Just Like Bonnie & Clyde II

24

After a prolonged silence and gaze, Garp put down his chopsticks.

"Why did you suddenly ask about this?"

Lisa kept her composure and said, "After all, it's an unresolved case; I still want to solve it."

Garp  snorted coldly and filled his cup again: "It's not an unresolved case; the court has already sentenced and closed the case."

"But the crime suspect died in the detention center, didn't he?" Lisa countered, "Therefore, this case can't be considered concluded."

"What else do you want? To dig up the dead from beneath the ground and confront them face-to-face?" Garp's grip on his wine glass tightened, causing ripples to form on the surface.

"You want merit, but this isn't the way to seek quick success and instant benefits."

Lisa opened her mouth to speak but was abruptly silenced by a sharp look from Garp.

"Or is it that, for the sake of Dr. Kim, you're willing to cast aside even the laws and rules of the land? I've turned a blind eye to the mess you've made in Arthdal; not pursuing it doesn't mean I will tolerate you acting recklessly without any boundaries."

As the head of the Provincial Public Security Department, he naturally had his own sources of information and eyes everywhere; Lisa had never intended to keep him in the dark.

"This matter has nothing to do with her; it's something I want to investigate on my own."

Even for the sake of Pedro, who met a tragic death, and Marco, who must forever hide and cannot show his true face, Lisa should continue the investigation.

Garp took a sip of his drink and let out a slight laugh.

Lisa didn't grasp his meaning until his gaze met hers, and to her surprise, it contained a trace of sympathy.

"Lisa. You think too simply of the Kim family. Dr. Kim, what stature she holds—a Ph.D. who studied abroad, before she went to Arthdal City, she worked at the country's largest forensic institution. Even the cases marked by the Ministry of Public Security, many are commissioned to them every year. There are few young people who can achieve this level; looking back at the history of forensic medicine since the founding of this country, there probably haven't been many such figures."

Lisa looked at him; in those turbid eyes of his was a reflection of herself. She picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, and then set it down firmly.

"That's the result of her own efforts. Other than eating and sleeping, she spends all her time in the dissection room. There are probably not many who can do it like her."

Her passion for forensic work and the maxim "advocate for the living, speak for the dead" always held close to her heart.

Garp gave her a faint smile and poured her a drink. "You're wrong—these days, there are too many people trying to get ahead. Effort is merely the passing mark. You need money, connections, cunning, and skills. Most importantly, you've got to be ruthless."

Truly a seasoned narcotics officer from public security, perhaps even Lisa herself didn't realize that, under the influence of alcohol, a question she initiated was subtly veered off course—led by the nose.

"Think about it carefully. Is everything she does truly innocent? When you look in the mirror, the person in the reflection is also looking at you. But how can you be sure that the one in the mirror is indeed the person you live with day in and day out? After all, one cannot see into a person's heart; knowing a face does not mean you know what's behind it."

Garp touched his glass to hers lightly, then drained his in one go.

Lisa watched the ripples in her glass on the table and smiled faintly: "True to your reputation, with your psychological guidance, I was almost led astray. However."