In My Arms (Hometown Cha Cha Cha fanfiction)

Chapter 41: Zoom In

Du Sik's POV

"Knock, knock." I say as I enter the police station. Recently, the police station has been one of my frequent stops as I come over to help Eun chul with the investigation.

"Chief Hong, at this rate, I think you could get a license to be a police officer." Eun chul says. I laugh and look at the folders on his table.

"Chief Hong, come take a look at this. I found something weird." Eun chul says.

"Weird?" I ask.

Eun chul pulls up what looks like old files.

"Do you recognise this guy?" Eun chul asks me.

"Oh! Him!" I gasp, irritated at the sight of him. "He's the pervert right? The one who tried to harm Ms Cho hee and Hye Jin right?" I say with a sour taste in my mouth.

"Look at this." Eun chul says as he zooms into the side of the pervert's cap. There's a faint outline that can barely be made out on the side of his cap.

Eun chul holds up the cap we found at the crime scene and holds it against the image displayed on the screen.

"They look a bit similar don't they?" He asks me as I squint at the two.

"You're right..." I gasp. "But how? He's locked up in prison." I say, feeling a cold chill run down my spine. I have the sudden urge to race back to Hye Jin's clinic and make sure that she's alright.

"Exactly. That's what I was thinking. I even checked, he's still locked up in jail." Eun chul rubs his temples painfully. "But I have the gut feeling that it's not a coincidence that they have matching caps." Eun chul sighs.

"Ah!" I suddenly say.

"What?" Eun chul turns to look at me.

"Remember what we said about how you need to register your name if you buy more than twenty liters of kerosene?" I ask Eun chul.

"Uh huh?" Eun chul says.

"I'll go ask. I'll find the names. We should at least start from there." I say.

"But Chief Hong, there are a dozen petrol kiosks in the vicinity!" Eun chul says as I start to head out.

"Then I better get started! See you!" I wave goodbye before dashing off.

~

"Wah, it sure is hot today." I sigh as I reach the fifteenth petrol kiosk. The collar of my shirt is plastered to the back of my neck with sweat. The notebook in my bag has ten names recorded down. I sigh, it'll be hard to narrow it down from ten and more people. I guess many people in Gongjin need huge amounts of kerosene after all...

"Hello." I greet as I enter the petrol kiosk and go to the counter.

The sound of a loud drill resonates through the kiosk and I cover my ears.

"Hello! I'm so sorry, we're in the midst of a repair! How may I help you?" The owner asks me in a loud voice, trying to exceed the piercing sound of the drill.

"Ah yes!" I reply in the same loud tone. "I was wondering whether you had a customer who bought kerosene recently and wore a black cap with this symbol on it." I say, holding up the photo to the owner. The owner squints at it.

"Mm!" He said loudly. The two of us grimace at the deafening sound of the drill. "I believe so! But!" The drill grows louder. "But I don't know for sure!"

"Do you have the records with the names of the people who bought kerosene?" I say loudly, barely able to hear myself over the sound of the drill.

"I do! But they're in storage now and I need to wait for the renovation to be over before I can get them!" The owner says in a loud, but polite voice.

"I see!" My head is throbbing in pain from the sound of the drill. "Can I give you my number and could you contact me when you find the records?" I ask him.

"Sure!" The owner says. I thank him and quickly make my way out before my ears explode.