Detective Oh returned home quickly, but she couldn't shake off the deep sense of unease. She was certain she had seen something, but often certainty was nothing more than mere illusion. She was so exhausted that connecting one thought to another was a struggle. After parking the car in the garage, she went up to her floor, locked the door behind her, and carefully checked all the locks. She undressed, took a shower, and collapsed into bed. As soon as she closed her eyes, the recent case she had been handling flashed behind her eyelids. It was as if she were being grabbed like a child, taken away, crying, and struggling. Her heart tightened suddenly, engulfed by anxiety. The detective woke up a few hours later, screaming. The sun was peeking through a thin layer of clouds.
The terrible nightmare had left her trembling. She sat on the mattress and rubbed her hands through her hair. The room was filled with light, yet her mind remained submerged in darkness. As she got out of bed, a slight dizziness seemed to envelop her head. How long had it been since she last ate? It felt like too long. She dragged herself to the kitchen. Not wanting to cook anything complicated, she retrieved a bowl of instant ramen and added hot water. She ate standing up, leaning her hips against the marble countertop. Her gaze was fixed on the void. She tried to distance herself from any thoughts, but the unease continued to tighten around her. There were too many problems on her mind. She knew that the case would end up consuming her completely. And then there was that strange man. Part of her felt he might have been a figment of her dreams, but on the other hand… how could someone be following her? And how could that figure vanish so suddenly?
After blowing on a piece of ramen, she ate calmly. After showering and dressing, she got back into the car. In a way, her life seemed to follow a certain routine. She arrived at the office, greeted her colleagues, and retreated to her office. She began to thoroughly review the files related to the case she was assigned. While researching online, she discovered that there was an abandoned construction site near the school. Her intuition suggested that it would be worth investigating that area as well. She chewed on the end of her pen, a habit she had whenever she was deep in thought. Just then, someone knocked on her office door. She looked up. After a brief silence, she said, “Come in.” The person who opened the door was her colleague, Park Jinhwan. He was an extremely attractive man, slender, upright, with a pronounced jawline and a slightly fuller upper lip compared to the lower one. His dark eyes conveyed calmness while also exuding confidence.
“Detective Oh, the Detective Park said I should be of assistance to you,” Jinhwan said. The detective was surprised. She wasn't used to working with someone else, but the fact that Park Jinhwan had been chosen out of everyone didn’t bother her at all. Of course, she wasn’t going to let that show. “Do you really think you’re the most suitable choice?” she asked. Jinhwan was younger than her by a few years, but it was clear he was a talented young man. He had worked as an assistant on several cases for many important detectives in the police station and had always performed excellently. Thanks to him, many people had found the crucial clues leading to the resolution of cases. His sharp mind was certainly not to be underestimated. Detective Oh had no doubt that Park Jinhwan would prove useful. However, she certainly didn’t want to sing his praises, and if he wanted her goodwill, he would have to earn it.
He sat down at the desk. His scent tickled Detective Oh’s nostrils. “Detective Park has already handed me the file. I read it all night. In fact, I didn’t sleep at all to study it in detail. Detective Oh, if it’s alright with you, I’d suggest that we go out immediately and speak with the family first. Of course, the police have done a good job with them, but there are still parts of their statements that are unclear, and I’d like to understand more.”
Detective Oh lowered her gaze. She felt somewhat at fault. After all, she had managed to sleep for a few hours, and she certainly hadn’t stayed up all night studying the case like Jinhwan. She let the tips of her fingers touch each other, seemed to think for a moment, then asked, “Explain to me what is unclear in the parents' statements.” Jinhwan gave a wry smile.
“To start with, when the father talked about his son’s disappearance, he immediately said, ‘They took him.’ Isn’t it strange that he used the plural form? Usually, when a child is kidnapped, people think of a madman, a deranged person, someone with perversions who might want to commit some terrible act. But the father seemed convinced that multiple people were involved in taking him. Why?”
“Good observation,” Detective Oh admitted. “And besides this, have you noticed anything else that might be relevant to the investigation?”
Park Jinhwan seemed to ponder for a moment. “Maybe. But before speaking, I prefer to interrogate the child’s parents once again.”
Detective Oh nodded, then stood up from her desk. “Alright, let’s go question them again. If they followed the police instructions, they should still be at home.”
“Detective Oh, let me offer you a coffee before we go.”
“Park Jinhwan, a child is missing. It’s not the time for coffee.”
“I insist. As I mentioned, I worked all night, and I need to refuel with caffeine.”
Detective Oh hesitated for a moment. If she denied him coffee, she would appear to be a terrible superior. “Alright,” she conceded.
The coffee machine was downstairs, in front of the entrance, but as Detective Oh stopped to choose a beverage, Park Jinhwan walked straight toward the exit.
“Eh? Aren’t you going to have a coffee?”
“Detective Oh, are you really going to call that stuff coffee?”
“You mean you’re going to a proper café?”
“Detective Oh, don’t underestimate the importance of caffeine for the brain. Believe me, it will improve both my deductive skills and yours!”
That boy was truly amazing. Detective Oh wondered where he got such confidence from. After all, he was with his superior. How could he act so boldly? Even though Detective Oh appeared quite irritated by his behavior, she felt strangely attracted to him. It had been months since her last relationship with a man, and more and more often, she found herself feeling a visceral attraction to her colleagues. Yet, none of these situations had been as audacious as with Jinhwan.
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