Chapter 68: National Forensic Service (4)

Detective Lee stands at the front of the room, his expression grim. He clears his throat, drawing everyone's attention.

"I'm afraid we've encountered a significant setback in our investigation," he begins, his voice laced with frustration. "It appears that the CCTV system in the dormitory area has not been properly maintained."

Dr. Kim's face pales visibly. "What do you mean, Detective?"

Lee turns to him, his gaze sharp. "I mean, Dr. Kim, that the cameras were not functioning. They haven't been for some time, it seems."

A collective gasp fills the room. Detective Park Jinyoung stands up abruptly. "How is that possible? This is a national forensic facility!"

Dr. Kim runs a hand through his hair, looking flustered. "I... I don't understand. Our maintenance logs show regular checks."

Detective Pyo steps forward, tablet in hand. "Those logs appear to have been falsified, Dr. Kim. We'll be looking into that as well."

The room erupts into murmurs and whispers.

Lee raises his hands for silence. "We did manage to retrieve one piece of footage from a camera in the main hallway. Detective Pyo, if you would."

Pyo nods, tapping his tablet. A grainy image appears on the large screen behind him.

"This shows Detective Sung leaving his room at 12:07 AM and returning at approximately 12:50 AM. Unfortunately, that's all we have."

Officer Lee Minjoo leans forward, her brow furrowed. "But where did he go? What was he doing for those 40 minutes?"

"That's what we're trying to determine," Lee responds. "Now, regarding the autopsy-"

"Wait," I interject, unable to contain myself. "How long have the cameras been non-functional? Surely someone must have noticed."

Dr. Kim shifts uncomfortably. "We're looking into that. It appears the issue may have been... overlooked for some time."

Detective Kim Eunji speaks up, her voice cool and professional. "What about the autopsy results? Do we at least have those?"

Lee nods. "The initial autopsy indicates that Detective Sung died of a heart attack. However," he pauses, his gaze sweeping the room, "given the suspicious circumstances, we're conducting further, more detailed analyses. These will take time."

"A heart attack?" Detective Choi Seunghoon scoffs. "He was young and healthy. How is that possible?"

"Heart attacks can be induced," I find myself saying. All eyes turn to me, and I realize too late how suspicious that might sound.

Lee's eyes narrow. "Exactly. Which is why, until we have conclusive results, the five of you will remain under suspicion and confined to this facility."

The room falls silent as the weight of his words sinks in. We're not just participants in a training program anymore. We're suspects in a potential murder investigation.

As I look around at my fellow suspects, I can't help but wonder: who among us knows more than they're letting on? And how deep does this rabbit hole go?

As the meeting breaks up, I notice Eunji moving towards the door. Her gait catches my attention once again - there's a subtle but noticeable hitch in her step, a slight favoring of her left leg. It's less pronounced than before, but still there if you're looking for it.

I make my way over to her, trying to appear casual. "Eunji," I call out softly, causing her to turn towards me. "Are you sure you're okay? Your leg still seems to be bothering you."

Her eyes narrow slightly, a flash of something - annoyance? fear? - crossing her face before it's replaced by a neutral expression. "I'm fine," she says curtly. "Just a bit stiff from sitting for so long."

I press on, keeping my voice low and concerned. "It's just that I noticed it earlier too. If you're injured, maybe you should have Dr. Kim take a look. We're all under a lot of stress, and-"

"I said I'm fine," Eunji cuts me off, her tone sharp. She glances around, seeming to realize how her outburst might appear to others. When she speaks again, her voice is softer, but there's an edge to it. "Thank you for your concern, but it's really nothing. Old sports injury acting up, that's all."

I nod, not wanting to push further and raise her suspicions. "Of course. Just... take care of yourself."

Eunji gives me a tight smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "You too," she says, before turning and walking away, her limp barely perceptible now, as if she's making a conscious effort to hide it.

As I ponder over Eunji's odd behavior, Aileen's voice suddenly chimes in my head.

"Something's not right with that Eunji character," she says, her tone unusually serious.

I nod internally. "I agree, but just because she's limping, that can't be the main reason to suspect her. We need more than that."

"Oh, honey," Aileen replies, a hint of amusement in her voice. "That's not what I'm talking about at all."

Intrigued, I press further. "What do you mean then?"

"She's lying about her leg," Aileen states matter-of-factly.

Confused, I ask, "What does that mean? We can clearly see she's having trouble walking."

Aileen's voice drops to a whisper, as if sharing a secret. "Her odd movement isn't because of her leg at all. It's... well, it's a more delicate issue."

"What are you getting at, Aileen?" I ask, my patience wearing thin.

She sighs, as if preparing to deliver uncomfortable news. "Look, detective, her discomfort seems to be... shall we say, in a more personal area. The kind of discomfort a lady might experience after certain... activities."

I feel my face flush at the implication. "Aileen, that's... that's quite an assumption to make."

Aileen's voice becomes somber. "Look, in my past life, I saw a lot of things. Let's just say I have experience recognizing certain... physical discomforts in women. You know. I used to work as..."

I sigh internally. "Alright, let's say you're right. What are you implying?"

"Whatever's causing her discomfort, it seems recent," Aileen replies. "Very recent."

I consider this. "So you think this is connected to last night?"

"It's a possibility we can't ignore," Aileen says.

***

As I sit alone in my room, Aileen's words echo in my mind. I try to piece together how this information might fit into the larger puzzle of Sung's death and the mysteries surrounding the National Forensic Service.

"Okay," I mutter to myself, "let's think this through logically. If Aileen's observations are correct, what does it tell us?"

I begin to pace, my mind racing. "It suggests Eunji was involved in some kind of... intimate activity last night. But how does that connect to Sung's death? Was she with someone? Could it have been Sung himself?"

The implications are uncomfortable, but I force myself to consider them objectively. "If Eunji and Sung were together last night, it could explain her current discomfort and possibly Sung's midnight wanderings. But it doesn't explain his death." Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I pause, a new thought occurring to me. "Unless... unless whatever happened between them led to his death somehow. An argument? A confrontation?"

Aileen's voice chimes in. "Or maybe it wasn't Sung at all. Maybe she was with someone else entirely."

I nod, considering this angle. "That's possible too. But if so, who? And how does it relate to the case?"

As I continue to ponder, I realize that while this information is intriguing, it's far from conclusive. It raises more questions than it answers.

As I'm lost in thought, my phone suddenly buzzes. I glance at the screen - it's Han. With a deep breath, I answer.

"Hello, sir."

"What the hell is going on there?" Han's voice comes through, tense and worried. "I've just heard about Sung's death and that you're all being treated as suspects."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "It's a complicated situation, sir. The investigation is ongoing, and-"

Han cuts me off. "This is not why I sent you to the NFS. To get caught up in a murder investigation? Absolutely not. I'm coming there myself to get you out."

"Sir, I appreciate that, but-"

"No buts," Han interrupts again. "I'm not leaving you there to be treated like a criminal. This was supposed to be a training opportunity, not... this."

I try to protest. "Really, sir, I don't want to cause any trouble. I can handle-"

"It's decided," Han says firmly. "Expect me there tomorrow with the team. We'll sort this out."

Before I can say anything else, the line goes dead. I stare at my phone, a mix of relief and apprehension washing over me. While part of me is grateful for Han's support, another part worries about how his intervention might affect the investigation - and my own unofficial inquiries.

The next morning, I'm called to the main entrance along with the other participants. As we gather, confused and curious, the doors open to reveal Han striding in, flanked by several members of our team.

His eyes scan the room until they land on me. With purposeful steps, he approaches, his face set in determination.

"I'm here to speak with whoever's in charge," Han announces to the room at large, his voice carrying authority. "This situation has gone on long enough."

As Dr. Kim and the detectives hurry over to address Han, I can't help but feel a mix of emotions. While Han's presence might complicate things, it also brings a sense of familiarity and support that I didn't realize how much I needed.

I watch from a distance as Han engages in a heated discussion with Dr. Kim and the NFS officers. Their voices are raised, but I can't make out the specifics of what they're saying. Han's posture is rigid, his gestures animated as he argues his point. Dr. Kim looks flustered, his face reddening as he tries to counter whatever Han is saying.

The other officers seem caught between the two, their expressions a mix of concern and uncertainty. I catch fragments of phrases - "jurisdiction," "conflict of interest," "compromised investigation" - but not enough to piece together the full picture.

After what feels like an eternity, Han breaks away from the group and strides towards me, his face set in a grim expression.

"What's going on?" I ask as he approaches.

Han takes a deep breath before speaking. "The Seoul Metropolitan Investigative Unit is going to take over this case."

My eyes widen in surprise. "Really? Just like that?"

A small, wry smile plays at the corner of Han's mouth. "Not yet," he admits.

"But I'm going to make it happen."