Chapter Text
tw/ mentions of suicide, suicide, a brief description of knifeplay and choking
As soon as Jimin received the call at 7:47 a.m., he drove to the crime scene—in this case, a condo near Myeongdong—and brought with him his necessary gun and badge. Once he arrived, Colonel Kim Namjoon briefed him about what happened while he was instructed to wear medical gloves that were given.
Normally, Special Agents like Jimin checked the body first and then the crime scene, but he did it the other way so instead of going first to the body, he looked around the crime scene.
He brought out his notebook and began writing, what he saw, what he heard, how did the police come in? Did they kick it? Was there a key somewhere? He started walking around the apartment of the victim and followed the Left-Hand Wall technique, this made him put his left-hand to the wall and stayed there all the time while walking around to see everything. It’s actually a basic strategy for solving mazes for you to reach the middle, and people always told Jimin that what he was doing was very inaccurate to the crime scene, but it wasn’t.
It made him see the blood distribution that was only around the body and not across the floor, all the windows were locked except the one near the fire exit, the small bits and pieces like how there wasn’t any dust around which meant the victim regularly cleaned, an open kitchen drawer where the kitchen knives were stashed, and a pile of clothes with her wallet and phone lying beside the front door. He went through her things and saw that the victim’s name was Lee Yejun according to her driver’s license.
Once he finished his observation and wrote it all down, he went to the body. It appeared to be female, naked, and she was skinless, in a literal way. All of her skin was shredded beside her body as if she placed it there, there was also a slit on her throat, and the murder weapon–hence the knife—was in her left hand.
“So, what do you think happened to her?” he said to the recently hired forensic, Aecha, as he crouched across her so the body was between them. He knew the answer already of course, but he wanted to make sure and hear it from someone who was an expert in dead bodies.
“Based on the wound on her throat”—the forensic pointed—“the smell, and her skinless body, I’d say she was killed the same time when the killer sent Colonel Kim the untraceable fax letter which was an hour ago,” answered Aecha. She wore her medical face mask on and took a closer look at the victim’s body. “The mysterious thing here is, Ms. Lee didn’t die because of her skin getting shredded but because of the slit in her throat, she should have died from shock because skinning her whole body is super painful and based on how it was done, there are some signs of struggles here and there like she was forcing herself to the skin and at the same time she is stopping it.”
Jimin asked, “Have you heard of the Viper?”
The forensic nodded. “It was all over the papers like two years ago, why?”
He nodded towards the body. “This is their work or at least, a copycat.”
Two years ago, a serial killer sent a fax letter to his superior, Colonel Kim, containing only an address and typed that it was from someone who called themselves ‘ the Viper’ . When the police checked the address out, the first victim was skinless and had a slit in their throat too. The killings continued for three months resulting in twelve dead victims, and no progress or even accurate profiling for the Viper.
It was all over the media and the main topic on the streets and neighborhoods since the Viper’s methods were the most brutal and mysterious way to kill somebody. He targets anyone and would skin them alive, slit their throats, then lay down the murder weapon in the victim’s dominant hand to make it look like a suicide. And in all twelve murders, there weren’t any last witnesses, even the bodyguards at the club haven’t noticed them leaving.
Jimin was one of the two who were assigned special agents in the Viper’s case. Months after, a man confessed to the crime that he was the Viper, and was finally sentenced to guilty.
Aecha seemed shocked to hear that the Viper was back again, “didn't the Viper get convicted?”
“He did and so far, I wasn’t notified that he escaped so most likely, someone else did it. A fanatic of some sort.”
She touched the victim’s hair with her medical gloves on. “Hair’s slightly damp. Siwoo-ssi, can you check the victim’s clothes? See if it’s also damp.”
Before Siwoo moved, he replied. “Yeah, I already checked it. The clothes are damp, but the shoes were very wet and muddy.”
“I’d give you all the evidence after checking on possible fingerprints.”
He nodded, “sure.” And something struck him. If Yejun’s clothes and hair were slightly damp but her footwear was very wet, that meant the victim was out while the rain was pouring hard around three to four A.M., and it only started drizzling around six, so she stayed somewhere, then when she walked back, her umbrella was long forgotten thus explained the dampness. She could’ve dropped it? Why did she go out in the first place during that hour?
He went outside the victim’s condo unit and started observing his surroundings while walking towards the elevator and outside the building. Judging by the clothes of the victim and her whole closet when Jimin looked earlier, she literally only wears black, even all her undergarments. So, there was a high chance that the umbrella too was black. He tried to think like he was the victim, if he was going out in the middle of the night in a city like Seoul, where would he go? He could’ve gone to a bar, but the victim wasn’t dressed up. She was wearing a shirt that was too big for her, black joggers, and black rubber shoes. He could’ve gone running, but the victim wasn’t wearing any socks, so he must be going somewhere just around the area. Somewhere near his place that’s open at that time.
Jimin went outside and noticed that there weren’t reporters or cameras yet outside the condo building which meant that they didn’t have the media’s attention yet, a fortunate circumstance since the media circus is the last thing he wanted as of now.
He walked inside again to the lobby where his newly assigned partner, Jung Hoseok, was interviewing the staff who were present when the victim entered the building.
“Hyung,” he interrupted quietly. “I’m going to go search around the area.”
Hoseok paused the audio recorder (Namjoon required all of his agents to interview that way instead of writing it because he was afraid they might miss something). “Do you need me to go with you?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s fine. Continue what you’re doing.”
“Be careful,” Hoseok advised but Jimin was already walking outside the building.
When he went past the crime scene without bringing any umbrella since it was still drizzling, he started asking all the stores nearby one-by-one if they were open around the time of the murder. Then when he was one block away, he saw a convenience store and went inside. The doorbell jingled as he entered and the employee was checking the cigarette stocks at their counter, and there was only one customer who was drinking coffee and wearing an all-black outfit with shades and cap.
“Good morning,” he greeted the employee.
The employee–whose name was Sinwoo according to his name tag–looked up. “Uh, good morning?” he said confusedly, like he wasn’t used to customers greeting him.
He showed his ID, “I’m Agent Park and I work for the police, I would like to ask you a few questions.”
But the employee seemed unconvinced that Jimin was really working for the FBI and he completely understood that, judging by his appearance. He had a piercing in his right eyebrow, a lip ring, a double helix to both of his ears, and from the black fitted sweater he wore today, he assumed that his dragon tattoo was peaking through at the collar.
Every time he walked around the building in the Bureau, agents would look at him disdainfully and whisper to each other that Jimin’s appearance was highly inappropriate and other bullshit. During his first-year working, a lot of complaints arose from different agents to Colonel Kim and demand as to why he accepted a person that looked like a “street thug.” Jimin assumed that his superior officer would order him to remove all the decorations in his face but instead, Namjoon said to the agents, “if I were you, I wouldn’t judge a person’s appearance as long as they are doing their job and as far as all of you concerned, Jimin—who’s still a freshly graduated student from the Academy by the way—had already solved ten homicidal cases for the first six months he was working here. Can I say the same to all of you when you were a rookie?”
Since then, Jimin had respect for his superior officer.
“May I see your badge?” The employee asked.
Jimin moved his opened jacket to the left side and showed the employee his badge that was clipped in his pants.
Sinwoo looked down and observed it carefully, “okay. You’re legit.”
Jimin went straight to the point. “Has this store ever closed?”
Sinwoo continued counting the pack of cigarettes while answering, “no. It's open for twenty-four hours actually.”
“Are you already working here around three-to-four in the morning today?”
“Uh, no. My shift started just an hour ago. Someone's here before me.”
Jimin brought out his notebook and pen and laid it on the counter. “Can you give me his contacts?” The employee said yes, gave the employee’s address and phone number while Jimin wrote it down.
He asked again, “do you have any CCTVs inside? If so, may I check them?”
Sinwoo bit his bottom lip. “We don’t have one actually.”
He nodded then looked around the store until he saw that the store had an umbrella rack. In there, one of the umbrellas that were left forgotten was a black small umbrella. “May I?” he asked the employee while pointing to the umbrella rack.
Sinwoo looked up. “Sure, go ahead.”
Jimin brought out his handkerchief, covered it with his hand, and picked it up. He knew there was a high chance that this umbrella wasn’t the victim’s, but in his luck when he twirled it around there was a “Yejun” embroidered with silver glitters at the edge part of the closed umbrella.
Huh.
He went back to the condo building and asked one of the forensics to wrap the umbrella up and went to his partner, who was wearing his headphones and listening to something on his audio recorder. Most likely writing something down on his small notebook while leaning on their car.
When Hoseok saw him, he clicked a button and Jimin updated her about all that had happened. After he finished his side, Hoseok spoke. “I’ll drive on the way back to HQ while you listen to the audio.” Then he beckoned him to go inside the car.
“Did you get a copy of the CCTV tapes?” Jimin asked, rolling down the passenger window and opening the glove compartment to look for his cigarettes. Once he found it along with his lighter, he lit it.
Hoseok starts the car, “staff said the CCTVs got shut down at the time of the murder.”
He looked at Hoseok, “really?”
“Yeah, weird right?”
Jimin looked outside the window and pressed the audio recording. The first his partner interviewed was the lobbyist, they said that usually Ms. Lee Yejun always went out around before or after midnight and brings home one night stands, so it wasn’t unusual for them when Ms. Lee comes down, but what was unusual was that she wasn’t dressed up, just in ordinary attire. The lobbyist tried to have a chat with her–since Ms. Lee was very friendly to the staff–but she just said she was in a hurry to talk to someone, and a few hours later, Ms. Lee came home all alone. Then, Hoseok asked the lobbyist if they knew where she went whenever she was out but the lobbyist said no.
“Just when I thought I’m finally done with his case, comes a copycat,” Jimin said as he exhaled the smoke.
“Do you think we should talk to him? The Viper?”
“Not yet,” he says. “We might have other ways to find the answers.”
Hoseok brought down the files on his desk, then leaned on Jimin’s table. “So, I’ve been thinking.”
Jimin slowly nodded, prodding his partner to continue.
“I brought all of these last night to my house and I was doing some back readings from his past victims up to the recent one. I checked all the details from each of the murders and I just noticed that before Yejun, all victims don't have witnesses. And since Yejun lived in a condo building, someone saw her before they were killed. It probably doesn’t make any sense or just coincidences–“
He held up his hand to her and sat up straight. “No, no. You’re right. It may mean something. We have to think every single detail is important. We can’t even think how he skins them alive without any noises despite him being just a fanatic, so this may not be a coincidence. So, what’s so special about Yejun?”
Hoseok nodded, following Jimin’s line of thought, “The killer and Yejun may know each other, but we already talked to the parents and they said she wasn’t in a relationship ever.”
“Yeah, but did you remember what the staff at the condo said? She brings men from the clubs most of the nights,” Jimin started biting his nails as the map on his mind started connecting dot after dot, a habit of his that he can’t seem to get rid of whenever he’s too deep in thought. “Maybe in Yejun’s perspective, she doesn’t want to be in a relationship. Perhaps your one-night stand angle was right, the copycat was one of Yejun’s flings and he probably thought they had a connection, like love at first sight…”
“...But to Yejun, it was just casual sex,” Hoseok concluded and ran his hand through his hair roughly. “It still doesn’t make any sense. We went back to the condominium and interviewed all the staff that saw her that night. Yejun brings different guys and all of them leave early in the morning. If she thinks that both of them have a connection, he would’ve sent threats to her phone but we didn’t find anything.”
“And if it’s personal, why the need to still send us faxes that are untraceable? He could’ve just left it there, let the body rot and smell to make her suffer more. But he did this, for what reason? Why did he copy the Viper’s method to her ?”
“Attention?” Hoseok asked while crossing his arms.
“No, definitely not attention.”
“Are you sure it’s not being recognized? Because the Viper’s M.O. is definitely infamous.”
“I’m sure.” He answered, then looked through the copycat’s file again. “He should’ve sent those stupid papers to the press but he sent it straight to us. Not any local police departments, but ours. And our department is known who doesn’t talking to the press most of the time. Was it to taunt us? That even if we locked up the Viper, there would be people out there who are as crazy as him and do this?”
Hoseok sat up, dragged the whiteboard that had wheels towards his desk, and started putting up all the crime scene photos of Yejun.
“Okay,” he began. “We’re all just saying some speculations but now let’s get on with the game before he hits another victim.”
Jimin rotated his office chair towards the side to look at the whiteboard. “According to the lobbyist, Yejun went down around midnight…”
“Let’s say around twelve o’clock to one. Then, she stayed in the convenience store, where you found the umbrella.” Hoseok continued while he drew the timeline at the bottom part of the whiteboard.
“The guy who works there—Dohyun—said that she was talking to someone for hours.”
“Dohyun didn’t recognize the person he was talking with, right?”
He nodded and realized that his partner couldn’t see him since Hoseok was writing so he said, “yes. Dohyun said he didn’t–”
Then, something clicked.
Hoseok stopped writing and looked back at him. “What?”
He opened one of his drawers then pulled Yejun’s personal file. “She’s unemployed but she has a lot of money. Where did that income come from?”
“Parents?”
“Possibly, but she’s thirty-two. Too old for her to still be dependent. Her mom said that Yejun doesn’t have that many close friends since she left college so that lead crosses out. Now, the question is, if she didn’t have any strings and was unemployed, then who was that person she was talking to?” said Jimin, grabbing a sticky note then writing the question to paste it in the middle of the whiteboard.
Both of them were looking at it and then Hoseok sighed. “Do you want coffee before we continue?”
Once Hoseok came back with two cups of coffee and gave one to Jimin, his partner asked, “how did you catch the Viper?”
Jimin took a sip first before answering. “I didn't actually, he confessed.”
Hoseok seemed taken aback. “He confessed?”
“Yeah, called my desk phone, said his name, and told me all about what he did. Why?”
His partner shrugged and looked at the whiteboard, “I just noticed that the prison he went to wasn’t in his case file and even how he got arrested.”
“Ah, Namjoon didn’t want me to put it in there because it’s considered top secret and anyone can access his file.”
Hoseok stood up straight and mumbled, “speaking of.”
Behind him, their Superior officer cleared his throat to announce his presence. Once Jimin had turned around, Namjoon asked, “do we have any leads?”
Both partners shook their heads, and Jimin replied, “we’re still trying to figure out the copycat’s motive.”
The Colonel handed them a piece of paper, “You two should go to the Korea International Security Prison,” Namjoon looked at his watch. “Yugyeom said the Viper has information about the killings lately.”
Jimin knew it was unprofessional but he couldn't help but scoff. “With all due respect sir, I think we shouldn't always rely on him. How many times did he give us false leads in different cases?”
“We’re in desperate times now, Park. Citizens and even the politicians were getting scared because neither us nor the police know what’s happening and why there are many killings lately. We’ll take any chance we can get.” And with that, he leaves.
Once he’s gone, Jimin said to Hoseok, “we can’t talk to the Viper yet. He’s our last resort-”
“And he is,” Hoseok interrupts calmly as he reads the paper Namjoon gave. “As Colonel said, the press is involved because people are panicking thinking that another Viper-like killer is on the loose so we have to solve it fast . We still haven’t gotten new leads since the first murder. We’re getting desperate here and besides, there might be a connection in Yejun’s case from him.”
Jimin shook his head, his partner didn't understand at all why he didn’t want to talk to the Viper yet.
“When’s the meeting?”
Hoseok looked at the paper again then replied, “this afternoon. I’ve never heard this prison before–”
“We gotta go. I’ll explain it to you on the way.” Jimin interrupted as he strapped his badge and gun then walked with Hoseok in tow.
When they were finally driving to the location, Jimin explained about the prison they were about to walk into in Daegu.
The Korea International Security Prison was the only underground prison where the Bureau was the one who handled it instead of the government. This was built after World War II when the Korean government made a secret prison where they would keep all the worst of the worse prisoners–the ones who deserved capital punishment but since the people were against it, they have to contain all of them here.
“Have you been here before?” Hoseok asked when they finally arrived at the prison, he raised his hands up to the side as the guards scanned his body with a metal detector.
“Once, to escort him there,” Jimin said as his turn came for the guards to inspect him. He remembers that day when he put the Viper inside the cell because seconds before the doors closed, the Viper smiled at him and said, this cell won’t stop me. Aut viam inveniam qui faciam.
Although Jimin wasn’t entirely fluent in Latin, he understood what the Viper was trying to say: I will find a way, or I will make one.
He’s convinced that the Viper may be right , there was determination in the prisoner’s voice that made the detective doubt about how the security in this prison was, he was sure that no one had escaped here before.
Once done, the guards made them sign a contract regarding the rules and regulations of the prison. After that, the officers there made them surrender their guns and escorted them to the elevator to Seokjin’s cell which was on the deepest floors.
As they were walking, Jimin said to Hoseok, “Look, the reason why I don’t like this is because of the Viper...He’s something. We bring him to the Headquarters sometimes because he says he has valuable information in any cases we have hands-on but turns out, they are just false leads. Every time I talk to him, there’s something off, and he’s very clever, good at twisting words, and observant. That’s why I wanted to have a plan before meeting him because we wouldn’t get anything from him if we’re just going to march in.”
Hoseok didn’t answer and instead just nodded as they were already in front of the Viper’s cell now, a white vault that’s separating them from one of the sickest serial killers in Korea.
The security guard placed his I.D. on the side of the vault and placed his fingerprint to scan, then the vault opens revealing the Viper’s cell.
Said cell is large, the walls and floors were painted in white, and in the middle of the room, there’s a six-inch bulletproof glass horizontally thus dividing it into two parts: One on the detectives’ side and the other is a man curled up on the bed and staring at the ceiling. In the middle of the glass, a sign was placed saying, MAINTAIN DISTANCE AT THREE FEET.
“I can’t believe it, he’s here,” said Hoseok as they took a seat at the table a few feet away from the bulletproof glass.
At Hoseok’s voice, the Viper sits up so fast then stares at him. Then, a smirk grew on the prisoner’s face with a bright twinkle in his eyes.
Jimin coughed and the Viper’s attention turned to him, features switching to a blank face.
“Agent Park.” the prisoner greets coldly. His voice echoed to the speakers at the walls in Jimin and Hoseok’s side of the room.
“Kim Seokjin,” Jimin greets him back as he and Hoseok sit at the chairs prepared. “I heard that you’ve been the quiet one around here, how was prison?”
The Viper–now known as Seokjin–tilts his head slightly to the side while maintaining eye contact.
“It was fun.”
Jimin would lie if he said that the simple statement makes him uncomfortable.
After a tense silence, Seokjin asked, “What brings you here?” His gaze landed back on Hoseok.
Hoseok didn’t even back down from the Viper’s gaze and answered, “well, you have a fan. Someone was trying to copy your method of... killing .”
Seokjin smiled then looked up to the fluorescent lights in his side of the room, there was pride and some sort of satisfaction written across his face and he wasn’t even trying to hide it.
“Did they now?” He said, closing his eyes. When Seokjin opened them again, his eyes were back to the gaze Jimin knew too well; Like a hawk, observing every movement and every word that comes out of your mouth.
The Viper crosses his legs and rests his chin on his hand. “What do you think, Agent Park? Did the copycat do exactly in the way of how I do it? After all, you were the one who’s assigned to my case.”
Jimin leans back in his chair. “And if I answer that, would you cooperate?”
Seokjin shrugged and a smile was playing on his lips like he was having fun playing this game. “Depends on your answer...And what kind of question you’re going to ask.”
He sighed, Jimin knew it would be quite difficult to get answers from Seokjin. But nevertheless, he said, “unfortunately, he did a very good job at it. Almost convinced me that you were the one who did it.” Jimin cleared his throat and was just about to ask how but Seokjin had interrupted him.
“What was the victim’s name?” Said the Viper.
Jimin raised his eyebrow in suspicion. “Does it matter?”
“I think it does, Agent Park. Have you considered that maybe he was continuing what I was doing? Because why would he pick me out of all the known killers?” At this, Seokjin made a disgusted face, like he couldn’t believe he was called one. A killer.
A tense silence followed. Jimin would never admit out loud that Seokjin was right, that he was asking himself that too. What if the copycat was following the Viper’s footsteps after all? Jimin thought that maybe he shouldn’t tell him, but what would he gain? He and Hoseok would go around in circles again and again. Besides, what harm would happen if Seokjin knew the name? It’s not like he would be able to escape. And maybe this could be a new lead. So in the end, he says--
“Yejun. Lee Yejun was the victim’s name.”
Jimin had noticed the quick clench of Seokjin’s jaw then it was immediately gone that he thought maybe he had imagined it.
“Unfortunately,” Seokjin replied after a moment, still keeping his cool. “That name doesn’t ring a bell.”
Seokjin knew Yejun. This means that whoever the copycat is, also has the possibility that he knew the Viper too.
And a possibility that Seokjin knew who the copycat was, and yet, why was he lying?
“How do you target your victims? Back when you were still,” he paused. Knowing that saying the next word triggers Seokjin. “Active, and not locked in this room.”
“How do you think I pick?”
“Answer my question, Seokjin-ssi.”
The Viper tilts his head again, showing off the crow tattoo that’s on his left side of his chest and to his right shoulder. It’s too obvious that Seokjin isn’t going to answer the detective’s question.
He takes a deep breath to calm himself down because he’s right, he always is, they aren’t going anywhere.
Jimin cast a glance at his partner, who remained silent at the whole exchange. Then he locked eyes with him, mentally telling Hoseok that they should leave now because this whole thing was pointless.
“I’m curious...what were the differences between my method and the copycat’s?” asked Seokjin.
“Small details,” Jimin replied, “here and there.”
Slowly, Seokjin smiles again, “you’re being cryptic to me, Agent Park.”
“I could say the same to you.”
Silence again. Then, Seokjin stands up but does not come near them. “Have you ever thought about what ‘killing’ feels like, Agent Park? There’s dominance in it. You know? I felt powerful in that moment, when they realized I’m going to kill them. Their lives lie in my hands–or in my words, you could say,” Seokjin’s gaze flickers to Hoseok and smiles at the last phrase. Like it was a secret joke between them even if this was their first-time meeting. Hoseok however, remains stoic. “It’s up to me if they’ll live or not. And I get off on that.”
“You take pleasure in holding the person’s life in your hands?” Jimin asked.
Seokjin leaned back on his chair and said, “of course. Who doesn’t?”
The three of them were staring at each other, daring who would bite first. Jimin knew that it was hard interviewing Seokjin, the prisoner was an expert in dodging his questions well, and Jimin needed a way to crack that spell from the Viper.
The door opened from the agents’ side and a guard walked towards them, then whispered to their ear that they had a call for them.
Jimin glanced at Seokjin then walked away from the room with Hoseok following him to answer the said call. When the guard gives them the telephone, he greets them to notify his presence to the other person in line.
There was a shuffle then a voice greeted back, “Jimin-ssi, this is Agent Kang. Is your partner there?”
Agent Kang Seulgi. What does she want? Seulgi was in level three agency while he was in level two, which meant that she gets more information, higher clearances, and difficult cases to solve than him. So it was a surprise to Jimin that she had called them.
“Yes, he’s here. Agent Seulgi,” he replied while staring at his partner. Hoseok was looking back at him but didn’t question anything. “Why?”
“Listen, I need you two in my case right now.”
“We can’t, we’re handling another one.”
“I know, Colonel Namjoon told me–the copycat of the Viper case, right?” Jimin didn’t answer. “The case I’m investigating right now, it’s probably connected to the Viper’s.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “How? Do you have evidence?”
“No, not yet. But my partner and I had a feeling.”
“We don’t use ‘feelings’ in our line of work, Seulgi-ssi.” Call him rude or frank, Jimin doesn’t mind. He was used with all the words thrown at him; Selfish, Cold-hearted. It doesn't matter to him at all because in his personal opinion, having feelings towards certain things was an unnecessary distraction.
“I’m aware of that,” Seulgi answered back. “Just check it out, I already had permission from Colonel Namjoon. I’ll meet you two in the headquarters today.” Then the line went dead.
“Who’s that?” Hoseok asked as soon as Jimin put down the telephone with a sigh.
“Agent Kang, she needs us to assist in one of their cases. Colonel Namjoon had already approved of it, and now she wants us to go back to HQ.”
“Is she aware that we are handling the Viper’s case right now?”
“I told her that, and Seulgi-ssi said that she believes our case was connected.” Jimin shook his head in disbelief, they both began walking. “We’ll get in touch with Seokjin again next time probably after we finish their case or if the fanatic gets a new hit.”
“Unfortunately,” Hoseok remarked.
“Indeed unfortunate,” Jimin echoes despite not feeling anything at all.
“So, how was your meeting with the Viper?” Namjoon asked as Jimin and Hoseok walked to the briefing room. Their superior was sitting at the head of the long table, and beside him, Seulgi and a man whom Jimin had never met before were reading a case file.
“Wasted our time,” Jimin answers as they both sit down across the two special agents. “Seokjin wasn’t answering our questions.”
At this, the man along with Seulgi and she introduced her partner. “Agent Park, Agent Jung, this is my new partner, Agent Min Yoongi.”
Min Yoongi had an undercut and his raven hair compliments well with his pale skin. There’s a healed slash on his left eye and they shook hands firmly, Yoongi’s large calloused hands enveloping Jimin’s own soft and pristine fingers.
In short, he finds Yoongi attractive.
“Nice meeting you,” Jimin said as he and Hoseok sat down.
Yoongi just nodded in reply and Hoseok turned to Seulgi then asked conversationally, “what happened to Agent Bae?”
Agent Bae Joohyun was Seulgi’s partner ever since Jimin had joined the force and although Hoseok was only new in their department for less than a year, he was able to be friends or at least acquaintances with Joohyun.
“She left. Something about her personal life.”
“Will she be back?”
“We’re not sure. But most likely not, she hasn’t contacted us for a month now.”
Namjoon took that as a sign to go straight to the point. “I want you to assist Agent Min and Agent Kang’s case. They think it’s connected to the Viper.”
Jimin turned to look at Seulgi, “how?”
“As Seulgi said in the phone call, it’s a hunch,” Yoongi spoke for the first time, shocking Jimin for a second because of how deep Seulgi’s partner's voice was. He wasn’t expecting that.
Yoongi showed them various pictures of bodies. Skin white as a sheet, mouths wide open. If Jimin wasn’t used to it he would’ve thrown up because some bodies had their stomachs smashed, organs out, and scattered across the floor. “We’ve read the case and listened to your tapes when the Viper was captured two years ago, and there was this one question you asked him that stood out to the higher levels.”
“Which is?”
“You asked him what’s the meaning of his crow tattoo. And he replied to you–”
“Agent Park, do you know anything about crows?” asked the Viper.
Jimin leans back to his chair, “nothing much.”
“Crows, they remember faces. Those people who feed them, who are kind to them, and even those who wronged them too. They don’t forget, and they’ll tell each other who to watch out for and who to look after.”
Jimin leaned back to his chair and stared at Yoongi, “and?”
Namjoon replied, “the higher-ups think that Seokjin works with a group of people. And that a crow tattoo is their symbol.”
This time it was Hoseok who said, “how on earth did they guess that?”
“Crows have a tight-knit family, which means they will always work in groups.” Seulgi explained, “it’s not a coincidence that Seokjin chose it. Considering how intelligent he is.”
“Thus why all Level Three agents are assigned to those cases that are at least, almost similar to the Viper’s–no logical explanation how they were killed–to figure out if they work in a group,” said Namjoon.
Jimin asked, “Have you caught anyone that’s part of that besides Seokjin?”
Seulgi shakes her head. “No, and that’s why we need your help. You handled the Viper’s case, and you know how his mind works. We think that maybe with your experience, we would catch this–” she taps to an unopened case file in front of her– “person.”
“You give me too much credit with Seokjin’s case,” Jimin said. “I don’t know how his mind works, he’s really difficult to talk with.”
“But still, you’re the only agent that could at least make him speak. Ari visited him two months ago and she said he only spoke one time the whole time she was there.”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise but didn’t say anything. Instead, he motioned for the files on the table, “okay so walk us through your case.”
Seulgi gestured to the five pictures lying between them. “These are the first set of victims–”
Hoseok frowned. “First set?”
She smiled at him without any humor, “you heard that right,” then she continued again.
“This set happened four months ago, and there are five victims, they were killed with Hydrocyanic acid and nicotine. Forensics says the food was poisoned–” then shows them the forensic results beside the pictures then gives Jimin, Hoseok, and Namjoon three folders to read– “the police considered it a cold case, in which I don’t get why, so our department took responsibility. Now the second set happened a month later after the first, but this time it has seven victims. The same use of acid except their genitals were cut off. The third and the latest one–which happened a month ago–again had the same acid in their systems but the stomachs were smashed and the following day their banks were wiped out.”
"How did you know?" asked Jimin as he read the folder given, all the records and notes from both Seulgi and Yoongi were there. "How did you know that these...sets, as you call it, have the same killer? They all have different M.O."
"We haven't removed that in our possibilities, however, after the recent case where Yoongi and I interviewed the employees at the banks, they said that the victims themselves were there where supposedly they should be dead. Which was what every witness said in each and every set of new victims.”
Now that piqued Jimin’s interest. He looked up at them, sat up straighter, and was about to ask but his Superior officer beat him to it, “do you have the CCTV records? Maybe this is a morbid robbery of some sort.”
Yoongi taps his fingers on the table, “You think it’s premeditated murder and robbery?”
Another flip of a page from Jimin. “Probably, I mean, is it not? There are a lot of sick psychos out there.”
Seulgi shakes her head, “both Yoongi and I don’t think so...The way of killings is too morbid and there is so much anger and rage from the suspect. It could be premeditated, yes, but emptying up their banks is just something the killer wants to do to redirect our attention and think that this is indeed a robbery.” She sighed, “besides, when Ari was still working with me in this case, she said that if their main motive is really robbery, then they should’ve robbed the bank first before killing them.”
Jimin continues reading the file as Hoseok raises a question, “so, the CCTVs?”
Seulgi shakes her head, “all their cameras weren’t working when the victims came to the banks.”
“Huh,” Jimin replies as he leaned back in the chair. Interesting. There were no CCTV records either in Seokjin's case.
“Have you found any connections between the victims?” asked Hoseok.
Yoongi answered while looking at Jimin’s partner, “nothing. Not a single one. All the victims were too random and too big.”
Jimin brought out his notebook that he carries everywhere. “Where did all of this happen? I mean, where are the bodies found?”
“The first set was found in a karaoke studio at Itaewon, the second one was a private room in a restaurant at Myeongdong, and the third was a high school gathering at Namsan,” replied Namjoon.
“Highschool gathering? Like a prom?”
Yoongi shakes his head. “Nah, highschool reunion.”
After Jimin wrote it down, he frowned at his notes then checked his phone to look for his calendar, “weirdly enough, he’ll attack again this month but you probably guessed that by now. I’d say it’ll happen tonight or the next three nights.”
Hoseok looked at him with a surprised expression, “what?” At the same time, Namjoon said, “what makes you say that?”
Jimin showed the four of them his notes, the calendar, and the file Seulgi gave them.
“Look at the dates when he, the killer, attacked. Similar dates as the new moon shows and tonight is a new moon until the next three days.”
Seulgi raised her eyebrows, clearly impressed. “How did you connect that with the new moon? I didn’t know you’re into that stuff.”
“Uhm, I’m not really. My roommate is kind of into that spiritual shit so I know enough,” replied Jimin. Then drifting away from the topic, “so, what happens now?”
Everyone looked at Namjoon and the superior officer crossed his arms and leaned back. “We don’t know how he hunts his targets, so if Agent Park says come true then, unfortunately, we won’t be able to do anything until we find the bodies.”
“You’re here? I thought you had classes.” Jimin asked as he closed the door of his apartment and put his shoes on the rack beside it.
Taehyung, his roommate, turned off the TV and went to the fridge, “it got canceled.” He brought out a pork belly, put it in the microwave, and started heating it. “I made you dinner.”
Four years ago, Jimin had sort-of a financial issue with his old apartment because, at the same time, he was paying his student loans and his monthly bills, therefore leaving little money left for the rent. The landlady complained that he doesn’t want people like him who pay later than the due date so she wanted him to move out. Fortunately, one of his coworkers at his police force, Yerim, had a friend named Kim Taehyung, who was looking for someone to share within his new apartment. The pay was cheaper and according to her, Taehyung was a nice guy to live with. It took more than a month before Jimin agreed because well, he really wasn’t great with socializing with strangers or people, especially the small talks he had to do. But when he met Taehyung for the first time, the guy never asked him questions about his personal or his work life, both of them just sat there and Taehyung did all the talk; he didn’t mention the apartment right away, instead, he talked about his family, his friends, his work, and that he was studying Psychology while Jimin drank his green tea and quietly listened to every word he said. When he was done with his drink, Taehyung sipped in his iced tea and said, “I have a corgi named Spinach, if that’s okay with you.”
And for the first time, Jimin smiled a little at him, “you seemed to know your way with me.”
The guy gave him a boxy smile–in which Jimin, later on, adored after years living with him–and confessed, “I asked some questions to Yerim about you.” Then he held up his hand, and started counting off his fingers. “She told me you don’t like personal questions, not really a talkative guy, and your weak spot is animals. So, did I pass the test?”
Somehow, that made him a little shy, it should be the other way around, him pleasing Taehyung since he was more desperate between the two of them and the guy could find another person to share with. But at the same time, he liked this. He liked that Kim Taehyung asked about him, and tried to fit in his comfort zone. He appreciated the effort, not many people would do that for him. And at that moment, he decided that Taehyung would be nice to live with. So, he nodded and began to ask about the details of their apartment.
Jimin started petting Spinach. “Thanks, if it really weren’t for you, I would have died of starvation already.”
His friend barked out a laugh, “And here you are convincing me to join you in your work, if I agreed to it I might need to train Spinach to feed the both of us.” The microwave beeped so he brought it out and placed it on their dining table.
He walked then sat down at one of the chairs and put a spoonful of pork belly in his mouth then said while chewing, “you can’t even train him to sit.”
After he swallowed his first bite, he asked, “how’s your day?”
Taehyung shrugged as he sat down across from him. “Same old, same old. I saged the house because it’s a new moon tonight by the way, and I bought a new book from the bookstore on the way home yesterday, it’s called `The Inferno.’”
“Ah, the famous Dante.”
“Wait, you’ve read it already?”
He shook his head as he took another bite. “I just heard about the general plot and all, walking through the eight-”
“It’s nine, darling.” Taehyung corrected with a fondness in his voice. He was smiling at Jimin. “Nine Circles of Hell.”
“What made you read that, anyway?”
“Well, my friends in class were talking about it these days. Do you want to read it? I’m halfway done already.”
“Hm, maybe not right now but thanks.”
Jimin continued eating his dinner then when he was almost done, Taehyung asked, “how’s your work?”
Sometimes, he would tell him about his cases–he tries to not be too specific on the details and be vague as possible–because Taehyung was one of the smartest people he ever met.
Swallowing his food, he said, “exhausting which is not surprising. The case I’m working on is kinda complicated, someone’s being a copycat and trying to copy a method from a serial killer. As per usual.”
“Really? I thought serial killer fanatics only exist in movies.”
Jimin snorted and shook his head, “it exists in real life. But what makes it more complicated is that the original perpetrator isn’t cooperating with me.”
“Ah. It is complicated.”
“But I think...there’s something else this time.”
Taehyung arched an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, I was ordered to handle another case that might be connected to the copycat one.”
“And? Do you think that they are?”
“My coworkers think so...But I don’t have concrete evidence yet,” Jimin says as he toyed with the remaining little strips of pork on his plate. “By the way, do you have any idea what's the meaning when you kill during the new moon? Since you believe in all that.”
Taehyung shook his head in disbelief then laughed, “I don’t know.That’s too…dark. And only fucked-up people will correlate spirituality to their psychotic habits. It’s like those people being homophobic in the name of Christianity…Why? Is someone killing during the new moon?”
Jimin nodded and Taehyung replied, “Well, the new moon marks the first lunar cycle...And if I remember correctly, it could mean new beginnings and...People use energy from the moon to achieve their goals, so maybe that?”
To achieve their goals. That’s something. But the more important question is that, what is the suspect’s goal exactly?
“I think I can help you with opening up with the perpetrator.”
Jimin smiled, he liked it whenever he and Taehyung did this; Both of them using their minds to solve a case. His roommate had a creative and unique way of thinking that he himself sometimes couldn’t imagine how.
He rested his chin on his hand and said, “shoot.”
Taehyung looked elsewhere and was lost in his gaze then crossing his fingers, he asked, “have you asked them how they find their victims? And the reasons why they do this?”
“As I’ve said, he doesn’t answer any of my questions... but, he told me that he likes to feel like a God at that moment of murder. That he has power over his victims.”
“But have you asked why he picks people from the bars? He could pick from the streets, abduct them in their homes. Why bars of all places?”
Jimin licked his lips in interest. He hadn’t thought of that before. “It’s probably easier since they are intoxicated, but I should still ask him about it.”
“Not outright.”
He raised his eyebrows, “Why?”
“Because he sounds like the person who would tell you something that you don’t wanna hear and always has his guard up. The reason why he isn’t telling you all the important questions immediately is that you are going straight to the point. So to put his guard down, you have to ease him into it, make him talk–” Taehyung looks at Jimin then slowly leans forward while keeping eye contact– “lean into him, make sure you look like you’re listening intently. Keep your arms uncrossed, start slouching, mirror his movements.” Taehyung was now copying Jimin’s posture while still maintaining eye contact. “Encourage him to talk about everything he’s excited about, no matter how much you don’t like it. Remember, serial killers are intelligent, especially in body language. So every move and word that comes out of your mouth should be calculated.”
Jimin was looking at Taehyung in awe and newfound respect again, then when he finally recovered himself he said, “I’ve said this a thousand times before but let me say it again, work with me.”
Taehyung leans back in his chair and giggles, back to the Taehyung that Jimin first met. “Fuck, no. I’m happy with getting my Psychology degree, thank you very much.”
The guard looked at Jimin like he’s insane for coming back to the prison again–especially since he never went there frequently–and requested at least an hour’s appointment with Seokjin.
“Are you sure about this?” The guard asked as he handed Jimin a contract to sign, the special agent didn’t even look at it and just signed it immediately.
“I’m sure,” as he gives them his badge and gun.
This time, Seokjin was already sitting at his bed and when Jimin entered, he smiled at the special agent.
“How did you know I was visiting you today?” Jimin asked as he came to the table, he started unbuttoning his suit jacket and hung it on the chair before sitting.
Seokjin blinked at him. “I just had a feeling.”
Jimin brings out his voice recorder from his bag and places it on the table then asks, “Would you mind if I start recording our conversation?”
The Viper eyed the recorder then shrugged, “I don’t see why I would.”
As the special agent starts preparing it, Seokjin is just staring at him the whole process and doesn't utter a single word.
Before he sat down when he was done, Jimin subtly looked for any CCTVs inside Seokjin’s cell and found only two: One from his side of the mirror, and the second was at the Viper’s side, located at a corner.
Jimin rotated his head as if cracking his joints in his neck and willed the CCTVs to get turned off.
The red dot in the cameras to show that they are being recorded is gone now.
Jimin hadn’t seen, however, that Seokjin began smiling amusedly at him, knowing what the detective was clearly doing.
He presses the red ‘Start’ button on his recorder and is about to ask but Seokjin beats him to it..
“Where’s your partner?” The Viper asked.
“He has work to do,” Jimin said as he rolled up his sleeves. “We’re handling a different case, for now, that may or may not be related to that fan of yours.”
“Ah yes, I do remember that copycat,” Seokjin ponders. Then, he leans back to his chair.
Jimin silently counts that as a small victory and he too leans back and crosses his legs.
“Tell me, this fan… were they able to pull off how I do my work?” The Viper asked.
Jimin shrugged. “The skin was shredded like yours, but it’s not as neat and precise. The forensics said that there’s a slight struggle in the process. But then again, I don’t know how you do it.”
“It’s a secret of mine I do not want to tell...yet.” Seokjin said, “so, that different case that you’re working on, what’s it about? Or you cannot tell me.” The last statement was toned as a question.
“I could, but it would be a waste of time to tell you since it’s all over the papers now.”
“Ah, so it’s about that one where he kills every month. He just committed his fourth kill a week ago, am I right?”
He sighed, “yes. Quite difficult to pinpoint his goal in the murders, unlike yours.”
Seokjin raises his eyebrow and says, “Oh really?”
“It was easy. You enjoy killing.”
The Viper scoffed then looked away from Jimin, “there’s that word again. Sweetie, I don’t enjoy killing. I enjoy their suffering .” Seokjin leans forward from where he was sitting on his bed, “and as for the other case you’re working on, I will give you advice: Your problem. Agent Park, you always look at the big picture. Look at the small things in the case instead. The details, the victim’s past activities. And once you do that, you’ll get your answer.”
“You seem so sure about this.”
Seokjin shrugged then straightened his back, “I know a lot of things, Agent Park. And right now...I am aware of the game you are playing with me.”
A tense silence fell to them, not one moving and finally, Seokjin continued, “I’m not naive, Agent Park, whoever taught you those tricks, I already knew of them,” he crosses his fingers then places them on his knee. “And I won't get fooled. So, let’s both stop dancing around, shall we?”
Instead of being disappointed, Jimin smiled. “Of course, why am I not surprised?”
“I suggest we do a game of quid pro quo.”
“I am not quite familiar with the game.”
“You tell me things, I tell you things. Kind of like that twenty questions game that highschool lovers like to play. And remember, Agent Park, I will know when someone’s lying.”
Although Seokjin caught him doing Taehyung’s advice, Jimin still thinks he did it successfully because now the Viper is finally willing to answer his questions. Besides, while he’s on his way to prison, Jimin knows one way or another Seokjin will find out his strategy; Afterall, the Viper is an expert at manipulation. There was no way Seokjin had not used this kind of method before.
Jimin sighed and opened his notebook, “I’ll start. Why did you run away from your family?”
It was a shot in the dark but Seokjin’s reaction was worth it. For the first time, he was really caught off guard. He was probably expecting questions from the killings, his sick method of murdering someone, and not about his past before he named himself.
Without answering, Seokjin stood up to avoid Jimin’s eye contact and clasped his hands behind his back while slowly pacing around his side of the room.
His family is a sensitive subject to him, Jimin observes. But why? Weakness? Grudge? Ever since Seokjin had been locked up, the detective couldn’t find any single thing about his past or his family on their database. No past records. Maybe Seokjin wasn’t his birth name after all? Maybe it’s another persona he’s using to mask the real self that he hid for years?
Jimin uncrossed his legs and said, “You said it yourself, Seokjin. You wanted to play this game.”
The Viper stopped pacing and looked at Jimin with a blank face then, Seokjin finally gave in.
“My mother cheated with my dad, and when he found out, he ran away from home, leaving me behind,” Seokjin didn’t move from where he was standing. “So, my new stepdad moved into our house which of course made me angry. But the thing was, he brought his son with him.”
Seokjin started walking around again, thinking about his past. “He’s probably around your age, my stepbrother I mean. I forgot what he looked like–or maybe I just blocked his face in my mind. I didn’t like the idea that my father would replace my mother so easily, and when that stepfather brought his son, it made me realize that I was being replaced too. Forgotten like my father. And as years passed, I was right. My mother didn’t speak to me that often anymore, always taking care of my stepbrother, always asking if he’s okay. I was so angry one day and I argued with my stepfather and I accidentally...convinced him to kill himself. And he did that same night. I ran away after that because I know my mother would blame me, but that night, as I was sleeping at an alley far away from home, exhausted and was so hungry, it made me think that how I am a fucking God. ”
At the last sentence, Seokjin had stopped walking and there was a glint in his eyes and he was smiling--back to his usual collected self.
If only Seokjin wasn’t staring at him then maybe Jimin would be able to react, to flinch, and probably vomit. The way Seokjin was able to tell his story so casually, his first murder was enough for Jimin to know that this guy is really fucking sick in the head.
Instead, Jimin remained still and raised his eyebrow.
What does Seokjin mean he accidentally convinced him?
“My turn. Why did you join the police force?”
Jimin looked at the wall clock above Seokjin’s bed. He only has thirty minutes left and the information he’s getting is not enough.
He shrugged and said, “my parents were killed.”
Seokjin snorts, “that’s it? What a pathetic and cliché excuse. C’mon Agent Park, tell me, because I won’t give you the information you want if you don’t give me what I want.”
This time, it was Jimin who was uncomfortable. He locks his jaw and thinks about how he’ll phrase the story out–he can’t give away all of the details because Seokjin could see it as a weakness and worse, use it against him. At the same thought, he knows that Seokjin will know if he’s intentionally missing some details. He hadn’t tried lying yet to the Viper, but something about Seokjin’s way of saying doesn’t leave any room for doubt.
Quid pro go is such a dangerous game to play, and Jimin had fallen right into Seokjin’s trap.
Shit.
He licks his lips and starts, “I was seven when my parents died. I wasn’t with them when it happened, coincidentally, I was staying with my grandmother so I didn’t get to see their bodies. They were...They killed themselves; Hanged in the living room so of course the police considered this a suicide case and immediately closed it. Back then, I felt helpless--I was young and far away, I could’ve prevented it somehow--but as I grew older and healed from the grief as I could...My grandmother told me something.
She said that she believes my parents’ death was murder , not suicide. Because a week before they passed, my parents had written them a letter that says, ‘If I die soon that’s ruled as suicide. It wasn’t us,” my grandmother gave the police that evidence, but they dismissed it because there are no leads.” He shrugged to end his story and he willed himself to store away the memories he kept hidden for years. “So that’s that. That’s why I joined the force, to solve my parents’ case and to prevent other victims from doing it.”
And as Jimin looked up to stare at Seokjin, a realization dawned on him.
A similar major experience happened to them and changed the whole course of their lives, then ended up on the two opposite sides of the prison bars. There were so many questions Jimin wanted to ask Seokjin about his background, how a smart guy like him ended up here locked in a white room for the rest of his life, what does Seokjin mean when he said he was able to convince his stepbrother’s father.
In the end, he willed himself to prioritize first what he really came for.
“How do you find your victims?”
Seokjin sits again at his bed, “I hunt. The thing about my killings –” a scoff from him– “I take time getting to know them. Do they feel lonely? Do they feel like they are lost? Most will answer no, of course, why would they confide their darkest thoughts to a mere stranger? But, the thing is Agent Park, you’d only know what they truly feel when night comes. If they do feel lonely, they’d mostly go to a bar to have company, to feel wanted. And that’s when I come in; Pretending I, too, need to feel something, using their weaknesses to my advantage.” A sigh escaped from Seokjin’s mouth. “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing them be under your spell.”
That doesn’t help at all. “So that’s it? You find sad and lonely people then kill them? Isn’t that what every other serial killer says?”
The Viper smiled. “Just one of the many reasons, but most of the people I kill actually are those who did me wrong at one point in my life.”
“Oh really?” He challenges. “Were you able to kill them all in your bucket list?”
“Almost. Only one person is left.”
He tsks. “That must make you mad, doesn’t it? If only you didn’t confess yourself then maybe you would've done it.”
Seokjin eyes the tape recorder then clenches his jaw, as if he wants to say something. Instead, he replies, “my turn. Who are the agents handling the other case? The one that’s over the papers.”
Jimin frowned. “Why?”
“You keep breaking the rules since earlier, we’re playing quid pro quo, Jimin--can I call you that? I feel like we’re already close enough that I could call you Jimin.”
He sighed, “Agent Kang Seulgi and Agent Min Yoongi. Now–”
“Send them my regards,” Seokjin says with a smile on his face.
“–I know that you know who the copycat is, so who is it?”
“He’s closer than you think actually.”
He frowns. Why isn’t Seokjin telling him who it is? What’s his motive? His plan? That the copycat should continue to terminate the country? It doesn’t make sense.
Crossing his legs, he leans back to his chair, “of course. You’re not going to make this easy for me.”
“Where’s the fun in that, Jimin? Besides, I like seeing your little brain work and solve the case--it’s too entertaining.”
He stares at Seokjin, trying to figure the killer out. Somehow, Jimin knew he should dig deeper into Seokjin's past, to make him open up more but it’s difficult to achieve in that simple action when the criminal is as smart as him.
“How do you skin your victims alive? Or to make them quiet while you kill them?” asked Jimin again. Once he finally gets the answer, then at least they would be one step closer to know who the copycat is.
Seokjin glances to the voice recorder again then back at the special agent, “If I’d tell you, I have to kill you.”
Before he could reply, The cell door opened and a guard walked in.
“Agent Park, there’s a phone call waiting for you at the lobby.”
Jimin looks at the wall clock and he still has ten minutes left before his visit is over and he proceeds to tell this to the guard.
“It’s Agent Min, sir. He said it’s urgent.”
They must have found the recent victims’ body , he thought as he stood up and turned off the voice recorder.
As he was about to walk away, Seokjin said, “Jimin.”
He turned, and Seokjin was standing now and said, “If I were you, it would be best if you won’t get too invested in this. Or else you’d regret it.”
“How was the interrogation?” Seulgi asked Jimin the second he walked into the living room. She was standing next to the bodies that Aecha was investigating.
Yoongi did tell him in the call that they’ve found the recent four bodies and ordered him to come as soon as possible before the place would be swarming off with the press.
“Fifty-fifty,” he replies, “Got some answers, but at the same time, I have more questions. So, what happened here?”
“Hwang Jaehyung, one of the governors of Seoul,” Yoongi said from behind him, then crouched next to Aecha and started patting down one of the victims’ pants looking for anything important in their pockets. “How unfortunate .”
In this crime scene, there wasn’t that much blood spilled; however, Jaehyung’s body was pale as a sheet to the point that his nerves were visible.
Seulgi scoffed at her partner, “now is not the time for personal political opinions, Yoongi.”
Her partner innocently shrugged. “I wasn’t saying anything bad about him.”
“Yes, but your tone was very sarcastic,” then she turns to Jimin. “There are three bodies in the kitchen by the way. It seems like Mr. Hwang was able to escape from the kitchen but the killer caught him.”
“Are any of them as important as Mr. Hwang?”
“Unfortunately, yes. A mayor in Busan, and an actor named Li Sungho.”
Well, fuck. Jimin looks around and thinks about all the victims they’ve found and all of them were just citizens, normal people. So why did he, the suspect, now target well-known people? And how was he able to come inside the unit if this condominium is heavily guarded?
“What did Seokjin tell you?” asked Yoongi.
“I was able to record our conversation. You could listen to it with Namjoon-ssi once we go back to HQ.”
“Good,” Seulgi exhales and pats Jimin’s back. “Well, Hoseok is asking around the neighbors if they’ve noticed anything unusual a couple of nights before. You were right, Aecha said that the victims’ bodies have been rotting here since the first night of the new moon.”
“I still can’t believe you caught that tiny important information,” said Yoongi as he stands up and wipes his sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. “You are clever.”
Jimin had been praised before, sometimes from Namjoon, from his few colleagues, and especially from Taehyung. However, being praised by Yoongi was different, it was like the sun was burning through his skin and a sharp knife gliding through his veins--Overwhelming, and addicting.
It’s funny really, that for the past week or so since they first met, all of Jimin and Yoongi’s interactions were minimal and not at all grand, and yet, the former couldn’t help but think of how Yoongi’s jet black hair contrasts well to his pale skin, large hands that could envelop Jimin’s throat, how Yoongi’s scar in his right eye make him attractive more--make Jimin want him more. It was all he could think. Despite the fact that they are on the right side of the law, everything in Yoongi still screams danger. It wasn’t because of his posture, or how he talked, or how he moves, but it was in the way he carries himself; it’s in his aura and just like Icarus, Jimin couldn’t help himself and wanted to come near the blinding light.
Yoongi tilts his head in confusion then smirks–as if it was like he knew what Jimin was thinking.
Danger. Danger. Danger. Danger. Danger. Danger. Danger.
But at this point, Jimin doesn’t fucking care and stroke the fire inside him to something bigger.
Seulgi notices the tension between the two and awkwardly coughs then says to Yoongi, “did you get the wallet?”
Yoongi, still smirking, nodded, and gave Seulgi the IDs of the first victim.
Aecha, who was silently checking the bodies the whole time, stands up and while removing her medical gloves she said, “same use of acid but this time, there've been signs of struggle.”
“There aren’t any signs of struggle in the past victims…” said Yoongi.
Aecha nodded, “yeah but the thing is, based on the bruises of the victims it looks like they were fighting each other. And not to the Artist.”
Seulgi frowns, “the Artist?”
“It’s what the media and the citizens started to call him. Because they said that he, or they, must be able to blend well in crowds to make killings like these.”
Jimin scoffed across the room, he started doing the Left-Hand wall technique again and said, “people should stop giving these killers some fancy names. It boosts their ego.”
Seulgi looks at him carefully then says to Aecha, “thanks. You could pack it up and bring it to the lab.” When Aecha leaves, Seulgi turns to Jimin, “care to share your thoughts with us? You’re our best agent here.”
“Ouch,” deadpans Yoongi, making her roll her eyes.
Jimin looks at them and rests his gaze on Yoongi, “there are no signs of a break-in. Which could only mean that they–the victims–have known the suspect to let them in their condominium unit.”
“Or the killer must have threatened them with a gun to let him in,” said Yoongi.
“Probably, either way, what I don’t get is why he keeps changing his MO in each set.” He had reached the kitchen and checked all the cabinets and drawers one by one.
Seulgi leans to the doorframe of the kitchen with Yoongi mirroring her from the other side. “Didn’t we study in the academy that the more victims the killer kills the more confident they get and level up their...skills?”
“Yeah but even if they keep evolving-” He opens a cabinet full of pans and eyes it carefully before shutting it close then opens another cabinet again- “the first MO still lies in the little details. In terms of the profiling for victims, or the setting, the time of murders, or even their main goal. But this one, it’s too widespread.”
“Was Seokjin like that when you were investigating him?” asked Yoongi curiously.
Jimin stopped to glance at Yoongi and went back to work, after a moment, he answered, “sort of. Seokjin’s victims were not focused on one gender only and the age gap between victims is around the late twenties to late thirties.” He then proceeds to open a cabinet and frowns.
“We have four victims in this set right?”
Seulgi nods and walks nearer to look at the cabinet to see what Jimin talks about. “Why?”
“There’s five of them.”
Yoongi got curious too and walked towards him then said, “okay, I’ll bite. What do you mean?”
“Don’t you see it?” He gestures to the cabinet and points to the five wine glasses at the front of the pile. “These are a little moist, it's what happens when you don’t dry the dishes up properly, look at the rest of them. And there are five moist glasses which means I was right. The victims let the killer in because they knew him. You don’t go around offering drinks to your killers unless it’s someone you trust.”
At the same time, they heard Hoseok’s voice talking to a police officer in the hallway, and seconds later he enters the kitchen then sees the three of them standing around the glasses cabinet.
Hoseok leans to another kitchen counter and says, “the neighbors said they heard some fighting, like thumps here and there but they think it wasn’t anything serious since according to them, the victims used to be loud every Friday night so they thought this was just another normal one. What did you all figure out so far?”
“We had a not so possible lead,” starts Seulgi. “I mean, there’s a possibility that the killer must have known the victims in this set to let them in. But that doesn’t narrow down anything or to connect to the previous set of murders.”
“Can I have the files of the previous cases when we go back to HQ later?” said Jimin as he brought down the five glasses to the counter so they could get tested for DNA. “I want to read them again.”
As all of them walked out of the condominium unit and were about to leave, Jimin noticed a young girl watching them just outside the border of the yellow tape. As ugly and fucked up the world is, a kid as young as this shouldn’t be exposed to it yet thus, he couldn’t help but walk towards the kid to bring her away from the crime scene and find her parents.
Before he could reach her, however, the young girl noticed him and she pointed at Hoseok frantically, who was busy talking with Yoongi.