Chapter 9 – Because that will be the Clue to This Case

“…! That would be your father…!”

“That is true.”

Even while he pointed to his father as his suspect, Hansol’s expression remained unchanged as ever.

Hansol clearly recollected the time he asked his father questions about the incident that happened 10 years ago.

“Do you honestly believe he acted alone, Father? I believe he had a co-conspirator, someone who knows us very well.”

“Never. He acted alone. It was because he held a grudge against me.”

At that moment, Hansol’s eye acted up.

‘…lie…’

“Father, I’ll ask you another question. Why didn’t you cry at mom’s funeral?”

“… once such kind of incidents unfold, it is natural for tears to not flow.”

‘Lie. Father is currently ‘acting’ as if he is sad.’

Hansol, who recalled the memories of that time, continued what he was saying.

“Everything that has happened so far, even the cat’s hair, points to my father’s presence. My dad owns a cat. I hadn’t seen it in ten years, but I confirmed it via my father’s SNS account, which he uses to connect with his pupils. You may look up Turkish Angora long white-haired cat. It may have died as well, thus I believe it is reasonable to conclude that the evidence was cat fur that remained on his clothes.”

Detective Kang Woo-cheol, who listened silently, raised an objection.

“Doctor, that is just one piece of evidence. Rather, if you are the real culprit, you are only making us go round in circles to delay your plan.”

These were the first words of Kang Woo-cheol even after Lieutenant Jung asked him to not get emotionally driven. He tried to hold back his emotions as instructed, yet pointed to Hansol.

“Which is why I said that there is a desire to exhibit. A power. The aspect of going to the scene and shedding the cat hair was intentional. None of the victims had a cat.”

“Doctor, then I’ll ask you one crucial question. Maybe I don’t fully understand the case. What is the most important clue according to you?”

A detective asked the question.

As Hansol had reconstructed the case in his mind, those investigating might not understand what he was thinking.

Hansol calmly spoke about what happened 10 years ago. Everyone was focused on what happened 10 years ago. He talked about the illness he had been diagnosed with. Some detectives would continue to doubt Hansol, but the opposite could happen as well.

“There must have been someone who leaked information beforehand. He used his own story as an example of his edification therapy, which wasn’t the right method. He shouldn’t have given out the entire story. However, Professor Im, who consulted and profiled the suspect 10 years back, wasn’t as aware. His empathy was marked inferior, and he ended up confessing his life story to the suspect as his method of ‘educating’ him about taking the wrong path. And then the simulation for crime began.”

“… wait a minute, Doctor. Why do you think that it could be considered as evidence?”

“The suspect at the time told me ‘You are my kind’. He said he could recognize his kind just by looking at one person, but it was a lie. At that time, only two people knew about my antisocial personality disorder: my father and his junior. Of the two, the only one who could have contact with the killer was my father. My father’s junior never participated in profiling.”

“… wait. The more I listen, the more confused I get. The death of your mother was the key for your father to flip out?”

For Hansol, the incident 10 years ago was still running in front of his eyes. The suspect tells Hansol about them being the same kind, even though he knows nothing about Hansol. How he talked to his mother in advance about Hansol’s condition. The information must have definitely flowed from his father.

Therefore, after his mother died, he managed to find the link between his father and the suspect despite not having a strong emotional bonding with her.

The suspect was once his father’s patient, a subject under profile, and the place where he stayed after the jailbreak was none other than the place where Hansol’s father used to attend conferences.

If so… why did his father have to hire someone to kill Hansol’s mother?

He should have kept her beside him as a trophy if he wanted to exhibit his mother. So why?

That was the biggest question for Hansol.

At that question, Hansol decided to find an answer.

Father did want to keep his mother as a trophy, but something must have happened between the two. Hansol frequently listened to his father and mother yell at each other once every while. His father would try to hold back his anger, while his mother always tried to get the upper hand.

That was the biggest crack. His father, who lived believing that he was an average person even though there was something wrong with him, couldn’t understand his wife, who was trying to trample on his kind nature and overpower him. However, he didn’t want to get blood on his hands.

Perhaps, Hansol’s father wanted to showcase the bodies as a commemoration of what happened 10 years back. And then leisurely escape from the country.

Perhaps, even if he visited his father, he could have already hidden somewhere overseas, trying to avoid getting caught.

“… right.”

“But if you look at the incident records at that time, such records….”

“We need to reinvestigate starting from the relationship that Professor Im Jaemin and the suspect shared. For that to happen, Professor Im has to be summoned and investigated. Oh, but it might not happen. He must have erased all his traces here and disappeared.”

That was when the chief detective jumped up.

“Why is everyone still here? Go and get Professor Im. Ask him to come in for investigation before it turns too late.”

Hansol was convinced that his father had already disappeared with that cat of his.

His father had turned into a monster and even knew that his son would find out everything one day because of his career. And finally, the monstrous son found all the traces his father had left.

To be precise, he put the puzzle pieces together.

‘… I wonder when my father noticed his illness.’

Lieutenant Jung and Hansol sat face to face as everyone was dispatched.

“Doctor, are you saying that you have been digging this case for 10 year?”

“Digging isn’t the right expression. I was just curious. ‘Why did my father do that to my mom?’”

“There must have been multiple opportunities to report it or speak out. Why didn’t you say a word?”

“Because I wasn’t sure back then. There were some things which never fell into place. I learned criminal psychology for a professional career in college. That was when I came to know about antisocial personality disorder.”

When Lieutenant Jung heard those words, she thought for a moment until she opened her mouth again.

“So, it means that the case is related to what happened in your home 10 years ago, and the clues to that will help us solve the 2 unsolved cases we found? And it is possible that Professor Im could be behind the two unsolved cases.”

“Yes. However… we’re already late. You might not find any traces of my father.”

Hansol spoke firmly. If he was in his father’s place… at that time when he called in the morning of the 10th year of the incident, he had already planned to exhibit the crime scene and show his power to his son, and that would be the last chance they ever see each other.

“Wait a minute. I’ll call the dispatched detective.”

Lieutenant Jung called someone.

“Yes? What?”

Her voice rose. Hansol was able to guess what happened without listening to their conversation. His father wasn’t there. The house must be empty. And at this point, with more than 36 hours after discovering the dead bodies, his father disappeared without leaving any trace. His father must have had multiple ways to run away.

“Uh… doctor… as you said….”

“No trace of father?”

“Yes.”

“If so, please tell the detective to investigate the house and collect any cat hair. That will be the clue to the case.”

“I will tell them.”

The detectives placed a few strands of cat hair into a bag. The hair was immediately handed over to the National Forensic Lab.

A few days later, it was confirmed that the cat hair near the body and the cat hair found in Professor Im’s home had the same DNA.

The police made an official statement in front of the reporters that were waiting for information.

[ Exclusive ]

Professor L, who specialized in psychiatry, turned out to be the killer…

Professor L, who worked as a specialist in psychiatry, was found to be an accomplice in the recent serial murder.

According to the announcement made by the police on the 00th, the suspect of the serial murder, who was found on the scene, was arrested, an arrest warrant has been issued, and Professor L’s whereabouts are still unknown.

Professor L is a professor of psychiatry, and he stood in court as a victim of the villa incident 10 years ago.

However, through the current case, the police received a statement from Park Mo, one of the current suspects in the serial murder case.

Professor L was behind the two incidents. The police said, “Professor L probably has an antisocial personality disorder.”

As Professor L, who has shown dignity as a profiler and university profiler in cooperation with the police, the backlash is expected to be huge. Professor L’s son is currently working as a profiler, cooperating with the police, and his son will likely be doubted too.

“What is this? Did people know that Professor L’s son is a doctor? Even reporters are entering asking for an exclusive interview. What do you think?”

Hansol crossed his legs and took a sip of his warm Americano.

As if he was aware of how the people would react, he seemed relaxed. It was Lieutenant Jung who didn’t like the turn of events.

“It can’t be helped. This much is expected. They can’t help but doubt the son. Well, I knew that there would be requests for an interview. I have no intention of doing it since it is annoying.”

Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on the door of the conference room.

“Uh… the chief is calling for you two.”

Detective Kang Woo-cheol spoke, “Right now?”

“Yes. He is calling for you right now.”

Detective Kang Woo-cheol had abandoned his arrogant attitude and even acted politely toward Hansol, who escaped from being considered a suspect. Of course, it could have been instructions from lieutenant Jung too.

“Understood.”

Hansol and the lieutenant entered the room. Chief Km Jin-wook greeted the two.

“Come and sit.”

The two of them sat on the sofa. A satisfactory expression hung on Kim Jin-wook’s face.

“You did a great job, Dr. Im, you didn’t forgive your own father who sinned! That effort was what solved the 10 years ago case too! Nice!”

“No. I just did what I had to do.”

“You heart must have hated it…?”

For Hansol, his mother’s death didn’t cause any pain, but he was thoroughly trained and educated on coping with such situations to seem normal.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“And Lieutenant Jung, as expected, we can’t get work done without you! You did a great job too. So… all the media is currently focusing on the Hwajong station. There reporters are also trying to get a hold of anything they can to write something on us, I felt so glad when we did the briefing. It was good. Lieutenant Jung, I like this.”

“… is that so?”

Jung spoke in a quaint voice.

“But the unfortunate thing is… the two of you will have to take new paths. This isn’t where you two belong.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You two will meet again in a new team under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. It has been decided beforehand. Before joining, a vacation and honor will be given.”

“Huh?”

“What… didn’t you expect this to happen? Dr. Im seems rather casual. The new team will greet you once you go there. Starting next week, go to work for Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.”

“Ah… yes.”

“Yes.”

“Ah, one more thing. Detective Kang Woo-cheol, take him with you too. There are special promotions underway and the Seoul Agency wants a wider investigation team. That is all.”

Lieutenant Jung and Hansol faced each other. They were going to be a long-lasting team. That too at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

After leaving the Chief’s office, Lieutenant Jung asked Hansol out for a meal.

“Doesn’t sound bad.”

“There is a bone soup house around here. Let’s go there.”

Lieutenant Jung took the lead.

Hansol followed her.

It was a shabby soup house near the Hwajong police station. However, it was so packed that finding a table was tough.

“Aunties! A bottle of soju and two bowls of bone soup!” Lieutenant Jung shouted.

The soups and soju were served…. The two of them made a toast with a cool drink. No matter how much they drank, one thing bothered Jung.

“… I have a question, Doctor Im.”

“Go on.”

“When did you figure out that your father had antisocial personality disorder? You never talked about it during the briefing….”

“My father is a pro-social psychopath. He looks very elegant in front of others. However, after that, he ignored their right… in fact, in my father’s study, I accidentally saw the result of a psychopath test that my father took. My father was declared a perfect psychopath.”

“… that was what your mother found.”

“There was no sign of trespassing. And that day, my father had no lectures. Still, he came back pretending to have attended a lecture. Of course, my father was stabbed and injured too, that was why the police didn’t suspect him.”

“…!”

“Is this clear enough? Lieutenant Jung?”

“Yes. Thanks for telling me.”

“Then, let’s get along well in future.”

Hansol smiled brightly as he walked out and looked back at the restaurant.

‘Father, the shackles that held me are no more. I’ll prove it to you.’