The Ultimate Inspector, Kang Ji-hyeok - Chapter 33



Only Krnovel

Episode 33

【 Grandma Kim Kkot-bun’s Murder Case 】

[A motiveless criminal? Is Prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok a collaborator? Forcibly indicting his granddaughter]

Reporter Park Chan-jin tried to turn public opinion against me.

But that didn’t happen.

[Bold prosecution for justice! As expected, the young prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok!]

There was also an article that said the police had focused the investigation incorrectly from the beginning due to their bias against high school girls.

Slurp.

I poured myself a glass of soju late at night.

“What is that article?”

“My friend is that reporter.”

A quiet food stall in front of the courthouse.

I quietly poured soju with Detective Kim Hye-jin.

“Thanks to you, I was able to understand the incident report and the evidence.”

“Well done. As a detective, you have to dig deep into your case. Especially a murder case.”

“You speak like a senior detective.”

Officer Kim Hye-jin poured out her soju as if she was speechless.

“Hey, Prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok.”

“yes?”

“I’m a year older than you?”

Wait a minute, Officer Kim Hye-jin, who is one year older than me······.

Could it be that the person who declared her conscience is Kim Hye-jin?

Why did you completely forget about that incident?

“With a one year age difference, we’re friends in society, so let’s talk comfortably.”

“Friends in society?”

“Because I’m ‘fast.’”

“Oh, really? You’re ‘quick’.”

Slurp.

She poured soju into my glass.

“If you drink this, you’ll be friends. Call.”

I emptied the glass in one go.

Detective Kim Hye-jin.

In the future I knew, she had exposed corruption within the police force to the world.

“There was an attempt to pressure me to cover up this hit-and-run incident.”

She released all the evidence files recorded on her cell phone.

The world was shocked and in chaos.

But soon she was given the nickname ‘the female detective who likes luxury goods more than investigations.’

Numerous reporters focused solely on how much the phones, designer bags, clothes, shoes and accessories she carried cost.

[Is there something more important to a fashionista female detective than criminal investigation?]

Eventually, an article followed saying that she couldn’t afford such luxury goods on her detective salary.

[Shocking confession from a divorced husband! The reason for the divorce after only one year of marriage is her extravagance and problems with men]

Her estranged husband’s testimony left her in a state of shock.

The incident was covered up by countless finger-pointing.

It was later revealed that her husband was a drug addict and that they divorced because of that······.

Nobody cared about that fact.

Because she had already been buried in this world.

“Kim Hye-jin, that is. She’s a year older than us, but she’s a good person. Of course, her husband is a piece of shit, so she did indulge herself a bit after getting married······.”

“Really? Are you a good detective?”

“The case I was assigned this time was a bit problematic.”

“I heard that a reporter who was trying to cover his wife’s illegal drunk driving hit-and-run case made a big deal out of it?”

“That’s right. That’s what they said.”

“But does a reporter have that much power?”

“I see. I can understand if he’s a member of the National Assembly······. But a mere reporter?”

I heard it from a former colleague who worked with her at a drinking party.

There was a reporter who lived with a wife seven years his senior, and the wife hit and killed the father of a chicken deliveryman on his motorcycle while driving drunk.

At the time, the CCTV footage wasn’t that good, but since it was a street with some pretty nice apartments in Gangnam, the incident was definitely captured.

Although the evidence was so clear, the motorcyclist was eventually found to have been drunk as well.

He said that he was usually in a state of confusion due to working all night.

There was even an article leaked saying that he was secretly addicted to a new type of drug to relieve his fatigue.

Even at that time, I thought that no matter how well-supported the reporter was, something like that would never be possible.

No matter how much of a rag he is, I thought that reporters would still have a journalistic spirit about facts.

While all the arrows were pointed at Kim Hye-jin, the hit-and-run incident was covered up.

“Now I understand. How that hit-and-run case was solved so systematically.”

I took another sip of soju.

“What did you just say?”

“No, Sergeant Kim.”

“It’s bland······.”

“It’s not bland. Absolutely not.”

Sergeant Kim Hye-jin spoke while spinning an empty soju glass.

“I know. Honestly, I’m impressed. All the prosecutors I’ve met so far are just idiots. Compared to you.”

Sigh.

I smiled.

It was a thrilling feeling.

“Inspector. Do you know why Park Chung-hee died?”

“That’s dictatorship······.”

“No. The glass next to you was empty, but you didn’t pour any more alcohol, so he died, Inma.”

“When did this become a joke?”

“Pour me a drink quickly. If you don’t want to die, Kang Ji-hyeok.”

“Okay. Let’s finish this and go in.”

“okay!”

Slurp.

We drank the last glass together.

She smiled with her cheeks flushed from the drink and put her arm around his shoulder.

“Kang Ji-hyeok. Let’s be friends.”

“It was a promise.”

“Ah, yeah! I made a friend who is a prosecutor.”

“You said you were getting married soon?”

“Huh? How did you know? You’re getting married in three months?”

I looked at her.

This time, as I was digging into reporter Park Chan-jin, I found out that his wife was seven years older than him and was a successful madam at a Gangnam room salon.

An incident will occur within a year after Detective Kim Hye-jin gets married.

sorry.

I plan on using you.

It was an unexpected stroke of luck, but······.

I’m sorry to you.

Instead, I’ll promise you one thing.

I will save you the humiliation you will experience.

Let’s do that, buddy.

“Congratulations on your wedding, my friend.”

“Thank you, Inspector Kang!”

* * *

I spent the whole night drawing out the whole story of the incident.

Boom!

He hit the whiteboard with his fist.

A board full of evidence in the Kim Kkot-bun murder case has fallen over.

“So that’s the story.”

Thud.

A lot of data was scattered.

I don’t need it anymore.

Everything was drawn in my head.

“It was a worse crime than I thought. I’ll send you to hell. Park Ji-yeon!”

* * *

Judicial processing room.

Before the trial, the judge and prosecutor greet each other in advance.

This is especially true when the issue is of interest to society.

The judge approached me in a polite manner.

“Prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok, what are your thoughts before the trial begins?”

The judge asked with a curious look.

He looked at the judge with a calm expression for a moment, then smiled and said.

“We seek to secure fairness through prompt and clear fact-finding and evidence for fair law and justice.”

The judge smiles and nods, seeming satisfied with the answer.

“Your will and passion will be a great help to the trial. Let’s work together to increase the fairness of this trial. Prosecutor Kang.”

The judge and prosecutor recognized each other’s roles and began preparing to join forces in this trial.

“I hope that together we can remove the black veil of justice and reveal the truth.”

Light seemed to flow from his rimless glasses.

He spoke to me with a serious face.

“I hope this is not an unreasonable indictment. Prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok.”

* * *

“Quiet down. The judge is coming in.”

I solved the problem by presenting the materials I had prepared.

“rising.”

The audience was packed because this case received a lot of attention, unlike other cases.

“This case is receiving a lot of public attention.”

The judge wiped his rimless glasses.

Judge Kim Jeong-dae, famous for his old-fashioned and calm style.

He looked at me and said.

“I hope you keep the promise you made to me earlier.”

“Understood, Your Honor.”

The judge turned his head and looked at Park Ji-yeon.

“Do you promise that the lawyer will only defend me without telling lies?”

“Of course. If Prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok doesn’t harass a young female student, I will tell the truth.”

It was that guy.

Attorney at Kim & Joe Law Firm.

It was Kim Ji-ho.

Didn’t you get powdered at the trial of Private Park Chung-deuk?

“I’m worried because he’s a guy who’s good at putting on a show even during his days as a military prosecutor.”

I smiled at him.

“At that time, the suspect you were in charge of gave many false testimonies, but this time it won’t be like that, right, Attorney Kim?”

“What? False testimony?”

“Please promise me this on the honor of Kim & Joe Law Firm. Please.”

He didn’t answer.

“Stop! Stop it. I will see to it that the trial is fair. Then, let the trial begin now.”

The trial for the Park Ji-yeon case has begun.

* * *

A heated debate followed.

Attorney Kim Ji-ho’s side claimed that Park Ji-yeon is currently in a state of mental weakness due to the fear of being kidnapped that day.

“What if you make Park Ji-yeon the devil’s granddaughter who murdered her grandmother just based on circumstantial evidence, Prosecutor?”

“Your Honor, Ms. Park Ji-yeon is clearly a suspect. If I call her a student, it may create the wrong stereotype, so please let me call her ‘Ms.’”

Nod.

The judge spoke quietly, fingering his rimless glasses.

“Let’s do that. Attorney Kim, from now on, please call the suspect Park Ji-yeon.”

“Understood, Your Honor.”

Since we’ve won the first fight here, let’s bring in the evidence.

“Your Honor, please look at this evidence.”

He showed me pictures of the meat and cat carcasses that were in the refrigerator.

“What is that? Did you stab the beef with a knife?”

“You just stabbed the cat here and there with a knife. It was brutal.”

Bang! Bang!

The judge banged his gavel on the noisy audience.

“Be quiet! If you make any more noise, you will all be ejected.”

The audience became quiet.

The judge said with a sharp gaze.

“Inspector. Tell me about this piece of evidence. What is it?”

I go forward,

“A few days before this incident, two cats were killed near the suspect’s house. The cats were stabbed to death with a knife.”

Beep.

I enlarged the photo of the cat.

“Based on the size and shape of this knife, it appears to be the same knife that killed the victim, Mrs. Kim Kkot-bun. It is a small, fruit-like knife.”

The judge nodded.

It was an interesting face.

“Also, this beef was wrapped in black plastic and was in the freezer inside the house where the murder occurred.”

Beep.

I zoomed in again.

“The stab wound here appears to be the same size as the wound on the cat’s body and that of Grandma Kim Kkot-bun.”

The judge looked at the defense team, fiddling with his glasses.

“Yes. Suspect Park Ji-yeon bought beef and practiced stabbing it with a knife, and she actually killed a cat, conducting experiments on a living being.”

I looked at Park Ji-yeon and said.

“She testified through a witness interview, and the transcript was submitted as evidence.”

The lawyer and judge read the transcript.

The judge took the microphone and asked.

“The defense team, please defend yourself.”

Attorney Kim stood up.

“I see, it’s like this. Prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok.”

He looked at the judge with a dumbfounded expression and said.

“You could stab a piece of beef with a knife, right? You’re not stabbing it with the intention of killing anyone, you’re just saying.”

He looked around at the audience and said:

“If you’re a housewife, you know. You can check the condition of beef by poking it. A cat? Do you have any evidence of who did it?”

I stayed still.

Attorney Kim looked at me, shook his head and said.

“Prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok is like this. He links unrelated cases. He even linked our student Park Ji-yeon… no, he even linked the testimony that Park Ji-yeon gave while she was mentally weak.”

He came up to me and asked.

“The root of it all? Has the weapon used in the crime you mentioned been found?”

Groan, groan.

The audience looked at each other and talked quietly.

The judge also looked at me and asked me that.

“There’s no weapon in the evidence······. Haven’t you found it yet, inspector?”

I scratched my head with a difficult expression on my face.

He turned his head and looked at Officer Kim Hye-jin and said.

“The police searched diligently, but they couldn’t find her. They searched and seized the karaoke room under investigation as the kidnapping site, but she wasn’t there either.”

Attorney Kim smiled at those words.

“Look at that. How can you say this little girl is the culprit when you can’t even find the most important piece of evidence?”

I walked slowly to the center and spoke seriously.

“The criminal stabbed Mrs. Kim Kkot-bun, who was sleeping with back pain, from her shoulder to her head with what was presumed to be a deadly weapon, killing her. He then took the weapon out and washed it in the hot bathtub water he had prepared in advance.”

He showed a picture of bathtub water that had turned red.

“He went into her room with the weapon to threaten and kidnap her granddaughter.”

Beep.

Show a picture of your granddaughter’s room.

“This is my granddaughter’s room. According to Park Ji-yeon’s testimony, she was sleeping here when the incident occurred.”

Beep.

A picture of a teddy bear appeared on the screen showing the evidence photos.

“It’s a teddy bear that was hidden under the bookshelf in her room. I barely found it.”

The judge said, squinting his eyes.

“Why the teddy bear all of a sudden, inspector?”