Mr. Choi paced back and forth, his hands trembling as he gestured wildly. "They're gone! All three of them, just vanished!" His voice cracked with panic. "Yumi, Seo-yeon, and Mei – our best girls. How could this happen?"
Ko placed a steady hand on Choi's shoulder, trying to ground him. "Mr. Choi, please, take a deep breath. We need you to focus. When exactly did you last see them?"
As Choi struggled to compose himself, I rifled through the stack of papers he'd provided earlier. Employee records, schedules, client lists – all neatly organized, almost too pristine. Something nagged at the back of my mind as I scanned the documents.
Choi's voice rose again. "Everything was normal, and then–"
"Mr. Choi," I interrupted, holding up three separate files. "These women... they're listed under different companies. Yumi works for 'Cherry Blossom Escorts,' Seo-yeon for 'Seoul Nights Entertainment,' and Mei for 'Dragon Lady Companions.' What's going on here?"
Choi froze, his panicked expression shifting to one of wariness. Ko shot me a sharp glance, clearly picking up on the change in atmosphere.
After a long pause, Choi sighed heavily. "It's... complicated. You have to understand, in this business, clients always want fresh faces, new experiences. We operate under different names to create the illusion of choice, of variety."
"We?" Ko pressed, her voice low and measured.
Choi's shoulders slumped. "The Yakuza. All these companies, they're just fronts. Different names, same operation. It keeps the authorities off our backs and the clients coming back for more."
I lean back in my chair, processing the new information about the Yakuza's involvement. The gravity of the situation weighs heavily on me as I turn to Ko, who's still eyeing Choi with a mix of suspicion and concern.
"Ko," I say, breaking the tense silence. "Is there any way we can get more detailed reports on these women's phone records? I'm talking about everything – calls, texts, data usage, the works."
Ko nods, her expression sharpening with focus. "That can be arranged right away. I'll put in the request as soon as we're back at the station. We should have the data within a few hours."
I stand up, stretching my back as I mull over the facts we've gathered. "Whoever did this," I muse, pacing slowly around the room, "they're seriously skilled and cautious. I mean, think about it – we're dealing with the Yakuza here. They've got eyes and ears all over the city, a network that reaches into every dark corner."
Ko nods grimly. "And yet, they can't track down their own women. You're right, it's... unsettling."
"Exactly," I continue, gesturing towards the scattered papers on the desk. "These aren't just any women either. According to Choi, they're some of their best. High-value assets. For them to vanish without a trace, leaving the Yakuza scrambling? That takes some serious planning and resources."
I pause by the window, looking out at the bustling city below. The neon signs and crowded streets suddenly seem to hide a thousand secrets.
"Let's do one more sweep of the scene, then head back to the station. We'll wait for those phone records and see if anything else comes in."
After checking the scene, we make our way back to the station, the streets of Seoul buzzing with the usual afternoon traffic. The car ride is quiet, both of us lost in thought about the case.
Back at the station, we set up in one of the conference rooms. I start creating a timeline on the whiteboard while Ko puts in the request for the phone records. The room slowly fills with the buzz of activity – officers coming in and out, phones ringing, the constant hum of a police station at work.
As the hours tick by, we pore over every bit of information we have. We create profiles for each of the missing women, map out their known associates, and try to piece together their last known movements.
The fluorescent lights of the conference room hum quietly as I rub my tired eyes. It's been hours since we started combing through the evidence, and the coffee in my mug has long gone cold. Ko is slumped in a chair nearby, flipping through a stack of papers for the umpteenth time.
Suddenly, there's a sharp knock at the door. We both snap to attention as a young officer enters, clutching a thick folder.
"Detective," she says, slightly out of breath. "The phone records you requested. They just came in."
I nod my thanks, taking the folder from her. As she leaves, Ko moves to stand beside me, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
"Let's see what we've got," I mutter, spreading the documents across the table.
We pore over the records, our eyes scanning row after row of numbers and timestamps. At first, nothing stands out – just the usual patterns of calls and texts you'd expect from young women in their line of work.
But then, something catches my eye. I lean in closer, my heart rate picking up.
"Ko," I say, my voice tense. "Look at this."
I point to a series of calls made from Yumi's phone number. They start the day after she was reported missing.
Ko's brow furrows. "That can't be right. Choi said she vanished without a trace."
"Exactly," I reply, a chill running down my spine. "These calls weren't made by Yumi."
We exchange a loaded glance, the implications sinking in.
Ko leans over my shoulder, her brow furrowing as he examines the records. "The killer's been using her phone? Bold move."
I nod grimly. "And potentially a fatal mistake. We need to confirm something with Choi right away."
I dial Choi's number, putting the phone on speaker as it rings. When he answers, his voice is groggy and laced with anxiety.
"Mr. Choi," I say, cutting straight to the point. "The number we're seeing here for Yumi's phone - can you confirm if this is the one she gave to the Yakuza?"
There's a pause on the other end of the line, then Choi's voice comes through, sounding confused. "No, that's... that's not the number I have for her. Are you sure?"
I exchange a significant look with Ko. "We're sure, Mr. Choi. It seems Yumi had a second phone we didn't know about."
I hang up the phone with Choi, my mind racing. Turning to Ko, who's leaning against the desk with her arms crossed, I relay the new information.
"Choi says this isn't the number Yumi gave to the Yakuza. Looks like she had at least two phones."
Ko nods, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Smart girl. Kept her work life separate from her personal life."
"Yeah," I agree, running a hand through my hair. "But here's the thing. The killer's been using Yumi's phone to contact other women, right? And they didn't know these women all worked for the same Yakuza-run operation."
Ko straightens up, her posture shifting as she catches on to my train of thought. "Which means they might try again."
"Exactly," I say, feeling a spark of hope for the first time in hours. "We don't need to chase them. We just need to wait for them to make another call."
"And when they do," Ko continues, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth, "we track the phone and nail them."
"But to make this work, we're going to need the Yakuza's cooperation."
Ko raises an eyebrow. "You're thinking full disclosure?"
I nod. "They're already working with us on this case. If we bring them in on the plan, we can leverage their resources and information network. Plus, it'll prevent any accidental interference on their part."
Ko considers this for a moment, then nods decisively. "Agreed. But we need to stress the importance of keeping this operation under wraps. If word gets out, our suspect might go to ground."
"Absolutely," I say. "We'll need to limit knowledge of this plan to a select few within their organization. Maybe just Choi and his direct superior."
Ko reaches for her phone. "I'll set up a meeting right away. We'll brief them on the situation and outline our strategy."
As she dials, I start gathering our notes and evidence. We'll need to present a clear, concise plan to the Yakuza representatives.
"Got it," Ko says, hanging up. "Meeting's set for an hour from now. Choi and his boss will be there."
I nod, feeling a mix of anticipation and nervousness. "Let's hope they're on board. This might be our best shot at cracking this case."
Ko gives me a reassuring smile. "They will be. After all, it's in their best interest to find these women too."
I stare at the phone records spread across the desk, my eyes tired but alert. Ko stands beside me, her posture tense with anticipation.
"Still nothing on Yumi, Seo-yeon, or Mei," I mutter, frustration evident in my voice. "It's like they've vanished into thin air."
Ko nods grimly. "Three days without a trace. But this," she taps the paper with Yumi's second phone number, "this could be our break."
I lean back, rubbing my eyes. "You're right. We may not have found our missing women yet, but we're one step closer to the killer."
"Exactly," Ko says, her voice filled with determination. "If we can track this phone, we might catch them before they strike again."
I stand up, pacing the small room. "We need to move fast. Every hour that passes..."
"I know," Ko interrupts, her tone softening slightly. "But we have a plan now. That's more than we had this morning."
I nod, feeling a glimmer of hope for the first time in days. "So, we brief the Yakuza, set up the surveillance, and wait for the killer to make their move."
"And when they do," Ko adds, a steely glint in her eye, "we'll be ready."
As we gather our materials for the meeting with the Yakuza representatives, I can't help but feel a mix of anticipation and dread. We may not have found Yumi, Seo-yeon, or Mei yet, but we're on the killer's trail now. It's a race against time, but at least we're finally in the race.
"Let's go," Ko says, heading for the door. "We've got a killer to catch."