Chapter 34 - Korea is no longer a drug-free nation

The next day, Hansol got a call from J. After analyzing what Kim Dohwa puked, it was found that not just ecstasy and heroin but the new drug called Bad Boy was also in it.

If the CIF and Team Two had found the victim a little later, then she would have certainly died.

"Doctor Im, the test results have arrived from NFS. We will start the meeting now."

Inspector Jung stepped out.

Team Leader Woo-jin and the other CIF team were there. Hansol stood in the front and started presenting what happened last night.

"Firstly, Inspector Jung will tell us the results of the puke of Miss Kim Dohwa from NFS."

"Right. Coincidentally, it has been confirmed that a new drug, Bad Boy, from the second autopsy of the Km sisters, was found in the gastric juices of Kim Dohwa. As it is a new drug, few people sell it, so figuring it out might be easy."

Team Leader Woo-jin questioned.

"Does the Drug Investigation Unit know about this?"

Inspector Jung said she couldn't give a clear answer. This was because they couldn't determine whether the Drug Investigation Unit knew about heroin and stuff or the new drug.

"Wouldn't the team leader know about it? You know someone from that team."

"Hmm… He doesn't speak that easily. It would be nice if they could tell me how far their investigation went… strangely, they don't want to share anything with us in this case."

"We also made it impossible for them to determine Kim Dohwa's whereabouts, so we are even."

After Kang Woo-cheol said it, Team Leader Woo-jin turned to inspector Jung and asked.

"How is Miss Dohwa now?"

"She was discharged from the hospital, and I moved her to my home after making sure no one was following me. When we got home, she went to sleep soundly, probably because she felt relieved. Should I say I was lucky? In case of escape, I requested the cooperation from Team Two of the Violent Crimes Unit to keep an eye on the house, and they agreed."

"You did well. Once the whereabouts of Kim Dohwa are secure, we need to get a statement from her. There are enough reasons to catch Lee Wanjae for dating violence… I mean, these druggies are weird. Everyone seems to be hiding something. Strangely, the reporters who are like vultures aren't coming out despite the smell of new story."

"Maybe it is because of the family? It is said that Lee Wanjae is really a son of a real estate tycoon."

At Kang Woo-cheol's words, Woo-jin nodded.

"Well. Anyway, Doctor Im, let's hear your story."

"Yes. Then, I will get started."

Hansol stood in the front and explained while turning over his printed files.

Kim Dohwa was believed to have been hung at 3 AM. The police officers came 30 minutes later. Her legs were shaped like the tarot card's Hanged Man, and the tie was a nasolabial knot. She was thought to be on the verge of death because she had ingested too many drugs.

"The nasolabial knot? Isn't that something we learn in the military?"

Hansol nodded at the question from Woo-jin.

"Usually, yes. But we have online videos which give instructions on how to tie it, so it cannot be solely from the military."

"Right. These things will come up if we search on the internet¹… still, the gender can be directed to be a man, given that he had the power to subdue a woman smaller than him at once and bear their weight when hanging them."

Hansol also agreed to it. There was no sign of anyone else coming in, and Kim Dohwa didn't speak of any such thing either.

Then it may be argued that Kim Dohwa was hanged by a man, and even if a woman works out, she wouldn't have the physical power to do it. Therefore, Hansol assumed that the only person with such strength would be a guy.

"Of course, Lee Wanjae is excluded from the list. The man turned himself in the day before and is currently locked in a prison."

"Yes. Lee Wanjae should be left out. Everyone believes it. Let's make a guess. After Lee Wanjae went to give himself into the Drug Investigation Unit, a criminal broke into the victim's residence, locked her up, and attempted to murder her after she had passed out for 24 hours. Who could it possibly be? Even if we assumed it was Lee Wanjae's father, he simply needs to work to get his son out, but instead goes to create a greater case."

Hansol guessed that his own father was behind this case, and the Prosecution and Law Firm were just items to use, and his father must have created a criminal to play the role.

"… from stopping his son from turning into an addict…. He is already an addict, right? And the second would be to get him out of the probation with a simple fine…. What are we missing now… well… the possibility that it is the same person behind the Kim sisters rather than being the father of Lee Wanjae, and the easiest way would be to find someone who sells Bad Boy."

Inspector Jung summed it up, and Hansol said, "Right. Aside from the other possibilities, the thing we should be concerned the most about is the person who sells Bad Boy. If we can find that person, the one behind the Kim sisters' case and Kim Dohwa can be resolved. Kim Dohwa will also be freed from being framed as a dealer and be only a victim of dating violence, which the CIF will handle next."

Team Leader Woo-jin took out a cigarette, put it between his fingers, and inhaled.

"The problem is that drug gangs don't cooperate. We need to make them… and the Bad Boy has just arrived in Korea."

Hansol then summarized the contents of the thesis. He explained that the drug, Bad Boy, had begun to spread around in the US and India, and one or two papers were published about it.

"Something like that in Korea… if we dig in the right direction, wouldn't it be entangled with a criminal organization? How can something which has only recently been sold in the US and India make its way into Korea?"

"Right. Ultimately, the further we go, the more we can know about this criminal organization or if it was a small group that smuggled it. This means we need to cooperate with the Drug Investigation Unit, and if they won't, then we'll do everything even if it means stealing their information."

"Phew…"

Since the Drug Investigation Unit took charge of the CIF's case, the information wasn't shared.

"No, does it make sense that despite working in the same office, information isn't being shared? Knowing that we are engaged in a fight with the Prosecution. I don't know if they're doing this on purpose or not."

Team Leader Woo-jin said, a bit angry.

"… then we will try to catch the seller of Bad Boy ourselves. If the Drug Investigation Unit doesn't cooperate, there is nothing we can do. We just need to step up, right?"

Hansol was right. If the two teams weren't cooperating, the CIF team had no choice but to work and narrow down the list.

In addition, Hansol thought that the Prosecution, who directed the Drug Investigation Unit in this part, would play a much higher role.

'It has to be under the Chief of Prosecution. It is presumed that there will be a lawyer and a prosecutor like before, and the lawyer from the firm will not be registered… The prosecutor for Lee Wanjae, who was in a drug investigation, must be on Kim Soo-hyeon's team. If this case is resolved properly, internal corruption can also be uncovered. That is why this is such an important event.'

Hansol gathered his thoughts and suggested they all take a break. And once the break was done, Hansol sat to hear Kang Woo-cheol speak about buying and selling the drugs these days and that he was finally happy to try something.

"There is a lot of buying and selling on SNS, but… Itaewon, Konkuk University, Hongdae, and Gangnam are places with clubs. They are places where young people gather. And such places have back alleys that sell drugs. Oh, and the most readily available one is cannabis."

Inspector Jung wondered if he bought them, to which Detective Kang Woo-cheol waved his hand.

"What! Don't say such things. I heard about it. It is said that too many kids go to clubs for it… I haven't been to a club, so I don't know, but my friends told me about it. Especially those who went abroad and tried drugs. They told me."

"Your friends told you that? Korea is strict about its drug policy. Even if it is used abroad, the people will be punished, you know that, right?"

"… I do… but I cannot report my friends because of that, so I told them to not do it again, and the next time they say something like that again, I would report them. After that, there was no drug talk."

Inspector Jung clasped her palms.

"Aah! So your friend knows a little about the drug route, right? So maybe someone can help us? Korea is no longer a drug-free nation. So with the help…."

Kang Woo-cheol thought for a while, thinking if he should bring his friends in or not.

Hansol looked at his expression and said, "Detective Kang seems to be troubled. If we need help from his friends, it would be better to take help from those who took drugs in our nation. Let's think easily. Kim Dohwa. She came into contact with drugs because of Lee Wanjae… and because of the addictive nature of drugs, she must have asked for it. Kim Dohwa has to go to the Drug Investigation Unit to make a statement, so let's get help from her entering the detention center. We will find a route to the drug trafficking."

"Phew… that seems like a good way."

Kang Woo-cheol sighed and added.

For the first time, Kang Woo-cheol felt relieved from Hansol's words. Inspector Jung listened and said she would have to bring Kim Dohwa from her house.

"Then, I will bring her from my home. Even if we cannot find the one who sold Bad Boy, we might be able to find a person who sells drugs."

Here, Team Leader Woo-jin added.

"Then, let's divide. Since Inspector Jung and Doctor Im interviewed her and already have a rapport with her, they will go again to her and identify a drug seller. They should also help ensure that circumstances are considered when moving. And I, Kang Woo-cheol, and Shin Dong-jin will try to catch someone who sells Bad Boy on the internet. Understood?"

Then everyone said, "Yes!"

Hansol was thinking as the investigation was finally moving ahead.

'Everything Kim Dohwa said yesterday was true. But if she tells lies in this one… the rapport will play an important role.'

His face turned cold for a moment.