Chapter 101: The Tenth Case (1)

I step into the office, my footsteps echoing in the hallway. The door bears a freshly printed nameplate: "Inspector Ko Heejung - Special Investigations Team." Taking a deep breath, I push it open, ready to meet my new team.

The room is alive with activity, a stark contrast to the cold reception we initially received in Gwangju. Five people look up as I enter, their expressions a mix of curiosity and warmth.

A woman in her mid-thirties stands up from behind the main desk. Her posture is impeccable, her uniform crisp and neat. This must be Inspector Ko Heejung.

"Detective," she says, stepping forward with an extended hand. "Welcome to our team. I'm Inspector Ko Heejung."

I shake her hand, noting the firm grip and direct eye contact. "Thank you, Inspector. It's a pleasure to be here."

Ko smiles, a genuine warmth in her eyes. "I've read about your work in Seoul. It's impressive that you made it into the Metropolitan Investigative Unit without graduating from the Korean National Police University. That's no small feat."

I feel a surge of pride, mixed with a touch of surprise. In Seoul, my non-traditional background was often a point of contention, something that set me apart and not always in a good way. Here, Ko mentions it as a point of admiration.

"Thank you," I reply, feeling slightly self-conscious. "It was a challenging road, but I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had."

Ko nods approvingly. "That kind of determination is exactly what we need here. Let me introduce you to the rest of the team."

She turns to the others in the room, who have gathered around us. "Everyone, this is our new team member from Seoul."

One by one, the team members step forward to introduce themselves. As we exchange greetings, I'm struck by the genuine welcome I'm receiving. There's none of the standoffishness I experienced when I first joined the Seoul unit. Here, my background seems to be a point of interest rather than suspicion.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," Officer Lee says, his voice tinged with curiosity, "but what made you decide to become a detective without going through the usual KNPU route?"

In Seoul, this question might have felt like a challenge. Here, it seems born of genuine interest.

"I've always been drawn to solving puzzles, to understanding the why behind people's actions," I explain. "After... personal circumstances led me to interact with the police, I knew this was the path I wanted to take. It wasn't easy, but I was determined to make it happen."

The team nods, seemingly impressed by my dedication.

"That's the kind of diverse experience we need," Ko says approvingly. "Too often, we can get stuck in our ways of thinking. Fresh perspectives are valuable."

As we settle into a more casual conversation, Ko explaining the team's current caseload and the others chiming in with details, I find myself relaxing. The atmosphere here is different from what I'm used to in Seoul. There's a sense of camaraderie, a shared purpose that transcends individual backgrounds or career paths.

"You know," Ko says during a lull in the conversation, "I graduated from KNPU myself. But I chose to come back to Gwangju."

This catches my attention. It's an unusual choice for a KNPU graduate. "May I ask why?" I inquire, genuinely curious.

Ko's expression softens slightly. "This is my hometown. I grew up here, saw the challenges our community faced. When I had the chance to make a difference, I couldn't turn my back on that."

Her words resonate with me. It's a level of dedication I understand all too well.

As the meeting continues, I find myself feeling more at home than I have in a long time. The team's openness, Ko's leadership style, and the overall atmosphere of mutual respect are a refreshing change.

Inspector Ko turns to me, her expression serious. "We could really use your expertise on this case we're currently handling. It's a serial killing that's been troubling us for the past couple of months."

I nod, feeling a mix of anticipation and concern. "Of course, I'd be glad to help. What are we looking at?"

Ko gestures to Detective Jo Minho. "Jo, could you brief our new colleague on the details?"

Jo steps forward, tablet in hand. "Certainly, Inspector. We're dealing with a series of brutal attacks, four cases so far, all involving elderly victims."

He taps his tablet, and a series of images appear on the large screen at the front of the room. I steel myself, knowing the details are likely to be grim.

"The first case occurred on September 24th," Jo begins, his voice steady but tinged with a hint of frustration. "Estimated time of the incident was around 10:10 AM in the Sinsu District. The victims were a 70-year-old man and his 67-year-old wife. Both were killed by blunt force trauma, likely from an obtuse weapon."

I jot down notes, my mind already working to form connections. "Any signs of forced entry?"

Jo shakes his head. "None that we could find. It's one of the puzzling aspects of these cases."

He swipes to the next set of images. "The second attack happened on October 10th, at approximately 10:30 AM in the Kuki District. This time, the victims were an 80-year-old woman, her 60-year-old daughter, and her 30-year-old grandson, who was disabled. Again, all killed by blunt force trauma."

The room is silent as we absorb the brutality of these crimes. Jo continues, his voice slightly strained.

"The third case was on October 21st, around 9:40 AM in the Yeyin District. A single victim this time, a 62-year-old man. Same modus operandi - obtuse weapon attack."

I interrupt, a thought occurring to me. "The times are all quite close. Mid-morning in each case. That could be significant."

Ko nods approvingly. "Good catch. We've noted that as well, but haven't been able to determine its significance yet."

Jo moves on to the final case. "The most recent attack was on November 15th, at 11 AM in the Songsan District. An 82-year-old man and his 52-year-old caretaker were the victims. Again, killed by blunt force trauma."

As Jo finishes, a heavy silence falls over the room. Four cases in about two months, all involving elderly victims, all brutally beaten to death. The savagery of the attacks is chilling.

"In all cases," Detective Yoon Jia adds, her voice quiet but firm, "the victims died as a result of excessive physical attacks. The level of violence is... extreme."

I lean back, processing the information. "Have we identified any connections between the victims? Or any patterns in the locations of the attacks?"

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Officer Kim Soo-yeon speaks up. "We've been analyzing that, but so far, no clear connections have emerged. The districts are spread out, and the victims don't seem to have any obvious links to each other."

I nod and ask, "What about the weapon? Any leads there?"

Officer Lee Dongwon shakes his head. "Nothing concrete. Based on the wounds, we're looking at something heavy and blunt. A hammer, maybe, or a pipe. But we haven't found any trace of the weapon at the crime scenes."

"Thank you for the briefing," I say, looking around at my new teammates. "This is a challenging case, but I believe that together, we can find the breakthrough we need."

Ko nods, a determined look in her eyes. "That's what we're hoping for. Fresh eyes might see something we've missed. Where do you think we should start?"

I take a deep breath, organizing my thoughts. "Let's start by re-examining the timelines and locations. The mid-morning timing of these attacks is too consistent to be coincidence. And while the districts are spread out, there might be a pattern we're not seeing yet."

As I pore over the case files, my eyes flicking between the map and the incident reports, something nags at the back of my mind. There's a pattern here, just out of reach. I mutter the district names under my breath, trying to make the connection.

"Sinsu District... Kuki District... Yeyin District... Songsan District..."

Suddenly, it hits me. My eyes widen, and I sit up straight, drawing curious looks from my teammates.

"I think I've found something," I announce, my voice tight with excitement and urgency.

Ko looks up from her desk. "What is it?" Sёarᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I stand up and move to the large map on the wall, pointing to each location as I speak. "Look at the names of the districts where the attacks occurred. Sinsu District - two S's. Kuki District - two K's. Yeyin District - And Songsan District - again, two S's."

The room falls silent as my colleagues process this information. I can see the realization dawning on their faces.

"Each attack location has a repeated letter in its name," I stress.

Ko steps closer, her eyes scanning the map with renewed intensity. "If this pattern holds true," she says, turning to me, "does this mean we should be focusing our attention on other districts with similar naming patterns?

I pause, considering her question carefully. The excitement of discovering the pattern is tempered by the need for caution. Jumping to conclusions could lead us down the wrong path or, worse, cause unnecessary panic.

"I think it's too early to make that conclusion definitively," I reply, choosing my words carefully.

"While this pattern is certainly significant and worth noting, we need to be cautious about assuming it will continue."