A man in a navy suit with slicked back hair sat behind a large black and white table that had neatly arranged stacks of paper and a blue coffee mug. He had sharp features starting from his trimmed eyebrows that accentuated his laid-back but stern stare that an anchor usually had, along with his chiselled jawline as he began to speak.
"Today, we at UBS News are going to be discussing a serious topic tonight. Serial killers." The anchorman let the two words sink in as he looked at the camera with a stern but laid-back stare. "Now, I'm sure we are all familiar with the 'Chrysanthemum killer.' The man who took the lives of twenty four people in the span of two years and left white Chrysanthemums with his victims. Tonight, I am here to report that the possibility of an identical but new killer has appeared in our country." The screen shifted to a recording of an apartment complex surrounded by police and onlookers, the crime scene of Kim Ho-Sung's unit.
"Ah f**k, this is bad." Tae-Seok sighed as the reporter continued.
"Today, a man was found murdered in his own home in a brutal and savage manner that we are all too familiar with. Now we are about to show pictures of the scene and what is about to be shown is unsettling and not for the faint of heart, so if there are any children around or those who have weak stomachs, then we suggest you switch the channel." The anchor went silent again to give some viewers a chance to change the channel.
The screen switched again, but this time it was to the inside of the crime scene inside the apartment unit. The picture was at a certain lower angle beside the door. It showed a room splattered with sprays of blood everywhere, with the slightly blurred-out figure of Kim Ho-Sung tied to a chair in the center with the two pairs of red spider-lilies in his eyes, left visible for the viewers to see.
"The man in this picture who will not be named is the victim of the suspected serial killer. Now, victim-A had a terrible record of violence and substance abuse, which landed him in numerous dangerous situations with authorities such as the Samtang incident where a hostage was harmed by victim-A. Now what do you think when you hear about such a person? The common answer is "Trash", and what do you do with trash? You throw it out. That is what has happened here, but with a disturbing twist. You see, victim-A was un-alived with the same crimes he inflicted on his victim and left with a parting gift or a message; a bouquet of red spider-lilies in his eyes, one in each orifice. Now it is still uncertain whether this was a murder disguised as a serial killing or a simple act of revenge but the whole country will be paying attention to this matter. Thank you for watching this short segment of UBS News with your anchor, Choi Hyun-Woo." The anchor finishes his piece as the screen shifted to the logo of UBS News.
The entire team one of the violent crimes unit, was silent both in anger and shock.
'Someone gave them information on the case.' Yeon-Hee thought with certainty as she put her face in her palms and sighed as she leaned backwards into her chair that she was sitting on.
"We have a mole in the station. How else would he have that information." Dae-Bom spoke, sitting on the couch on the furthest wall near the door.
"Wasn't it either forensics or team two? I mean it can't be us and they were the only ones with access to the crime scene." Tae-Seok followed up, throwing the room into an awkward silence again. Yeon-Hee sighed and stood up, picking up and wearing her brown jacket. She picked up a thin, light brown case file and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Tae-Seok asked.
"Home." Yeon-Hee replied, closing the door behind her.
'I can't work in a place where information can be leaked easily. Until the informant is found and dealt with, I'll be working on this at home.' Yeon-Hee thought as she walked down the steps out of the police station with an unknown and strong determination to solve this case.
*********************
Outside, standing guard in a grey tracksuit on the small porch of her home and surveying the walls for the feeling of reassurance. Im Jin-Ah let out a breath of relief as she turned around to walk into the house, not noticing the hidden figure peeking over the wall by the light post, who intensely stared at Jin-Ah as she closed the door behind her.