The Unexpected (Namkook)

Part 22

The scent of a room-freshener with a head hurting smell of phenyl hit their nostrils as soon as their shoe covered feet touched the floor of Lee residence. It was strange to find the fresh smell while the entire property was supposed to be under police control.

"What's that smell?"
"Jasmine room freshener. It's on my wife's monthly grocery list."

They were on the same page of astonishment to see a cleaned and fragrant crime scene for the first time. Jungkook argued with Sung-ho on his first day in this house to find the living room cleaned but that was just a mere sweep of water with the blood stains still intact on the couch. On the other hand, today it looks like a thorough cleaning has been performed over the entire house.

"I think we should check the living room again." Sung-ho suggested.
"We will but we also need to check the other rooms this time. The day when I barged in, it was too dark with just a torch light as switching on the light might have come in the electricity consumption monitor."
"You check the bedrooms, I will go to the study and kitchen."

After splitting the search locations, they proceeded accordingly. The cleanly folded bed sheets and fluffy pillows suggested how well maintained the room was compared to a normal crime zone. Flipping off the sheets and mattress was useless as nothing could be found. The wardrobe and closet contained clothes with no sign of suspicion.

The cosmetics and accessories seemed untouched but unboxed. He picked one cream jar and clicked open the lid. To his shock, the content of the bottle was filled up to the brim indicating it as a brand new one. He checked several other bottles and jars to find the same. Not a second round of revision was needed to conclude this room was renovated right before he and Sung-ho walked in.

He ran to the attached bathroom that looked as clean as newly decorated. The soaps, shampoo, other toiletries seemed new and unused. He was about to twist the knob of a small cabinet beside the vanity counter, but got stopped.

"No!"

Someone held his hand tightly to distance away from the knob, startling the younger. A hyperventilating Sung-ho sat on the bathtub edge placing a hand on his chest.

"Sung-ho shi, what happened?" Jungkook asked looking for answer.
"Don't touch it, Jeon." His panting continued.
"What's wrong?" Jungkook went to his side to pat on his back for bringing his normal breathing back.

"It's a trap."
"A trap! For us?"

Sung-ho nodded and closed his eyes.
"Why do you say that, Sung-ho shi?"
"In Kun-woo's study, there's an attached bath with the exact same cabinet drilled on the wall." He said pointing at the cabinet of the bathroom they were in.
"Anything unusual? Here everything looks decorated and new." Jungkook expressed his concern.

"Yes but except those two cabinets. I checked few other washrooms but couldn't find similar ones except this one where you seemed to be making same mistake as I did." Sung-ho stood up catching the normal pace of his breath and walked to the wall where the small cabinet was.

"This is a very old model from the brand. I just googled it. There is a particular lock system which cannot be opened without knowing the passcode which is a manual one and not digital. Look at the door carefully."

Jungkook did the same and found a small tab where numbers were carved out on the iron door. He was about to touch it with his fingers when the other shouted at him again.
"I told you not to touch it!"
"But why?"
"Because there's high voltage of electricity passed through it!"

Jungkook gasped at the new information he received earning a sarcastic chuckle from the other.
"What are you saying?"
"The pair of black gloves I brought with me were somewhat defective and there was a strip of it attached at the top of fingers but I wore them anyway before touch the study items. When I went to the bathroom and tried to open the cabinet, the tip of the gloves touched first before  my fingers did and it immediately got burnt."

He raised his right hand to show the reddened tips of his fingers which were actually not injured but showed signs of having been contacted with something really hot.
"There is something in those cabinets that we are not supposed to see, Jeon and this has been done by the same person who cleaned out everything before we walked in."

"If we cannot open the lock, then what is the meaning of passing electric shock?"
"Because that person couldn't open these cabinets either. That's why they don't want us to be near these. We need to hire a skilled locksmith but for that we need inspector's approval. We will arrange it as soon as we get back. It's 12 already, let's go."

********

Reaching the bureau, they got out of the vehicle while Jungkook's eyes fell on two familiar figures at a distance.
"Is that- oh my god!" Sung-ho's exclamation reinforced his fear and he ran towards the men leaving the bureau.

"Namjoon!"

"Don't you dare to come near my son!" Do-guk's  glaring eyes and hands around an exhausted, weak body of Namjoon removed every ounce of willpower to live in him.

Looking carefully, he found a prominent cut on the corner of Namjoon's lips with blood oozing out of it. Impressions of fingers on his cheeks hinted tight slaps that those soft cheeks might have encountered. Do-guk's blazer was wrapped around his body and Namjoon's head rested on his father's chest. Receiving no response from Namjoon, Jungkook was assured of him being almost passed out that broke his heart into millions of pieces that can never be glued back.

"What has happened to him?" Sung-ho rushed to the scene standing beside Jungkook.
"Ask your boss and you" the raging father pointed at Jungkook saying, "I don't know what connection you have with my son but stay away from him."

"I can't stay away from him!"
"Then I need to get a restraining order."

Spatting those hateful words, Do-guk gently put his son in the backseat of his car and went to the driver's seat, driving off in the blink of an eye. A shocked, scared, worried Jungkook stood, almost petrified with Sung-ho placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's Won Bin behind all these, Jeon. We have loads to do!"