Genius Profiler Hansol Im - Chapter 9

Because that will be the Clue to This Case

“…! That will be your father…!”

“That is true.”

Even while he pointed to his father as his suspect, Hansol’s expression remained unchanged as ever.

Hansol clearly recollected the time when he asked his father a question, about the incident which happened 10 years ago.

“Father, do you really think that he acted alone? I think there was an accomplice to him. Someone who knows us very well.”

“Never. He acted alone. All because he held a grudge against me.”

That moment, Hansol’s eye acted up.

‘…lie…’

“Father, I’ll ask you another question. Why didn’t you cry at mom’s funeral?”

“… once such kind of incidents unfold, it is natural for tears to not flow.”

‘Lie. Father is currently ‘acting’ as if he is sad.’

Hansol, who recalled the memories of that time, continued what he was saying.

“Everything which has happened so far, even the cat’s fur, is pointing to the presence of my father. My father has a cat. It’s been 10 years since I saw it, but I was able to confirm it through my father’s SNS account which he uses to communicate with his students. Turkish Angora long white-haired cat, you can run a search on it. It could have died too, so I think that it would be right to assume that evidence was cat hair which remained on his clothes.”

Detective Kang Woo-cheol, who listened silently, raised an objection.

“Doctor, that is just one piece of evidence. Rather, if you are the real culprit, you are only making us go round in circles to delay your plan.”

These were the first words of Kang Woo-cheol even after Lieutenant Jung asked him to not get emotionally driven. As instructed, he tried to hold back his emotions, yet pointed to Hansol.

“Which is why I said that there is a desire to exhibit. A power. The aspect of going to the scene and shedding the cat hair was intentional. None of the victims had a cat.”

“Doctor, then I’ll ask you one crucial question. Maybe I don’t fully understand the case. What is the most important clue according to you?”

A detective asked the question.

As Hansol had reconstructed the case in his mind, those investigating might not understand what he was thinking.

Hansol calmly spoke about what happened 10 years ago.

Everyone was focused on what happened 10 years ago. He spoke about the illness he had been diagnosed with. Some of the detectives would continue to doubt Hansol, but the opposite could have happened too.

“There must have been someone who leaked information beforehand. He used his own story as an example of his edification therapy, which wasn’t the right method. He shouldn’t have given out the entire story. However, professor Im, who consulted and profiled the suspect 10 years back, wasn’t as aware. His empathy was marked inferior, and he ended up confessing his life story to the suspect as his method of ‘educating’ him about taking the wrong path. And then the simulation for crime began.”

“… wait a minute doctor. Why do you think that it could be considered as evidence?”

“The suspect at the time told me ‘You are my kind’. He said he could recognize his kind by just looking at one person, but it was a lit. At that time, there were only two people who knew about the antisocial personality disorder, my father and his junior. Of the two, the only one who could have contact with the killer was my father. My father’s junior never participated in profiling.”

“… wait. The more I listen the more confused I get. The death of your mother was the key for your father to flip out?”

For Hansol, the incident 10 years ago, was still running in front of his eyes.

The suspect tells Hansol about them being the same kind, even though he knew nothing about Hansol.

How he talked to his mother in advance about Hansol’s condition. Information must have definitely flowed from his father.

Therefore, after his mother died, despite not having a strong emotional bonding with her, he managed to find the link between his father and the suspect.

The suspect was once his father’s patient, a subject under profile, and the place where he stayed after the jailbreak was none other than the place where Hansol’s father used to attend for conferences.

If so… why did his father have to hire someone to kill Hansol’s mother?

If he wanted to exhibit his mother, he should have kept her beside him as a trophy. So why?

That was the biggest question for Hansol.

That question, Hansol decided to find an answer.

Father did want to keep his mother as a trophy, but something must have happened between the two. Hansol used to frequently listen to his father and mother yell at each other once every while. His father would try to hold back his anger, while his mother always tried to get the upper hand.

That was the biggest crack. His father, who lived believing that he was a normal person even though he was wrong in the brain, couldn’t understand his wife who was trying to trample on his kind nature and overpower him. However, he didn’t want to get blood on his hands.

Perhaps, Hansol’s father wanted to showcase the bodies as a commemoration for what happened 10 years back. And then leisurely escape from the country.

Perhaps, even if he went to visit his father, he could have already hid somewhere overseas trying to avoid getting caught.

“… right.”

“But if you look at the incident records at that time, such records…”

“We need to reinvestigate again. From the relationship that professor Im Jaemin and the suspect shared, and for that to happen, professor Im has to be summoned and investigated. Oh, but it might not happen. He must have erased all his traces here and disappeared.”

That was when the chief detective jumped up.

“Why is everyone here? Go and get professor Im. Ask him to come in for investigation, before it turns too late.”

Hansol was convinced that his father had already disappeared with that cat of his.

Father had turned into a monster. And he even knew that one day his son would find out about his career. And finally, the monstrous son found all the traces that his father left.

To be precise, he put the puzzle pieces together.

‘… I wonder when my father noticed his illness.’

Lieutenant Jung and Hansol sat face to face as everyone was dispatched.

“Doctor, are you saying that you have been digging this case for 10 year?”

“Digging isn’t the right expression. I was just curious. Why did my father do that to my mom?”

“There must have been multiple opportunities to report it or speak out. Why didn’t you say a word?”

“Because I wasn’t sure back then. There were some things which never fell into place. I learned criminal psychology for a professional career in college. That was when I came to know about antisocial personality disorder.”

When Lieutenant Jung heard those words, she thought for a moment until she opened her mouth again.

“So, it means that the case is related to what happened in your home 10 years ago, and the clues to that will help us solve the 2 unsolved cases we found? And it is possible that professor Im could be behind the two unsolved cases.”

“Yes. However… we must be late. You might not find any traces of my father.”

Hansol spoke firmly. If he was in his father’s place… at that time when called for mourning on the 10^th year of the incident, he had already planned to exhibit the crime scene and show his power to his son, and that would be the last chance they ever see each other.

“Wait a minute. I’ll call the dispatched detective.”

Lieutenant Jung called someone.

“Yes? What?”

Her voice rose. Hansol was able to guess what happened without having to listen to their conversation. His father wasn’t there. The house must be empty. And at this point, with more than 36 hours after discovering the dead bodies, his father disappeared without leaving any trace. His father must have had multiple ways to run away.

“Uh… doctor… as you said…”

“No trace of father?”

“Yes.”

“If so, please tell the detective to investigate the house and collect any cat hair. That will be the clue to the case.”

“I will tell them.”

**  *

The detectives placed a few strands of cat hair into a bag. The hair was immediately handed over to the National Forensic Lab.

A few days later, it was confirmed that the cat hair near the body and the cat hair found in professor Im’s home had the same DNA.

The police made an official statement in front of the reporters who were waiting for information.

[Exclusive]

Professor L, specialized in psychiatry, turned out to be the killer…

Professor L, who worked as a specialist in psychiatry, was found to be an accomplice in the recent serial murder.

According to the announcement made by the police on the 00^th, the suspects of the serial murder who was found on scene was arrested, and an arrest warrant has been issued, and professor L’s whereabouts are still unknown.

Professor L is a professor of psychiatry, and he stood in court as a victim of the villa incident 10 years ago.

However, through the current case, the police received a statement from the suspect of that time, Park Mo, and the current suspect of the serial murder case.

Professor L was behind the two incidents. The police said “Professor L probably has antisocial personality disorder”.

As professor L, who has shown dignity as a profiler and university profiler in cooperation with the police, the backlash is expected to be huge. Professor L’s son is currently working as a profiler, cooperating with the police, it is expected that his son will be doubted too.

“What is this? Did people know that Professor L’s son is a doctor? Even reporters are entering asking for an exclusive interview. What do you think?”

Hansol crossed his legs and took a sip of his warm Americano.

As if he was aware on how the people would react, he seemed relaxed.

It was lieutenant Jung who didn’t like the turn of events.

“It can’t be helped. This much is expected. They can’t help but doubt the son. Well, I knew that there would be requests for an interview. I have no intention of doing it. Since it is annoying.”

Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on the door of the conference room.

“Uh… the chief is calling for you two.”

Detective Kang Woo-cheol spoke.

“Right now?”

“Yes. He is calling for you right now.”

Detective Kang Woo-cheol had abandoned his arrogant attitude and even acted polite to Hansol who escaped from being considered as a suspect. Of course, it could have been instructions from lieutenant Jung too.

“Understood.”

Hansol and the lieutenant entered the room.

Chief, Km Jin-wook greeted the two.

“Come and sit.”

The two of them sat on the sofa. A satisfactory expression hung of Kim Jin-wook’s face.

“You did a great job, Dr. Im, you didn’t forgive your own father who sinned! That effort was what solved the 10 years ago case too! Nice!”

“No. I just did what I had to do.”

“You heart must have hated it…?”

For Hansol, his mother’s death didn’t cause any pain, but he was thoroughly trained and educated on coping with such situations to seem normal.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“And lieutenant Jung, as expected, we can’t get work done without you! You did a great job too. So… all the media is currently focusing on Hwajong station. There reporters are also trying to get a hold of anything they can to write something on us, I felt so glad when we did the briefing. It was good. Lieutenant Jung, I like this.”

“… is that so?”

Jung spoke in a quaint voice.

“But the unfortunate thing is… the two of you will have to take new paths. This isn’t where you two belong.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“The two will meet again in a new team of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. It has been decided beforehand. Prior to joining, a vacation and honor will be given.”

“Huh?”

“What… didn’t you expect this to happen? Dr. Im seems rather casual. The new team will greet you once you go there. Starting next week, go to work for the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.”

“Ah… yes.”

“Yes.”

“Ah, one more thing. Detective Kang Woo-cheol, take him with you too. There are special promotions underway. And the Seoul agency wants a wider investigation team. That is all.”

Lieutenant and Hansol faced each other.

They were going to be a long-lasting team.

That too at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

After leaving the chief’s office, Lieutenant Jung asked Hansol out for a meal.

“Doesn’t sound bad.”

“There is a bone soup house around here, let’s go there.”

Lieutenant Jung took the lead.

Hansol followed her. It was shabby soup house near the Hwajong police station.

However, it was so full that finding a table was tough.

“Aunties! A bottle of soju and two bowls of bone soup!”

Lieutenant Jung shouted.

The soups and soju were served…. The two of them made a toast with the cool rink. No matter how much they drank, there was one thing that bothers Jung.

“… I have one question, doctor.”

“Go on.”

“When did you figure out that your father had antisocial personality disorder? You never talked about it during the briefing…”

“My father is a pro-social psychopath. He looks very elegant in front of others. However, after that, he ignores the rights of others… in fact, in my father’s study, I accidentally saw a psychopath test which my father took. My father was declared a perfect psychopath.”

“… that was what your mother found.”

“There was no sign of trespassing. And that day, my father had no lectures. Still, he came back pretending to have attended a lecture. Of course, my father was stabbed and injured too, that was why the police didn’t suspect him.”

“…!”

“Is this clear enough? Lieutenant Jung?”

“Yes. Thanks for telling me.”

“Then, let’s get along well in future.”

Hansol smiled brightly as he walked out and looked back at the restaurant.

‘Father, the shackles which held me are no more. I’ll prove it to you.’