#175. peace. 11
After finishing his call with Cha Joo-hyuk, Woo-jin left the coffee shop 10 minutes later.
The door of a red sports car with its emergency lights flashing opened on the side of the road.
The person who came out of the vehicle was Cha Joo-hyuk.
He bowed his head to Woojin.
“I chose the fastest one.”
“You don’t have to bow your head like that. You’re busy, so why don’t you ask someone else to do it for you?”
“I do it because I want to.”
Cha Joo-hyuk's words were sincere.
I've been tightroping as if I had ten lives to live, but somehow the results have been good, with promotions upon promotions.
It was all because of this person, Woojin.
“But where are you going?”
“Yes. I’m going to clean up.”
Cha Joo-hyuk thought for a moment about what Woo-jin was saying.
Going to clean up in a high-performance sports car… … .
He sent me a photo and asked me to find a gold shop and a pawn shop.
Cha Joo-hyuk, who was trying to interpret Woo-jin's words for a moment, smiled.
Because he was not a person who could figure things out just by thinking about it.
Aren't there too many weird aspects?
“Have a nice trip.”
“What about this chairman’s children?”
“We are looking everywhere, but we still don’t seem to have a clue. Our SH Strategy is also under constant pressure.”
Woojin nodded slowly.
At one point, the chairman, who had never shown himself to the public, suddenly disappeared.
Hiding it from my children.
I just sent someone to convey the message.
Woojin fully understood Chairman Lee's actions.
He doesn't want his family to see him getting sick.
As we gradually return to being children, it becomes impossible to live without someone like a parent to take care of us.
He also hates the division of the Shinwha Group so much that he never lets go of his work.
That's why he would send people to give instructions to Hye-rim, who was aware of her illness.
“First of all, Hye-rim’s safety. As you know, the pressure from the children of this chairman will be intense. Please keep a close eye on her. If anything happens, please let me know right away.”
"all right."
“If you observe those people who convey the chairman’s words, immediately send someone to them.”
Chairman Lee Jeong-moon didn't just pick on a single person and send them away.
They were sending out people who seemed to have no connection to each other, as if they were a tangled web of dots.
"All right."
After finishing greeting Cha Joo-hyuk, Woo-jin got into the car.
-Wow
A red sports car started speeding down the road with a roaring exhaust sound.
* * *
After running for two hours, Woojin was able to arrive at the main gate of K55 in Pyeongtaek, which is called Little Itaewon.
There were also many foreigners, and there were restaurants and bars lined up targeting them.
Woojin, who was figuring out where the pawn shop was, entered the alley.
There were quite a few real estate agents offering rentals to American soldiers, and clothing stores were also popping up here and there.
The place where Woojin's steps stopped was a two-story building.
The sign on the second floor that said 'Smile Pawn Shop' was emitting a bright light, attracting flies.
Woojin walked straight up the stairs and headed to the second floor.
And soon I could see a straight line of iron bars, like a prison visiting room.
“Welcome.”
When the pawn shop owner, in his early 50s, asked Woojin behind the iron bars, he answered.
“This is the police.”
Woojin, who had briefly shown his ID, held out a photo of Shin Hee-yeon on his phone.
Exactly the earrings and necklace she's wearing.
The pawn shop owner, who had been looking at the photo for a while, looked at Woojin carefully.
“Hehe, right. It seems like there are more than one or two people looking for the whereabouts of these earrings and necklace. It looks like they’re holding on tight no matter what happens.”
At first, a man wearing a helmet came and asked questions, but today it was the police.
Of course, the person wearing the helmet was one of the people that Cha Ju-hyuk had released under Woo-jin's instructions.
Woojin, who was certain of the pawn shop owner's subtle expression, opened his mouth.
“Can I see your earrings and necklace?”
“Yes, of course.”
He disappeared for a moment, then reappeared and held out the precious metal.
Necklace and earrings in the shape of a four-leaf clover.
It matched what was hanging on Shin Hee-yeon's neck and ears in the photo.
“Did you bring this?”
“It’s probably been about ten days.”
“Can I see the CCTV?”
“Okay, come in.”
When the pawn shop owner opened the door, Woojin went inside.
“He said he’s been here a few times. He said that in addition to our pawn shop, there’s an Angel Gold Shop down there that he’s been to a few times as well.”
The pawn shop owner played the video, recalling the date.
And in just a few minutes.
“Oh, there he is. It’s him.”
The person the pawnshop owner pointed out was not a man, but a woman.
He looked to be in his mid to late 40s.
“You said this person came several times. Did you ever suspect that he was a stolen item?”
“There were no initials, and the things I brought weren’t all expensive. I had my own, and I said I was going to get it, so no one suspected anything. There are a lot of people like that who come here.”
A new algorithm began to grow in Woojin's head.
A middle-aged woman who appears to be in her 40s.
The family was piecing together yet another puzzle.
Woojin said.
“I’m sure you checked my ID, please.”
“Huh? There she comes again.”
Woojin's gaze turned to the CCTV.
The middle-aged woman the pawn shop owner had mentioned was shown on the screen coming up to the second floor.
He is estimated to be about 158 cm tall and appears to weigh moderately.
Soon her voice was heard.
“I came to sell some rings.”
At that time, Woojin appeared in the pawn shop's customer service position.
“What kind of ring is it?”
“It’s my first time seeing you.”
She looked at Woojin and opened her mouth again with a bitter smile.
“The owner changed? I’m going to get rid of my wedding ring.”
“Show me.”
She thrust out the ring case.
At that moment, Woojin caught sight of her left hand.
And soon he opened the ring case and rolled the ring around to check it.
It was a simple design with small diamonds embedded in it.
“I guess you didn’t bring your husband’s things?”
“I’m not here to sell, I’m here to drop it off. I need the money urgently, so I’ll come get it right away.”
Woojin, observing her face, nodded and said.
“Did you bring your ID?”
"sure."
She swiped her ID card.
At such a sight, Woojin thought she was bold.
Woojin soon checked her ID and raised his head to look at her.
“Your initials are engraved on the ring. Mr. Im Jin-kyung, your name and initials are not the same?”
In an instant, her pupils dilated.
Action stops and the muscles in the face stiffen.
It was a typical freeze reaction that occurs when a lie is exposed, or when a difficult situation or danger is sensed in an instant.
But this sight was fleeting, and she opened her mouth to ask what he meant.
“Initials? There’s nothing like that.”
“There is an engraving on the inside of the ring that is difficult to see, but the initials are clear.”
"yes?"
“Police. I was waiting for you here. Where did you get this ring?”
There were no initials in the first place, and the reason Woojin lied was to see her reaction.
Im Jin-kyung's eyes were shaking.
Woojin opened the door and came out and stood in front of her.
And then he spread out his hand and showed the precious metal of a four-leaf clover.
“It was the precious metal of a victim who was murdered a while ago. Mr. Im Jin-gyeong took it and sold it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about… … .”
Woojin took a step closer to her and said.
“Be honest.”
She bit her lips as if licking them.
“Why, why are you doing this? Seriously… .”
“Criminals always lie. I’ve caught many criminals, so I’ve experienced this countless times. The more you lie, the more serious the crime becomes and the longer the sentence. If I take you to the police station, you’ll likely say you found it at a popular cultural facility, stole it, or, considering your age, stole it at a bathhouse or a steam room. So, as you say, the police will go there and search the CCTV. If, as you say, no reports were filed there or nothing unusual was found, you might end up in prison for a long time because of your lies. No, that’s what will happen.”
She said, taking a step back without realizing it.
“What on earth are you talking about… … .”
“I’ll give you 10 seconds. If you steal it, just say that you stole it from someone you know. Someone very close to you. Then you can probably get away with just a police investigation. One.”
Her pupils shook mercilessly as if there was an earthquake.
“I never did that. It’s true!”
“Don’t cry, think about what I said. Think about things you can live with. Three, four… … .”
Woojin showed her the name saved on his phone, 'Detective Kim', as if he was counting the numbers.
“Seven, eight… … ·.”
“Phew, I stole it.”
“Nine, who did you steal from?”
“Ah, my boyfriend who I live with. I secretly stole things he kept in his closet… … .”
“Roommate? What is your address? Are you home now?”
“Yes. I just steal… … .”
"address."
“Shinjang-dong… … ·.”
Woojin searched the address she gave him.
It wasn't far away.
And then he immediately called 112 and said with his head down.
“I brought the person who dealt in the stolen goods with me. He even brought the stolen goods from a murder case. It seems the pawn shop owner didn’t know about it.”
As Woojin finished the call, she looked at him with eyes of distrust.
“I didn’t know. I really didn’t know what he was doing!”
“It doesn’t matter whether you knew it or not. It’s dirty enough to pollute the world. That’s what matters.”
* * *
Woojin, who sent Im Jin-kyung to the police station, went straight to the house of his roommate, Yoon Jang-jun.
It was a single-family house in an alley near an elementary school.
Since cars can't enter the alley, I drove around the area.
The purpose was to identify not only Yoon Jang-jun's house but also any possible escape routes.
There were only a few street trees, so the entire neighborhood had an eerie atmosphere.
Not many minutes passed like that, and Woojin got out of the car and entered the alley.
At that moment, the cell phone vibrated.
“Yes. This is Shin Woo-jin.”
– Are you busy? It's been a while since I've seen you. Should we play a game of baduk? Let's make a different bet this time.
“I can’t give you more than ten points.”
Even though the disease was progressing slowly, it was a kind of courtesy to Woojin.
-Hahaha. My pride wouldn't allow that.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
-Where are you that you're making such a fuss?
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every time Woojin's hand moved, the gate spat out rusty dust.
“I came to pick up trash.”
