Chapter Text
Tap. Tap.
The incessant tapping of keyboards was slowly bearing down on his tolerance. A familiar buzzing appeared in his ears, accompanied by the sound of his every breath. The numbness had already begun to creep in as he sunk back in his chair. Sure enough, the unwanted thoughts began to resurface, crawling out from the crevices in the back of his mind. Minute by minute. Closer and closer. Until he could barely breathe. Eyes clamped shut he could feel the coarse hands wrapping around his neck, and that deep voice shouting words of profanity at him.
A gentle nudge of his shoulder brought him back to reality. Blinking rapidly and gasping for air, he found his colleague watching him with narrowed eyes as he regained focus. The shrill of his work phone burst through the silence, making him wince. Each ring seemed to make his head thump even louder than it already was. The sound was grating. Way, too damn loud. He could barely hear the older male speak as he tried to focus on the movement of his lips.
Something phone.
“Are you alright? Seokjin’s brows were creased. Favouring the corner of his colleague’s desk to his own. “You don’t seem too good.”
“I’m fine.” Jungkook breathed, reaching for the phone. “Just a migraine.”
Seokjin regarded him with a firm look. One of clear disbelief, before shuffling back to his own desk.
“How’s the paperwork treating you?” The Chief’s voice made him sit up straight.
“You know, could be better.”
“How would you like to dig up an old case for me?”
“Sounds better than the same old paperwork.”
“I’ve been hoping to find someone willing to help me get the damned thing wrapped up for a while now.” He said. “I’ve heard you like a challenge.”
“Yes, I do.” Jungkook laughed weakly. “What is it, exactly?”
His heart-rate accelerated into overdrive. Adrenaline began pumping through his veins like a match struck against a flame. He felt alive. Ecstatic almost, in a peculiar way. It wasn’t much but after months of ploughing his way through the same old petty crimes and vandalism reports – typical rookie crap, he was welcoming to change, something fresh.
“Serial murder case. Turned cold after recent events, with the leading detective.”
“What happened?”
“Min Yoongi, a reputable member of the department was head of the case, assigned the position with a clear track record. Thing is, he started changing, you know acting out of character and so on. One day, I received a call, he had been sectioned in a local hospital, due to health-related issues.” Chief Seo paused for a moment. There were distant muffled voices in the background. “Anyway, after all that, no one has wanted to even dare mention the case in the department.”
“I don’t understand. Why are they so afraid if there’s nothing to say that all of that was related to the case he was investigating?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“What is it?” Seokjin asked cautiously, looking up from his computer. “You’re making me feel uncomfortable.”
“Do you know about Min Yoongi’s last case?”
Seokjin nodded, folding his arms over his chest. “Mm, we used to be partners, wasn’t a case he couldn’t solve but that one…it broke him.”
“Do you know anyway I can contact him?” Jungkook said, clicking his pen rhythmically. “I’d like to meet him.”
Seokjin’s eyes darkened, his lips straightening into a flat line. “I wouldn’t suggest it, he doesn’t like socialising much at all, these days. Then he never was that big of a people person anyway.”
“Do you have an address or a number, something I can use to get in contact? Anything?” Jungkook’s voice was now on the verge of desperation with his overwhelming curiosity. “Please, help me out.”
The room fell silent. Seokjin’s eyes remained fixated on Jungkook, his fingers tapping against the desk rhythmically. Chewing on his lower lip, he hummed faintly before whipping out a set of post it notes and scribbling something on the top one.
“Here.” He outstretched his right hand, a luminous yellow folded post-it in his fingers. “If you tell anyone, I gave you this—that I helped you, especially Min, I will kill you.”
“I appreciate it, thanks.”
“I mean it. Don’t tell anyone, this stays between us. If anyone out there—,” he gestured towards the main door leading outside of their office room. “Finds out this shit-show of a case is being dug up again, it won’t go down well. They certainly won’t take it easily.”
“Got it. I won’t let you down. You have my word.”
“Did the head department really authorise you to go through with this? Why? I thought we were done with it.”
Jungkook shrugged, falling back into his swivel chair. “Chief Seo assigned me it, said he wanted it wrapped up once and for all. Also said he knows I like a challenge.”
“There’s gotta be something bigger to it, maybe the victims’ families want closure or something.”
“Was much evidence found on the killer? Clues and such?”
Seokjin shook his head, sighing. “Nope, barely anything except for a few strange characters, with lots of plot holes in their stories. Not enough to be suspected as the killer though.”
“Am I supposed to find the killer? That’s a lot of digging to do. How could so many experienced detectives not get closer to the truth?” Jungkook said, scratching the back of his head. “I don’t understand.”
Seokjin cleared his throat. “Well—there has to be a good damn reason why you’ve been chosen. I’ll try and help you, where I can.”
~~
'Coffee's the way to Min's heart'
Seokjin’s words rolled around his mind.
Thanks to his connections, they had arranged to meet in Min's usual place, Willow Street café. It wasn't much to look at. Hidden down a side street, crimson paint flaking off the rusting, heavily weathered sign. The large pane windows looked as gloomy as the grey clouds looming above. The interior looked mostly vintage, not the stylish type but rather a merely old fashioned one. Dismal moss green painted walls, a few muddy, dirty looking brown leather booths along with matching tables and chairs. A couple of pictures hung on the wall, artsy scenes of landscapes mostly, a couple of unidentifiable figures built on flecks of paint, the chaotic yet planned strokes clear to see.
Nothing much. It was decent enough, very discreet, too.
He stepped inside, a small bell jingling as he did. Earning people’s unwanted attention. A restrained smile found it’s way across his face.
“Just a bottle of water, please.” He ordered.
At the counter, he looked around, eyes searching for a figure of Seokjin’s description. Dark clothing, small-figured, most-definitely sat alone with a coffee. Booth most likely—more private and closed off.
Bingo. Or so he hoped as he caught sight of a man who was the perfect fit to Seokjin’s description. Sure, enough he was at alone in a booth tucked away in the corner, face shrouded by the black fringe hanging over his eyes. His legs were bobbing up and down restlessly, pale skeletal fingers twisted around the off-white mug of coffee before him.
Beverage in hand, he turned away from the counter. He breathed deeply, trying to soothe the sudden spike in his heart rate. If he wasn’t careful, it felt like one of his ribs could crack at any given moment with the sudden surge of adrenaline and nerves racing through his blood by the second. His hands turned clammy and began trembling slightly as he moved forwards, towards the booth, all the while unbeknownst to the stranger.
The enormity of the situation he was getting himself entangled in had dawned on him in that moment, within the withering coffee shop. The likelihood of his success was probably near non-existent, he was most likely just being used as a scapegoat. So that if anything else were to go wrong whilst he tried to wrap up the goddamn case, everyone avoided like the plague he could be blamed shamelessly due to being a mere newbie. Inexperienced, ill-skilled and foolishly overconfident.
Oh god.
His head was pounding awfully now. He certainly didn’t need any caffeine; the slightest ounce could have induced him into a cardiac arrest with the way he felt. Focus. Stay strong and I can get through anything.
He stood before the booth, awkwardly. The man didn’t even acknowledge him, despite the proximity. Until. “Inspector Min?”
His twig-like fingers clasped the mug tighter, if he didn’t know better it seemed the fragile China would shatter at his touch. He seemed on edge, like he was carrying the burden of a guilty conscience. Like someone convicted of a horrendous crime or something of the sort. Peculiar, to say the least. Then again, he did leave the whole department and case behind him because of undisclosed health issues.
Silence.
"Yoongi—please.” He spoke lowly, eyes unmoving.
Sliding into the booth seat opposite, Jungkook introduced himself. “I’m Detective Jeon, I’m still a trainee but—,”
Yoongi raised his right hand. “I know. I know everything.”
“Seokjin? He told you, didn’t he?”
Yoongi nodded slowly. “Hm,”
“So—you know what I’m here to talk about, then?”
Yoongi’s hard narrow eyes looked up, it was the first time he had looked at Jungkook physically and acknowledged him. The thin mid-afternoon sun stretching through the windows, was just enough to illuminate the strange scar marking on the left side of Yoongi’s face. It stretched from above his left eye, down to his cheek. It was about two inches wide and was healed but still quite red in patches, clearly recent.
“That damn thing,” Yoongi spoke lowly, pointing to the scar. “Don’t ask.”
Yoongi dropped his head again. Anyone could easily assume he were in hiding from some dangerous force, with the way he acted like a runaway criminal.
Jungkook’s throat felt like it had constricted to the width of a straw, an uneasiness lingering in the still air. His lungs ached with the staleness and his stomach flipped, a strange feeling spreading through his gut.
What had he got himself into?
“Shall I begin?”
Jungkook shifted in his seat. Thought it would be good to start slow, work his way up to the meaty, more personal questions later.
Yoongi nodded slowly again.
"I need to ask you some—more personal questions as we progress. Okay?” Jungkook was struggling to keep his voice strong and confident. “Good—so, why did Chief Seo put you in charge?"
The way he sat, almost completely still except for the occasional twitching or blinking was unsettling. It was like he was frozen in time, almost. He was more zombie-like than human with the minimal speech and slowed reactions. His hauntingly pale skin and the awful markings lining his heavy-lidded eyes accentuated his corpse-likeness.
“Said, he thought I could handle it.”
Yoongi swallowed some of his black coffee. This was probably the most Jungkook had seen the man move since he had been with him, which had already been about fifteen minutes.
“Anything else?”
“No.”
At this rate, Jungkook might be here until the next decade. He needed to dig deeper, move things along a bit faster.
“Do you remember how it all started? The first incident. Family of three, wasn’t it?”
“Mm, out in the countryside, Geochang.”
Jungkook quickly procured a notebook and biro pen from his pocket.
~~
25th March 2016
The metal shell of his three-year-old Hyundai Creta only seemed to amplify the sweltering summer heat. After the air conditioning had conveniently decided to stop working, earlier that morning. Damned thing. Yoongi had cursed it. He felt like a potato roasting in a slow cooker, beads of perspiration rolled down his face. Due to an inconveniently early five am call from his work partner Seokjin, he had rushed out of his apartment, deprived of his much-needed beauty sleep and not to forget his prised morning coffee, black, no sugar. Of course.
The adrenaline coursing through his veins, mixed with the perfect harmony of curiosity and anticipation weakened his sourness about the whole thing. Only slightly but it was something. He had never handled a suspected murder case before, or anything as close to intriguing as this in all his five years at the force. When Seokjin has informed him of an apparent family mass suicide, possibly even a murder he could barely contain his newfound excitement.
He drove along the dirt track, passing field after field of barren farmland. This place really was in the middle of nowhere. Noticing signs of civilisation and the fluorescent flashing of blue lights, he turned left into a small close with just three houses, all rather run down and shabby. A small congregation of people, presumably neighbours and local workers from their heavy deeply tanned skin and the simple weathered looking clothes they wore. The house was bordered off with blue and white police tape, thankfully no reporters had sniffed out their location yet.
It looked more like a shack than a place that would house a family. The house was one level with corrugated metal roofing, varying colours, and shades thrown together. Off-white, yellowed net curtains lined the windows, cream paint crumbling off the brick in dire need of a fresh coat. He moved forwards, passing by the small gathering of curious on lookers.
“Real mess in there.” Seokjin greeted him with a tight-lipped smile.
“Are forensics here yet?”
“Not yet but, I had a chance to scan the scene quickly before you came. No sign of intrusion, all doors and windows were locked.”
“Can we go in?”
“’course.” Seokjin slipped on a pair of latex gloves.” Put these on.” He handed Yoongi his own pair. “You’ll need them.”
“Thanks,”
The pungent metallic stench of blood clung to his nostrils, assaulting his senses as he stepped inside. His stomach flipped as bile rose in his gut, clawing it’s way up his throat. Knew I should have skipped breakfast. He swallowed, composing himself.
“Real bloodbath, huh?” He noted, seeing the three bloodied corpses spread out across the floor.
The mother and father both laid side by side, meanwhile the daughter was sprawled out on her back in the entryway to the kitchen. Pools of crimson rested on the wooden panelled flooring, slowly drying up in the heat, accentuating its nauseating scent. They headed to the mother first, Yoongi carefully crouched beside her lifeless body, Seokjin followed in tow.
“Went for the throat.” He observed.
Her neck was split in two, her throat sliced wide open, blood still oozing out of her slowly. Her skin was tinged yellow, arms draped at her side. Carefully outstretching his hand, Yoongi closed her eyes, unable to bear the lifeless glassy stare of her dark eyes boring into him much longer. Glancing over at the husband, he saw a near mirror image of herself. The gashes across their throats were near identical, procured with clear precision as to be fatal on the first blow.
“Have we found the blade used?”
Seokjin shook his head. “Not yet.”
“What are they doing?” Yoongi spat. “That should be one of the first things we find.”
“One thing I don’t get,” Seokjin began, glancing around the room. “Is why choose such a horrific, painfully slow and messy way to go? I mean if you’re going to commit mass suicide wouldn’t you want it to be quick and easy?”
“Mm,” Yoongi hummed. “Did they show any signs of strange behaviour at all, in the weeks prior?”
“No, apparently they were pretty much the same as usual.” Seokjin explained. “There was one thing, though. Apparently, Mrs Kim, from the house opposite said she heard a lot of arguing and commotion just a couple days beforehand. Said, she didn’t think much of it.”
“Why is she all the way over here, so far from her parents?” Yoongi questioned as they approached the daughter’s lifeless body.
“Seems like she might have struggled.” Seokjin stated, carefully pointing to a second, much smaller gash higher up her throat. “Do you think she did it?”
“Cutting her own throat?” Yoongi questioned. “Don’t know. Seems like she might have been trying to get away or something. Could explain why she’s further away.”
She was lying in a foetal position, black hair sprawled across the floor, smothered in pools of her own blood. Her throat was once again, near identical to the other two. Taking a closer look, Yoongi noticed something silver clasped within her hands, connected to a chain of some sort like a necklace. He fought to keep his hands steady as he began working on carefully prying open her rigour mortis ridden hands.
“A cross.” He held the chain up in the air, the silver metal of it glistened in the light seeping in through the windows.
***
Jungkook looked up from his notes. “Did you ever find the blade?”
Yoongi shook his head, falling silent once more.
“Is there anything else?” Jungkook asked, noticing the peculiar look that had slipped into Yoongi’s eyes.
Something dark and sinister, haunting even. He met Jungkook’s eyes, the corners of his mouth twisting upwards into a faint smirk. A strange notion, completely out of place given the circumstances. He appeared somewhat amused by something.
“Strange thing is,” Yoongi spoke, his tone growing darker. “It wasn’t until later, we found out they had a second child.”