Experiencing Love & Lies [Jeong Jaehyun FF]

Chapter 5- The copycat killer

Jaehyun's POV:

"... when I first came to Gyeongju, I worked part-time at a library. Every day so many things happened around me... but I never felt anything. I always felt as if I was a robot.... someone who doesn't have any emotions and just does the things that others want him to do.... but then one day, I saw this girl... who sat next to the bookshelf of criminology and political science... I assumed she was studying to become a police officer... I've never felt any emotions but for the first time... I found myself looking at her from time to time until when she looked at me... I felt my heartbeat fasten" 

"Was that girl mom?" Ji-hun asked with curious eyes. I smiled at her question and gently caressed her hair which made her yawn

"Yes... that girl was your mom," I said and the corners of her lips formed into a smile

"But, dad... what is the meaning of feeling no emotions?" Asked the five years old

"It means... that dad was lonely but when mom came into dad's life, dad was not lonely anymore. Dad was happy!" 

"Yay! Dad was happy because of mom!" She said while giggling and clapping her hands

"But, Ji-hun... why did you wake up? It's past 12" 

"I woke up when I heard mom was leaving. Dad, where did mom go?" She asked

"Your mom has some urgent work so she had to leave and you know what she told me? She told me that if Ji-hun sleeps soon then we all will go for dinner on Sunday!" I said

"Really?! Then, dad, I should sleep now. Goodnight dad" She said in excitement. Giving her a goodnight kiss, I turned the lights off in her room and closed the door once I came out of the room. Letting out a sigh, I looked at the clock. It was around 12:28 am now. I walked into the bedroom and opened my wardrobe. Removing the thin slab of wood, I took out a pair of gloves, rope, and a pair of keys from the hidden space behind the wardrobe. Once I wore the gloves, I put the slab of wood where it was previously and secured it.

"I don't think she'll be returning anytime soon"

End of POV

[Meanwhile: Gyeongju Police station]

"... that account has a fake email ID and personal information. The cyber team confirmed it" Team leader Cha as all the three of us groaned under our breath. Minjun sunbae tossed the paper on his desk and leaned on his chair. It was 1 am and everyone was tired. For a moment it seemed as if we had a lead, but now... it looks like it was nothing worth it. 

"Sunbae, when I checked the blogs from this account, everything was related to Jeong Min-ho... it was as if the owner of the account was obsessed with him. I think this person killed Jang Soo-hee because her comment offended him. What if we make a list of all the hate comments on his post so that we can at least have an idea of who will be his next victim?" Jaemin suggested

"Are you crazy? He has over 15 posts about Jeong Min-ho and each of them has over 5000 comments! If we start making a list of all the hate comments, we'll be over 70 years old! And we are not sure if it is only the hate comment that offends him. Y/n said people proposed their theories in the comment section. What if he doesn't like one of the theories and kills that person?" Minjun sunbae said and he had a point

"But killing someone just like that doesn't make any sense," Team leader Cha said

"Unless you are a psychopath and you just need an excuse to kill someone no matter how vague it might be," I said and there was silence in the room when team leader Cha's phone rang. By the time he finished talking, his expression had somehow changed from a tense to a rather relaxed one. Disconnecting the call, he looked at us before saying,

"They've faxed us the autopsy report, I'll go get it" We stood up from our seats when we heard the news. Team leader Cha left the room to get the report and returned once he received the files but to our disappointment, everything was the same. The victim was stabbed 19 times, hand-tied in a double bow knot, had broken ankles, and missing right-hand index finger. 

"I think it's time we all accept the fact that Jeong Min-ho is back and he is using fake email ID and information to run a daily blog account and write about himself... none of this makes sense, ah! I'm going crazy" Minjun sunbae said in annoyance that's when something hit me

"Sunbae... 10 years ago, the Yeongam Gurim serial murder case... the detailed autopsy report wasn't revealed to the media or people was it?" I asked and they looked at me confused

"No... I don't think it was... just the information like being stabbed 19 times... hands tied in a double bow knot... broken knots and missing right-hand index finger was revealed"

"Minjun sunbae, get me the detailed autopsy report from the Yeongam Gurim serial murder case... Jaemin get me the pictures taken on site of the victim... Hurry!" I said and both of them immediately left the room

"Y/n, what are you trying to do?" Team leader Cha

"Every serial killer makes some or the other mistake," I said and read the autopsy report. Minutes later, Minjun sunbae and Jaemin returned with the files I asked for. 

"Jaemin, give me a picture of the hands of the victim, one without the knot," I said and took the Yeongam Gurim serial murder case and searched for the same picture. Once he found the picture, Jaemin handed it over to me and once I compared I found something which took the investigation in a whole new direction.

"See... do you see those marks on the wrist," I said pointing at the old photo making them nod

"These are rope marks which the victim got because her hands were tied for a long time... now look at these," I said and this time I pointed at the recent picture. Their eyes widened when they noticed that this time there weren't any rope marks on the wrist

"The double bow knot can easily give marks on your wrist but there aren't any marks which mean..." 

"The rope was tied after the death of the victim" Jaemin completed the sentence. Without wasting any more time, we compared the current autopsy report with the old detailed autopsy report which was not revealed to anyone. In the current autopsy report, it was mentioned that the ankles of the victim were broken and her right-hand index finger was cut off after her death. But in the old autopsy report, it was stated that the ankles were broken and the right-hand index finger was cut off before death. 

"If the killer was Jeong Min-ho... he could never make mistake in his pattern of killing that mean..." I completed team leader Cha's sentence by saying,

"The killer isn't Jeong Min-ho... it is someone who is copying his murders"