Now With U (Living In The Past - Book 2) (WheeByul)

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

"WheeInie." Bo Mi stopped behind the quiet WheeIn and bent down to look at the computer screen. "What are you doing?"

"I'm... I don't know," said WheeIn with a sigh as she leaned back in her chair.

Bo Mi moved to the side, taking a seat on the desk, facing WheeIn. "What were you trying to do?"

"I still want to find a pattern or a relationship between these attacks but I can't," said WheeIn, still frowning in dissatisfaction. "I was going to apply multivariate analysis but there aren't enough variables or samples."

"Well, we only have three attacks so..."

"Exactly. But I can't shake this nagging feeling that there is a link in all three."

"You mean besides having Uhm Tae-woong involved?"

"Yes. He's the only common link so far but-..." WheeIn stopped. Her eyes suddenly widened. She snapped her fingers then reached out for the mouse and keyboard, displaying the files and data on the screen.

"What is it, Whee?" Bo Mi stood up to stand behind WheeIn's chair.

"He did something. I'm sure he did something. If he's as good as Won-jae has said, so good that Ji Soo had to drag him out of that temple to help, then why has this guy been sloppy? His shoe print, his blood, his return to his known address, his old car and his blatant DNA trace on Tae Hyung's face?"

"Um... he got arrogant?"

"I don't think he's that type. I think he's doing this on purpose."

"But we found the link to Seonggwangsa temple only after Jimin snatched his medal."

"I'm pretty sure he didn't put up a better fight on purpose. By the looks of it, this man could take on both Jimin and Byul but he threw a mild punch and ran instead. Why? He had gotten away with worse things before. Attacking two cops wouldn't have been that hard to do."

"What are you trying to say? You're losing me here, WheeIn." Bo Mi frowned at the screen.

WheeIn didn't reply but zoomed in on the shoe print photograph instead. "These cherry blossom petals and pine smudges... they seem to form quite a straight line. What are the chances of that?"

"It could just be a coincidence, WheeInie. Who would align crushed petals and pine under one's shoe like that? In the middle of a brawl, no less. They form a straight line but it's because they were stuck in that straight groove in the sole pattern."

"Hold that thought," said WheeIn as she brought up the picture of the medal. "Did you swab this? Put it under that UV light and everything?"

"Yes." Bo Mi reached over WheeIn's shoulder, taking over the mouse to click open another image. "Here it is." She showed WheeIn the picture of the round object with several glow in the dark spots. "Most of the traces were found on the 'Zen' writing."

"That line..." WheeIn traced the horizontal and vertical line, making up a cross-like pattern. "Bring up the shoe imprint again."

Bo Mi clicked on the other photograph and straightened up, letting go of the mouse. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you, WheeIn? It's too far fetched."

"Did you find anything in the old Volvo? Symbols? Scratches in uncommon places?"

"Not really." Bo Mi furrowed her brows to think. "Although... excuse me, WheeInie."

WheeIn moved her chair aside to let Bo Mi have better access to the mouse and keyboard.

"There was an old, worn charm hanging from the rearview mirror. I swabbed it but found nothing besides dirt and some mold. It also has the 'Zen' symbol written on it."