Now With U (Living In The Past - Book 2) (WheeByul)

BONUS CHAPTER - THE MURDER IN JEJU ISLAND 2

The small room is quiet save for the occasional sounds of typing, computer mouse clicking or papers being shuffled.

Three women are seated at the table amidst a pile of papers and a laptop the local force has lent them. They've been given a tiny windowless room at the corner of the police station where they could work, catching up on the investigation.

Bo Mi is still at the medical examiner's office but she has relayed and confirmed what's been found so far.

Contrary to what the police had suspected when they found the victim, the cause of death is blunt force trauma to the head, not stabbing.

It's a brutal murder with the man being beaten and stabbed multiple times. But it was the blow to the head that killed him. The murderer stabbed his torso afterwards, probably to make sure he was dead.

The man was found wearing a hotel bathrobe and there was no sign of forced entry on the room door which leads them to believe that he knew his attacker. The occupants of the rooms adjacent to his didn't hear any screaming or loud noises so he was probably caught off guard by the attacker and died before he could fight back or shout for help.

There were blood spatters everywhere, consistent with the multiple beatings and stabbings but the most interesting and important fact, said Bo Mi, was what the medical examiner found after examining the skull.

She told them that the wound had ragged and star-shaped edges which was usually found in exit wounds caused by bullets or close contact wounds. Since there's no indication that the victim had been shot, the M.E was able to conclude that it was a close contact wound and, by sheer luck, it looked extremely similar to one Bo Mi had seen before. That previous wound was caused by a hammer so the woman was quite certain that a hammer had caused this wound too.

Because of this, the local police are now back at the hotel, checking the staff and their tools, and going through security camera recordings.

WheeIn is using the laptop to find more information about both the victim and the suspect by looking into social media posts made by them and other conference participants while Solar and Byul are going through paper records including witness interview notes and the suspect's surveillance result from internal affairs.

Lieutenant Kang has given out the order to pull the victim's phone and financial records. He has also sent his men out on a manhunt, searching the island for the suspect who hasn't been seen since he was questioned by the police at the hotel as just another conference participant.

Byul, Solar and WheeIn look up when they hear the door opening. In walk Bo Mi and the Lieutenant who's looking grim.

"Any updates?" asks Solar.

"Our men have found every hammer and knife in the hotel but none of them shows any traces of blood. So we're waiting on the trash inspection now. I hope one of those huge dumpsters has a bloody hammer or knife in it," says the Lieutenant.

"What about the security camera recordings?" asks Byul. "Found anything suspicious? A man carrying a hammer up to his floor maybe? Or a man covered in blood going down the elevator?"

Lieutenant Kang shakes his head. "We saw several people going to and leaving that floor but none of them was covered in blood or carrying a hammer. Too bad the security camera on his floor broke days ago. The murderer got lucky."

"Or it could be premeditated, timed perfectly with the broken camera," Bo Mi says. "Or maybe a robbery gone bad? His watch and credit card are missing, right?"

"I find that less likely," WheeIn replies. "Judging from the amount of beating and stabbing, it was literally an overkill. No robber would bother wasting extra time and effort to beat and stab someone who's already dead. Their main goal would be to get in, get the goods and get out. I think this one is an unplanned crime of passion. It's someone the victim knew who had something to settle with him, who hated him probably," she says. "It's statistically proven too. Premeditated murders are usually more methodical and much less messy. The missing watch and credit card could just be an attempt to mislead us. He was wearing a gold ring and he had cash in his wallet. Why not take those too if the motive was indeed robbery?"

Byul looks at her wife and suppresses a smile. Although she already knows that statistical fact, being on the job for so long, she still feels proud every time WheeIn steps up and shows her intelligent side.

"I agree with Miss Jung," says the Lieutenant. "Which is why I'm going to get back out there and find our suspect or anyone else who knows the victim. I'll update you later. In the meantime, I'm also going to order lunch. What do you want to eat?" he asks, being a good host.

Once lunch has been ordered, the Lieutenant leaves the room and the four ladies get back to work.

Bo Mi updates them on something she noticed that's being checked by the medical examiner.

"There are weird blood drops on the victim's exposed legs," she tells her colleagues. "They are inconsistent with blood spatter or cast off from the beatings and stabbings."

"Inconsistent how?" asks the captain.

"They're perfectly round."

"What? How is that possible?" WheeIn asks, eyes wide in disbelief.

"I'm not sure how they got there but they're definitely gravitational blood drops, not spray, scatter or cast off," explains Bo Mi. "The M.E is taking a closer look at it. I'll go back and help him after lunch." She then takes out her own laptop and quietly go over the old case file-the one with a similar murder wound and weapon.

A few minutes pass quietly until their food comes and they eat while casually discussing the conference and other things unrelated to the case.

Bo Mi's phone beeps and the woman checks the message, nodding to herself. "My hunch was right. The gravitational blood drops are not the victim's," she tells them.

"So they're the suspect's?" asks Byul.

"Not sure. The M.E's running a DNA profile check for future comparison to our main suspect's DNA. He has notified Lieutenant Kang. I think he or that Seo Jang-hoon will come looking for you soon, Unnie," Bo Mi tells Solar who nods and quickly finishes eating.

"I'll make the call," the captain says, standing up from her seat to leave the room with her phone. Being the one in charge of the case, she would have to call the Seoul agency to ask whether they have a DNA sample of the suspect in file. After all, he is one of theirs. They always keep fingerprints but not every police officer has submitted their DNA profile, especially the older ones.

"How did he get his blood on the victim like that?" WheeIn asks the room, looking at her wife then at Bo Mi.

"It's gravitational so it has to drop onto the victim," says Bo Mi.

"So... he's standing over the victim..." Byul gathers her chopsticks and holds them as if she's holding a knife in a stabbing position. Then she stands up with the makeshift weapon in front of her, swinging it down towards her bowl in a stabbing motion. "And stabs him. He stabbed the victim's chest so even if he cut himself, how did his blood get onto the victim's legs?"

"Unless it got there after he stabbed him," suggests WheeIn.

"Huh?" Byul turns her head and sees her wife getting up to her feet.

"If your bowl is the victim's chest then his legs would probably be around... here, right?" WheeIn takes a step away from the table, standing not far behind Byul. "We all know that he probably cut himself during the stabbing so in order for the blood from his cut to get onto the victim's legs, he had to move away from the chest and stand at the feet."

"In other words, he was admiring his work or something?" exclaims Bo Mi who then scrunches up her face in disgust. "That's sick."

"Either admiring or regretting, panicking," says Byul. "It could probably just hit him that he had killed a man. This is most likely a crime of passion, remember? It wasn't planned."

"Whatever happened, we need to find out whose blood drops they are first," WheeIn states, going back to her seat to continue eating. "And if they are the killer's then we know that our suspect should have cuts on his palms."

Right on cue, Solar returns to the room and shakes her head when she sees the team's questioning looks. "They don't have his DNA on file but I've talked to Lieutenant Kang. They have bagged his personal belongings from his hotel room when internal affairs told them about their ongoing investigation and his connection to the murder," she tells them, referring to their main suspect.

"I guess we should know the result soon then," Bo Mi says.

"We should. The Commissioner has put a high priority rush on all tests related to this case." Solar then sits down to finish her meal.

Afterwards, they go back to work, creating a timeline of activities that both the suspect and victim had done while on the island based on social media posts and also a list of people they should talk to.

On that list are the bartender at a bar near the hotel and several conference participants who have uploaded photos that accidentally featured either the victim or the suspect during the past few days.

Byul has also found something unusual on the suspect's financial records. They look normal.

"Shouldn't he be getting some extra income if he's getting money from local dealers?" she asks her team after telling her about her findings, or lack thereof. "Yet there is nothing here. He gets his salary and spends them within limits. There has been no suspicious income for the past couple of months. Are they sure they're investigating the right guy? He doesn't look like a dirty cop, financially speaking."

"Or maybe he's hiding it," argues Solar. "He used to have sporadic and unexplainable side income." She shows Byul the papers she was reviewing. "And splurged on luxury things his cop salary wouldn't have been able to afford. That's what started the IA investigations. He probably got wind of it and changed his pattern."

"Maybe, because there's been none of those in his recent financial statements," says the inspector. "He either hides it better like you said or he's been taking a break."

"If he's innocent, he wouldn't have run," adds WheeIn. "He's definitely involved somehow."

"Anyway, let's go back to the hotel and talk to these potential witnesses," Byul says, getting up to her feet. "Then let's backtrack his steps on the day of the murder. Hopefully we'll find something."

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"I do not understand this," WheeIn says as she looks out at the view of the ocean. "Why would an undercover internal affairs agent visit this place while on the job? Why would he visit a scenic restaurant filled with tourists while he was supposed to arrange a meeting with local drug dealers?"

Byul walks up to her wife and stands next to her. "Maybe he needed a quick break and wanted to enjoy the island. He's only human and working undercover is tough," she says as she pockets her small notebook, having talked to the restaurant owner across the street. Stealthily, she puts an arm around her wife's waist and pulls her close, placing a quick peck on her cheek. "Love you. I can't wait for my quick break with my gorgeous wife."

WheeIn turns her head, smiling at the jet black-haired inspector before leaning in to press her lips against hers. "Neither can I. We're on the job by the way," she whispers. "So that'll be the last kiss you'll get from me today until we're back at our hotel room."

"Okay." Byul withdraws her arm and leads the way back to their rented car.

The four of them have split up. Solar's at the hotel talking to potential witnesses, Bo Mi's gone back to assist the M.E and Byul and WheeIn are retracing the victim's steps on the day of the murder.

Receipts found in his wallet and pants pocket showed that he had visited several spots on the island that day before returning to the hotel after a late dinner, only to die hours later.

Byul and WheeIn are now at the restaurant he visited for lunch. They asked around and the owner remembered seeing him because he was the only customer eating alone that day. He felt bad for him so he accompanied him, talking to him while he ate.

"He seemed like a nice guy," he told Byul. "When I asked why he was here alone, he said he was taking a break from a business trip. That was all he told me. We spent the rest of that one-hour meal talking about the island and general things like the environment and tourism."

WheeIn had walked around the restaurant, observing people who looked like regular customers and asking them whether they were there yesterday and saw the victim.

Then she waited for Byul by the side of the road while admiring the view.

"Did you find out anything?" asks Byul.

"Only one of them, a woman who was here with her friends, remembered seeing the man eating alone. There was nothing suspicious about him but she mentioned how weird it was that the man came in a car only to leave on foot," says WheeIn.

"The owner didn't mention anything about a car," Byul says, frowning. "Did she say what kind of car?"

"A white sedan. She saw him getting out of it a distance away and she thought it was waiting for him because it didn't leave but he went the other way on foot after eating."

"So the car's still there?"

"No. We would've driven past it otherwise."

"That's... strange."

As they drive away, Byul mentions how far the restaurant is from their next destination which happens to be another restaurant.

"I don't think he would be able to walk that far. What do you think?" she asks her wife who nods.

"He probably hailed a cab somewhere," says WheeIn. "But the thing that confuses me more is why go to another restaurant directly after eating lunch?"

"Let's hope the owner there can give us more info."

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Solar has just finished talking to Jang-hoon and Lieutenant Kang when Byul and WheeIn return. It's already late and they're all hungry and tired so they order dinner and sit down to eat at the station's break room while comparing findings and notes. Bo Mi soon joins them, bringing the M.E's findings and lab reports with her.

She tells them that the M.E is working overtime, pushing to compare the DNA from the blood drops to those found in the suspect's hotel room. Hopefully, they'll have the result by the next day.

Byul has told the Lieutenant about the white sedan and the police have been going around the island, asking every car rental company whether they had seen the victim and rented a car to him.

There is no result yet and since it's past business hours, they would have to call or visit the rest of the car rentals tomorrow.

Solar tells everyone about her talk with witnesses and the bartender at the nearby bar. Some of them recalled seeing the victim together with the main suspect but there's another interesting fact.

"There was someone else there with them and at one point during the night, a fight broke out."

"A fight? A bar fight?" asks Byul. "Were there cuts on the victim?" she looks at Bo Mi who shakes her head.

"It wasn't a physical fight," explains Solar. "It was more of a shouting match between the victim and someone else."

"Who?"

"Not sure. That man walked into the bar and apparently went straight to where our victim was sitting and started yelling at him."

"No fist fight though?"

"No. Our main suspect quickly stepped in, ushered the angry man out of the bar and that was the end of it."

"Can anyone describe that angry man? We can get a sketch artist," says Jang-hoon.

"Got something even better," Solar replies. "The owner has just installed CCTV in his bar days ago so he's been recording everything since he's still so excited about his new security system. I've given the recording of the night in question to the forensic team. They will enhance the image and try to get a good view of the angry man's face."

"Good. I'm glad to see progress," says Jang-hoon. "How about the trash hunt?"

"We found no bloody hammer or knife but we got a bloody towel," answers the Lieutenant. "Our lab matched the blood to the victim's blood. The killer probably used it to wipe the murder weapons. We also found something else. The victim's credit card and watch. They're checking them for prints and other clues."

"Really? The killer threw them away while still at the hotel?" asks WheeIn. "He didn't even bother taking them with him?"

"Apparently not. Which strengthens our theory that this isn't a robbery gone wrong. The killer took those things to cover his true crime but he made too many mistakes," answers the Lieutenant.

"Exactly. He made too many mistakes. This doesn't look like the work of a pro," says Solar. "However, we should not exclude anyone. Not even our main suspect even though it looks like he shouldn't be making these mistakes. He could be doing it to throw us off his tracks."

"I agree," Jang-hoon says. "I hope we can find him soon," he adds, turning towards the Lieutenant who assures him that he has alerted the authorities guarding every exit point out of the island and that his men are still out looking for their suspect.

"What about that second restaurant he visited right after lunch?" Jang-hoon then asks Byul and WheeIn.

"He didn't go there to eat, apparently. He ordered a drink and some food but he didn't touch it, said the owner. It was for the person he was with," says the inspector.

"What? He was with someone?"

"Yes. He was meeting someone there. The owner said that it was one of the local thugs. She recognized him because he used to go around the neighborhood threatening people for money until a couple of years ago when he disappeared. She thought that he went to prison but she saw him again yesterday, looking classier than before," explains Byul. "We think that this was the drug deal he was setting up for your suspect."

Jang-hoon nods. "The timeline fits. He contacted me around dinner time. The meeting was a go, he said. Too bad he didn't have the chance to tell me the details."

They're quietly finishing their dinner when WheeIn suddenly remarks something about the white car she heard from one of the witnesses earlier today.

"I know we're still checking car rentals but no one said he was driving that car, right? Maybe he was using a chauffer service?" she says.

"Then why didn't he use the same car to head to his next destination?" asks the Lieutenant.

"To cover his tracks maybe? The lunch was a personal thing. The second restaurant was a business visit. Maybe he preferred not having anyone know where he was going or whom he was meeting."

"There are fewer chauffer services on the island than car rentals," the Lieutenant says, putting down his chopsticks. "It's worth looking into." He takes out his phone to make a call to his men. "Starting from the one at the hotel."

"But there was no record of him making any payment for a chauffer service," argues Jang-hoon. "Especially to the hotel's."

"He could've paid in cash," says Lieutenant Kang. "Either way it's a hunch worth checking. I'll also ask for them to recheck the hotel security camera recordings. Maybe it had him leaving the hotel in that white sedan."

Soon their late dinner ends and Byul drives the four of them back to the hotel.

"What a long day," WheeIn says with a sigh as she plops down on the bed the second she sees it.

"But a fruitful one. We've gathered so much more information on our victim. Too bad we still can't find our suspect." Byul goes to get a change of clothes, eager to shower and rest.

WheeIn is almost asleep when the jet black-haired girl steps out of the bathroom twenty minutes later. The TV is on but she's not really watching it.

"Go shower," Byul tells WheeIn while drying her hair. Once she's done, she approaches the bed, climbs on it and crawls towards her wife. "Hey, don't be lazy." She leans down to kiss her and chuckles when the woman grabs her and pulls her down on top of her, not letting go of her lips. "I'm not going to do anything to you until you've washed up," she tells her although she gladly returns every kiss.

"Oh so you're going to do something to me?" asks WheeIn, smirking while pushing Byul back.

"Of course but not until you've washed up."

"Fine. You better still be awake when I'm done." WheeIn lazily scoots off the bed and returns minutes later wearing only a towel wrapped around her body. She goes to stand in front of the TV, obscuring Byul's view.

"What are you doing?" asks the jet black-haired girl.

The woman smirks and unwraps the towel in one swift pull. It drops to the floor at the same time as Byul's jaw.

"Oh my..." mumbles the stunned Inspector while watching her naked wife crawl towards her, moving slowly and seductively. She swallows and lies still until WheeIn's hovering over her. "Is this a preview of what's going to happen on our postponed getaway?" she asks.

"Uh huh. I know we still need to work tomorrow so I'll practice some self-restraint," WheeIn says. "But you were so sweet today at that restaurant, I want to reward you for it."

"Aw... I was just being sincere though." Byul slowly runs her hands over WheeIn's arms. "And I thought I was the one who's supposed to do things to you."

"We can do things to each other."

"Now that's a wonderful idea."

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These two... I need to do my prayers anytime soon....

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