Title: SM-5 The Perfect Mystery 

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Mystery, Angst, Action 

Ratings: All ages 

Case #03: L o v e

Part 3

  ~~~

  “They suspect you, and you know that, don’t you?”

  He posed it as a rhetorical question, Changmin did, to the lady sitting in across him. He directed his eloquent question to her, a question that didn’t need to be answered but needed to be posed in such a way. Shim Changmin prided himself for one thing, and that was his eloquence of speech, even if in the end, whatever he did would come back and attack him. To him, the consequence of his words was not the most important, but rather, it was how he said his words. And strangely, though both were interlinked, Changmin saw it as two completely different issues.

  Tiffany Hwang was unfazed, leisurely sipping her tea, with one knee crossed over the other. “Suspicion will always be present in any case, towards almost anyone, Changmin-sunbae, I’m sure you’re aware of that.”

  He chuckled softly, as if to mock her. “Suspicion will be present, that’s for sure, but suspicion will be wisely directed, especially when the person who directs the suspicion has the qualifications to do so.”

  “Well, then they do not know their place.” Tiffany set her cup back on her saucer on the table, a ‘clink’ sound heard when she did. She gazed back up at him, her expression that of sweetness, but of course, Changmin was well aware of what that sweet expression hid. “I see no value in worthless qualification, especially when such qualification is misused in the most idiotic ways.”

  Changmin tensed up. “…My team mates are very clever, Tiffany. Their senses do not fail them.”

  “No one in the world is born with perfect senses, and even if they are, many a time we must consider the fact that errors are inevitable.” Tiffany weeded her way with her words. “…I put full faith in you when I asked you to investigate the case, and I hope you will put full focus to find the right answer, and not throw your suspicions around, as if it’s a baseball game.”

  “Crime, to many, is a game, Tiffany, and I am surprised those words would come from you.” Changmin tried rebutting her once more.

  “Everything in life is a game, it just depends how you play it.” She leaned forward, a smirk forming along her lips. “…I’ve made my move, Shim Changmin, is this how you’re going to play against me? I think it would be better to play with me, rather than against me. I am not vulnerable in the game, and I think it is important that you keep this in mind.”

  He took a deep breath. “The degree of your vulnerability does not concern me, what concerns me are your reasons. Proof, Tiffany, proof, not sweet, melodious words that only sweeten the ears but worry the heart.”

  “Isn’t that what I asked you to find?” Her smirk did not disappear. “…You’re a far cry from your father, Changmin, I’m sure he wouldn’t need such persuasion.”

  With that, Changmin froze.

  It had been quite a few long hard years since that pandemonium. Of course, to many it was just another accident, just another crime, just another police officer. But to the eighteen year old boy who came to the solemn funeral, clutching his heart in his hands and clenching his feelings in his fists, the incident was the pandemonium of his life. To the person who had lost his heart, his mind and his very soul to that one accident, it was something that could not just be described as ‘serious’ or ‘severe’, but rather he could even categorize it as a hysteria.

  And she could use it ever so cleverly, for a benefit of her own.

  “They will not suspect you any further.”

  Tiffany leaned back, smiling in triumph. “I should hope not.”

  “They will not… definitely.”

~~~

  “So this is the list for today? Just today?” Yoona exclaimed as she clutched a long sheet of paper. “…This is a big joke, really, a big joke. We need to interrogate so many people in one day? Don’t we need to live and breathe as well? At this rate, we’ll have to spend twenty-four hours speaking without even stopping to breathe!”

  Kyuhyun chuckled as he took a seat, sipping his morning coffee. “Correction – you’ll have to do it all, not ‘we’.”

  Her eyes widened in utter shock. “You’re making me do this on my own?”

  “I’m not making you do this, Yoona, you made yourself do this.” Kyuhyun stifled a laugh. “You chose a side, and you chose the side of the police. You should’ve expected at least this much work since you chose Changmin’s side and not Victoria’s.”

  “…Technically, I didn’t choose that side, but the side chose me.” Yoona said indignantly. “But this is ridiculous. The interrogations start in exactly ten minutes and it continues on for the next twenty-four hours? I mean, I know there are many hospital associates we have to interrogate, but me singularly doing all of it? This is senseless…”

  “Too bad.” Kyuhyun shrugged. “Changmin overworks, when he wants to.”

  “You mean, he overworks others.” Yoona muttered sarcastically.

  Their somewhat gloomy conversation was interrupted by their ‘big boss’, the one person who was in charge of what they were doing, or rather, liked to think he was in charge of everything they needed to solve. Yoona scrambled back to her seat, furiously typing away and preparing for the one-hundred-and-one interrogations she would have to do that day, but Kyuhyun leisurely sipped his coffee, as if he had all the time in the world to do so.

  “Yoona, you received the list?” Changmin’s question was sharp.

  Yoona nodded quickly. “I did, I did.”

  “You’ll be doing the interrogations immediately.”

  She bit her lip, standing up and turning to face him. “Changmin, the list is really quite long, couldn’t you possibly reconsider-“

  “I did not ask you a question, Yoona, which means I expect no answer and just for you to follow orders.” His words were harsh, and just as he was about to leave he caught the sight of Kyuhyun sitting on the sofa. “…Kyuhyun? Aren’t you supposed to be taking the side of your own? Why are you still here and taking your own sweet time to drink coffee?”

  Kyuhyun paused, placing his cup on the table, shifting his gaze towards Changmin. “I do not take sides, it’s childish and stupid.”

  “Do as you wish.” Changmin was rather tentative, though he tried to sound firm. “Just as long as you get out of the office, then you can do what you think fit.”

  “…Neither do I chase my team mates out of the office over such an immature game.” Kyuhyun’s reply did not contain any form of worry or anxiety. “Knowing me, Changmin, I would not spend one more second in such an office anyway, playing such a ridiculous game. I have better things to do in my life.”

  “Then why haven’t you left yet?”

  “Because Yoona’s still here.” Kyuhyun said boldly.

  Changmin flinched, whipping his head around to look at Kyuhyun. “She chose to be here, she chose to do what she thinks is right for the rest of the country, and if she makes such a decision, she has to learn to bear the consequences. She has been babied by Victoria and Minho for too long, and you’re free to leave her to start standing on her own two feet.”

  “…You chose her to be here, Changmin, and you’re lucky she’s still here or you’ll be standing here on your own.” Kyuhyun still did not falter as he picked up the sheet of paper, gazing over at the gaping Yoona. “Come Yoona, we’ll be beginning the interrogations now.”

  Just as he was about to lead her out of the room, Changmin’s words stopped them once more.

  “Cho Kyuhyun!” Changmin bellowed in anger. “…How dare you be defiant? Has your moralities disappeared? I hope you know where your responsibilities lie and make sure you have the manners when you respond to it!”

  Kyuhyun just shot back, with a devilish smirk upon his face.

  “I know where my responsibilities lie, Changmin, but do you?”

~~~

  “What do you mean I cannot enter? I am a police undercover profiler Victoria Song and I’m supposed to be the one ordering you dudes around! Let me in, now!”

  Her shrill shouts echoed down the corridor as she made a big fuss in front of the main office doors, which was guarded by two very buff and muscular security guards. The guards even towered over Minho, who was frantically trying to calm the very much aggravated Victoria, who was yelling her points out without even properly consider how her words would be of effect to their overall investigation.

  “We’re sorry, ma’am, but we’ve received strict orders from the higher ups that only Choi Minho can enter, and not you.” The security guard was apologetic, but firm.

  Minho gripped Victoria’s shoulders, and using all his might, he pulled her away from the entrance. He did not mean to take sides over the whole childish argument, but in the end, he knew that there was no other choice but to take a side, especially since the investigation was still on full blow.

  “Changmin.”

  She said that one name as if it was an explanation to the entire ruckus that was going on, and sure enough, that one name was the root problem for her, at least, just for her problems. As Minho heard the way she gritted her teeth, he couldn’t help but worry about the time he would ever be able to step into the office again without everyone seeming like they were complete enemies. One little argument had torn the team to bits and pieces, and he hoped, he just hoped that Yoona and Kyuhyun were still waiting for him, and would welcome him back when he returned.

  “…Victoria, the investigation still has to continue, and we still have to help to solve the case, right?” Minho tried to prompt her. “I mean, even with a lack of data, I’m sure we’ll just-“

“That little runt Kyuhyun will never stab me behind my back.” Victoria huffed, folding her arms as they walked down the corridor towards the exit. “Minho, I know you’re still on talking terms with Kyuhyun. You will get that data and we’ll cheat our way through solving the case. Plus, with my profiling skills… Changmin will get a taste of his own medicine!” Victoria punched her fist to the air in contempt.

  Minho’s jaw nearly dropped – Is this the cool profiler Victoria I always knew?

  “We’ll start from interrogations, as we’ll need our own views of the possible suspects as well.” Victoria began planning out her moves. “No doubt I know you can acquire the list of people who Yoona…” Victoria paused, not wanting to say the other name. “…Will interrogate, but we don’t have that much time, so we’ll just interrogate the main suspects.”

  Minho was jolted back to reality. “So you want to go back to the hospital, personally interview each of the main suspects one by one?”

  “Of course, I’m a profiler, that’s what I have to do.” Victoria said, as if it was all so obvious. “Shim Changmin’s going down, down, down the drain and Cho Kyuhyun’s going to be sorry he never took my side. Yoona’s too sweet to take sides, so yep, I’m going to crush these two into bits and they’ll regret the day they ever decided to go against Victoria Song!” She yelled once more, planning a complete victory.

  Minho nearly did a facepalm.

~~~

  “Park Sunyoung, also known as Luna Park, nurse at the Seoul General Hospital.” Kyuhyun read out from the profile he had made on his laptop, as he sat next to Yoona, full focus on the questioning. “…You were one of the nurses who supervised Park Leeteuk, and you were present on the day of which the attempted murder took place.”

  The girl stared at her palms, not knowing what more to say. “I didn’t kill him, or anything, I was-“

  “You definitely have a liable alibi, since Yoona here…” He gestured to Yoona. “…You were with Yoona during the time for the scream. Why we have brought you here, is to ask you if you know of anyone who held any grudges against Park Leeteuk, and if you noticed anything suspicious during the time he was warded in the hospital.”

  Luna hesitated, feeling truly nervous as she sat there facing her two interrogators. She did nothing wrong, and yet she was at a loss for words. “Nothing, there was nothing suspicious.”

  “No grudges?” Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow.

  “No, n-n-none at all.” Luna stuttered hopelessly.

  Kyuhyun nodded skeptically. “…Then how was his condition?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “His condition, I asked about his condition.” Kyuhyun repeated himself, whilst typing away on his laptop. “Was there anything peculiar about his condition, from time to time? I’m sure, in medical terms, you would definitely be able to spot for any discrepancies. And also, how about visitors? Did he get visitors often?”

  Luna stiffened, and both Kyuhyun and Yoona had noticed this. Though Yoona had not said anything since the start of the interrogation, she tried her best to understand each move, to remember and observe each of Luna’s actions. Without Victoria, it was difficult to profile each suspect fast, but Yoona believed she could try, at least just a bit, to try and understand, and to make deductions from even the smallest of things.

  “…There was nothing strange about his condition.” It was all Luna could reply.

  “What about visitors?” Yoona spoke up, purging further. “Did he get any visitors?”

  Luna fidgeted uncomfortably. “N-n-no, not real-l-ly… Just his wife, that’s all.”

  Kyuhyun wanted to question her even further, and it was obvious to him, that she knew a lot more than she was actually revealing to them. But he also knew that the more he asked, the more she would hesitate to answer, and the more messed up their overall results would be. For that moment, letting her off was the only sane option.

  “That’s all for now, thank you for your time.”

~~~

  “Victoria, I didn’t expect that you would come.”

  Ryeowook found his tongue tied when he saw her appear at the front door of his office once more. Of course, Victoria had been a dear friend of his for a long time, but he also had not spoken to her for a long time, at least before the case had taken place, and to see her in such a state, completely different from what she was in the past, it served as a surprise to him.

  “Always the tone of surprise, Wookie.” Victoria showed her own way into his office, with Minho in tow.

  “Surprise has its reasons, Vic…” Ryeowook almost sounded helpless, as he closed the door after they entered. “And your sudden requests, I think that’s a good reason for me to doubt the things that are going on. I thought the police were head-on this matter, Victoria, why would you still need my help, except for my answers in the questioning?”

  “Because-“ Minho was about to pipe up.

  Victoria interrupted before Minho could give a smooth explanation. “Because the police force is divided into two, the team leader’s an idiot and the only way I’m going to solve this case is if you let me on some data of which you have provided to the other side.”

  “I’ve never questioned your actions, Vic, even when we’re in school, and I won’t deny your requests this time round, but I just hope you know what you’re doing.” Ryeowook sighed deeply as he placed a folder on the table. “I don’t know much about this case, since I’m not the one usually having an overview over such things… But this is what I can provide you with.”

  Victoria took the folder into her hands, and flipped through it. “And what is this?”

  “Here’s a list of people who visited Park Leeteuk recently, and also there’s a list of people who were involved with the supervision of his overdose, his usual treatments, in other words, this list is of everyone who’s involved. This is all the details I can provide you with.”

  “I see you have exempted yourself from the list, as well as that little girlfriend of yours, Luna Park.” Victoria said cleverly, shutting the folder and slamming it back on the table. “…It’s a good reason to suspect that you’re doing this for your own benefit, Kim Ryeowook.”

  Ryeowook did not know how to reply, gaping at her. “…You’ve known me for years, Vic. Why would you think I’d commit such a murder? And Luna, Luna was present with two of your colleagues during the attempted murder, right? Luna is someone who would never, ever do such a thing to anyone! She wouldn’t even hurt a fly!” Ryeowook said defensively.

  “To become a nurse, I’m sure that in biology you have to hurt a lot more than just flies, Wookie.” Victoria smirked, leaning against the table. “I thank you for your help, and I will start my own investigations with Minho.” She stood up straight, and then she headed towards the door, pulling Minho along.

  “Wait.”

  “Yes?”

  “My sister, Hyorin, she supervises the hospital as well… She’s the head and all, with her position a level higher than mine… You could go and question her, if you need more information.”

  Victoria nodded. “Will do. That’s it?”

  “Wait, no.”

  Ryeowook, though he didn’t know what to say to her or how to reach towards the old Victoria once more, he knew he had one girl he had to protect. He knew she hadn’t done anything wrong and would never be able to do anything so morally wrong, and even if the police and Victoria had their suspicions about Luna, he still had to steer them away from such suspicions. It was what he had to do, was obligated to do, and needed to do.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m serious, you know… About Luna. She didn’t commit any murder and she has no involvement to it all except for the fact that she just happened to be one of the nurses supervising Park Leeteuk.” Ryeowook tried to be firm, but he still sounded anxious and worried. “Please… Don’t suspect her.”

  “In any sort of case, there’s no one who is free from suspicion.”

  And with that Victoria left the room.

~~~

  “Kim Hyorin, chairman, or would I say, chair-woman of the board of Seoul General Hospital-“ Kyuhyun had just begun stating the usual profile details, when he was straight away interrupted by the lady sitting across him and Yoona.

  “Firstly, I do not have anything to do with attempted murder. I do not know the victim and I have just seen his name once, when I looked through the list of patients who had regular treatments in our hospital. The list is long and we have hundreds of patients day in and day out.” Her words were curt. “…If this is about possible suspicions that it’s me, I will not waste another minute here.”

  Kyuhyun was undaunted. “You sound quite confident, don’t you? At least, you sound very confident that you’re not involved.” Kyuhyun changed his method of prompting, for he knew this new way would be a better method to handle her.

  “I am confident of what I say, and if I am not, then I will not be qualified to take over the hospital in future.” She did not back down either. “I am not involved and I am sure of it, and I have a hospital which needs to be supervised, so if you don’t mind, I need to-“

  “Sorry Miss, but you cannot leave so fast.” Kyuhyun stopped her with his one sharp sentence. “If you leave now, we could call this evidence and prosecute you with it, because it seems to us that you are avoiding what you shouldn’t be avoiding, Miss.”

  Hyorin, somewhat startled by Kyuhyun’s boldness, sat back down and placed her hands on her lap. “…I have told you what I need t