Chapter 11. Killer & Victim.

“Checking on my work again, Kim Taeyeon?”

The person Taeyeon's calling is clearly not in the mood at the moment. Not like it's a surprise to Taeyeon for the senior detective is well-known for his constant foul-mood.

“Senior Yang, please tell me that Jiyong is still in the apartment.”

“He is not.”

“What?”

“Joking. He's at his apartment, probably humping his pretty friend that just got in.” Yang Hyunsuk yawns from the other end of the line. “Heard you finally caught the real killer. When will me and my team get discharged, your honor?”

Taeyeon chooses to ignore the obvious mockery, promising the senior detective that she and her own team will come to take his place soon.

“How soon is your soon?” Hyunsuk, just like he always does, sounds irritated. “JB and I are longing to bed some women too. We haven't even celebrated our latest triumph, heard that we'll be given medals by the president himself. Pretty neat, huh?”

“Congratulations, Senior. Me and my team will arrive in thirty minutes.”

“He came here from the precinct, hasn't left ever since.” JB fills Taeyeon in as she comes to the apartment exactly thirty minutes later. “Samuel is on guard on the corridor when a few hours ago a woman came knocking the  door of apartment 903, Kwon Jiyong greeted her and let her in, that's all.”

“Not just a woman.” Yang Hyunsuk slaps the back of JB's head after throwing his cigarette to the ground. “You should pay attention to details, JB.”

“I'm sorry, hyung.” JB scratches his head, opening his note. “Samuel said that the girl is so pretty, like a hallyu star, and they hugged. Yes. They hugged before he let her in.”

“Why do we still need to tail this guy, anyway? I thought you have caught the real killer.”

“Huh?” Taeyeon focuses back on Hyunsuk after drifting away at the thought of Jiyong hugging another woman. Barely a day after coming out of a jail and Kwon Jiyong is already getting comfy with a woman? “Come again, senior?”

“I asked why we have to keep an eye on this guy, we have the suspect in detainment, haven't we?”

“Yes.” Nodding, Taeyeon throw a look at the apartment behind her. On the ninth floor, the light in Jiyong's apartment is still on. She wonders who is the woman who keeps him company right now. She wonders about the truth behind the case, the truth about her feeling toward him, about a lot of thing.

“Yes. We've caught the suspect but we're taking cautions here. Until I'm sure that Jin Goo is working alone there will always be at least two officers undercover around Jiyong.”

“Good call.” Hyunsuk lights another cigarette, inhaling all the poison in before puffing the smoke right to Taeyeon's face. “We're off duty then?”

“Yes, senior.” Taeyeon bows a little, holding in a coughing fit. “Thank you so much.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” Hyunsuk exhales another set of smoke. “Let's go, JB. Call our man out.”

Taeyeon briefs the officers who's supposed to keep an eye on Jiyong before she gets into elevator. The door to her apartment now has a police line across it. She simply makes her way under the yellow ban after unlocking the door.

It looks like a mess, her apartment. apparently the detectives from Seoul Police Agency has searched the whole premise, her room excluded, followed by the crime scene unit from NPA. Jiwon's room is still dark but Taeyeon walks for it anyway. She stops under the treshold, thinking about the happy-go-lucky girl she has shared the apartement for the last three years.

Taeyeon sighs. It might take a while but all evidences will be processed and eventually they will find Jiwon.

Or so she hopes.

Taking off her blazer before entering her room, Taeyeon stops by her bed. Nothing is changed but she knows the crime scene unit probably searched her bedroom too.

She cares not. Every muscle group in her body screams of exhaustion. Her heart screams of frustration and she mentally kicks herself for not being able to find a way around this dead end.

Jiwon comes to her mind, along with a pang of regret that bites deep inside. Three years of friendship and only now Taeyeon realizes that they never really shared a story about their respective past.

Jiwon had always been so lively, so fun, Taeyeon was completely unaware of her traumatized past. And now Jiwon is dead. Dead in the hand of someone that Taeyeon could have stopped had she worked faster.

To make it worst, Taeyeon can't even find Jiwon's body. Can't even give her a proper funeral.

Kicking her boots off and away, Taeyeon buries her face into the pillows. As her eyes closed, the image of Jiyong comes alive. Taeyeon shakes her head.

She will force Jiyong to talk. She will bring Jiwon into the equation and maybe he will finally open up. Tomorrow, once she's well-rested and the girl who's visiting Jiyong go away.

Taeyeon is nearly fall asleep but her brain is whirling. The image of Jin Goo with Jiwon's rusty box in his hands come to her mind. Then the old picture of the kids she obtained from the foster home. All the information regarding the investigation bubbles up in her subconscious mind and then something clicks in.

Sitting up straight on her bed, Taeyeon rubs her eyes, weighing the possibility that has just crossed her mind.

It can't be.

Grabbing her weapon and her badge from the bedside table, she searches for her boots then comes out of her bedroom. Taeyeon wastes no time, checking her gun while calling the undercover officers in.

“What's happening, Detective?” Barely five minutes later, Jeno,one of the officers, stands beside his friend just outside her door.

“Follow me.” She ties her hair into a bun then points at Jiyong's door. “Taeil, cover us.”

Taeil takes position behind the pot of Diffenbachia by the elevator while Taeyeon moves for Jiyong's door. She signals Jeno to get his gun ready and move to the side. Hiding her gun, Taeyeon knocks the door.

Jiyong doesn't open immediately.

She tries again. One time. Two time. Three time.

“Hey.” Jiyong opens the door right when Taeyeon is about to break in.

“Hey.” Taeyeon grimaces, trying to see inside but Jiyong only let a few inches of the door open. The view is blocked by his lanky body. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Just want to tell you that we've caught the killer.” Jiyong's distracted look, messy hair, and sweat stained shirt makes Taeyeon feels uncomfortable but she proceeds anyway.

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