The next morning, I'm summoned to the main conference room. As I enter, I'm surprised to see Han standing at the head of the table, flanked by members of our unit. Dr. Kim and the NFS officers are seated, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
Han's eyes meet mine, and he gives a slight nod. "Ah, good. You're here. I have an announcement to make."
As I take a seat, Han addresses the room. "As of this moment, the Seoul Metropolitan Investigative Unit is taking over this case. We'll be working in cooperation with the NFS, but primary jurisdiction now falls to us."
I blink in surprise, looking around the room. The NFS officers seem resigned, while Dr. Kim looks like he's swallowed something sour. I can't help but wonder how Han managed to pull this off so quickly.
After the meeting concludes and people start to file out, I approach Han. "Sir, how did you manage this?" I ask in a low voice.
Han's lips quirk in a small smile. "Let's just say I called in a few favors with some old classmates from the Korean National Police University. Sometimes, it pays to keep in touch with your alumni network."
I nod, impressed but also slightly concerned. "Sir, I'm grateful, truly. But... won't this raise questions about the integrity of the investigation? If people think you're using connections to protect me-"
Han cuts me off, his expression serious. "Let me ask you something. Did you kill Sung?"
"Of course not," I respond immediately, taken aback by the directness of the question.
Han nods, as if that settles everything. "Then it's okay. We're not here to cover anything up. We're here to find the truth, and we'll do it by the book."
I'm struck by the implicit trust in Han's words. He believes in my innocence without question, and he's putting his reputation on the line to ensure a fair investigation.
"Thank you, sir," I say, feeling a mixture of gratitude and determination. "I won't let you down."
Han claps me on the shoulder. "I know you won't. Now, let's get to work. We have a murder to solve, and I have a feeling it's just the tip of the iceberg."
I sit at the table with Han and our team in the makeshift office we've set up within the NFS building. The atmosphere is tense as we prepare to review the alibis of each participant in the training program.
Han looks at us, his eyes serious. "Alright, let's go through what we know about each person's whereabouts on the night of Sung's death. We'll start with Officer Lee Minjoo."
I clear my throat and begin, "According to her statement, Officer Lee Minjoo claims she was in her room from 10 PM onwards. She says she was video calling her sister until midnight, which her sister corroborates. After that, she went to sleep."
Han nods, "Next, Detective Choi Seunghoon."
One of our team members reports, "Detective Choi states he was in the facility's gym until 11:30 PM, which is confirmed by security logs. He then returned to his room and worked on his laptop until around 1 AM, which his browser history seems to support."
"Detective Park Jinyoung," Han prompts.
Another colleague speaks up, "Detective Park claims he was in his room all night, reviewing case files. He says he fell asleep around 1 AM while working. No one can confirm this, but his room's keycard logs show no exits or entries after 9 PM."
Han turns to me, "And Detective Kim Eunji?"
I hesitate for a moment, Aileen's observations flashing through my mind. "Detective Kim says she was in her room all night. She claims to have taken a sleeping pill around 10 PM and didn't wake up until morning. However, there's no way to confirm this."
Han furrows his brow, "And your own alibi?"
I nod, feeling the weight of their gazes. "I was in my room, studying the materials from our training session. I didn't leave my room after 9 PM."
Han leans back, considering all the information. "So we have a mix of alibis - some partially corroborated, others completely unverified. And we know Sung left his room at midnight and returned about 40 minutes later."
We exchange glances, all aware of the complexities we're facing.
Han continues, "Alright, let's dig deeper into each of these alibis. We need to verify every detail we can and look for any inconsistencies. Remember, we're not just looking at the time of Sung's death, but also any suspicious activity in the hours before and after."
As the team continues to discuss the alibis, my mind wanders to Aileen's observations about Eunji. I debate internally whether I should share this information with Han and the team. On one hand, it could be a crucial lead. On the other, it's based on speculation from a voice in my head - hardly concrete evidence.
After a moment of internal struggle, I decide to keep Aileen's insights to myself, at least for now. Instead, I make a mental note to watch Eunji more closely. If there's any truth to Aileen's suspicions, I'll need more tangible evidence before bringing it to the team.
My thoughts are interrupted as one of our team members bursts into the room, a file in hand. "Sir," he addresses Han, "we've got the detailed autopsy results."
Han takes the file, his brow furrowing as he reads. The room falls silent, all eyes on him.
After what feels like an eternity, Han looks up, his expression grim. "It wasn't a heart attack," he says, his voice low. "Sung was poisoned."
A collective gasp fills the room. I lean forward, my heart racing. "Poisoned? With what?"
Han refers back to the report. "A fast-acting neurotoxin derived from pufferfish - tetrodotoxin. Apparently, it causes paralysis and death but can be mistaken for a heart attack if not specifically tested for."
The implications hit me like a ton of bricks. This wasn't an accident or a natural death. Someone had deliberately murdered Sung.
"So we're definitely looking at a homicide," I say, voicing what everyone is thinking.
Han nods, his face set in determination. "Yes, and a carefully planned one at that. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing."
As the team continues to discuss the autopsy findings, one of the officers, Detective Cho, clears his throat. "There's one more detail, sir. It might not be important, but..." he trails off, looking slightly uncomfortable.
Han raises an eyebrow. "Go on, Detective Cho. Every detail could be crucial."
Cho nods. "Well, it's just that... Sung had his fingernails painted with different colors on the day he died."
Han's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "That's... odd for a man to do, isn't it?"
Cho shrugs. "Actually, sir, it's becoming more common these days. A lot of men are experimenting with nail polish. But we'll look into whether Sung was known to do this regularly."
"Anything else about the nail polish?" I ask, suddenly intrigued.
Cho consults his notes. "Yes, actually. It seems like he couldn't finish painting several fingers, and the quality of the application isn't great. Suggests he wasn't very skilled at it or... was interrupted."
As I listen to this information, a thought suddenly pops into my head. The unfinished nail polish, the poor quality - it doesn't fit with the image of Sung I had formed. And then, like a bolt of lightning, a connection forms in my mind.
I clear my throat, drawing the attention of the room. "Detective Cho, would it be possible for me to see Sung's fingers myself?"
Cho looks surprised but nods. "Of course. I'll arrange for you to view the body. It might take a little while to set up, though."
Han's eyes narrow slightly, his gaze fixed on me. "What are you thinking?" he asks, his voice low enough that only I can hear.
I meet his gaze, careful to keep my expression neutral. "It's not something concrete yet, sir. Just a theory I want to check out. I need to see Sung's fingers to make sure I'm on the right track."
Han studies me for a moment, then nods. "Alright. But I want you to keep me in the loop. If you're onto something, I need to know."
"Of course, sir," I agree, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety. I know I'm walking a fine line here, keeping information from Han. But until I'm sure about my suspicions, I don't want to risk pointing fingers without solid evidence.
Detective Cho approaches me. "I'll let you know as soon as I've arranged for you to view the body. It should be within the next couple of hours."
I nod my thanks, my mind already racing ahead. I need to use this time wisely.
As I leave the room, Aileen's voice pipes up in my head. "Ooh, playing detective with a dead man's manicure. This case just keeps getting weirder and weirder."
I can't believe the day that I welcome Aileen talking to me, but actually I think it's a good time to talk to her. "Hey, Aileen. The… lady's part issue you told me the other day," I say.
"Yes? What about it?" She asks me back with a full of curiosity in her voice.
"If that's caused by the infection, what would be the highly likely cause?" I ask carefully.
"Well… Based on my experience, it often happens when… something which is not supposed to be in there goes in there. Wait. Why are you asking this? I thought you felt uncomfortable to talk about the lady part issue with me," She complains.
I quickly answer. "I might need you again soon to confirm something for me."