Lawyer miss Lee In Ah was browsing through some files, searching for a decent case to teach her intern about, when her phone started to ring. She saw the number on the display and frowned. She hadn't expected him to contact her.
"Lee In Ah speaking."
"Miss Lee, it's Jung Ba Reum here."
"Ah Ba Reum, how are you doing? Everything alright?" she asked slightly worried. They had agreed that the wouldn't unnecessarily contact each other.
"I'm fine," he said and hesitantly continued, "but I have a favour to ask."
"A favour? You know me, as long as it's not illegal it's okay. You helped me out big time before."
"Have you heard about the Kang Duk Soo case?"
"Of course I did. I don't live in a cave. They are continuously posting new developments on all media platforms. It's an hot topic. Kang Duk Soo has a big name as lawyer now."
"Well yes, about that," Ba Reum said, "you know the woman who cut of his genitals?"
"Yes."
"Our families are friends. They are searching a lawyer to represent them."
"Aah, so that's why you called after so long. I can look it over if you want too." She said, hesitantly. She knew who her opponent would be, and he would not go easy on anybody. He was one who was known to play it dirty.
"Please." She thought it over. It would give her company a boost if she played this well.
"If that's the case, I'll even do it free of charge." She said, having decided, "Send me their address, and I'll meet them at 10 tomorrow to start their file and see what we can salvage." Ba Reum thanked her genuinely and hung up the phone.
Lee In Ah held the cell phone close to her, staring at the darkened display.
She had known Ba Reum from a few years back, when she was starting out as a fresh lawyer. She had been in a troublesome case where it was difficult to prove her clients innocence. Luckily she had busted in when Jung Ba Reum was searching for the same clues as she was. He had helped her out with that case, which had jumpstarted her career and made her a big fish in no time. They had worked closely together for a couple of weeks.
Lee In Ah sighed and opened her computer, going to collect all the media coverage so far and see what she could achieve.
She pushed the button on her intercom and called her current intern.
"Min Jae, We have a new case, go get us some coffee and come in. It's time that I show you how the magic is done."
After Ba Reum hung up the call with Lee In Ah, he immediately called Bong Yi to bring her the news that he had found someone to represent her grandmother.
"Bong Yi, I contacted a lawyer for you and she is willing to take up the case free of charge. She will be able to meet you guys at 10 tomorrow." He said to her. He could her a catch in her breath.
"You did? Thank you. I have been so worried." She said, he could hear the strain and exhaustion in her voice.
"I'll be coming as well. I took tomorrow off."
"I, I …, thank you." She said, at a loss of words, happy that her friend was helping her, but sad at the same time that she needed that help. She was feeling worthless right now, even though she knew that there was no reason that she should feel that way.
"Bong Yi, we'll try to set everything right." He said and before she could answer, he hung up the phone, feeling awkward with these emotional talks. It was so much easier when he could just keep his distance from people.
As promised, the next morning he had come over and he was now sitting in the room with Bong Yi and Halmoni. He had tried to make some small talk, but all conversations died out rather quickly and now they were all three sitting here in nervous silence until finally someone knocked on the door.
Ba Reum got up to open it and indeed it was miss Lee In Ah standing there, followed by a young man, perhaps a few years younger than Ba Reum was.
The police officer had checked them for hidden weapons and let them go through. When they entered, Ba Reum took a second look at the intern, getting a strange feeling on his chest and his head started to pound at the same day.
He tried to shake it of and introduced Lee In Ah.
"So this is Lawyer Lee In Ah, she is going to represent your case, and this is?" he pointed at her intern.
"Good day everyone, I am your lawyer, Lee In Ah, and this is my intern, Sung Jae Min." she introduced them.
"Now, let's get down to business." She explained about the process that this case would take and that the first hearing would be held in about a weeks' time, she had already contacted the tribunal that was residing over their case and officially had introduced her as their lawyer.
"We have to make use of this time to build our case. Public opinion is mostly on our side, but they find the reaction you had over the top." She said to Halmoni, who huffed.
"It was what he deserved after what he did to Bong Yi and Yu Na." she said, the intern looked up.
"He hurt your granddaughter?" he asked, flipping through the files, trying to search this information.
"Yes he did, the monster." Halmoni nearly shouted, her nerves on edge, "10 years ago. That's why he was sent to jail in the first place."
Lee In Ah raised an eyebrow and looked at her intern. He made a note in his files to make sure to look up the original case files.
"That gave you a better reason to it. But the public doesn't know this. This is extremely important information. The best we can do is to spread this information as fast as possible, making sure everyone knows and sympathizes. This way we can strongly build the reason why you did this and make sure that your sentence will be as short as possible."
"I won't." said Halmoni, stopping the lawyer in her tracks, who looked up and blinked.
"This could really save your case, perhaps we can even keep you out of jail." The lawyer said, looking her in the eyes.
"I won't drag Bong Yi through this ordeal again." She said firmly.
"That's not for you to decide." Bong Yi interrupted harshly, and then spoke to the lawyer. "what do you need, you can have the whole story, everything." The tears were in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. The protests of her grandmother were falling on deaf ears.
The lawyer looked from her to her grandmother.
"The best way is to spread it, as much detail as possible, as quickly as possible. Social media, tabloids, magazines, the more the better."
"Detective Ko, he know Choi Hong Ju from the television program." Bong Yi said hesitantly. "Perhaps he can ask her to help us as well?" Bong Yi said, remembering the woman who had helped her yesterday.
"That would be excellent. Try to contact her. Min Jae will try to find the old files of the original Kang Duk Soo trial."
The planned it out further, Ba Reum sitting silently in a corner. His head was pounding. Why did he recognize that man, but not completely. He had seen him somewhere before, but the couldn't remember where, which was odd, because his memory is extremely good.
He thought further, but the headache just became more pronounced. He would ask Lawyer Lee about him later he resolved.
He tuned in to the plan that was being formulated. He would not be involved any further Lawyer Lee had decided, seeing as he was a detective it would be best that he kept a bit of distance in this case, and better not have his name connected to this case.
Ba Reum had nodded to this, but he knew that he was going to help push forth the social media anonymously anyway.
The next day Ba Reum had returned to work. When he came to the evidence office, he saw that Moo Chi was currently messing around in the office, holding a big stack of papers.
"What are you doing." Ba Reum asked, startling Moo Chi, who jumped and almost dropped the entire stack to the floor.
"IC, someone should put a bell around your neck." He groused, "I was just coming to bring back these files."
Ba Reum took over the files that Moo Chi had brought and he looked them over, his face growing a bit darker.
"These are the files I gave you 2 days ago." Ba Reum said. Moo Chi looked embarrassed.
"Yes, and I return them now." Ba Reum opened the door to the office and took out the right box to put them in.
"They are supposed to be brought back here every time you leave." Ba Reum said, "and never be left unattended."
"Yeah, well, I returned them now, Sheesh." Moo Chi said, turning tail and walking away, pretending not to flee.
For some reason this young college scared all the old detectives when he went into a temper.
Normally no one challenged them wen they just got their evidence in and out of the locker like before, but this one stuck to the rules so badly. The problem was that Ba Reum was technically right, and he wasn't afraid to call out his older colleagues on the fact that it was they that didn't follow the rules.
Ba Reum was about to put the files back, but somehow they felt weird to him. He remembered it being more pages.
He checked them to be sure, and he saw that there were some pages missing. He went around to Moo Chi's desk to ask for them.
Moo Chi was just talking to Hong Ju and Ba Reum hung back a bit, a discreet distance and pretended to look in some of the files he was holding while listening in the conversation.
Moo Chi had just asked Hong Ju's cooperation in Bong Yi's case and he had given Bong Yi's phone number to her. In exchange Hong Ju was telling about how she thought there was a third victim in the tie knot case, she told the address, but it was too quiet for him to hear. He could she Moo Chi writing it down though.
After Hong Ju had left Ba Reum casually approached the desk.
"Detective Ko, there are still several pages missing from your files." He said.
"That can't be true, I gave you all of them."
"Not you didn't, I'm missing 39 pages."
"Tch, if you don't believe me, search my desk." He said annoyed and grabbed his jacket and left with a note in his hands.
Ba Reum searched his desk, and when Moo Chi was totally out of sight, he took his notebook with him. He would pencil it over and see the address that Moo Chi had written down. Then he would have 3 victims to compare.
He searched the desk further, but couldn't find the medical files. It didn't really worry him that much, seeing that he took a secret copy for himself. But he was a bit disturbed that it was definitely an inside person that was trying to sabotage this investigation. The question was why? Was it someone here that was doing these murders?
When Hong Ju left the precinct, she was glad that she could help Oh Bong Yi with her case and score a juicy interview herself.
She had received Bong Yi's contact ID through detective Ko Moo Chi.
She had called Bong Yi, who explained to her that the general idea was to spread her story as quickly as possible to the masses.
Of course it would be difficult to arrange the show in such a short timespan, but she was nothing if not a professional. She made sure to inform her team about this case and they quickly collected as much information as possible to make the show complete.
She made sure to be able to interview Ko Moo Chi as being the cop on the old case and even made sure to find the other cop that had worked this case. She even found the old lawyer of Kang Duk Soo, whom had dropped the case and interviewed him about the reason why.
Then she even went as far as to search the neighbourhood of Bong Yi and her grandmother for people who knew both Bong Yi and her grandmother and who would vouch for them.
All in all the show was ready to be made in 2 days time, 5 days before the first hearing.
After Ba Reum had pencilled over the notebook of Moo Chi he had found out the address of the third victim. He had looked her up on the internet and found some pictures on social media. That's when he saw it. The connection. The window bars.
All three of the victims had the same bars. Some looking up on the internet concluded that they were from the same company, who did it free of charge for single woman who lived in dangerous neighbourhoods.
He decided to inform Moo Chi of this through another secret note. He made sure to write it with his left hand, so that his writing wouldn't be recognized.
He had also checked the missing files and found another connection. Both of the victims went to the same doctor, a fertility expert. Both of them had gone a few times, but where pronounced barren, unable to get children. It was the same expert they both went to.
That was the connection. But why would someone steal those files, what was the connection with the police bureau? He would have to find out more of this himself, before he warned Moo Chi about this.
He actually had gone over to the hospital, but seeing that it was a gynaecologist, he thought it would stick out to much if he made an appointment.
He did go over to the front desk to inform about the doctor.
"Hello, I'd like some information." He asked the receptionist.
"Yes, what can we do for you?"
"Well, me and my wife, we have been trying for kids for some while now, but we can't, well, so far nothing happened yet." He said. The receptionist nodded with understanding.
"I heard that doctor Cha is an expert in the field. Does it take long to make an appointment?" he inquired.
"There is a waiting list yes, the first spot free is currently 2 months ahead. Do you want us to book an appointment?" He pretended to think it over.
"I'll check it over with my wife first. Can I have your phone number please?" the receptionist gave him an ID card from the service.
He pocketed it and went home, searching all information about this doctor, who apparently only used social media for her business.
The next day Moo Chi received the note, stating the connection of the three tie-knot victims. He read it over, his face filled with surprise.
But how did the tipper find out about the third victim. The only ones who knew where him and Hong Ju. Or, did he mention it to detective Sang? He couldn't remember.
Could it be Shin Sang? He looked over to his younger colleague, who was just finishing off some paperwork. He stepped over and looked over Shin Sang's shoulder, mentally comparing the 2 writings.
It could be, he thought and stepped away from the other man when he shot him an annoyed look.
Most of the tips that were send could not have been found without a bit of illegal research and breaking in. Perhaps that's why he did so anonymously.
That youngster, Moo Chi smiled to himself, feeling a bit proud of his colleague as well.
Then the day finally came. Hong Ju's show was aired.
The show was long and emotional, starting out with a recounting of the first offense of Kang Duk Soo, reading and recreating the whole trial. Showing the best bits about where he promised to cut of his own genitals.
Then they interviewed the cops who had handled the case, and they even showed the pictures of how Bong Yi was found, and how her wounds looked after they had been cleaned and catalogued.
They had filmed the interview with Bong Yi separately, because she would get emotional when telling what happened.
Afterwards they explained what happened to the current offense that Kang Duk Soo committed, explaining how it was the old victims grandmother who spotted him taking the girl away.
Then they went to Halmoni's action and even showed an interview of her, pleading guilty, and explaining them with tears in her eyes that she did what her heart told her to do and that she regretted her rash actions.
They finished with some testimonies of their neighbours, who stood behind them as a solid block.
All in all it had been a very emotional show, that didn't leave anyone untouched. It was a masterpiece and the ratings of her show went to unseen heights, seeing as this was a current hot topic.
Now came in plan B, firing up social media, which was already going full time. People were properly outraged on Halmoni's behalf, ow that the connection between Halmoni and Kang Duk Soo was explained.
The public was demanding leniency.
2 days later, the trial started.
Everyone knew the case already, but seeing that the clients had a right to speak, the hearing was held.
The trial in itself went smooth enough. Halmoni pleaded guilty and from here on out it was just explaining why she did it and hoping that the reason she did would make the judge be lenient to her.
Lee In Ah was brilliant. She also called out the authorities of trying to get this case over with quickly and quitly, even putting up before Kang Duk Soo's case, as if trying to bury this one. This comment wasn't allowed by the judge, but she had said it and she saw all the reporters in the hall writing it down.
In the end, halmoni was sentenced to 6 months of prison time, which really was quite reasonable for mutilating someone. It was still a bitter pill to swallow for the family, but it could have been so much worse. She went with the family to another chamber, and watched Bong Yi say goodbye to her grandmother, who would immediately be brought to jail.
Ba Reum stood ready to bring her home. He had offered her a place to stay, but Bong Yi said that she would rather be somewhere she was comfortable with.
The trial had lasted until late evening and after he had seen Bong Yi off, Ba Reum only got home when it was already late in the night.
He could see the lights were still turned on, which wasn't unusual, His mother would want to know the result of the trial. He was about to open the door when he heard muffled screaming coming from the inside.
He opened the door as fast as he could and ran inside. There he saw his mother on the floor and a small figure above her dressed in black, cutting her open.
He was about to run over to them when someone hit him with a bat from behind.
He fell down and saw black spots in front of him. In the time it took him to shake those spots off, the attackers managed to run away. He tried to get up, but then everything went black for a minute. When he came too, they were gone.
He rushed over to where his mother laid, and saw the knife sticking out of her. He felt her pulse.
"Please be alive, please be alive." He muttered and he felt it, fluttering against his fingertips.
He immediately called the ambulance, fumbling with his phone, his hands were slippery with blood, hers? He could feel some dripping down from his head from where the assailant had hit him.
He took of his sweater and held it over the wound, pressing down and leaving the knife sticking in his mother, knowing that pulling it out could bring her in more danger.
All the time he was begging her not to die and leave him alone.
"Please mom, please don't leave me."