The Legendary Detective Catches All the Criminals - Chapter 55



Only Noblemtl

◈Episode 55◈

The Return of the King

Kim Han-gyeol said, crossing his arms.

“What should I do? It looks like ‘the culprit who killed Police Officer Lee Kang-il’ is written on Mr. Song Tae-chang’s face.”

Team leader Cha Mi-hyeon of the legal team responded.

“Please stop harassing my client. Mr. Song Tae-chang has nothing to do with the disappearance of Police Officer Lee Kang-il.”

“Then tell me your alibi?”

“It was 20 years ago. How could I remember that day?”

“I diligently investigated Mr. Song Tae-chang’s alibi. At that time, Mr. Song Tae-chang was working as a member of a big-time organization. My territory was in Gangseo-gu, where Police Officer Lee Kang-il was.”

Song Tae-chang bent his upper body and answered Kim Han-gyeol.

“Hey, young detective… At that time, the Gangseo-gu area was completely controlled by the ‘Baekho faction.’ We couldn’t even hand out business cards.”

“That’s what I mean. The territory that Song Tae-chang received was not only a place where his life was in danger, but also a place where a miracle happened.”

“······.”

“Information was received that the Baekho faction had killed Police Officer Lee Kang-il. The Baekho faction, which had been subjected to an intensive police investigation, collapsed. Song Tae-chang entered Gangseo, which had become a no-man’s land, without bloodshed.”

“I was just lucky.”

“Detectives don’t believe in luck, so what can we do?”

Song Tae-chang responded with an annoyed expression.

“You really drive people crazy. If you want to find the killer of Police Officer Lee Kang-il, you should investigate the Baekho faction more!”

“The police have investigated the Baekho faction so thoroughly that there is nothing left to investigate. It’s so pitiful that it’s been completely wiped out. How bad must it have been for the Baekho faction leader to hold a press conference to claim his case was wronged? And I heard that whenever Song Tae-chang drank, he would secretly brag about killing people?”

In that moment, Song Tae-chang’s eyes changed.

“I’ve never done that······.”

“Oh, mistake! I’m sorry. It wasn’t Mr. Song Tae-chang, but ‘Wang Yu-seok’ who was always with you.”

“······.”

“Have you ever seen Wang Yu-seok kill someone?”

“No, that guy is a liar. He spouts out nonsense when he drinks.”

“Even nonsense is considered credible if it is consistent. If you drink alcohol, is it really a lie if you say the same thing?”

“If you’re so curious, you could ask him yourself······.”

“I would like to do that too, but Wang Yu-seok is missing. Come to think of it, all the people who were close to Song Tae-chang didn’t end well, right?”

“······.”

“Wang Yu-seok, who had been living with the organization from the bottom, has disappeared, and ‘Jeong Du-seok,’ the leader of the big shot faction who served Song Tae-chang before he became independent, is locked up in prison.”

“What do you think their fate tells me!”

“Laser guns are shooting out of your eyes… Are you trying to fight me with that expression on your face?”

Shin Dae-seong said, grabbing Kim Han-gyeol’s shoulder.

“Thank you for your hard work. You worked very hard on your research. I wouldn’t mind giving you a score of 90 out of 100.”

“Thank you! I will continue to investigate with my life on the line.”

“There is no need to sacrifice your life······.”

Shin Dae-seong looked at Song Tae-chang across from him.

Not only Song Tae-chang, but also Team Leader Cha Mi-hyeon of the Legal Team looks very nervous.

Shin Dae-seong finally opened his mouth.

“What happened to the body of Police Officer Lee Kang-il?”

“······.”

“Killing a person is easy. But getting rid of the body is usually a headache. If you didn’t call a professional, it would be obvious. They buried it in the ground, threw it in the river, burned it chemically or physically….”

Song Tae-chang intentionally ignored Shin Dae-seong’s gaze.

“You threw it into the water.”

“!”

“Did you throw it in the sea? Did you throw it in the river?”

Team leader Cha Mi-hyeon, with a stern expression, hurriedly intervened.

“We’ll end our investigation here today.”

Kim Han-gyeol shouted, stopping her.

“What are you talking about? Sit down right now. Does the police investigation seem like counseling for a child? If you feel good, take it. If you feel bad, stop.”

“My client’s health is not good. I made this decision as a defense measure.”

“That can’t be the case. I haven’t seen a single suspect who was arrested and whose health improved. Other suspects are being investigated without complaint.”

“I will definitely stop the investigation today.”

“Do you want to get kicked out for obstructing an investigation? You are crossing the line right now.”

“Where, do whatever you want?”

This is a time when the head of the legal team shows no sign of giving in.

-Knock knock.

Shin Dae-seong said, knocking on the desk.

“If Mr. Song Tae-chang’s health is not good, there is nothing we can do. Let’s stop here for today.”

“Huh? How is that a face of ill health? I am bewildered by Detective Shin’s sharp questions. Why are you stopping?”

“If that’s what the lawyer says, then that’s what it is.”

Shin Dae-seong got up without any hesitation and left the interrogation room.

Kim Han-gyeol quickly followed and complained.

“Could it be that Detective Shin also fell for the legal team leader’s charm?”

“Enchantment?”

“Every time I make eye contact with the head of the legal team, I have an auditory hallucination where I hear a sticky music called ‘ring ring ring ring.’ If I’m like this, there’s no way Team Leader Shin wouldn’t fall for it.”

“That’s not it······.”

“If not, why did you suddenly stop the investigation? When Song Tae-chang was shocked, you should have kept pushing. If you just find out whether he was thrown into the sea or the river, you will save a lot of time.”

“I couldn’t figure it out anymore. Song Tae-chang had started to build a wall. If he decides to keep his mouth shut, I won’t be able to do anything.”

Kim Han-gyeol asked, touching his chin.

“What should I do now?”

“We must gather as much information as possible about Song Tae-chang. We must find the whereabouts of Wang Yu-seok, who was said to have worked together with him in the organization.”

“He’s missing······.”

“Find it without regard to means or methods. He holds the key to opening Song Tae-chang’s mouth.”

“We will deploy all three strong teams. We will also seek cooperation from the missing persons team.”

“And I will continue to meet people close to Song Tae-chang. That way, I can get into Song Tae-chang’s head.”

“All right!”

* * *

Cheongsong Special Prison in Gyeongsangbuk-do.

This is where Shin Dae-seong was released two months ago.

Kim Han-gyeol looks like he’s come to visit a new place.

“Is this the famous Cheongsong Special Prison? I heard that only the most vicious criminals are locked up there.”

“Yes, that was the prison I was locked up in the longest.”

“The prisoners here are quite scary in appearance······.”

Kim Han-gyeol and Shin Dae-seong walked along a road blocked by barbed wire.

On the left is an outdoor exercise area where prisoners can exercise or sunbathe.

The prisoners glared at Kim Han-gyeol with expressions of disapproval.

Then, the moment my eyes met with Shin Dae-seong who was following me,

“!”

The startled prisoners didn’t know where to put their heads. They quickly bowed their heads and greeted each other, then all turned their gazes.

The guard said to Shin Dae-seong.

“5797, Jeong Du-seok refused the interview.”

Jeong Du-seok was the leader of the big shot faction. He had Song Tae-chang as his subordinate, but he was arrested on charges of attempted murder and was serving a prison sentence.

“Then did we just waste our efforts?”

“It’s a conditional refusal. He said he’d meet me in the prisoner area, not in the visiting room. I guess he’s scared of meeting Detective Shin alone.”

“I don’t care where······.”

“I knew you would do that, so I decided to use the kitchen in the school as the meeting place. The big shot faction that Jeong Du-seok is a part of also agreed.”

“thank you.”

“There was a special order from the director to treat Detective Shin with the utmost care.”

-Clang!

The guard opened the iron door and entered the building.

Kim Han-gyeol also looks a little nervous.

“This is the inside of a prison. Just as rumored, the air seems to have changed.”

“Detective Kim, never come into a place like this.”

“It’s just nagging. I heard that police officers in particular are harassed a lot.”

“Yeah, it was really bad when I was there.”

“How did you overcome it?”

“We fought and fought again······ It took quite a while to subdue them one by one and establish a new order.”

This is when Shin Dae-seong and Kim Han-gyeol enter the kitchen.

“Detective Shin, are you here?”

The big man greeted me like a gangster.

The prisoners inside the kitchen immediately bowed their heads toward Shin Dae-seong.

Shin Dae-seong sat down at the table naturally.

“Who is Jeong Du-seok?”

“It’s him.”

The large prisoner gestured and explained.

“I’ve also gathered together those who know Song Tae-chang.”

“Thank you for your hard work. You must be bored just waiting… So, have a drink or something.”

“thank you!”

Kim Han-gyeol whispered in my ear.

‘Are prison inmates allowed to drink alcohol?’

Shin Dae-seong smiled and spoke to the prison guard who came with him.

“Please prepare some delicious snacks for the kids who worked hard.”

“Understood, Detective Shin.”

Kim Han-gyeol saw Shin Dae-seong again.

‘Charisma is gushing out like a waterfall!’

Kim Han-gyeol said that when he saw the head of the legal team, he felt like he was hearing enchanting music, and when he saw Shin Dae-seong dominating the surroundings, he felt like he was hearing a magnificent BGM like in ‘The Return of the King’.

Shin Dae-seong approached Jeong Du-seok and asked.

“Tell me about Song Tae-chang.”

“He was the guy I had with me. He was a very shameless guy. He was a guy who had a lot of luck on his side. I sent him to Gangseo to die, but he entered without bloodshed and is now sucking honey.”

Inmates who knew Song Tae-chang added to the story.

“Even back then, he was a guy who played with his colleagues for money. Now that he’s a loan shark, he’s found a suitable fit.”

“For some reason, he was a very unpleasant guy.”

“That’s right. He seemed like a guy who was always thinking about how he could make his colleagues uncomfortable by stabbing them in the back.”

Shin Dae-seong asked Jeong Du-seok.

“You had a friend who was always hanging out with that guy?”

“Oh, ‘Wang Jjang-gu’? He’s closer to Song Tae-chang’s lackey than a friend.”

“Is Wang Yoo-seok’s nickname Wang Jjang-gu?”

“Yes, that’s a nickname I gave you. I thought of it as soon as I saw your prominent forehead.”

“They say that whenever he got drunk, he would secretly brag about killing people?”

“Are you Wang Jang-gu? Are you by any chance Song Tae-chang?”

“Yeah, it’s not Song Tae-chang, it’s Wang Yu-seok.”

“I took them both. Wang Jang-goo is definitely not the type of cat to kill someone. That bastard Song Tae-chang may be different.”

“Do you know where Wang Yu-seok is now?”

“Well, he went missing before I entered the cell······.”

He then asked other members of the organization.

“Have you guys heard the news about Wang Jjang-gu?”

“There isn’t any······.”

All the big shot members shook their heads.

Shin Dae-seong said, changing the mood.

“I want information about Song Tae-chang. Even if it’s just a little bit about him, I’ll tell you in detail what happened and when. Jeong Du-seok, start with you.”

“Yes, that’s right. No one knows him better than I do. My biggest mistake was taking Song Tae-chang, that guy, under my wing.”

“Why do you think so?”

“That guy is the one who keeps climbing the ladder. Instead of repaying the favor I gave him, he betrays me. I suspect that I came here because I fell for his tricks······.”

* * *

Shin Dae-seong and Kim Han-gyeol were released from prison.

They walked to the parking lot and talked.

“Have you gotten enough information to get into Song Tae-chang’s head?”

“It’s not enough… What happened to Wang Yu-seok?”

“It’s been over 10 years since she went missing. Even Detective Choi won’t be able to find her right away.”

This is when Kim Han-gyeol responds negatively.

-Tiring~ Tiring~.

Kim Han-gyeol checked the caller number and answered the phone right away.

“Yes, Detective Choi······ I found Wang Yu-seok! Yes, I understand. Yes, I will.”

Kim Han-gyeol said after ending the call.

“Detective Choi found Wang Yu-seok, who had gone missing.”

“Wow~ The longer I work with Detective Choi, the more amazing he becomes. How is he so good at finding people?”

“I didn’t know it would be this bad. Come on, let’s get on. We have to hurry up and get on to meet Wang Yu-seok.”

“Why? Just tell them to come to the police station.”

-Vroom.

Kim Han-gyeol answered as he started the engine.

“We have to go directly to where Wang Yu-seok is.”

“Is that person also a natural person?”

“It’s not like a natural person. It might be more of a headache than a natural person.”

“Where on earth are you going?”

“You’ll know when you see it. It’s as closed off as a prison.”

-Buaaaang~.

Kim Han-gyeol started driving quickly.