jonghyun looked at him.

                “Yes, Mr. Yang,” Jonghyun nodded confidently.

                “I am a person of science.  If you are saying this supernatural stuff, I’m out of this.  I don’t believe in this stuff.  Besides, the court won’t accept this stuff as evidence,” Yoseob raised both his hands.

                “We’ll find evidence through this.  Maybe we could find a way to talk to his wife,” Jonghyun looked at Sooyoung.

                “I have to say that you are the one mentally ill, Jonghyun.  Not your client,” Yoseob shook his head in disbelief.

+++++

                “She is my friend.  The best I could find,” Sooyoung said.

                They