Alibi and Deception

The short silence ended.
It was like a period at the end of a thought.
Won Youngoh, having finished his thoughts, naturally started the conversation.

“Then you must have found out the victim’s nickname as well.”
“Yes, ‘One-Hit’.”
“There were many people in that commercial district who had a grudge against the victim enough to have such a nickname, but each of them had a ‘solid’ alibi.”

If Won Youngoh was saying it like that, it must have already been confirmed.

“There is only one suspicious alibi.”
“It would be the victim, Mr. Jo Cheolyong’s wife.”

I answered, taking a sip of coffee.
Won Youngoh followed my lead, taking a sip himself, and then spoke again.

“At the time of the incident, they had already been separated for several months. The reason was said to be the husband’s assault.”
“Assault?”

I had collected all the rumors related to ‘One-Hit,’ but there was no mention of that.
Won Youngoh nodded as if he had read my thoughts and added.

“At that time, only the police investigation was conducted, and she and her lover provided each other’s alibis. I’ve sent you their current residence via text.”
“They’re living together. Then I’ll go and check.”

Crime is always a race against time.
I stood up from my seat, leaving the now-empty cup.

‘This apartment, building 108, unit 2201, he said.’

I had taken the subway during rush hour, and I looked a mess.
I straightened my clothes with a few sharp taps.

‘Ah, I need to get a car.’

I knew the advantages of public transportation, but traveling like this was too inefficient physically.
It was so suffocating, I’d die before I lost a case.

‘Can’t I buy a car with points?’

[Don’t be ridiculous.]

I could have hoped, why not? How can you be so cold, Gram? Is it because you’re a system?

[Stop with the useless rhymes.]

The hologram’s nagging was increasing day by day.
The wealth I had accumulated as Yoon Eunho would have all been returned to society according to the will I had written in advance.

‘To realize while alive that you can’t take money with you when you die…’

As I was having such silly thoughts, a car horn blared from behind.

Honk, honk!

I turned around and saw a woman in a slightly older foreign car honking the horn.

‘Her face is familiar.’

Is there a more accurate proverb than “speak of the devil and he shall appear”?

Screech!

As soon as I moved out of the way, the woman who had finished parking got out of the car with the click-clack of her heels.
And soon after, a man also got out of the passenger seat.

‘Jo Cheolyong’s wife, Lee Hayeon, and her lover, Park Ingyu.’

The back of the lover who got out of the car and walked towards the apartment entrance looked familiar.
His build as well.

‘And most importantly, his gait…’

It was similar to the culprit in the CCTV footage.
I had already watched that video so many times that I had memorized every frame.
So that I wouldn’t miss the culprit if I encountered him.

“Excuse me, Ms. Lee Hayeon.”

I strode towards them before they could enter the apartment building and called out to them.

As soon as they turned around, I got straight to the point.

“Can we talk for a moment?”
“…What business do you have with me?”

But the behavior of Park Ingyu, who was next to Lee Hayeon, was strange.
As soon as I got closer, he quickly hid Lee Hayeon behind him.
Then he opened his mouth, glaring at me with a face full of caution and hostility.

“…What is it?”

I observed the hostility in his eyes and stopped three steps away.

“I’m Cha Yohan, the lawyer for Mr. Jeong Jiwoon, the suspect in the murder case of Mr. Jo Cheolyong.”

When I took out my business card from my pocket and showed it to him, Park Ingyu pushed Lee Hayeon further behind him as if to hide her.
After that, Park Ingyu snatched the business card from my hand.

Snatch!

Park Ingyu was moderately quick on his feet. His movements were also not large.

‘Has he practiced martial arts?’

It seemed like he had learned it professionally. Something involving the body, like judo or boxing.
Park Ingyu, who had examined my public defender business card as if to tear it apart, asked with a fierce look.

“What business does that person’s lawyer have with us?”
“I heard that the two of you provided each other with alibis on ‘that day’.”

I tilted my head slightly to see Lee Hayeon behind Park Ingyu.

Whoosh!

Then Park Ingyu moved again to block my view of Lee Hayeon.

‘…Something is strange.’

This feels like he’s trying to protect Lee Hayeon.
Not trying to hide something.

‘Was it really true that the reason for their separation was her husband Jo Cheolyong’s assault?’

But objectively, Cha Yohan’s appearance was not very threatening.
He was on the slender and thin side.
Well, come to think of it, Jo Cheolyong’s build wasn’t that big either.

“We’ve said everything we need to at the police station, so please leave.”

I ignored Park Ingyu’s words and asked a question.

“Hmm, how long have the two of you been seeing each other?”
“Why are you asking that?”
“Because it becomes a very important issue in the case.”

At my firm tone, Lee Hayeon’s exposed shoulder flinched.
I didn’t miss the opportunity and added another word.

“Did the two of you conspire to murder Mr. Jo Cheolyong?”
“…Stop with the nonsense and get lost.”

In an instant, Park Ingyu’s demeanor changed.

[Lawyer, you’re really going to get hit at this rate.]

No way.
I know how to protect myself.
This profession is probably the most exposed to retaliatory crimes.
Judges, prosecutors, and detectives.
A standoff occurred in the short silence.
Unexpectedly, the one who broke the silence was Lee Hayeon.

“…Ingyu, stop it. It’s okay.”

It was unexpected.
I thought Park Ingyu would rush at me in a moment.

Step.

Lee Hayeon, who walked out from behind Park Ingyu and faced me, looked ordinary without any great agitation.
She had a calm face, as if she couldn’t have conspired to murder her husband, and she seemed like a different person from the woman who had been repeatedly honking the horn earlier.

“You said you were a lawyer?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Isn’t it illegal for you to come and find me like this?”

At those words, I raised an eyebrow with interest and answered.

“Hmm. I called you before I came, Ms. Lee Hayeon, but you didn’t answer. So I left a text… You read it, right?”

Lee Hayeon bit her lips.
She read it.

“Now. I’ve given you prior notice, there was no threat or blackmail, no demand for money in exchange, and of course, no assault. Where is it illegal?”
“……”

She has nothing to say.
Denying it here is no different from a confession.
I smiled brightly and added again.

“Can we talk now?”

Before coming to the cafe, Lee Hayeon had been placating Park Ingyu for a long time, telling him to go up to the house.

“It’ll really be fine, Ingyu.”
“Still…”

No matter how I looked at it, it was strange.
In the meantime, I memorized the license plate number of their car.
While Lee Hayeon was leading the way to a nearby cafe, I sent a text message.

Ding.

There was a moderate number of people in the cafe.
Enough for any conversation to be drowned out by the noise.
It seemed like she had deliberately chosen a place like this.
A space where one could hide in anonymity.

“……”

Neither Lee Hayeon nor I got up from our seats to order.
Because we hadn’t let go of our tension and suspicion of each other.
In a moderately tense atmosphere, I spoke first.

“I’ll ask one more time. How long have the two of you been seeing each other? It will be to your advantage to answer honestly.”

Lee Hayeon answered, clutching her handbag.

“…We’ve been seeing each other for about a year and a half.”
“And the separation period?”
“…About half a year.”
“The affair was longer than I thought?”
“He had a mistress too! He was the first one!”

Lee Hayeon momentarily raised her voice and then quickly bit her lip again.

‘What is this again.’

Words I had never heard during the investigation were pouring out, and my eyebrows naturally furrowed.
But I nodded as if I already knew. I quickly relaxed my expression and smiled benevolently, as if I understood.
Lee Hayeon let down her guard a little at my appearance.

‘<Truth of the Lips>.’

I quickly used the skill before Lee Hayeon could say more.

“My husband first started hitting me three years ago. It was shortly after we got married.”

‘Hmm, no reaction at all.’

“At first, he would only raise his hand when he was drunk, but soon after, he would hit me even when he was sober. …He would only hit places that weren’t visible.”

It meant it was the truth.
Lee Hayeon’s story continued after that.

“Where were you with Mr. Park Ingyu on that day?”
“…We were at home together.”

Beep!

As soon as Lee Hayeon finished speaking, a loud warning sound rang in my ears.
This time, being the second time, I was able to maintain my composure.

Instead of showing it or questioning it, I chose the method of comfort.
As if I didn’t think Lee Hayeon and Park Ingyu were the culprits.

“I’m sorry that things have turned out this way. It’s late, but I offer my condolences for the deceased.”
“…Thank you.”
“But why are you refusing to claim the body?”
“…I don’t want to see my husband again. I don’t want to give him a funeral either. I’m allowed to do that much, right?”

I couldn’t gauge how much anger was contained in those words of Lee Hayeon.
Because I was always a person who gauged guilt, not anger.

“I think I’ve answered your questions enough. I’ll be going now.”

And so, Lee Hayeon left.
When I took out my phone from my pocket, the call I had been waiting for had come.
I called without hesitation.

Ring, ring, ring, click.

[Hey, Mr. Cha Yohan. What the hell are you?]

It was Choi Suhyeok who answered the phone before the third ring.
I calmly asked back, despite his nagging.

“So, was there no progress?”
[…The problem is that I’m so angry I can’t even get mad because there was. How did you find this out?]
“I met with Jo Cheolyong’s wife, Lee Hayeon, and her lover, Park Ingyu. I contacted you because the license plate number of the car they were driving was different from the one in the report.”
[This 2997 is Park Ingyu’s brother’s car. The 3783 in the report is a vehicle owned by Lee Hayeon. The location tracking result of 2997 showed that it was near the PC bang on the day of the incident.]
“Hmm, that’s good. It would be better to get all the nearby CCTV and car black box footage as possible.”
[…Ha.]

The call ended with Choi Suhyeok’s hollow laugh.
Choi Suhyeok never said he wouldn’t do it until the end.

‘As I thought, he seems to be a police officer who values the truth more.’

And so, I returned to Won Youngoh’s office.

After that, the evidence in the case came out more simply than I thought.
Because the suspect’s figure getting out of the 2997 and then leaving again at the time of the crime was caught on a nearby commercial CCTV.
Park Ingyu’s brother testified that his brother usually drove that car.

“Mr. Park Ingyu, you are under emergency arrest as a suspect in the murder case of Jo Cheolyong.”
“No! Ingyu!”
“Ms. Lee Hayeon, you…”

Through Park Ingyu’s testimony, the resentful wounds on Jo Cheolyong were also explained.
Jo Cheolyong had insisted that he would not divorce her, and Lee Hayeon had become more and more exhausted.
Jo Cheolyong would frequently visit and threaten her even during their separation.

“…Jo Cheolyong, who found out about my relationship with Hayeon, said he would kill Hayeon.”

Unlike Park Ingyu, who looked surprisingly calm, Lee Hayeon fell into a panic.
She muttered over and over again.

“This can’t be, this can’t be happening. I just did what he told me to do. This can’t, this can’t be happening…!”

And a certain man who heard the news of them thought.

“…How are you still alive, Cha Yohan.”