A Somewhat Unusual Lawyer - Chapter 6

“A favor? Just say the word.”

Inspector Jang Joo-young readily answered without an ounce of hesitation.
Nam Da-reum took out the single photo tucked between the pages of his notebook and handed it to Inspector Jang.

“What is this photo?”
“It’s a photo I received from Ms. Go Eun-chae. The one Lawyer Ma decided to file an investigation review request for.”
“Ah, you mean the bereaved family of the Prosecutor Go Kang-hyun case. But this photo…”
“I’m told it’s a photo the bereaved family submitted at the time, pointing to him as a suspect, but the investigation team refused to adopt it.”

Inspector Jang Joo-young looked down at the photo for a long while.
Da-reum brought up his main point directly toward him.

“It’s nothing else, but I would like to peruse the investigation records of this case. Would that be possible?”
“This case, it’s classified as an unsolved cold case, right?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”

Jang Joo-young couldn’t give a definite answer right away.
Da-reum calmly waited for his response.
Looking at his hesitation, it was clear that there was a complex causal relationship intertwined beyond it just being a simple cold case.
Cold cases are hidden crimes.
Hidden crimes are divided into cases where a crime actually occurred but was not recognized by the investigative agency due to a lack of reporting, and cold cases where a report was made but it could not be resolved because witnesses or suspects could not be found.
The death of Prosecutor Go Kang-hyun belonged to the latter.
A cold case that could not be closed because the suspect could not be identified despite conducting an investigation.
Since the suspect has not been identified, one cannot greatly expect there to even be room for it to be resolved. In such cases, there were many instances where they remained permanently unsolved.
This is the general case, but there are also cases where a murder case becomes a hidden crime due to public power.
Nam Da-reum was considering even this number of possibilities.
Jang Joo-young seemed as if he were about to open his mouth for a moment before finally letting out a long sigh.

“I really want to help you, but…”
“Are there no records?”
“No. There should be. But the access authority is…”
“Can’t someone at the level of an Inspector peruse them?”
“Usually, yes. However, ever since the investigator in charge of this case was replaced, the authority to access the records was elevated to a higher department.”

He slightly bowed his head and trailed off.
Nam Da-reum accurately read the meaning behind that gaze.

“By any chance, regarding this case. May I ask who the initial investigator in charge was. I thought I might ask them myself if they are within the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.”

At Nam Da-reum’s question, Jang Joo-young answered with a short mutter.

“The investigator in charge of this case… is not within the agency right now.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean they’re not here…”
“Inspector Lee Dong-jin. He was promoted to Senior Superintendent and went to be the Chief of the Gangseo Police Station.”
“A promotion? If he was promoted from Inspector to Senior Superintendent…”

At that single remark, Jang Joo-young raised his head without a word.
Their gazes met briefly.

‘A case that rapidly transitioned into a cold case. The investigator in charge was promoted to Senior Superintendent. This is no simple coincidence.’

“Inspector.”

Nam Da-reum lowered his voice deeply.

“Then, could I at least check the report records?”

Jang Joo-young tilted his head for a moment.

“The report records? That is possible.”
“And, one more thing. Can my case records be perused?”
“Your case records, Lawyer Nam? Of course. That’s under my charge and still under investigation, so I can help you with that much.”

A brief silence, and Nam Da-reum’s gaze full of clear purpose.
In the end, Jang Joo-young’s side noticed Nam Da-reum’s intention first.
He sighed and said.

“Since you are the victim, Lawyer, it’s not a procedural violation. But since you say you want to see them together with Prosecutor Go Kang-hyun’s report records, I am a little concerned.”
“I will make sure no harm comes to you, Inspector.”
“No. No. That’s not what I meant…”

Jang Joo-young scratched his head and smiled bitterly.

“I’m saying this because I’m worried. And I’m sorry too. I should have caught the culprit quickly.”
“I didn’t bring this up to blame anyone.”
“…”
“Helping me is enough. Then, I leave it in your hands. Inspector.”

Da-reum gladly accepted that goodwill and gave a short bow.

As he opened the front door and entered, the savory smell of soybean paste soup spread out.
Nam Da-jeong stopped setting the spoons and chopsticks on the table and poked her head out.

“Oppa, you’re late? I scooped the rice out right on time.”
“What’s with the soybean paste soup? You said we were going to eat pizza for dinner.”
“The lady next door boiled it with clams and brought some over. It’s crazy delicious, so hurry up and come sit.”

Da-reum washed his hands and sat at the table, setting down the thick document folder he had brought tucked under his arm.
Da-jeong picked up her spoon without a word, but when her brother flipped through the record sheets plastered with blood-red crime scene photos even while chewing his rice, she eventually slammed her chopsticks down.

“Oppa.”

At the sound calling him, Nam Da-reum replied without even looking at her.

“Yeah. What.”

He was still shoving rice into his mouth and flipping through the documents.

“Please, can’t you just eat your food when you’re eating?”

Da-jeong said, frowning.

“Why.”
“What do you mean why. Do you want to look at records plastered with blood-red crime scene photos while eating??? It seriously ruins my appetite!”
“I’m fine with it though?”
“I’m not fine with it! Are you trying to help me diet or what?”

Nam Da-reum chuckled.

“That’s right. You said you were dieting. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Oppaaaa…”
“Got it.”

Da-reum reluctantly closed the folder and pushed it to the side. Da-jeong mumbled her food with a dissatisfied expression before asking in a low voice.

“Are those… the records of the guy who stabbed you, oppa?”

It seemed she was inwardly curious even while scolding him.
She added in a fading voice.

“Have they still not caught the culprit?”

Only then did Nam Da-reum raise his head.

“Yeah.”

He answered briefly while scanning Nam Da-jeong’s face.
Seeing his sister’s eyes tinged with anxiety, Da-reum opened his mouth as if he had made a decision.

“Da-jeong. How about you commute to school from Grandma’s house for the time being?”

Da-jeong’s hand stopped in midair.

“What? Why so suddenly?”
“Just, oppa gets off work too late nowadays… You know, lawyer work is so unpredictable, so you’re left all alone for a lot of time. And I’m worried because it seems like you keep skipping meals.”

Da-reum gave his reasons as calmly as possible, but Da-jeong narrowed her eyes as if she wouldn’t be fooled.

“Oppa, don’t tell me you’re doing this because you’re worried that culprit might come back here? You’re doing this because you’re scared that guy might come when I’m alone.”

At Da-jeong’s sharp, direct hit, Da-reum was momentarily speechless.
He tried to shake his head and say no, but the chilling warning Ma Sang-hyun gave him during the day was branded into his mind and wouldn’t leave.
Those bizarre pieces of advice like ‘forced erasure’ and ‘be careful with your body’ were by no means the kind to be heard in vain.
Da-reum let out a long sigh.

“It’s not like that. Oppa has a lot of work right now, but I don’t think I can work well because I’m worried about you being at home.”

At those words, Da-jeong, who had been acting stubborn, finally nodded.

“Okay. Then. If I eat Grandma’s food… my diet is completely out the window.”

Da-jeong added her words playfully.
The meal resumed, but the atmosphere remained subdued.
Da-reum asked as he traced back the culprit’s path, as if it suddenly came to mind.

“Da-jeong. That day. You came right back up in the elevator, right?”

Nam Da-jeong’s hand stopped.

“That day?”
“Yeah. The day the robber broke in.”

She thought for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah. As soon as I arrived on the 1st floor, I remembered, so I didn’t even get off and just rode it right back up. I think it took less than 5 minutes?”
“Right away?”
“Yeah. Right away.”

Da-jeong’s voice, which had been continuing, suddenly began to tremble.

“I was seriously so shocked. Within 5 minutes, oppa was in the entryway… collapsed after being stabbed. You bled so much… I thought you were going to die. I don’t even want to think about it again.”

Nam Da-reum set down his chopsticks.

“Got it. I’m sorry. I won’t ask anymore.”
“Yeah…”

Nam Da-jeong quietly picked up her spoon again.
Meanwhile, Nam Da-reum traced back the culprit’s path in his head.
This apartment has two households living on each floor. One elevator per building.
Since Nam Da-jeong went to the 1st floor and immediately rode it back up, the only path the culprit could have taken was the stairs.
There was no one caught on the CCTV at the 1st-floor entrance.
If so, it means he was either hiding inside the house or moved upwards.

‘Hiding inside the house makes no sense. And there’s no way Inspector Jang Joo-young… didn’t check the rooftop.’

The investigation report records that the rooftop had already been checked at the time of the incident.
Even the door leading to the rooftop was locked.
Nam Da-reum’s house is on the 21st floor. Since this building goes up to the 22nd floor, there are exactly two households above them.
Da-reum asked Da-jeong while pretending to eat again.

“Da-jeong. Do you exchange greetings with the people upstairs?”

At that sound, Da-jeong stopped picking up side dishes with her chopsticks and stared fixedly at Da-reum.
Then, she soon nodded.

“Yeah. We say hi.”

He asked without expecting much, but it was anewly amazing.

“You really are an incredible extrovert, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. Different from you, right, oppa?”
“Yeah.”
“Why do you ask that.”
“No, I was just wondering if they weren’t surprised. When you buy fruit to give to the lady next door, maybe give some to the people upstairs too.”
“Oh, good idea. Room 2201 seems to be a family raising twins, and Room 2202 seems to be where a grandfather and grandmother live. But they said they were moving out soon.”
“Moving?”
“Yeah. Their contract ended. If you’re going to give them something, give it to them quickly.”
“When did they move in?”
“Probably 2 years ago.”

Nam Da-jeong spoke nonchalantly as she took a spoonful of soup.
Nam Da-reum rested his chin on his hand and fell deep in thought for a moment.
Then, he added one question.

“Do they have children?”

An answer returned immediately to that question.

“Yes. One son. I remember the grandmother bragging about him. She said he’s a police officer?”

Nam Da-reum’s fingertips paused microscopically.
His gaze slowly turned upward, toward the ceiling.

“A police officer…?”

At that moment, a very faint suspicion spread in his eyes.