19 Trashcan

The body was dumped in a trashcan only a couple of blocks away so Jina and Hobin walked there directly. A crowd had gathered but the CSI was already there, fending them off. Jina put on her gloves while Hobin did the same and they entered the crime scene. 

The police officers had secured the body and put it on a stretcher. The initial investigation was already complete by the time they got there and the CSI officers were starting to pack up. Jina glanced at the boy.

"He's been strangled," Hobin commented. He squatted down to take a closer look. "There are signs of strangulation by a wire or something similar."

"The rest of his body isn't bruised," Jina commented. "The killer might have taken him by surprise."

Hobin checked the hands of the corpse. There were no signs of struggle other than the marks on his neck but the boy's nails were bloody.

"Did the Forensic collect the samples under his nails?" Hobin asked a passing CSI officer.

"Yes," the officer replied. "We've also gathered the photos and we'll send them to the department as soon as we're done here."

Hobin nodded and stood up. Jina ushered a rookie cop to her.

"What are the details so far?" she asked him.

"The boy is around nine to ten years old," he replied. "He's been strangled and dumped here."

"Any CCTV footage?" Hobin asked. 

"None," the rookie stated. "This spot is secluded and the camera is broken as well. But one of the residents saw a black van last night pulling up in front of the trashcan and dropped off a large bag. The body was discovered this morning by the trash collector when he noticed the hand was sticking out of the bag."

"Where's the witness who saw the car?" Hobin asked.

"She's standing there."

The rookie cop pointed at a girl who was around 14 or 15 years old. She was wearing a school uniform which Jina recognized immediately.

"Dalton High?" she muttered.

"What is it?" Hobin asked.

"Nothing!" she claimed. "Let's talk to her."

They approached the girl who looked a little scared. Her parents were standing with her, clasping her hand.

"Detective Hwang Jina," she introduced herself. "And this is Doctor Ohm Hobin, Special Profiler. Can we ask your daughter some questions?"

"Our daughter is really afraid," her mother explained. "She's not understanding how to deal with cops."

"Don't worry," Jina assured them. "Nothing will happen to your daughter. We'll only ask a few questions about the van she saw. I know it might feel scary to her but I promise you that she's not in any trouble."

Jin turned to the girl and smiled. The girl was timid and awkward but felt somewhat relaxed in Jina's presence.

"What's your name?" she gently asked. 

"Soobin," the girl replied. "Kim Soobin."

"Can I call you Soobin?" Jina asked. "You can call me 'sis' as well. No need to be formal."

Hobin observed the girl carefully. She had dark hair with dull eyes but her face was friendly. By her dialect, he deduced that the girl and her family were from another town and had probably recently moved to the neighborhood. However, the uniform she wore was expensive because the stitching was not just done by hand but he saw the initials of the designer on one corner of her skirt. As per his knowledge, only exclusive schools' uniforms were designed by that particular designer.

"Sis," Soobin began. "Me and my parents just moved to the city a few weeks ago because I got into Dalton High School. We don't know much about this place and I'm still learning how to navigate the area. Last night, I got lost around the intersection."

She pointed at a four road intersection just a few steps away from their spot. "Instead of going South, I ended up coming north. I was standing in front of that wall, scanning my phone's map for directions when I saw a black van stop by and throw something out. Since it was near the trash can, I thought they probably threw trash and drove off…"

Soobin trailed off, biting her lip.

"Most people wouldn't remember this detail," Hobin pointed out. "You were busy with your phone and lost. Your mind should have been elsewhere, not at a car which just happened to throw trash away."

He looked directly into her eyes. "There's something else, isn't there?" he guessed. "Something that caught your eye and made you remember the van quite vividly."

When Soobin hesitated, Jina asked, "Soobin, what else did you see? Please tell us."

"The person who threw the bag away was a woman," she revealed. "She was wearing a mask so I couldn't see her face but she wore a skirt and light colored shirt with really high heels. It seemed odd that a woman who looked so elegant and smart would be throwing out trash in the middle of the night. The woman did not see me because I was on the other side of the wall. She drove away afterwards."

"What else do you remember?" Hobin asked. 

"There was some sort of black drawing on her left wrist," Soobin recalled. "It was mostly hidden by the sleeves but when she was dragging the bag, her wrist was exposed for a few seconds. I couldn't see the shape from afar but there was definitely some kind of black tattoo on it!"

"Black tattoo…" Jina secretly glanced around to see if the ghost was anywhere nearby but he was nowhere to be seen. 

I'll have to keep looking for him, she decided.

Meanwhile, Hobin took off his gloves and reached out his hand for the girl to shake. "Thank you for your help," he said with a charming smile.

The girl was a little mesmerized by the handsome man. She paused a little before shaking his hand. 

Instantly, he read her memories. Useless images of a light haired idol named Minyoon were flashing by until he reached the last bit about the night before. Her story corroborated with what she had said. There indeed was a tattooed lady but as Soobin said, she was standing too far to see the face and tattoo properly.

"Are you heading to school now?" Jina asked Soobin.

"Yes, but I'm running very late," Soobin murmured.

"I can drop you off," Jina offered. "I'm planning to stop at Dalton High on the way."

"Oh," Soobin said. "Okay."

"I'm coming too," Hobin casually said. 

"The hospital is on the opposite side!" Jina gritted.

"I know," he shrugged. "But there's this really hot girl who sells casseroles in front of the school."

"How do you know that?" Jina frowned. "You've lived abroad all your life! How do you know about the casserole girl?"

But he simply winked and walked off. 

"He's really cute," Soobin remarked. 

"He's annoying!" Jina groaned. She motioned at Soobin and said, "Let's go."