The arrival of Kim Kyung-min shattered the fragile, stunned silence that had fallen over the hallway. His wife, Eun-ji, who had been holding herself together with visible, trembling effort, let out a broken sob the moment she saw him. It was a raw, guttural sound of shared devastation.

Kyung-min moved towards her, his own face a mask of anguish. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he simply wrapped his arms around her, his shoulders shaking as he absorbed her grief. For a long moment, he just held her, his own tears finally escaping to trace paths through his ashen skin. Then, with a visible and heartbreaking effort, he pulled away slightly, his duty to support her overriding his own collapse. He guided her back to the bench, his movements slow and heavy.

Senior Detective Jae-hyun observed this intimate display of sorrow with a respectful but analytical silence. He gave them a moment of privacy before stepping forward, his voice low and calm, designed to de-escalate rather than intrude.

“I need to ask a few questions,” Jae-hyun began. “Who was the first to see the body?”

In the hallway, only Eun-ji and Kyung-min were standing together now. Hyun-woo had stepped back, giving the grieving parents space. Eun-ji looked up, her eyes swimming with fresh tears. “My daughter,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “Soo-jin. She… she went in to check on him.”

Jae-hyun’s gaze sharpened. “Where is she now? I need to speak with her.”

“She… she is pregnant,” Eun-ji managed to say, her words catching in her throat. “Seven months. She was already very weak. When she saw her brother… she fainted.”

From his position slightly behind Jae-hyun, Junior Detective Sung-min watched closely. He noted how Eun-ji’s body convulsed with a fresh wave of sobs as she recounted her daughter’s trauma. It was a mother’s pain, compounded—grief for her son, terror for her daughter and unborn grandchild. He scribbled in his notebook: *Sister (Soo-jin) – discovered body. Pregnant, 7 months. Fainted from shock. Currently incapacitated.*

“We will talk to her when she is able,” Jae-hyun said, his tone leaving no room for argument, yet not unkind. “But I need to know her current location for our records.”

Kyung-min answered this time, his voice a gravelly whisper. “She lives next door. She is married to Hyun-woo.” He gestured weakly towards his son-in-law, who gave a grim, confirming nod.

Jae-hyun processed this. The sister lived right next door. That was convenient. Perhaps too convenient. He filed the thought away.

“Now,” Jae-hyun continued, shifting his focus to the timeline. “Can you tell me where all of you have been this evening? Before you returned home.”

Eun-ji, grateful for a question that required a factual answer, took a shaky breath. “Soo-jin had an ultrasound scan appointment. We all went to the hospital at around 5:30. It took about thirty, thirty-five minutes. Then… then we went to Min-jun’s restaurant for a family dinner. He wasn’t there, which was strange. After dinner, we came straight home.”

Sung-min stepped forward, his notebook at the ready. “So, you all left this house at what time to go to the hospital?”

Eun-ji’s brow furrowed in concentration, the mundane task a struggle against her grief. “Four… maybe? I don’t remember exactly.”

Sung-min looked at Kyung-min. “And when did you arrive at the restaurant?”

The father thought for a moment, his eyes distant. “Near about 6:45.”

“And when did you return home tonight?” Sung-min pressed.

“Near about 9 PM,” Eun-ji answered softly.

Sung-min’s pen moved rapidly. 4:00 PM – Family leaves house. 5:30 PM – Ultrasound appt (35 min). ~6:45 PM – Arrive restaurant. ~9:00 PM – Return home. Victim absent from restaurant. Time of death: between 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM. It was a broad window, but it was a start.

Just as Jae-hyun was about to ask another question, the sound of a car door slamming shut cut through the night from outside the house. The engine was different—not a police cruiser or the family’s sedan. It was smoother, more assertive.

All eyes turned towards the door. Someone else had arrived.