Crime Scene Revisited

"You can't catch up, you know."

"Eh?"

"Your scars, if you want to match his, you have a lot of catching up to do," said  Dalseo.

"Dalseo-ahjussi..." So-Mi smiled in changrin.

As it turned out, the bullet just grazed her skin by the shoulder.

But unlike her previous knife wound, this graze was deep enough to require stitches.

Tae-sik too was earlier attended by another paramedic to patch his lighter but multiple knife wounds.

The deepest being the one above his waist.

Also warranted stitches.

"You sure gave us a scare, child," he ruffled her hair. "Don't ever do that again."

"Neh, Dalseo-ahjussi."

"At least we know who's behind all this, now."

"Neh," So-Mi answered, albeit sadly.

"We're sorry we did not suspect him sooner, girl."

"None of us did, Dalseo-ahjussi. Don't feel bad about it."

Dalseo observed from his position beside her.

"But instead of relieved, you look sad? Wei?"

"I don't know, really," she looked up at him and then stare off into space. "Maybe it's because he did believe he was doing a good thing. And in a way, I do see his point. So, yes, it is kind of sad that he had to die that way."

Lee passed away, killed by that single shot to his heart.

With the same gun Tae-sik brought with him.

The one Lee had kicked towards the book shelves.

By an unknown assailant.

"Well, I for one is very happy you are safe, even with that new wound."

"Both she and Cha Tae-sik-ssi have to go for proper check up at the hospital tomorrow," the paramedic interjected. "And don't forget to take the antibiotics tonight."

"Neh, thank you," So-Mi nodded at the emergency attendant, as the latter went about with her packing.

She turned her attention back to Dalseo.

"Will Ahjussi be ok?"

"Ok? Why won't he be ok?"

"What about the people he shot? The gun was illegal, wasn’t it?"

"Gun? What gun? The police didn’t find any guns, apart from what Lee and his men used."

And like before, Dalseo stared her down, communicating with her without words.

And she understood.

That the police was letting her Ahjussi off the hook.

Albeit illegally too, on their part.

But yet, both So-Mi and Dalseo smiled softly.

"Ok then, I'll just go join Tae-sik and Chi-gon," Dalseo said. "I'll come visit tomorrow, ok."

She got up from her seating position and gave her self-appointed guardian a warm hug.

"Thanks, Dalseo-ahjussi. See you then."

-----

"We lost the shooter. Apparently from the angle how Lee and the other henchman were shot, the guy was hiding behind the shelves at the darken part of the room. Possibly hiding from the time Lee arrived with So-Mi."

"Another clan member? Why shoot your own clansman?" Tae-sik frowned in question. "And he obviously knew Lee's intention of holding So-Mi there."

"Dunno," Chi-gon answered. "Perhaps scared Lee was already on the loosing side, and would be caught and tell on them."

"Yeah, but Lee was already firing shots and could have easily killed So-Mi and I," said Tae-sik, inwardly shuddering, thinking of what could  have been.

"I checked him," Dalseo said, puzzled and guilty that his background check on Lee previously was not accurate. "He was clean."

"Once we saw his picture in So-Mi's CCTV recording, we went straight to his place. He still maintained his Thai identity," Kim explained, trying to placate his friend, "and the records we found were under that name, amongst other identities he went by. He travelled quite a bit too."

"His other life," Tae-sik said.

"Yup. And his real records showed he was really five years younger than his police ID suggested. He's only 24, really. Only two years older than So-Mi," Kim continued.

"Meaning he was still a kid when his brother died," Tae-sik said thoughtfully.

"And vulnerable... ripe for dear Noona's brainwashing," Dalseo snorted. "What about the Noona? Found any connections? I'm sure she's the mastermind behind all this."

"None yet," Kim shook his head. "Lee was put through school and university by various orphanages. Moved from one to another at least three times from the age of 14 to 19. With no apparent reason. He was a model student and the orphanages were all legitimate ones."

"Do they still exist? The orphanages? Did you talk to them?" Tae-sik asked.

"Very briefly since it's night time and all. We'll probably talk to each one of the again. But for now, they all seem to be tight lipped and tend to give the same standard answer. I suspect they are all recipient of that 'Robin Hood' funding too. But we'll know more about them when we visit them tomorrow."

"Any possible connection to Oh Myung-gyu's daughter?" Tae-sik asked again.

"Nope, she was reported dead six years ago, at the age of 31. With drugs in the system and body found with 90% burns. Suicide note on the side."

"But then again," Tae-sik replied. "It could just be a cover up, since I bet the body was beyond recognition."

"You may be right,  Tae-sik, but then again, the DNA matched her father's."

"That can be rigged, and remember Lee used to say about spending his holidays with his Noona," Dalseo butted in.

"The person has to be a powerful one, to get pass the immigration red tapes and all," Tae-sik said thoughtfully.

"Could possibly be. From his phone records show, he's pretty tight with a few ladies. From his old foster mothers to university lecturers to some international human rights organisation leaders. The boy was seriously active on the side, and could possibly be very passionate about his 'work'. Ahh...," Chi-gon groaned tiredly. "We can only find out more tomorrow onwards. And even that, if we are lucky. This could be another investigation all together."

-----

"Get some rest you two. We'll contact you tomorrow for your statements," Chi-gon said.

He had accompanied Tae-sik back to the ambulance, to where So-Mi waited.

"Thank you, Chi-gon Ahjussi ," So-Mi called out as the policeman walked off, to go back to the crime scene.

He lifted his hand in a wave, shaking his head and muttering, "Why does this strangely feel like deja vu?"

Then it was just her and Tae-sik, the emergency medical guys finally done with putting both So-Mi and her Ahjussi together.

Tae-sik stared at her. Not knowing whether to feel angry, relieved, or both.

"What?" She asked him in mock innocence.

Tae-sik continued to glare at her.

"Look, it's not my fault that he's a little twisted, is it?"

"You shouldn't have come in the line of fire. Unless you have a death wish."

"Ahjussi, it would have been your death, if I didn't jump in."

"I know how to take care of myself, So-Mi."

"It's not about you getting hurt that I was worried about. I just didn't want him to die by your hands."

Tae-sik simply looked at her, understanding that So-Mi knew how close he was to loosing himself again earlier.

"You sure have strange taste in men, Jung So-Mi," he shook his head, in distaste.

So-Mi laughed, knowing that Tae-sik meant himself in the statement.

"Aww... You're not so bad, Ahjussi. Hence why I'd want you to stick around for awhile," she grinned. And killing the enemy personally, to me, was not worth it. Not if it means you'll need to spend time in jail again."

He just rolled his eyes characteristically.

"I should just tie you up by my hip to keep you out of trouble."

"You can tie me up with a different type of band," wriggling her empty ring finger in the air, slowly getting up from the ambulance door ledge.

"Geesh....you can actually think of such things at a time like this?" He asked her in astonishment.

"Just say yes, Ahjussi," she gave him her usual pout. "This girl is proposing to you."

"I'm proposing to put you over my knee and spank you," he retorted, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, ok, that too," she gave him a naughty grin and a shrug.

"Oh my god!"

Yet Tae-sik's scathing words were soften by his gentle hands helping her to the awaiting truck.

"Come on, lets go home."

"Ahjussi... ya Ahjussi," she prodded, looking up at him while they walked. "What do you think, huh? Of my proposal?"

So-Mi tried to persuade him see her logic.

"It's only natural, isn't it?"

Tae-sik continued to walk on with his arms protectively around her injured shoulder. Still ignoring her.

"Ahjussi?"

At her pestering chatter, he stopped in his tracks.

And stared her down.

"Convince me."

"Yay!"

And she won the battle again.