When Lee Jaehyun suddenly shattered the Pet Shop’s glass door with his elbow, not only Oh Min-seok but the other Detectives stared at him in shock.
“Team Leader, what’s that about?”
A Violent Crimes Detective asked, watching the back of the guy striding inside.
Oh Min-seok just shrugged.
“What else? He’s a lunatic.”
“Shouldn’t we stop him or something? That’s breaking and entering.”
“Just say he got away. For now, we should be searching the scene of the robbery for evidence, don’t you think?”
Saying this, Oh Min-seok glanced back at his Team Member.
They’d been working together for about two years now.
His Team Member looked at him with a disgruntled expression.
“What?”
When he asked, the Team Member clicked his tongue as if dissatisfied, took a deep breath, and spoke.
“This could come back to bite us later. I get that you’re just making up an excuse for now, but what if we get chewed out later for tampering with the scene?”
“What are you talking about? Did we tamper with the scene? An unknown robber messed it up, not us.”
Oh Min-seok, the Team Leader, replied with a sly voice to his Team Member’s words.
It wasn’t even their doing—the place was already disturbed by the robber. What could they do about that?
Of course, if they checked the nearby CCTV, they’d easily see who broke down the door, so the Owner, Myung Jinhan, could possibly claim damages against Lee Jaehyun, but…
Well, would he even be in the right state of mind to bother?
Oh Min-seok gave a faint smile and looked over at Lee Jaehyun, who was surveying the interior of the shop.
His Team Member glanced at Lee Jaehyun as well, then turned his attention back to Team Leader Oh Min-seok, continuing the conversation.
“No, Team Leader… That’s just an excuse, plain and simple. You know the higher-ups are just turning a blind eye.”
“If you know, then what are you going to do? With the Public Interest all focused on this, are they really going to scold us for finding evidence?”
“What if we can’t find any? Just saying, there’s a chance that guy isn’t actually the Perpetrator.”
The Team Member replied, sounding a little frustrated at Oh Min-seok’s words.
Seeing his Team Member like that, Oh Min-seok looked at him incredulously.
Saying there’s a chance the guy isn’t the Perpetrator?
“Are you serious?”
“………… Of course it’s likely. But until now, by the Guilt Principle…”
Even though the Team Member expected the guy was probably the Perpetrator, he hesitated briefly, then nodded.
Oh Min-seok Team Leader cut him off before he could say anything more.
He understood what his Team Member was trying to say.
If they just rushed in like this and started searching for evidence, there’d be rumors.
It could affect things like Promotion or Salary.
He understood the need to be cautious, but at times like this, it just felt so stifling.
What Guilt Principle? As if.
“Hey, principles and all are fine, but this is a kidnapping case. He had a weapon. He’s already not innocent, so what Guilt Principle are you talking about?”
“You know that’s not what I meant. If we find evidence, sure, we’re off the hook, but if we don’t, we could be left holding the bag for nothing.”
Yeah, that was true.
If they failed to find evidence, the higher-ups could start blaming them, and pressure would come down.
But in the end, that only happened if they failed to find evidence.
Oh Min-seok gave his Team Member a casual look and spoke.
“Then we’d better find some evidence.”
“What if it’s not here?”
“Just shut up and look, you punk. Too much talking.”
In the end, Oh Min-seok massaged his brow and smacked his Team Member’s shoulder with his palm.
Only then did the Team Member move further into the shop and begin searching.
His dissatisfied look quickly disappeared, replaced with a serious expression.
Well, despite his grumbling, he was still a Detective—this was only natural.
Still, as a Team Leader, Oh Min-seok couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
He didn’t expect someone to go as crazy as that lunatic, using some unbelievable excuse about a robbery just to storm in and search for evidence.
But since they had an excuse and the stage was set, wasn’t it fine to go in and search now?
With those thoughts, Oh Min-seok shifted his gaze to Lee Jaehyun.
‘Would be nice if we had a lunatic like him on our team too.’
Somehow, memories of working with Park Daehyung in the past surfaced.
Back then, Park Daehyung would also recklessly rush to catch Perpetrators without thinking about the consequences.
Maybe it’s because Lee Jaehyun learned from Park Daehyung.
This guy, Lee Jaehyun, wasn’t just your average madman either.
“Actually, maybe he’s even crazier than Daehyung?”
Whatever the case, he was looking forward to seeing what this guy would do next.
With a faint smile, Oh Min-seok walked into the shop.
***
After entering the shop, Lee Jaehyun cautiously scanned his surroundings.
Voices could be heard behind him.
It was just Oh Min-seok Team Leader and his Team Member, chatting as they entered.
His Team Member seemed worried that things could get complicated.
Honestly…
“I get it.”
Lee Jaehyun understood the Detective’s mindset.
Any Detective was probably responsible for a family, and valued their job as a Civil Servant.
Ten years ago—in his previous life—Lee Jaehyun at this time was just like that.
A ‘Police Officer’ Civil Servant, not a true Police Officer.
He knew full well that breaking in before a warrant was issued would definitely cause problems, which is why he understood.
Still, his desire to see Myung Jinhan properly judged was stronger than his understanding.
So, as he tuned out the Detective’s words and scanned the area, Se-re-hen appeared before his eyes.
“Honestly, I really like this kind of thing.”
“What?”
“It’s clear, isn’t it? Moving with a single purpose, not worrying about the consequences, just focusing on locking him up properly.”
Se-re-hen spoke with a satisfied smile.
Meanwhile, the Detectives began entering one by one, starting their search with serious faces.
Even as the Detectives moved around inside the shop, Lee Jaehyun calmly stood and looked around.
“I’ve thought about it for ten years. I don’t have the luxury or need to think any more.”
In his previous life, that guy had chosen the coward’s way out—Suicide.
Because of that, the case was closed due to the Limitation of Prosecution, and there was no proper Investigation or Judgment.
But Lee Jaehyun never gave up.
He’d thought about it for ten years.
Where did that guy hide the evidence?
The Will revealed the crime, but the murder weapon was never found.
Where did he put the murder weapon? Where should he search to catch the guy before he made the ‘choice’ of Suicide?
In his past life, the Detectives hadn’t neglected to search Myung Jinhan’s Pet Shop.
They definitely searched, but nothing significant had come out.
He even committed Suicide, so the case was closed due to the Limitation of Prosecution, and the landlord quickly cleared out the Pet Shop, calling it tainted.
Lee Jaehyun didn’t have any information on the location of the murder weapon either.
But he was sure.
There was definitely evidence here, in this Pet Shop.
“Nothing’s turning up. I’ll check the back office.”
Several Detectives, unable to find anything in the reception area, went into the back Office.
But Lee Jaehyun continued to survey the reception area for Guests.
“Would you like me to help?”
Se-re-hen offered in a gentle voice.
But Lee Jaehyun shook his head.
At least in this moment, he didn’t need the demon’s help.
He would ensure, with his own hands, that proper Judgment was served.
For ten years.
He’d agonized, over and over.
He’d analyzed the guy so much, you could say he’d ‘taken him apart.’
Rape and murder.
Essentially, the guy had committed his crime due to his own twisted desires.
He didn’t want to know what they were, nor did he want to understand them.
But he did need to understand what the guy did after the crime.
He disposed of the bodies in trash bags, but the Victim’s Head always had a Red Ribbon tied to it.
That was something Myung Jinhan wanted whoever found the body to see.
A display of something only he understood—showing it off.
At the root of it, his motive was ultimately…
Vanity.
“The murder weapon will be here, and he must have hidden it somewhere all the Guests could see.”
Like a Trophy.
Put on display, in plain sight.
Lee Jaehyun shifted his gaze to a photograph of a Golden Retriever hanging on one side of the shop.
A bright smile on the Golden Retriever’s Head, with a Red Ribbon tied around it.
Beneath the Golden Retriever photograph was a Shelf…and on the topmost Shelf sat a small Urn.
Lee Jaehyun slowly walked over.
Step, his footsteps echoed softly.
No matter where he went, memories of that day haunted him daily.
Step.
How could he have caught the guy before he committed Suicide?
How could he have properly avenged his father?
That’s all he ever thought about.
Step.
And now, the answer to that agony had come.
“Oh.”
Se-re-hen let out a small exclamation.
At the same moment, Lee Jaehyun reached out his hand.
Atop the Shelf.
[Happy.]
[May you truly be happy.]
That’s what was written on the small Urn.
Slowly, he picked it up.
“See? I told you I have an eye for people.”
As Se-re-hen said that, Lee Jaehyun hurled the Urn to the ground.
Crash!
The Urn shattered with a loud crash.
“What, what’s that?! Another robbery?”
“Isn’t he really a psycho?”
The Detectives who had gone inside came running out at the sound.
Detective Oh Min-seok, watching from outside, just chuckled quietly.
Even in the midst of all this commotion, Lee Jaehyun simply did what he had to do.
“Team Leader Oh Min-seok.”
“Yeah, what is it?”
When Lee Jaehyun called out, the nearest Team Leader Oh Min-seok nodded in reply.
With cold eyes, Lee Jaehyun continued.
“May I borrow an Evidence Bag?”
Without a word, Team Leader Oh Min-seok handed Lee Jaehyun an Evidence Bag.
Lee Jaehyun took it, turned it over in his hands.
Then, he bent down and picked up something buried in the spilled ashes.
Stained, streaked, a bloodied Collar.
Lee Jaehyun tried to steady his trembling hand, shaking from anger, as he sealed the Collar inside the Evidence Bag.
Inside the small bag was the blood-soaked Collar.
The moment they saw it, someone sucked in a breath.
“Insane.”
Someone else let out a curse.
Lee Jaehyun gritted his teeth as he looked at the Evidence Bag containing the Collar he now held.
Ten years of agony, and ten years turned back.
He’d finally found it.
Evidence.