Setting the Trap

Choi Suhyeok, after a momentary grimace, rummaged through his pockets and showed his official ID to the manager.

“Police. We’re here about the incident in the room this morning.”

Due to the incident in the morning, the motel was currently closed for business for further investigation.
Because of that, the manager, who was already in a bad mood, contorted his face even more as soon as he heard Choi Suhyeok’s words.

“What now? After you guys rummaged through here this morning? Because of that commotion, someone can’t even do business for a few days, so why are you doing this again!”

To show such open hostility.

‘Oh, this might actually be good.’

I stepped in front of Choi Suhyeok, who was also grimacing.

“Hello. Are you the owner? My name is Cha Yohan, a lawyer.”

The middle-aged man slightly relaxed his expression at my friendly demeanor as I took out my business card from my pocket and handed it to him.
The motel owner, who had taken the business card in a daze, still asked with a voice full of suspicion.

“Why is a lawyer here?”
“I’m a little acquainted with this detective. He said he thought he lost something here when he came this morning, so we came together.”
“Something? What does that have to do with a lawyer?”
“There could be issues like tampering with the scene or evidence. In cases like that, it’s safe to be accompanied by a lawyer. Then there won’t be any problems.”

While the motel owner was examining my business card again with pursed lips, I tilted my head slightly and winked at Choi Suhyeok.
Of course, Choi Suhyeok grimaced.
That brow is never flat.

“We just need to find the item and go back, but to have to go through something like this in your place of business, which is your livelihood… I can’t even imagine how heartbroken you must be.”

At my truly sympathetic tone and expression, the motel owner’s expression was slowly relaxing.

[…Wow.]

I waved my hand in the air a couple of times to dismiss the admiring hologram and maintained my public-facing expression.

“Ahem, ahem. That lawyer seems to be a bit more reasonable.”
“If you’re in an unfair situation because of the incident this morning, I can help you. Ah, and of course, you don’t have to worry too much about the cost.”
“Help? How can I get help from a lawyer? And why is it cheap? Isn’t it because you’re not skilled?”

Just as the motel owner’s guard, which had seemed to be letting down for a moment, was thickening again along with his forehead wrinkles, Choi Suhyeok cleverly joined in.

“He’s a trustworthy person. He’s a lawyer who was on the news recently.”
“News?”

Since the news was still considered the most credible source of information, the motel owner, who seemed to be a regular viewer, raised his eyebrows.

“Yes. He’s the lawyer who recently saved the person who was about to go to jail even after saving a child.”

As interest grew on the motel owner’s face, Choi Suhyeok, as if it were the right time, held out his phone.
What is it? Let me see too.

“Oh, this news. I’ve seen it. Wow, I thought the name was familiar.”

What Choi Suhyeok held out was a screenshot of an interview video.
In the screen, Mr. Lee Hyeonsu was smiling brightly.

[The reason I was able to clear my name was all thanks to Lawyer Won Youngoh and Lawyer Cha Yohan, who worked hard for me. And the detectives too…]

Behind them, our law office was visible.
Won Youngoh and I didn’t show our faces directly, but it was a news interview where we didn’t miss the opportunity.
I was inwardly surprised, but I didn’t show it.

‘I didn’t know he’d screenshot something like this.’

The more I see him, the more surprising he is.
While I was looking at the back of Choi Suhyeok’s head with a look of wonder, the motel owner leaned his head towards me.

“So you can really help me?”
“Of course. I can give you the biggest help with the cheapest legal fees. As a form of service.”

I answered with my business smile back on.

“How cheap?”
“About half of what other lawyers would charge.”
“What! Half?”

The motel owner’s bulging eyes grew as if they were about to pop out.

“Yes. Since I’m trying to help those in unfair situations, you have to tell me the situation honestly.”

There was a reason for my actions.

“Hmm.”

After a moment of thought, the motel owner stood up from his seat.

“Since it’s come to this, it would be good to talk inside.”

We followed the motel owner’s guidance and entered the break room.

“Thank you for telling me.”

I bowed my head to the man who introduced himself as Park Hyeonsang in the room.

“Lawyer, this won’t cause me any trouble, right?”
“No, of course not. The detective has to go back to the station, so we’ll just find the item and come back.”
“Alright, alright.”

Park Hyeonsang, whose suspicion had now completely disappeared, handed me the key to the room where the incident had occurred.
Only after moving away from the door did I bring up what I had been curious about all along.

“When did you screenshot that? I was a little surprised.”
“…That was my case too.”
“Aha, you’re not being honest. You’ve really grown fond of me.”
“Haa… Fine. Think whatever you want.”

Choi Suhyeok, who had let out a sigh, climbed the stairs first.

[I was surprised too. That’s a very unexpected side of him. I knew Detective Choi wasn’t the honest type, but…]

‘I know, right. He seems to be a more considerate person than I thought.’

Choi Suhyeok suddenly started rubbing his ear, saying it was itchy. Then he turned around and asked me.

“…Are you really going to take the case?”

I, who had been smiling from ear to ear, smiled even more brightly at Choi Suhyeok’s words and answered.

“No, you know I only defend people who are ‘truly’ wronged.”

The conversation, which had been close to a whisper, ended there.
Because we had arrived at the 4th floor, where Kwon Saeha had been confined.

Creak.

“It’s not completely cleaned up yet.”

The room was so small that the word “cramped” was a perfect fit.

‘It seems like it would be full with just three or four men standing in it.’

Since neither Choi Suhyeok nor I were short, it already felt crowded.
Trash was rolling around on the floor, and a faint smell of mold was present as soon as we opened the door.
I fiddled with my phone and hurriedly looked around, pretending to be looking for something.

“Detective, what did you say you lost? A ring?”
“A ring is,”

Vibrate.

I gestured towards Choi Suhyeok’s inner pocket with my eyes.

[There’s a high probability that there’s a camera installed in the room. Play along, just like before.]

Choi Suhyeok, who had checked the text message, immediately changed his words.

“…A ring will be hard to find, so let’s start with the floor.”

[Are you sure? A hidden camera in a motel would have a big impact.]
[The motel owner’s reaction in the room earlier was strange. Just trust me once.]

We continued to talk as if we were looking for something and looked around.

“Ah, detective, why did you bring jewelry to the scene? You should cherish it more if it’s a couple’s ring.”
“A couple’s… Yes, if I get caught, I’ll be in trouble, so let’s find it quickly and go back. I’ve been getting calls nonstop, so I’m about to die.”

Choi Suhyeok plausibly rationalized the reason why he was constantly touching his phone.

“I’m also getting calls from the office. It seems a new client has come.”

Choi Suhyeok accepted the situation more skillfully than I thought.
I turned over everything from the floor to the bed and the closet, without missing a single thing.
The reason I was doing this was simple.
I had only asked Park Seonghyun a few questions a moment ago.
But with every answer he gave, a warning sound went off.

“Sir. In order to lift the business suspension even a day earlier, we need objective evidence to assess the situation. Are there CCTV cameras installed on all floors?”
“I told you I gave them all to the police! Every single one!”
“Are the only cameras installed in the hallway and the lobby?”

Beep!

“That bastard keeps saying he was wrongfully arrested, but I definitely saw him come in alone! He’s trying to frame me!”
“Ah, that must be so unfair.”

Beep!

I had only opened the floodgates, and the answers were pouring out.
Thanks to that, I got all the hints I needed.

‘He’s likely an accomplice of the guys who brought Mr. Kwon Saeha here.’

And the warning sound that went off when I asked if the only cameras were in the hallway and the lobby.

‘If he’s an accomplice of those gangsters, but he’s trying to find a lawyer separately…’

That meant that Park Hyeonsang was also doing something shady.
If he was collaborating with such dangerous guys in a business relationship, then there was a high probability that he had also left behind an insurance policy that would only benefit him.
And even if the situation had become like this, there was a higher probability that he hadn’t cleaned it up yet.

‘He probably thought he could solve it on his own once the case was really over. Using that as an excuse to extort more money from them.’

Swish.

After checking under the bed and raising my head, I saw the red light I had been looking for.
I slowly headed towards the wall-mounted TV, pretending to be looking around.
I felt a strange sense of incongruity from the picture frame hanging above it.
And, I felt like something was looking at me.
I carefully reached out and lifted the picture frame.
The black wires connected behind the frame came out with it.

“Detective Choi.”

As soon as I called out, Choi Suhyeok, who was checking the closet, looked at me once and then rushed out of the room in an instant.

“Detective Choi!”

‘Why is he doing that? Ah.’

My question was fleeting, and I immediately chased after Choi Suhyeok.
Because I had realized why Choi Suhyeok had run out of the room.

Thump, thump, thump!

I hurriedly chased after him, but I could only hear the sound of Choi Suhyeok’s footsteps as he ran down the stairs, taking several steps at a time.

Clang!

When I arrived at the first floor, I saw the motel’s entrance door, which was wide open and swaying from the recoil.

“Let go of me! Is it okay to arrest me like this? Do you have a warrant? Do you have a warrant!”
“Let go of what? You seem to have heard something, but an emergency arrest doesn’t require a warrant.”

And at a point not far from the door, Choi Suhyeok skillfully subdued Park Hyeonsang to the ground and handcuffed him behind his back.

“Do you want to add resisting arrest?”
“Let go, let me go!”
“Let go of what? You have more than one charge, right now. And despite that, even a bastard like you has the right to appoint a lawyer, and, ah. There’s a lawyer coming.”
“Huh.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Choi Suhyeok’s casual last words, as he pointed behind him with his thumb, as if it were my turn to appear.

Choi Suhyeok, after handcuffing Park Hyeonsang, pushed him into that room.

“You don’t seem to be in your right mind. What were you thinking when you did this? Did you think you wouldn’t get caught?”
“……”
“You were babbling so well earlier, but now you’re shutting your mouth?”

While Choi Suhyeok was interrogating Park Hyeonsang, who was sitting in a chair, I began to examine the room in earnest, which I hadn’t been able to do properly before.

‘Huh?’

A short while later, I found a faint red light among the books on the bookshelf.
As I reached for the bookshelf, Park Hyeonsang, who had been silent all along, frantically struggled and shouted.

“Don’t touch it! Don’t touch it!”

But I moved my hand without a care.
As soon as I pulled out a book with a red cover, the bookshelf turned with a clattering sound.
Choi Suhyeok and I looked at each other but didn’t say anything.
While Park Hyeonsang was panting, a huge monitor the size of a bookshelf was finally revealed.
All the rooms were being broadcast on dozens of split screens.

“…This bastard is really something else.”

I smiled at Park Hyeonsang, who was being subdued once again by Choi Suhyeok’s touch, and opened my mouth.

Swish.

Without forgetting to place the book I had pulled out on Park Hyeonsang’s lap.

“I think you’ll have to get another lawyer at a fair price. A very expensive one at that.”

Thanks to that, I was able to save my client.