Dangerous Investigation Diary

Ep. 11 ° Theft of the National Secret Vault (4)

We all went to work together in a somewhat heavy atmosphere. When we arrived at the office, we all quietly found our seats. Perhaps it was the hangover from yesterday, or perhaps it was Superintendent Kim's raised voice earlier. An inexplicable silence filled the office.

I slowly looked around and found the file I'd saved yesterday. It was a file containing the personal information and statements of the suspects in this case. Seeing the name "Do Beom-su" written in bold, I couldn't help but chuckle.

김태형 [29]

"What's so funny, Officer Ha?"

하여주 [28]

"Huh? Oh. That, just..."

전정국 [27]

"Wow, what is this? Did you organize all of this?"

하여주 [28]

"Um... yes. Well, that's right."

김태형 [29]

"Hiya, the elite are different. He's really the ace of our team."

I was just awkwardly smiling at the sudden barrage of compliments when the office door slammed open and two people stormed into the office. It was Detective Min and Detective Jeong. They must have put on their uniforms in a hurry because the buttons were wrong and the collar was up.

정호석 [30]

"I'm sorry I'm late...!"

김남준 [30]

".....Button it up properly."

정호석 [30]

"iced coffee..."

박지민 [29]

"Detective Min, what's with that magpie head?"

민윤기 [31]

"...Aren't you focusing on the investigation?"

김석진 [32]

"Okay. Everyone, sit down. Let's figure out who the culprit is."

Everyone sat in front of their respective monitors, then, at Inspector Kim's words, gathered around a round table and sat down. In Inspector Kim's hands, he held a sheet of A4 paper and a MoXmi ballpoint pen. That was really all we needed to deduce the culprit.

김석진 [32]

"Okay... First, write your name..."

전정국 [27]

"Who do you think is the most likely culprit?"

After about ten minutes of in-depth discussion, we each voted for our perceived culprit. Lee Tae-min received four votes, Kim Ji-young three, and Do Beom-soo... one vote. Naturally, that one vote was mine. I felt a slight sense of pride in having chosen Do Beom-soo with such determination.

박지민 [29]

"Why do you think it's Do Beom-su?"

I was a little nervous about Officer Park's sharp, pointed question, but I opened my mouth, determined to surprise my seniors with my words. I took a deep breath...

하여주 [28]

"Mr. Do Beom-su said he works as a janitor. But I doubt a janitor has ever touched a safe."

하여주 [28]

"If dust were to accumulate in that safe you said was important, you would be the one getting blamed. Instead, wouldn't you have been more careful about cleaning it?"

하여주 [28]

"And since he's been working for quite some time and is trusted enough to even be entrusted with cleaning the B3 floor, who would have thought he'd steal a safe? I think that's what he was after."

하여주 [28]

"You know the structure of the Blue House better than anyone else, having gone around cleaning here and there. There's a high probability that you've overheard conversations between high-ranking officials while cleaning."

하여주 [28]

"If that's the case, they'll have gathered information from the B3 floor, and they'll know better than anyone where the CCTV blind spots are."

하여주 [28]

"Anyway... the person who can go to the B3 floor more often than Lee Tae-min and Kim Ji-young, even if it means making excuses, is Do Beom-su."

하여주 [28]

"It's not that you're getting paid a small amount of money, but you're getting paid the least among those working at the Blue House."

하여주 [28]

"He may have harbored a grudge against that and planned the crime."

하여주 [28]

"A perfectly planned crime... and you wanted to reap the benefits for yourself."

As I was talking absentmindedly, my seniors' eyes met mine. They were looking at me with a rather serious expression, and I felt like they believed me. So, I finished speaking and smiled slightly. They chuckled along with me, asking why I was smiling.

김석진 [32]

"Anyway, Officer Ha's thoughts are like this..."

김석진 [32]

"...Ha. It's hard to summon all three..."

정호석 [30]

"Shall we vote again?"

김석진 [32]

"Okay, let's do that."

The re-election results: Lee Tae-min with three votes, Do Beom-soo with three, and Kim Ji-young with two. By majority vote, Lee Tae-min and Do Beom-soo, who received the most votes, were summoned. I felt proud that I had convinced my seniors.

민윤기 [31]

"Sergeant Kim, Ha Sun-g...-"

민윤기 [31]

"...No. Go with Officer Park and stay in the interrogation room with the suspects."

김남준 [30]

"I think we'll have about 30 minutes to spare before the suspects arrive."

김남준 [30]

"Until then, everyone, get some rest."

정호석 [30]

".....Officer Ha."

하여주 [28]

"yes?"

정호석 [30]

"Come with me to the bathroom for a bit."

하여주 [28]

"yes!"

I was a little worried about Sergeant Jeong, who had been feeling down since morning, so I thought I should ask him what was wrong since we were going to the break room together, and followed him out of the office.

After Detective Jeong and Officer Ha left, everyone left in the office prepared for their next tasks. Except for one person: Officer Min, who stood before the round table, staring blankly at the team members sitting at his desk.

김석진 [32]

"...Hey, Officer Min. What are you doing standing there blankly?"

김석진 [32]

"Where have you been wandering since morning?"

김석진 [32]

"That Dahee incident wasn't the first and last time you acted like this, was it?"

민윤기 [31]

".....There's a police officer there."

김석진 [32]

"huh_"

민윤기 [31]

"I found out about Dahee's existence."

김태형 [29]

"...What?"

김남준 [30]

"Okay, wait a minute. Dahee? Shin...Dahee?"

민윤기 [31]

"Yesterday, when everyone was drunk, we called out Dahee's name... that's what it was."

민윤기 [31]

"I heard that Officer Jeong, who wasn't drunk, told Officer Ha a lie, but... I don't know."

When Officer Min frowned, unable to continue speaking, the entire team stopped what they were doing. They had a vague idea of ​​what kind of person "Shin Da-hee" was, but it didn't go away.

This incident, which they had wanted to hide until the very end, and the one they had wanted to protect, even from Officer Ha. Could it all be connected? They weren't ready to tell Officer Ha the reason for their pain and awakening. For fear of being hurt again, of losing someone else.

이태민 [32]

"Huh... what now?"

김태형 [29]

"Two people have been identified as prime suspects."

김태형 [29]

"That's why I've summoned you again, so I ask for your cooperation in the investigation."

김태형 [29]

"For a successful investigation."

이태민 [32]

".....Really. If you're a police officer, you're a unit price."

Despite his words, Lee Tae-min, overwhelmed by Officer Kim's presence, muttered and avoided his gaze. Meanwhile, Officer Park, carefully flipping through the questionnaire, glanced at the suspects. He couldn't ignore Do Beom-soo, who seemed uneasy.

박지민 [29]

"...Mr. Do Beom-su?"

도범수 [45]

"Ah...! Ah, yes..."

박지민 [29]

"Why are you so surprised? Just relax. Why are you so anxious?"

박지민 [29]

"As if surrounded by something."

Although his position was to manage equipment inventory and repair equipment, Sergeant Park was a strong candidate for the same psychological position as Sergeant Kim. He was pushed out by Sergeant Kim and had no choice but to choose his second choice... but he possessed a deep understanding of human psychology, no less than Sergeant Kim.

도범수 [45]

"No... It's a little cold."

박지민 [29]

"It's spring now, early summer is coming... I guess that's understandable."

While Officer Kim was a man who used his wits without any psychological warfare, Officer Park enjoyed this kind of psychological warfare. Depending on the opponent's characteristics, Officer Park's methods might have worked better. This is exactly what happened to Do Beom-su.

김태형 [29]

"Both of you, could you please tell me in detail about your movements on the day of the incident?"

이태민 [32]

"I arrived at work at 9, changed my clothes, lazed around for a bit, and arrived at floor B3 at 9:30. I started patrolling from area A."

이태민 [32]

"I was in charge of checking inventory, so I was patrolling while checking the list. When I arrived at Area D, I saw that the safe was gone. I checked that all the other items in Area D were there, and then reported it."

김태형 [29]

"You didn't report it right away, but instead checked to see if all the items in Zone D were there?"

이태민 [32]

"Yes, if you want to report it, you have to do it all at once. They might have taken it as a bonus among the other items..."

김태형 [29]

"...I understand. Mr. Do Beom-su?"

도범수 [45]

"Yes... Oh, I... That day was a day when I had to go to work at 11 o'clock."

김태형 [29]

"I did some research, but don't the cleaning workers start work at 7 o'clock?"

도범수 [45]

"Ah... I wasn't feeling well that day... I had to go to the hospital..."

김태형 [29]

“Are you still taking medication?”

도범수 [45]

"No. I'm... all better now."

도범수 [45]

"...Do you suspect me of being the culprit?"

박지민 [29]

"I told you earlier. I summoned you again because you were the most powerful."

도범수 [45]

"Anyway, the culprit won't be able to get a single penny out of the safe because the safe is triple-locked."

도범수 [45]

"And how do I move that heavy safe in such a short time?"

도범수 [45]

"I'm the oldest..."

박지민 [29]

"Don't get excited, I told you to tell me the route."

도범수 [45]

"...I went to work at 11 o'clock because I wasn't feeling well, and by then the incident had already occurred, so the B3 floor was under lockdown."

김태형 [29]

"What did you do the day before?"

도범수 [45]

"I changed shifts around 6 p.m. and left work. I'll be on duty tomorrow morning, and another cleaner will be on duty that evening."

박지민 [29]

"Huh_ I heard you came to work at 11 a.m. earlier. You were on morning duty on the day of the incident?"

도범수 [45]

"I called to say I couldn't come because I wasn't feeling well. I also found a replacement."

김태형 [29]

"Can you give me the contact information of the person who took over as a substitute?"

도범수 [45]

"How can you give out contact information so carelessly?"

박지민 [29]

"Yes, yes... Please wait a moment."

박지민 [29]

"Sergeant Kim, let's discuss this with the rest of the team."

김태형 [29]

"...Ha, please wait here for a moment."

Sergeant Kim sighed deeply at the frustrating statement and left the interrogation room. He glanced back and forth between the two suspects, radioing the two officers from Team 2 of the Violent Crimes Unit who were present before Sergeant Park could also leave.

김석진 [32]

"Are you here_"

Superintendent Kim greeted him dryly, and as soon as he saw his team members' faces, tears streamed down his face. Just as everyone else's faces turned bewildered by Superintendent Kim's tears, Superintendent Park entered the office.

박지민 [29]

"...What is it? Why are you crying?"

전정국 [27]

"What did Officer Park do!"

박지민 [29]

"Hey, Mr. Lee, what are you talking about!"

김남준 [30]

"Sergeant Kim. What's going on?"

김태형 [29]

"No, I'm sorry..."

박지민 [29]

"It's probably because the statement isn't going as planned."

박지민 [29]

"Well, there are a lot of things going on... so."

민윤기 [31]

"...Why are you crying again? Officer Park will be giving the briefing."

민윤기 [31]

"Sergeant Kim... Sergeant Kim, go out and get some fresh air."

Sergeant Kim, seemingly agreeing with Officer Min's words, rose from his seat, patted the weeping officer's shoulder, and left the office. Officer Park, who had been standing alone in the back of the office, quickly walked to the front and began his briefing on the whiteboard.

박지민 [29]

"Well... I've never done anything like a briefing before."

박지민 [29]

"First... I'll let you read the statement."

The circumstances of the statement make it somewhat understandable why Officer Kim shed such tears. Just asking a question brought back irritation and a sharp tone. The saying that people hurt the most seems more true than ever.

정호석 [30]

"I'm starting to get really suspicious of Mr. Do Beom-su."

하여주 [28]

"And, you stated last time that you didn't even touch the safe, so how do you know it's heavy?"

하여주 [28]

"How would a janitor know if there was a little money in the safe or a lot of money?"

박지민 [29]

"That's right. Your words don't make any sense..."

전정국 [27]

"Shall we point him out as the ultimate culprit?"

김석진 [32]

"Okay. Let's all go to the interrogation room."

민윤기 [31]

"Officer Jeong, radio Officer Kim and tell him to calm him down a bit and then return."

정호석 [30]

"all right."

Police Officer Ha's second case, the theft of a national secret vault, was particularly fraught with twists and turns. It's finally coming to an end. This case has allowed both Police Officer Ha and the Violent Crimes Unit 1 to grow significantly. And it seems the day Police Officer Ha discovers their secret is not far off.

[Behind _ Sergeant Kim and Sergeant Kim]

As I brought Sergeant Kim up to the rooftop and let him get some fresh air for about five minutes, his tears slowly stopped. And then, without saying a word to him, Sergeant Kim simply rested his arm on the railing and stared off into space.

As the tears stopped, Sergeant Kim slowly walked over to stand beside him. He looked at him intently and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. There was no way Sergeant Kim wouldn't notice. He immediately stopped him and put the pack back in his pocket.

When Officer Kim's lips bulged out in discontent, Officer Kim gently pulled at Officer Kim's lips, nagging him, "What are you complaining about?" and "I told you several times to quit smoking."

김남준 [30]

"Are you really upset because your testimony didn't go well?"

김태형 [29]

"...I was upset. I was already in a difficult situation because of Dahee's incident, and now I can't even get my statement out."

김태형 [29]

"I've rarely had a bad time giving a statement... I guess I just wasn't feeling well today."

김태형 [29]

"Actually, I promised myself not to cry before entering the office, but as soon as I saw my team members' faces, tears welled up..."

김남준 [30]

"It's okay. Even monkeys fall from trees."

김태형 [29]

"You know that's a really old-fashioned way of comforting yourself, right?"

김남준 [30]

"So what? It fits your situation perfectly."

김남준 [30]

".....He's coming back. He's naming the final suspect."

김태형 [29]

"...is it so?"

김남준 [30]

"Sergeant Kim."

김태형 [29]

"yes."

김남준 [30]

"Don't be afraid. You've done well, and you'll do well."

김남준 [30]

"We trust you. Even if someone else with good qualifications and experience were put in the psychological position, we wouldn't change it."

김남준 [30]

"Even if another team offered us a huge sum of money to take you, we couldn't give you up."

김남준 [30]

"That's how much we need you. Please understand. Trust yourself."

At Officer Kim's sincere words, Officer Kim held back tears and smiled brightly at him. Their trust in him grew, and they each grew in their own ways, in their own positions.

Team Strong 1 has become stronger, is becoming stronger, and will continue to become stronger. This is the secret, if not the secret, to Team Strong's longevity and consistent high rankings. They are each other's stepping stones, their sincere devotion to one another. That's all there is to it.

_ Number of characters: 6215