Act One
Behind the ExodeuxAct One
“Detective Kim”
Two young men greet him, one with a gummy smile and the other with baby smile. Jongdae sighed and bended down to them, shows his respect as muttering to himself ‘not them again’. The trio police officers are the worst in the field, but two of them are certainly older than him. He wonders where the last member is though.
“Good morning Officer Lee” Jongdae said as both of them share the same surname
The one who has gummy smile is Lee Hyukjae, often calling himself as Eunhyuk, while the other with baby smile is Lee Donghae. However, both of them sharing the opposite reaction of Jongdae. Eunhyuk smiled happily, seems too excited to work with the young and promising detective. Donghae immediately open the car door for him.
“Happy to see you around!” shouted Eunhyuk
“Let’s go, Eunhyuk you drive. Last time I drive” Donghae added
“Me? But- it should be Kyungsoo! Why me?” at that, Eunhyuk protested
“But Kyungsoo is not here, you can see. Let’s go! Our Detective is waiting for us” Donghae asked as he pushed Jongdae to the back seat and he took the front seat beside the driver
“Fine. But you drive at the way back!” Eunhyuk frowned but took the key instead
As they are both in their own world, Jongdae took the paper flies, studying the murder case. Frowning is visible on his face. He finally speaks.
“Is this the same serial murder Detective Choi has been working on?” he muttered to the two police
Donghae is the one who nodded as Eunhyuk is concerned at the steer “Yes” he nodded “But you got the call from him. Detective Choi is out of country. So, you need to take the case then report it to him. You can’t take your friend’s case you know”
“What a job” Jongdae shook his head, but still studying the case though
The serial murder has the same similarity. The blood always came right out of the heart as if something long and sharp stabbed the victim till bleeding. Assuming the weapon is something long and sharp. However, the cause of death is poison though. Weirdly, the dead bodies always founded when rain poured heavily.
It might be the forecast, winter is near.
Jongdae noted to himself as he circles the word ‘rain’ on his paper.
He still reads the papers when Eunhyuk suddenly hit the brake and shouted.
“That little kid!” Eunhyuk shouted, pointed at the fast sedan passing them “Isn’t it Kyungsoo’s car? Why he is headed opposite?”
“Kyungsoo?” Jongdae popped out his head as Donghae already took out his phone and make a call
“He didn’t answer my call!”
“I know it! He deliberately took the day off!” Eunhyuk protested
“Should I call him again?” Donghae asked innocently
Eunhyuk nodded as he yelled in anger “Of course you should! How dare he? He shouldn’t take the day off, not when we, the hyung, are not! Yah! Call him, call him!”
But then Jongdae rolled his eyes, and cleared his throat soundly “Excuse me, shouldn’t we just go to the crime scene as soon as possible?”
At the question asked, both of them seem realizes how childish they are. Eunhyuk, with reddened face nodded as he started to drive again. However, Donghae isn’t giving up. While Jongdae is examining the card that is founded on top of the dead body, Donghae suddenly yelled, earned a very confused look from the two.
“I know it! He isn’t in his house. Remember that time when we put tracking device on his car? It is weird. Why did he go to the club?”
“J-just call him” Eunhyuk asked, glanced at Jongdae from the rear mirror, afraid the other would report their incompetent to the superior
But Jongdae wouldn’t even care a bit. Ever since Donghae explained his situation, the Detective has already put his eyes in front of the papers, at the card he used to see a lot in the news. The ‘X’ card is placed on the dead body. It is a mark that the case is indeed done by the same serial killer. It is called ‘X Murder Case’ because the ‘X Card’ always put on the dead body.
Jongdae didn’t like it. The head police once asked him to be a part of the investigate team, but he denied it. Not like he could, thanks to his young age, even the police started to question Head Police’s capability once he pointed Jongdae.
Moreover, he didn’t like the Head Police. There is something on Head Police Kim’s that he dislikes, something that couldn’t be explained. He just hates to be near the Head Police. The topic, even though, reminded him that he has an appointment with him later.
He let out a deep sigh as Donghae, once again, yelled at the phone.
“Yah, where are you? There is murder case that needs to be solved! Don’t lie to me, wait, I will turn on the speaker. Don’t lie to your hyung, we had ten years of experience you know-“ as he said that, he really the speaker, Jongdae furrowed his eyebrows as he clearly could hear how hoarse Kyungsoo’s voice is
“Hyung- I couldn’t come to work. I am sorry, I think I have a fever” Kyungsoo said with incredibly hoarse voice that Jongdae started to feel bad about it
“You think you have a fever?” there is a doubt in Eunhyuk’s voice that is clearly visible so he added “Don’t lie to us” Eunhyuk yelled behind his steer “I could hear loud music there. You are not even home. We saw you-“
Donghae grinned “You head to the club, don’t you? Yah, there is Detective Kim here-“ another cough from Kyungsoo when Donghae continued “Kim Jongdae, I tell ya, we won a big case. Come to crime scene, it is just few kilometers from your place. I send you the address”
Is there any club opening at morning? Jongdae thought to himself.
There is a moment of silence before Kyungsoo answered a faint “Okay” after Eunhyuk yelled would report him and the call is done
Jongdae comeback to his seat, resting his back on the seat as he knows they are near.
The drive is quite long, and noisy.
Jongdae can’t believe how people could work with the two polices. At least he isn’t Kyungsoo. He started to feel bad towards the other.
“We are here” Eunhyuk said, then pointed at the short man in the scene “See, Kyungsoo is also here. He is not as sick as he said. How come he came faster than us?”
Donghae on the other hand, frowning “But, what if he really is sick?”
“Well-“ Eunhyuk started
But Jongdae has enough with the blabbering. He opens the door and leaves them in the car. He walks to the crime scene and went through the police line. The young police boy already there, with his police attire and a thick jacket, a report on his hand-
-and a terribly runny nose.
“Goo-Good morning, sir!” Kyungsoo greeted hoarsely
“You should just go home. Don’t listen to them” Jongdae sighs, patted the boy as he looked down, noticed the man has been limped, probably because of his fever
That is when Eunhyuk and Donghae came and checked on Kyungsoo. They saw how bad Kyungsoo is and started to feel bad. Soon, they are offering themselves to drive him home. They would do all the jobs. However, Jongdae didn’t say anything. His eyes are focused on the blood on Kyungsoo’s shoes then his wet hand and wet pocket pants.
Jongdae immediately took out his hot packs and gave it to Kyungsoo “Here” he said
But Kyungsoo lifted his hands “N-no need sir, I- I will take care of myself”
Eunhyuk made a weird voice and took the hot packs, gave it to Donghae who force Kyungsoo to wear it “So generous! Thank you, sir! You should thank him too, hurry!” Eunhyuk shouted, forced Kyungsoo to bow down
There.
As Kyungsoo bows down, he peeped inside the thick jacket that slightly open because Donghae force him to use the hot packs. Jongdae saw clearly that Kyungsoo’s sleeves are wet, and dots of red blood could be seen there. He frowned.
“How did you get sick? Did you go out yesterday night? I heard the rain is quite heavy” Jongdae asked, walking to the crime scene with three of the polices following him behind
He squatted to check the blood trace on the crime scene which is erased by the rain. Jongdae sighed. Now, looked at the evidences Eunhyuk just gave to him. He examined the card when Kyungsoo answered the question.
“Yes it is. But I sleep all day. I was sick since yesterday morning. I didn’t know there is rain”
“You sleep all day?” Jongdae asked, chuckled a bit as he lifted the card to see it through the sunrise “Is there anyone accompany you? You should call Donghae hyung or Eunhyuk hyung”
“No, sir. I am all alone. I could take care of myself”
Jongdae turned around and lifted the photo of the alleys behind Kyungsoo as if he saw the photo but truthfully he saw how a big liar Kyungsoo is. The boy didn’t flatter a bit. Even his eyes are focus on Jongdae’s. It seems more suspicious. They are both staring at each other before Jongdae noticed someone is not police is here.
He approached Eunhyuk and asked “Who is she?”
A girl is around twenty years old, is clearly a college student stood beside him. She is tall, with straight long hair covered by a red bucket hat that is matched with her red lips. She must be an artist, or at least, someone famous in her college.
“The name is Joy. The girl is the witness”
“Witness?” Jongdae asked again “Joy, are you?” he made sure
“Yes I am, uhh, sir?” the girl named Joy said, she looks a bit uncomfortable with the police all over the place
“Alright then, so are you the one who call the police?” Jongdae asked
The girl nodded, she said “It is around 4 or 5 in the morning, I don’t really quite remember. I found that guy-“ she pointed at the crime scene where the body has been removed “-is being stabbed by someone short-“
“W-wait a minute, you saw the killer?” Jongdae widened his eyes as the girl nodded
She continued “He is short” Jongdae immediately took out his pen and wrote it on his note then Joy added “I scream really loudl
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