Chapter 17

The Curse of the Mansion

 To make new friends was relatively easy for Hyesung since he was rather the outgoing type.

Hyesung had forgotten how he befriended Jihoon hyung, when was it and under what circumstance that they met each other, Hyesung had no recollection. It was not one would remember what they had for their 3 meals which was natural. No one would bother to recall unless one suffered from food poisoning.

Hyesung felt akin to a food poisoned victim. It was not that he was feeling weak, breaking out in cold sweat, feeling disgusting and nauseous etc. It was due to the photos which was on the wall and inserted in the old diary book. Those things were making him fearful and forcing Hyesung to recall their first encounter.

Inside the car, Hyesung did not pay attention to Dongwan who was driving. It was silent throughout the journey and Hyesung was looking out of the car window, unfocused at the streets and lights. The car made a turn and came into an underground car park of a building.

"What are we going to do next?" Hyesung assumed that if not for him discovering Jihoon hyung's body, called the Police; he would never had know that Jihoon hyung was in love with him.

"Think of the password." While speaking, Dongwan parked the car into the parking lot.

"Password?" Hyesung saw Dongwan alighting after he parked the car. However, Dongwan did not show any intention of waiting for Hyesung. Hyesung quickly unbuckled the seat belt and alighted the car, trying to catch up with Dongwan.

"Yes, we are going to crack the password next. Do you recall me saying that I found Dr Jihoon's laptop at his place?" Dongwan was walking at a fast pace and Hyesung was trying to keep up with him.

"Have you tried numbers such as birth dates, mobile phone numbers, personal identification numbers or his wife's details?"

"Huh his wife?" Dongwan snorted and chuckled," Didn't you read Dr Jihoon's diary earlier? In his diary, it was indicated that he was sort of being deceived and married his wife against his will. After the marriage, Dr Jihoon could not stand his wife's paranoid character and her persistent in knowing his whereabouts. And to the extent of unable to breath when he was around her. For a man who hated his wife, do you think that he will set the password to be related to his wife?"

Hyesung admitted that he had said the wrong thing but he hated Dongwan's smirk. "Forget what I just said. What about you? What do you think would be the password?"

Dongwan gazed at Hyesung," We will talk about this later." Dongwan quicken his pace and soon, both of them stepped in front of a lift. When the door opened, Dongwan moved in and he pressed a button after Hyesung stepped inside. The lift started ascending.

"Er..." Dongwan broke the silence," I hope that you be mentally prepared."

"For?" Hyesung hated to be controlled by Dongwan which was currently so.

Dongwan knew that it was abrupt and rude for his actions but it could not be avoided if he wanted to nab the culprit before the next victim appeared. "Later on, you will be meeting the forensic officer and Dr Jihoon's wife."

"Jihoon hyung's wife? I thought that she was dead?" Hyesung looked confused.

"I am referring to her corpse." Dongwan clarified.

"Corpse!" This evil man ( Hyesung was cursing Dongwan in his mind ) "You are bringing me to see her corpse!" If look could kill, Hyesung was doing it now.

The lift door opened and Dongwan led the way, not bothering with the deadly glance from Hyesung. " That's right. You may think that I am disgusting. But to the victims, they will be grateful to you if your assistance could help to solve the cases."

"I do not need anyone's gratitude." Hyesung wanted to scream and hurled vulgarities at Dongwan but he remained quiet after recalling Jihoon hyung's death scene. "I only wish that you can arrest the murderer so that there would not be any victim."

Dongwan stopped and looked at Hyesung," Can you wait here for a while. I am going to ask Minwoo for a face mask for you to wear. If you can't take it, I will not force you to stay throughout and you can leave anytime. And wait for me outside."

Hyesung nodded. It was rare for him that Dongwan was being considerate and Hyesung did not say anything.

"I can manage that. I had seen badly injured bodies before when I was an intern at the hospital. Maybe corpse is different from live body and...."

"Dongwan, you came. Finally. Come in quickly, Professor Yoon and I made a new discovery." The door flung open and interrupted the conversation between Dongwan and Hyesung. Minwoo walked rapidly to Dongwan and grabbed his elbow to go inside," Er, who is this?"

Minwoo saw a stranger with Dongwan.

"He is Dr Shin Hyesung." Dongwan rubbed his temple. After working for more than 20 hours, he was feeling a bit lethargic," This is Dr Lee Minwoo, a famed and senior Forensic officer though he did not look that old."

"Dongwan, do not embarass me here!" Minwoo shot a nasty look at Dongwsn before he extended his hand to Hyesung."Hi, I am Minwoo."

"Hi, you can call me Hyesung." Hyesung shook Minwoo's hand.

Dongwan watched their awkward introduction and rolled his eyes," Minwoo, you were screaming loud earlier that you had a new discovery. What is it?"

The moment Dongwan reminded him of new discovery, Minwoo realized that he left Professor Yoon alone in the mortuary room. Minwoo smacked his forehead, "Quick, follow me...."

Minwoo turned and inspected Dongwan and Hyesung before running to a closet and took out two gowns.

"Wear this and I will explain further when we get inside."

Watching the corpse on the cold autopsy table, Hyesung thought that he might vomit out. Luckily, he did not. Now, Hyesung saw that beside Dongwan and Minwoo, there was someone else inside as well. Hyesung deduced that he must be Professor Yoon, the famous academic who specialized in insect research.

Professor Yoon was not that tall and he wore a thick pair of glasses. Judging by his unkempt appearance, he was probably very focused in his research.

"The insect did not hatch out." Profesdor Yoon took a pincher and showed the whitish object on it. "I believed the Snow worm died inside the pupae case."

"A still born case?" Dongwan asked abruptly but he changed when he realized that he spoke wrongly," A dead larvae?"

Professor Yoon raised his head and glared at Dongwan," Young man, have you read the material that I pass to you previously? Saying it was a dead foetus was okay too. "

Dongwan rubbed the back of his neck, " I glimpsed through but it was more on the culture and history of a monitory tribe which was not much of help to the cases. I just...."

Dongwan did not continue further after seeing the fierce look from Professor Yoon.

Seeing the sticky situation, Minwoo came to lift the mood," Yoon, let us talk about the dead larvae here. When you mention about dead foetus, I recall something."

"What?" This distracted Professor Yoon's attention on Minwoo.

"The first 3 bodies were disposed in a river and judging on the bloatedness, they could have been dead for days before disposing off. The motive of why the culprit did so could not be established. However, this fourth body was discovered within 24 hours of her death. Going by the usual mode, this body should not be dispose so fast unless the murderer knew that the insect in her eye ball was dead larvae. Hence, the culprit disposed the body so quickly. If my assumption can stand, it would mean that the culprit was waiting for the insect in the eye ball to be hatched."

Minwoo returned to the autopsy table and locked his gaze on the corpse, specifically at the left eye socket. Half of the eye ball was pushed out.

"So, once the murderer discovered that this was a dead larvae and he disposed off the body immediately." Dongwan was convinced of Minwoo's assumption. When the first 3 bodies were discovered, they had been dead for a couple of days. Apart from being soaked in water which caused the bodies to bloat thus causing difficulties to ascertain their identities. This was the only difference in the death between the 3 bodies and Dr Jihoon's wife.

"I am appalled that there is someone who is more passionate than me in insect research." Professor Yoon sighed. His unintentional comment was like a bomb which blasted the 3 other to stare at Professor Yoon.

"So... That..." Hyesung was the first to break the silent," Based on what you 3 had said, I am assuming that the murderer is someone who is obsessed with the research on Snow worm or more likely to be the breeder?"

Hyesung could not believe that the breeder of Silkworm used human as breeding ground and food for the worms to hatch!

The 3 men nodded at Hyesung.

Hyesung coughed slightly. "Well now we are very certain that the murderer is so obsess with breeding of Snow worm to the extent of craziness. We can easily find out the identity if the murder by tracing the Snow worm?"

After Hyesung made his comment, there was no applause but only total silent. The 3 men and 3 pairs of eyes focused on Hyesung with different expressions.

Professor Yoon spoke first," You Er...young man...." Professor Yoon did not know how to address Hyesung," What you just mentioned, we had thought about it. The problem is that no one know how Snow worm looked like after they hatched."

"What! No one knew what it looked like after hatched?" Hyesung exclaimed and at the moment, he felt he was striked by lightning and stood still, holding his breathe.

"For this, I asked my old friend Yoon here and it appeared that even at the place of origin of the Snow worm, very few had seen it. No one know exactly how it looks like and he could only figured out based on some legend or myth but no one can be sure." Minwoo interrupted.

"So it mean that at the moment, no one saw how the bloody hell Snow worm look like?" Hyesung scowled, looking at Minwoo and at Peofessor Yoon.

No one continued or responded to Hyesung because it was a fact.

"Please, it is not something bloody hell. The larvae of Snow worm was known and seen by some people but the hatched Snow worm...." Professor Yon started explaining that certain adult insect looked very different when they were larvae stage. So for those who seen the larvae, no one could be sure how the adult looked like.

"Aishi. We can't start using the leads of tracing the hatched Snow worm. But from Dr Jihoon's wife and the dead larvae found, the murderer will strike again because the murderer wanted to breed the Snow worm." Minwoo pointed out the important part.

Dongwan sighed as Minwoo spoke what was on his mind," But why the victims are all female? Snow worm can only hatch from women? If so, how do we explain Dr Jihoon's death?"

"Er that..." Professor coughed again," Young man, you definitely did not read the material I pass to you."

Dongwan was pissed off when he was ticked off by Professor Yoon again. He glared up," Professor Yoon, just come straight to the point already! I had been an investigator for years and this case is the weirdest that I had came across!"

"You just do not want to acknowledge that Voodoo exists." 

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Nic_2007 #1
Chapter 41: Such a very good mystery story, I was hooked from the beginning and enjoyed to the end! Keep it up! ^^
Pou_XoXo #2
Chapter 41: Great story ! I mean, this mysterious concept makes me feel the thrill of knowing what will happen to next chapter every time you updated. Plus, the couples involved make it more interesting. Nice ending btw :)
esluve #3
Chapter 41: Its end???....love this story so much thanks authornim I ll miss this story...:'( :'( :'(
lunanegra #4
Chapter 41: Aahhh, i wanna know how hyesung knows.. have you provided hint(s) on previous chapter(s). Sorry, i'm too lazy to think... >_<
Thank you for writing this twisted, full of mysteris fic.. can't wait to read another fic from you..
eflvoegyu #5
Chapter 41: Eventhough it's a pity that "Eric" died, but at least it's a happy ending!
Omg... Your story really great... I love it T.T
Thumbs up for you and your story !!!
feelgyo #6
Chapter 40: Oh no! Curiosity killed the cat, Syungie. D:
Be careful!
I'm torn between liking 'Eric' or hating 'Eric'.....OTL
ShinPM98
#7
Chapter 40: So Eric has twin brother...oh this is still shocking meㅠㅠㅠㅠ idk how to react....should i mad or not to eric? He killed junghoon though but why he looks pity for me? LOL
Anyway thanks for the update unnie! :)
esluve #8
Chapter 40: Hhoho...... eric ......hyesung ahh be careful u sld hv tell dongwan what u r up to.... omg