Chapter 1
Timing

[Thursday, 10th December]

“You will be put on Death Row for this.” Those were the last in a long blur of words for Kim TaeHyung. He felt the force of the reinforced door slam shut, leaving him in the dark once again, and that was it. He was done for.

He’d been through many things in his life: the premature death of his Mother, the abandonment of his father, and his older sister moving away to start over - But nothing was quite like this. It was cold, dark, and he was starved, and alone. He hadn’t seen the light of day or heard from any of his friends for three days. He’d been humiliated, and he’d been beat over the details of just about everything. You thought he was joking? He wasn’t. Really, they’d made him explain his entire life as far back as he could remember, and even then they’d pushed him some more.

TaeHyung knew nothing more than what had been in the papers concerning the rash of killings. It was all by accident that he had stumbled upon the body of that girl; drunken with his only wants being his bed and greasy food - he wasn’t sure of the order. He had been drunk. He had really been out of it when he left YoonGi’s place. They had been celebrating a fruitful winter solstice with his upper classman and his friend’s girlfriend, despite the hard business in previous months. His own girlfriend was supposed to arrive back late on the Thursday evening after working out of town.

Upon calling it a night at 2:20am, he left the narrow house on the edge of town and took a shortcut on his way home. Nothing had been out of the ordinary as he trodged drunkenly over a private field in the dark, or even when he had hit a dirt road and skipped across barefoot after he’d lost a shoe in a dyke somewhere memory forbid he recalled the exact location of - It was in the middle of five dozen lots of land, he remembered that though; he was a farmer’s son, after all.

TaeHyung had lived in that town all of his life. He remembered growing up on his Mother’s farm at the North-East end, being told to work hard at school, and then having to come home and be told to help out with his family’s work. He also remembered willingly swapping mucking out sheep and pig pens in lieu of cooking with his sister, whom hated homely duties almost as much as she hated the town they were raised in.

On the subject of her, she had left six years ago to study. At first, there would be nothing to stop her from returning to see his progress. But then she was engaged, then married, and the time she came around was less and less. At their Mother’s funeral, five years prior, she had got into some trouble with the local law after blowing up at their Father. Not content with that, she went on a binge and tattered all of her relations - not like it mattered much to her, as she had been able to leave right after. Which she did, without a word of goodbye. It was all the same to her.

TaeHyung became lonely easily; he missed the person whom had always protected him against the bad people of the world. And now - when he needed her - he didn’t want her there. He couldn’t call her. He was ashamed, but more than that, he didn’t want to be the one to force her back to such a horrible memory just when she was about to start over. And even more than that...He wouldn’t even be able to look her in the eye.

The only door to the room unlocked with a crunch and the same two detectives from earlier sauntered in with snacks and coffee. “Ah, Tae Gun, have you finished remembering how you killed Park MiHye?”

Lowering his eyes upon realizing that they were only back to torment him, TaeHyung held the sides of his head as his vision blurred. “I never did anything like that.”

His seniors rounded the dinky desk and took their seats. Slurping and purposely wafting the fact they had something to eat, the duo had a conversation of ‘um’s and ‘ah’s. “Are you ready to confess yet?” The first asked.

the split on his lower lip, a tang of sanguine on his tongue, the captive hung his head as he was told to visit a memory he was forced to believe was one of his own. Limbs numb, and left eye swollen and blackening, TaeHyung was told about what had been done to the sixteen year old girl he had found. And more importantly, how he was indefinitely pinned to the crime with hard evidence. He was being accused of murder - of killing that poor girl and doing horrible things to her.

TaeHyung just stared down. He’d been at this for longer than he could precisely recall; they didn’t even tell him the time. “I didn’t do it.”

“You’re one stubborn son of a .”

Slamming his hands on the desk, the suspect snarled. “Who are you calling a ?”

The first slurped his noodles. “’Hit a sore spot, Tae Gun?”

“Come on, you can tell us.” The second cooed mockingly.

“You took her clothes, and you her, and then you killed her.” Scratching the side of his face, the younger man continued to prod. “Not content with that, you set up her body for all to see as if it was some kind of joke!”

Musky room lit by a single overhanging lamp flittered when a winter breeze whirred around the empty space. Nausea forcing itself upon him, the accused jolted to the side as he wretched in recollection of the stench he encountered that night. Body ready to throw up, TaeHyung reached for the bucket he’d used twice in the last five hours only to have it nudged just out of his grasp by an overly polished court shoe.

Relentlessly, a pair of detectives relayed the details to the lad whom remained hunched in an attempt to keep the bile down. “The NIS is involved in this, TaeHyung Gun.” The first detective told, his voice as heavy as the scent of bitter winter and puke bothered them all.

The second, much shorter detective leaned over the table separating them and lowered his tone. “Why did you do it? Why did you kill Park MiHye?” Tilting his head as he rested his ribs on the edge of the partition, the slim brunette snapped. Smacking the suspect upside the head with some force, his ‘good cop’ act fell apart. “You killed the others too, didn’t you?” He went in for another shot, but his partner caught his arm before the fist could connect with the side of the young man’s face.

“TaeHyung, I’ve known you since you were a baby.” Gesturing for his partner to move back, the burly authoritarian relaxed his shoulders and held his palms open in front of the accused for a brief moment. Shaking a cigarette from the carton on the table, the detective placed it to his chapped lips and lit the end. Taking a slow drag, he leaned forward again and lowered his tone. “If you don’t say anything at all, this won’t get any better.”

“We’ve been at this for three days! This guy has ing cracked;” Spinning around with his hands up in a tangent, the shorter detective went off the rails. “Look at him!” And saying that, both of them did look at him.

Bruised and bloodied, and shaking from sickness and being on the verge of starvation, TaeHyung remained silent. He hadn’t even looked another person in the eye in at least forty hours.

Getting the point that beating the guy wasn’t working, and neither was trying to talk reason, the older male leaned back with his vice. “TaeHyung, NIS agents will be here within the hour and if your think we’re bad, you should just wait to see them.”

“Yo-” Choking on the lump in the back of his throat, the captive hacked until a paper cup of water was pushed his way. Slurping down the cool liquid he’d been refused until now, TaeHyung shook as the drink rushed down his gullet. Panting as he finished, the youngest looked the man he’d known since childhood in the eye. “I never did those things. I told you that I never did, but you keep bringing me in here and hitting me.” Voice cracking, his eyes began to well. “You said it yourself, you’ve known me all this time. Could I ever do what you’re accusing me of?”

“Your prints were at the scene of the crime, and on the rope used to tie the victims up.” Sighing, the eldest detective rested his elbow on the edge of the table. “Help me understand how did your prints get all over the scene?”

Hanging his head again, so many thoughts rushing around in head that he probably couldn’t tell left from right at that moment, TaeHyung mumbled. “I don’t know.”

“You should really call for a lawyer, if you c-”

The reinforced metal door almost burst off of its hinges as it slammed against the concrete wall behind it. Shrugging off a patrol officer trying desperately to keep her back, a tall suited female with jet black hair literally snarled at the detective duo hounding the young man. “Get the out of here.” The heavy rasp of her voice caused the men to subconsciously straighten up.

Shooting up off the wall, the shorter detective was horrified by the surprise. “That’s our line.” Pointing at the woman whom more than met his height angrily, the officer barked. “And the Hell are who are you?”

Swatting away the patrol cop whom had tried to stop her from interrupting the interrogation away from her, the full figured female glanced to her right. Looking the pest up and down with blatant distaste, she turned her nose up and looked away. “Son TaeRin; Lawyer.” Reaching past the seated man with his back to her, she snatched a cigarette from the open packet left on the table. Placing the slim white stick to full lips, the ashen woman sparked the end with her own lighter. Huffing out a bloom of smoke, she eyed the pair stood gobsmacked. “And you’re breaking the law on so many levels by hounding my client.” Glaring between the pair officials, the woman scoffed. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about this?”

“He didn’t call a lawyer.”

“Yet,” Tucking a stray strand of hair which had escaped the French twist behind her ear, the intruder shrugged with her hands up. “I am here, all the same.”

“Noona-”

“Keep your mouth shut, TaeHyung.”

“Oh, now I can see why he didn’t call you.”

“Ah, really?” Pulling back from sporting a full-on -face, the intruder scoffed. “Then how about you use those impeccable deductive skills to get out there and find the freak who’s been hacking up women like some kind of butcher on Speed.” She pointed off in a tangent. 

Rolling his eyes, the younger male huffed. “You’re supposed to be a lawyer? Yeah, right.”

Catching the lack of formality in his speech, the female bit back. “How about you use your Goddamn manners, you lazy .”

“Uwah~” The shorter man held his hands up in mock defense. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” He scoffed, but the other occupants of the room didn’t seem to find the funny side.

Dropping her stuff down by the table legs, TaeRin cleared before straightening up. Stone-faced as her younger sibling and the detective she was acquainted with both wore expressions of utter disbelief, the lawyer looked at the man she already knew was going to be a problem. “I’ll tell you this, only once.” Fishing her phone from the inside of her pocket, the wound up female glanced to the screen before returning it and sparing a glance for the stranger. “I can already tell what kind of person you are by the cracks you think are wise, the cheap suit, and the fact I can smell alcohol on you from here-”

“W-Oi-”

“Do not interrupt me, Detective; I have not finished.” Snapping, she viciously prodded the air in front of his face. “You swan around here like you own the place, eating well thanks to people like TaeHyung’s hard work. You drink all day thanks to another friend of mine, and you find it more important to be in here dogging the first suspect you come across in hopes of quickly closing a case rather than being outside and doing your job. Perhaps it’s because your wife is pissed at you, or maybe your kids hate you - I couldn’t care less.” Taking a drag of her vice without a change in pitch or expression, the woman inclined her head as her eyes bore into the older man’s. “But you come here, to my town, and pick my brother from all the halfwits and deadbeats that you could have snatched up-” Taking a step back with a smirk, TaeRin held her hands up by her shoulders and shrugged. “You’re really ing unlucky.”

“Kim-Tae Ssi?” Frowning at the female, the older detective blinked a few times before speaking again. “I think that’s enough.” The man that knew her cut in before she could really lay into her victim.

Glancing to the speaker, the addressed replied with an unimpressed tone. “It took you long enough, Kyo-Sang.” Standing over her ‘client’, the apparent lawyer flicked the ash of her vice in the metal tray on the table. “I’m surprised you managed to become a detective.”

“What’s this, Detective Kyo? Do you know her?” Eyes widening in horror, the younger detective gasped. “Is that why you were going so easy on him? Did you have relations?”

TaeRin snapped to the speaker and khol lined eyes narrowed seriously. “Going easy on him?” Stepping around the table, the intruder stopped just before her bust touched the pest’s chest. Dropped her head down a little to become eye-level, the female took another drag on her vice.

Enjoying it all the more once she saw the man wasn’t a smoker, TaeRin purposely exhaled the smoke into his face. “As his lawyer, I’m gonna have your handed to me on a platter for what you’ve done to him.” Wetting her lips, she looked him up and down in disgust. “As his older sister, well...” Brows quirking with a bitter smirk, she shrugged and flicked the ash of her cigarette onto his overly polished shoes. “let’s just say you’re going to have a hard time around here from now on.” Saying her peace, she turned to back to rejoin the other two.

Outraged, the detective spluttered. “Are you threatening me?” He reached out and slammed his hand down on the woman’s shoulder in the same instance.

Spinning around out of reaction, TaeRin unintentionally knocked the man back into the wall he was propped against only moments before. Teeth bared and back up, the lawyer snarled. “Don’t think you can knock me around like you do with all of your petty crooks, Detective.” Inching her face in even closer than before, she whispered against his ear. “In places like this, stupid people like you have accidents all of the time. Please be careful during your stay.” Stepping back and patting her opposition's shoulder, TaeRin inclined her head to the man she knew. “If you don’t plan on charging my client, I’m taking him.”

“You can’t do that!”

“I can, and I am.” Pointing, the woman scoffed. “And it’s you who can’t do what you’ve done. Holding people over 24 hours without charging them with the crime you picked them up on is against the law. You’ve been illegally holding him against his will for over double that.” Flicking the end of her vice on the floor, she grabbed her sibling by the arm, and yanked him up out his seat without any niceties.

Instantly losing his balance, TaeHyung clung to his sibling for stability. Not even looking at the weight on her left side, TaeRin grit her teeth at what had been done to her brother. Fury welling to the point that even she could tell it was time to go, she spat her warning. “I could have you both for False Imprisonment, GBH, and torture.”

“Bull.”

“Keep talking, and I’ll send your a pretty little lawsuit.” Jutting her jaw out, she nodded upwards as she rolled her words. Wrapping her arm under that of her sibling’s and around his back, she glared over her shoulder for the last time. “You’ll be so broke even your Mother wouldn’t want you back home.”  

“You-” The door slammed behind the pair. “Tch!”

“Congratulations.” Detective Kyo slumped back into the old wooden chair and plucked another smoke from the carton.

In complete awe over what had happened, the newcomer to town stood with his arms out and his mouth open. “What the was that?”

Eyes down as he stared at the pretty embers on the end of his vice, the heavier male hummed as if he’d been through those motions a million times before. “That was Kim, sorry, Son TaeRin.”

“Is that an epithet of the Devil?” The stranger questioned seriously.

Carefully nudging the case beside his legs closed, Kyo hummed with false joy. “I take it you don’t like her?”

“Do you know what she said to me?” The newcomer to the station gasped.

Turning stern, Kyo shook his head and held his hand up. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“She threatened me.”

Glancing up with a look of annoyance at the fact his new partner had continued even after he’d warned not to, Kyo prodded the tabletop with conviction. “You’re lucky that’s all she did. A couple of years ago, she would have worn your lungs as mittens for so much as looking at TaeHyung wrong.”

“But she’s a lawyer.”

“She wasn’t always a lawyer, . In fact, she was the first one to start any kind of trouble in this town.” Holding his vice to his lips, Kyo hummed as he tried to re-think his plan now that his biggest potential problem was back. “Yet, she still has a lot of the townsfolk on her side, and she even managed to push her father out of the family home before leaving.”

Scowling at the taboo, the younger man took the seat where TaeHyung had been sitting only moments before. “Why did she leave?”

“For school.” Swallowing down the uneasiness in the back of his throat, Kyo mumbled as he stared off. “She was always too smart to stick around here.”

Squishing his face at the thought of it, the younger detective complained. “Don’t talk about her like she was your first love.”

Still staring off in his own world, the local hummed. “She was my closest friend.”

Updated: 12/05/2015