Chapter 48: The Sixth Case (2)

I step into the sterile hospital room, the sharp scent of disinfectant filling my nostrils. Ji Su-yeon lies on the bed, her face pale and drawn, eyes wide and unfocused. Her mother sits beside her, clutching Ji's hand, her own eyes red-rimmed from crying.I approach slowly, careful not to startle them. "Ms. Ji," I say softly, "I'm Detective Park from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. I understand you've been through a terrible ordeal. If you're not ready to talk, I can wait."

Ji turns her head towards me, her movements stiff and cautious. Despite the tremor in her voice, she speaks with determination. "No, I can talk now. I want you to catch him as soon as possible. I'll help in any way I can."

I nod, pulling up a chair. "Take your time. Start from the beginning."

Ji takes a shaky breath. "I got into a taxi after a night out with friends. The driver... he asked if he could take a shortcut." Her voice catches, and her mother squeezes her hand. "I said yes. That's when he drove to an area without many CCTVs."

I lean forward slightly, my pen poised over my notebook. "What happened next, Ms. Ji?"

"He pulled out a knife," she whispers, her free hand unconsciously moving to her throat. "He threatened me, tied me to the seat, and drove towards the nearest mountain."

Ji's eyes close briefly, reliving the nightmare. "When we got there, he… he raped me… and then he tied me to a tree. Then he went back to his car, like he'd forgotten something. That's when I managed to escape. I just ran and ran..."

I give her a moment to collect herself. "Is there anything else you remember? Any small detail could be important."

Ji furrows her brow in concentration. "He seemed... anxious. And he was muttering to himself."

"Do you remember what he said?" I ask, my pen hovering over the paper.

"Something about... being behind. I think he said 'behind schedule' or something like that."

I jot this down, my mind already racing with the implications. "Thank you, Ms. Ji. You've been incredibly brave and helpful."

As I stand to leave, Ji reaches out and grabs my sleeve. "Please," she says, her eyes pleading, "catch him. Don't let him do this to anyone else."

I meet her gaze steadily. "We will, Ms. Ji. I promise you, we'll do everything in our power to bring him to justice."

I push open the heavy metal door to the hospital rooftop, the cool evening air a welcome relief after the antiseptic stuffiness of the corridors below. The city sprawls out before me, a tapestry of twinkling lights against the darkening sky. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what's to come.

"Aileen," I say quietly, "I need to talk to you."

There's a moment of silence, then her voice chirps in my head, brimming with enthusiasm. "Oh, Detective! I thought you'd never ask. What a romantic spot you've chosen. The lights, the view... are you trying to sweep me off my virtual feet?"

I can almost imagine her batting her eyelashes, if she had any. I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Aileen, this isn't a social call. I need to discuss the case with you."

"Aw, all work and no play?" she teases. "You know, they say all the best partnerships have a little spark of-"

"Aileen," I cut her off firmly, "This is serious. A woman's life was nearly destroyed, and others could be in danger. I need your full focus on the case, nothing else."

There's a pause, and when Aileen speaks again, her tone is more subdued. "I understand, Detective. I apologize for my inappropriate behavior. What aspects of the case would you like to discuss?"

I lean against the rooftop railing, looking out over the city. "Ji Su-yeon mentioned that Shin seemed anxious and was muttering about being 'behind schedule.' I can't shake the feeling that this is important somehow. What do you make of it?"

"Hmm," Aileen muses, her playful demeanor replaced by analytical focus. "The phrase 'behind schedule' suggests a planned sequence of events. Perhaps Shin isn't just randomly selecting victims, but working towards a specific goal or timeline." S~eaʀᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I nod, the pieces starting to come together in my mind. "That's what I was thinking too. But what could his endgame be? And how do we get ahead of him?"

Aileen's voice turns somber as she continues her analysis. "We can't be certain of Shin's exact plans, but one thing is clear: he knows his identity has been revealed to the police, yet he's still willing to continue his crimes. This suggests a level of desperation or commitment to his 'schedule' that's truly alarming."

I feel a chill run down my spine as I process her words. "You're right," I mutter, gripping the railing tighter. "Which means..."

"Which means there will likely be more victims in the coming weeks, or even days," Aileen finishes my thought. "He's escalating, Detective. Time is not on our side."

As the weight of this realization settles over me, my phone suddenly buzzes in my pocket. I fish it out, seeing Han's name on the screen. My stomach tightens as I answer the call.

"Park," Han's voice comes through, tense and urgent. "I need you back at the unit. Now."

"What's happened, sir?" I ask, already moving towards the rooftop door.

Han's sigh is heavy, laden with grim news. "We've got more cases, Park. Similar M.O. to Shin's previous attacks."

I freeze, my hand on the door handle. "How many?"

"Two," Han replies, his voice tight. "Two this week.

***

I rush into the briefing room, slightly out of breath. The atmosphere is tense, with my colleagues huddled around the central table, their faces grim. Inspector Han stands at the head of the table, his usually stoic expression now tinged with a mix of anger and concern.

As I take my seat, Han nods at me and begins the briefing without preamble.

"We have two more cases," he says, his voice grave. "Both following Shin's M.O., but with some... troubling developments."

He clicks a button, and an image appears on the screen – a woman in her late twenties, her face bruised and swollen.

"Case number three," Han continues. "Victim is a 27-year-old woman. The attack happened four days ago. Like the others, she was kidnapped after getting into what she thought was a legitimate taxi, run by Shin."

Han pauses, his jaw clenching. "She was taken to a remote location and raped. However, she managed to escape by throwing herself out of the moving vehicle on a highway."

A collective intake of breath fills the room. I feel my fists clench under the table.

"She sustained significant injuries from the fall," Han adds. "She's currently in the hospital, but thankfully, she'll recover."

Han clicks to the next slide, showing another woman, this one in her early forties.

"Case number four occurred two days ago. The victim is a 42-year-old woman. Again, kidnapped via Shin's fake taxi operation. He took her to an unmanned lodge where he..." Han's voice trails off, the implication clear.

The room is dead silent, the horror of these crimes weighing heavily on all of us.

But then Han's expression shifts, a note of confusion entering his voice. "There's something strange about this fourth case, though. After the assault, Shin... let her go."

Murmurs of surprise ripple through the room. I lean forward, my mind racing. "He just let her leave?" I ask, unable to keep the disbelief from my voice.

Han nods, his brow furrowed. "According to the victim's statement, yes. He didn't try to kill her or keep her captive. He simply..."

Han pauses and speaks again.

"Released her."