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

BONUS CHAPTER - THE MURDER IN JEJU ISLAND 6

Byul smiles and pulls WheeIn a little closer, exhaling as she takes the time to revel in the warm hug. "Be safe, you hear? And text me as soon as you land," she tells her softly.

"So dramatic, this cheesy inspector. I'm not flying all the way to the other side of the globe," replies WheeIn with an amused smile, loosening her hold to pat Byul's head, finding the inspector extra adorable today. "I'll see you again tomorrow or in a few days tops. Why are you so clingy all of a sudden? You even helped me pack. You never help me pack."

"I don't know. I guess since we didn't get our planned getaway after all..."

"It's okay. We'll get to it." WheeIn leans in for a peck then steps back, grabbing her carry-on. "Bye. Solve this case and don't get hurt while you're at it."

"Will do. Send Ha-eun my love."

WheeIn nods and walks out of the hotel lobby with Byul alongside her, into the waiting police car that would take her to the airport. She waves goodbye for one last time before the car drives away and she loses sight of her wife.

When Byul arrives at the station, she's surprised to see an officer in uniform escorting Cho Jun Hyun and a person in suits towards the exit.

"What..." She stares at the men in confusion then turns her head to see Lieutenant Kang and Solar, looking grim. "What is going on?!"

"He lawyered up and since we can't charge him for murder, the lawyer decides that he could leave," explains Lieutenant Park.

"And you're letting him?"

"There is nothing we can do. He already passed the lie detector test and the DNA test result came back negative. His blood doesn't match the blood drops on the victim," Solar says.

"What about the mitochondrial DNA test?"

"They're working on it. We only told them to do it a couple of hours ago. It would take time although we have emphasized that it must be put on the highest priority considering our suspects can now escape the island."

"He's still a person of interest in this case," Lieutenant Kang adds. "So I'm putting my men on his tail. He shall not leave town without us knowing about it."

"Honestly though," Solar speaks in a low voice as they walk to the Lieutenant's office. "Judging from what we've found out so far, I think it's pretty clear that he's innocent."

"Has he remembered where he was between the time he confronted Kim Heechul at that bar and when he passed out at the other bar?" Byul asks.

"He said he was drowning his sorrows at a restaurant while grabbing supper. We sent our men there to interview the owner and show her his picture. She confirmed that he was there until closing time. She said that she had to send him away by force because he just wouldn't leave even though the restaurant was closing," says Lieutenant Kang. "Captain Kim has also checked his whereabouts after that through his phone records. He kept trying to call Chi-yeul even in his drunk state so we could map his movements using cell tower triangulation. He never went near the hotel during the time of the murder or at least he didn't make or receive a call near that area around that time.

"I hate to admit it but if the evidence says he's innocent then we have no choice but to believe it. Evidence don't lie. People do."

"So we're back to square one?" asks Byul.

"Not really. We still think that he holds the key to this case. Plus, we will have his brother under surveillance as well and he's certainly suspicious," Solar replies. "I hope the mitochondrial DNA test can help us. In the meantime, I've asked Bo Mi to help me map Jun Ho's movements using the same method we used to map his brother's movements during the night of the murder. Maybe we'll find something."

"I'll go talk to Hwang Chi-yeul again," Byul says. "Maybe he can tell me more about Jun Ho."

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She is in the middle of questioning the dirty cop when Solar knocks on the door and gestures urgently for her to follow her.

The inspector walks out of the interrogation room to see the captain all geared up in a bulletproof vest with a gun holster by her side and a communication device in her ear. "What's going on?" she asks.

"We got a situation. The officer tailing Jun Hyun lost him."

"Lost him? How is that possible?"

"He probably went down the fire escape and sneaked away when he realized that he was being watched," explains Solar. "But that's not the problem. The officer we assigned to keep an eye on his brother just called. He heard shouting from inside his house and a gunshot."

"A gunshot?!"

They arrive at the briefing room and Byul quickly suits up as well, grabbing a loaded gun while putting on a bulletproof vest and a communication device.

"It's a hostage situation now," Lieutenant Kang says the moment he steps into the room. "We got visual and there's a man holding a gun inside Cho Jun Ho's house."

"Who's the man?"

"Not sure yet. They only saw his arm and the gun he was pointing at Jun Ho." Then the man addresses the room. "Let's go! Move out!"

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The situation is tense as police officers surround the small cottage-like house.

Lieutenant Kang has been trying to make contact with the people in that house using a megaphone but got no response. Whoever was inside didn't show themselves nor did they react to his attempts.

The house is located in an area that's still underdeveloped so the distance between buildings is wider than in the more populated area of the island. It's also quite dark so the team is being extra careful so as not to take down the wrong person.

Solar suddenly feels her phone vibrating in her pocket. It's Bo Mi so she immediately answers it as she takes cover behind one of the cars. "What is it, Bo Mi?" she whispers.

"I finished mapping Jun Ho's movements on the night of the murder. He got a call from his brother not long after the bar confrontation. After that, he kept calling Jun Hyun every half hour. Each call only lasted a few seconds, as if he just wanted to make sure that someone pick up. Anyway, the call he made around midnight was from a location near the hotel. I know it's circumstantial so I did another, more exact GPS trace to both their phones just now and they're at the same location."

"What?" hisses the captain. "They're at the same location right now?"

"Yes. Same coordinates."

"Thanks."

"Wait, Unnie! One more thing. The mitochondrial DNA test result is here. Whoever shed blood on that victim is related to Jun Hyun."

"Good job!" The captain quickly ends the call and moves to where Lieutenant Kang is. "Bo Mi called," she tells him. "She traced their phones. Both brothers are at the same location right now."

"What? So Jun Hyun is inside?" asks the Lieutenant.

"Yes. I think he's the one with the gun," replies the captain. "And the second DNA test shows that whoever bled on the victim is related to Jun Hyun. His brother killed that man and probably planted that bloody hammer in his car. I think he wants either an explanation or payback right now. Either way, at least now we know how to negotiate."

Lieutenant Kang nods and starts briefing his men while Solar returns to her previous position to update Byul about what's going on.

Soon, the Lieutenant comes to talk to them about his strategy.

"The sympathy play," he says, pointing at Byul. "He's angry and desperate. Not only did he realize that his brother had set him up with the bloody hammer he put in his car, but this murder has set our eyes on his lover who will definitely go to jail now. He lost everything because of his brother so play that sympathy card to the max, Inspector. Change his mind. Let him see that this is not the end of the road."

Byul nods, understanding what the Lieutenant means. "I'll try my best."

One of the SWAT team members comes over with a special phone. Any conversation on that phone will be recorded and the Lieutenant will be listening in.

As soon as they're connected to Jun Hyun, the officer gives the phone to Byul.

"Who is this?" he asks.

"It's Inspector Moon Byul-Yi. We met at the station earlier today."

His tone turns harsh. "Stay out of this!"

"Wait! Please, listen to me for a moment, Mr. Cho. I want to help you. We want to help you."

"Then go! Leave! Take your noisy megaphones and people and leave!"

"But your brother-..."

"I DON'T HAVE A BROTHER!" he shouts, surprising Byul who pulls the phone away from her ear by reflex. "He tried to set me up! He almost sent me to jail for murder and he drove the love of my life away!"

"He did all that to protect you."

The man scoffs. "Just leave."

"Mr. Cho, please don't do this. You still have a life ahead of you."

"What do you know? My life is ruined because of this selfish, stupid man! You don't know how tough it is to find love! To have a good life! That's all I wanted and he destroyed it!" he yells into the phone, his voice trembling.

"I know more than you think. I have a wife," Byul says calmly.

"What? Don't lie to me or I swear I'll shoot him and all of you!"

"I'm not lying. We have an adopted daughter and I can even show you our wedding picture. I have it on my phone."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying, Mr. Cho. I really am not. Her name's WheeIn and she was here too, working with us. I know exactly what you went through. I've been there done that."

A few seconds of silence pass before he says, "Prove it. Show me the picture."

"Alright. Open the door. I'll be right there."

"Leave your gun and come alone."

"I will."

Byul hangs up, takes a deep breath and tells Solar what's going on.

"Byul, it's dangerous. He has a gun," warns Solar.

"It's the only way he'll listen." Byul hands over the special phone back to the SWAT member before giving Solar her gun. "Back me up?"

"Always. Be careful, Byul. Remember WheeIn and Ha-eun," Solar says, watching Byul walk away after giving her a thumbs-up.

Byul slowly approaches the front door with both hands up in the air. "Mr. Cho," she calls out. "I'm unarmed."

The door unlocks and opens a little, barely allowing Byul a look inside the dim house.

"I'm going to take out my phone now," she tells the man peeking from inside the building. "It's just my phone. I'm unarmed."

Slowly, she takes out her phone from her pocket with one hand and shows it to the man. "Here. Take a look. It's set as my wallpaper. Haven't changed it in years."

A hand slowly emerges from the crack of the door, waving a gun as a warning, before the door is pulled open wider and Jun Hyun appears, asking for the phone with his other hand.

Byul hands the device over, her expression calm even though she's cautiously keeping an eye on the barrel of the gun.

He checks the phone sees the picture of two women-the jet black inspector and a brunette he doesn't recognize-in white dresses with a grinning little girl standing in front of them. The inspector is pictured kissing the other woman's cheek and the latter has a bright smile on her face, glowing with happiness.

"We've been together for eight years now. Our little girl is turning ten soon and we've been married for nearly three years," Byul says, smiling at the thought of her family. "That picture was taken on the happiest day of my life. I'm not lying when I said that I knew exactly what you went through. It was tough until she came along."

Unconsciously, he lets out a sigh and takes a moment to stare at the photo before returning the phone to the inspector.

He drops his gun-holding hand and looks at Byul, his desolate eyes tearing up.

"You're lucky, Inspector Moon. What I would do to have what you have..."

"I know and I'm sorry, Mr. Cho. You can have it too, you know. Maybe not with Hwang Chi-yeul but with someone else. I'm sure that there is someone out there for you. Just don't rob yourself of that possibility or that hope by hurting your brother," Byul says. "He did terrible things but he meant well. He wanted you to be happy."

The man shakes his head and hands over the gun when Byul asks for it. "Am I under arrest?" he asks when he sees the other officers moving closer.

"Nah. I won't put you in handcuffs," Byul says as she comes to stand next to him. "But I have to take you down to the station. Someone heard a gunshot."

"I shot the bedroom window to scare Hyung," he admits.

"Where is he?"

"Kitchen."

Byul relays the information to the SWAT team that immediately enters the property while she pulls Jun Hyun aside, making sure that everyone sees that she has him and the situation under control.

"Let's go, Mr.Cho. We'll talk more at the station."

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The slender woman literally throws herself onto the hotel bed, groaning as she sinks into the comfortable mattress and pillow, exhausted from the very long day.

Cho Jun Hyun told them everything about how he realized that his brother had set him up when they showed him the bloody hammer. Despite being drunk, he remembered Jun Ho checking up on him at the bar and taking his car keys. He also knew of his motive: making sure that there was no third person standing in the way of his happiness, but he was furious that the man had left the murder weapon in his car and did not admit that it was his.

He said he needed to confirm this and went to confront his brother at gunpoint. Jun Ho denied everything, at first, shifting the blame onto Chi-yeul. That only angered Jun Hyun more and he ended up shooting the bedroom window to make his point. That was when his brother finally confessed to everything that he had done and begged him for forgiveness.

He was too angry to think straight so he took him to the kitchen and tied him to a chair to make sure that he couldn't run away while he tried to think of what to do next and how to punish him.

The police arrived soon after that, canceling whatever plans he was hatching in his brain.

"I appreciate all he's done for me, I really do," he told the officers sitting across the table from him. "I know I'm not the best little brother but this is way too crazy, don't you think? He killed a man! Yes, I kept telling him how much I hated that guy but come on... killing him and then setting me up for it because he was afraid of what he did?" He shakes his head. "Some brother. He was going to destroy my future. He nearly ruined my life!" Then he looked at Byul. "I just want what you have. Is that really too much to ask?"

At the memory of what Jun Hyun said and how he looked at her, Byul pushes herself up, turns to lie on her back and grabs her phone, missing her wife and daughter.

She texts WheeIn, asking whether the woman is still awake and luckily, she is.

"But Ha-eun's already asleep," adds WheeIn.

"It's okay. Facetime?"

"Sure."

Byul quickly dials WheeIn's number and instantly smiles when she sees her wife's no-makeup face and her messy hair tied up into a bun. She notices a pile of clothes on the bed behind WheeIn and asks, "You're seriously tidying up? At this hour?"

"The place is dusty and I needed to do the laundry. Besides, I'm not sleepy yet. How are things?" asks WheeIn.

"Dramatic. But we got the guy who did it."

"Who? Jun Hyun or his brother?"

"His brother."

"I knew it! Did the mitochondrial DNA test help?"

"Yes. We also found healing cut wounds on his palms but we got something even better. A confession. The full story from how he heard about the victim being here on the island, always hanging around his brother's love interest, to talking to him at his restaurant, to how angry he was when he called his brother to hear him all sad, brokenhearted and drunk, even all the way to how he killed the man," Byul says. "It was indeed unplanned, just as we suspected."

"What happened then?"

"He said he waited at the hotel after his brother called him and followed Kim Heechul to his room. The broken security camera was sheer coincidence, by the way. When Heechul opened the door, he repeated what he said earlier at the restaurant and told him to back off but the man denied knowing Jun Hyun or having any interest in Chi-yeul, and threatened to call hotel security on him after saying unpleasant, insulting things about both brothers. That set him off so he went down to his car, grabbed his tool bag, went back up to his room and hit him with a hammer. He stabbed him after that to make sure that he was dead. Then he panicked so he wiped his bloody hand on a hotel towel and took the victim's credit card and watch that were on the nightstand. He threw them away to make it look like a robbery. He was going to wash and keep the hammer and knife but then we interrogated him and he got scared so he threw the knife into the ocean and put the hammer in his brother's car. He said Jun Hyun had to share the blame because according to him, he was the one who made him do what he did."

"Wow. You got him to admit all that? What made him come clean?"

Byul briefly summarizes what happened between the two brothers and also tells WheeIn about what Jun Hyun had said about wanting what they have.

"Aw... I feel bad for him," WheeIn says.

"Like his lover said, he was just a man who had a tough life growing up. And despite all his flaws and bad decisions, he just wanted to be happy."

"Why did Jun Ho talk to the Heechul during that lunch in the first place?"

"He got curious, he said. He wanted to know more about the person who was the main source of his brother's problem. Heechul denied knowing Jun Hyun until he met him that day as his chauffer. Besides, he had a job to do and the last thing he needed was a jealous misunderstanding lover and his overprotective brother complicating his undercover work."

"I see. Well, I'm glad your boring I'm-not-gonna-change-my-phone-wallpaper-ever attitude turned out useful," teases WheeIn. "I was going to secretly change it when you were asleep but I keep forgetting."

"I am not boring and that wallpaper is the best wallpaper there is," argues Byul. "Happiest day of my life."

"It was the happiest day of my life too but come on, using the same wallpaper for two years? That's beyond boring. Have some versatility, Star."

"Then I'll change it to a naked photo of my gorgeous wife," retorts the jet black hair with a huge mischievous grin on her face. "Is that versatile enough for you?"

"Yah! Pervert!"

Byul laughs at her pouting wife. "How's Ha-eun by the way?"

"She's fine. We went straight home from the airport. She really missed our apartment and her own room, she said."

"I can relate to that."

"Imo looked a bit sad though. I think she liked having Ha-eun around. She kept her busy."

"Let's take them out to dinner after I get back. To thank them properly."

WheeIn nods. "Let's do that. Now you go sleep. I know you must be exhausted."

"I'm okay," says Byul but a yawn escapes her and she finally admits that she's tired. "We're flying home tomorrow. They're wrapping up the investigation and Mr. Seo has taken over the case. He'll oversee the transport of both Cho Jun Ho and Hwang Chi-yeul to Seoul and also the body of his agent."

"I'm sure Ha-eun would be happy to hear that. Now go shower and sleep. It's super late."

"Okay. You too. Stop cleaning up. You can do it tomorrow."

"I will. Goodnight, Star."

"Night, WheeIn-ah. Thanks for marrying me."

WheeIn chuckles. "The pleasure is all mine. Love you."

"Love you."

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Two women stand on the curb in front of their apartment building with wide eyes and incredulous looks on their faces, watching a black sedan drive away.

"What happened to the girl who whined and even skipped school because she missed us?" the jet black hair one asks. "She barely waved to us!"

"I think that girl vanished the moment she heard the words 'amusement park'," replies the brunette.

"But it's only been weeks! I thought it would take her longer to recover from the last time we had to leave her."

"Amusement park, Star. Imo even hinted at a shopping spree tomorrow. We can't compete with that."

"I guess we can't." Byul sighs then grins. "But look on the bright side," she says as she takes hold of WheeIn's hand and walks back towards the building. "We can go on that getaway now. Too bad it's just another hotel in Seoul and not beautiful Jeju island."

"It's okay. It's not the view that matters," WheeIn replies, swinging Byul's hand. "It's the feisty little inspector who hasn't had some since she came back from that beautiful Jeju island."

"Who are you calling little?"

"You."

Byul shakes her head at her grinning wife and pulls her inside the empty elevator. WheeIn lets Byul pin her against the elevator wall.

"Pervert." WheeIn pokes Byul's head only to get a kiss in return. "Will you help me pack this time?"

"Why do we even have to pack? It's just a two-night stay at a hotel downtown. Take my back pack. I just need to bring two pairs of clean underwear and a t-shirt. Clothes are the last thing we'd need anyway," retorts the smirking Byul.

WheeIn pretends to sigh as she pushes Byul away, stepping out of the elevator as soon as the doors slide open.

Walking a short distance behind her is her wife who's now busy texting on her phone that beeped a few seconds ago. "The trial starts Monday," she tells her wife after reading the message Solar sent her.

"Whose trial?"

"Cho Jun Ho's."

"That's fast. What about Hwang Chi-yeul's case?"

"I think they would need more time to build the case against that dirty cop. I'm not sure how strong the evidence left by Kim Heechul is. The murder, on the other hand, is pretty straightforward. We have forensic evidence, witness testimonies and a confession. It's a slam dunk."

"Who says that nowadays?"

Byul sets her phone aside and jumps onto the bed, watching WheeIn pick out her clothes. "Says what?"

"Slam dunk."

"I just did."

"Then you're old fashioned. Please upgrade your slang vocab."

Byul rolls her eyes and lies down. "Why do you criticize me so much on the start of what's supposed to be our long overdue weekend getaway?"

She senses WheeIn approaching, feels the mattress shake when her wife climbs onto it and raises her eyebrows at the woman now hovering over her.

"Because I'm excited," says WheeIn. "And I was just teasing you."

"Then stop teasing me and get on with the packing. We need to go."

"What's the rush?" WheeIn dips her head down to press her lips gently against Byul's. "We have all weekend."

"But the hotel-..."

"It's not going anywhere. We have plenty of time," says the brunette as she kisses her wife again. "It's not like we're going to leave that room anyway. We can check in later."

"Actually..." Byul speaks once their kiss ends. "I've made reservations for a romantic dinner tonight. Complete with champagne, candle lights, music... everything you like. I was going to surprise you but I guess it's better I tell you now so you can bring something nice to wear."

"Aw... that's sweet of you. I like romantic Inspector Moon Byul-Yi."

"I like her too. She's such a cool person."

Now it's WheeIn who rolls her eyes at her wife. "Will there be dancing?"

"You know I don't dance."

"But dancing would complete our romantic night!"

"No dancing," states Byul in all seriousness.

"I stand corrected. Inspector Moon Byul-Yi is not really romantic," WheeIn says, pouting.

"But she's awesome in bed. That's more important than romance, right? It's the key to a happy, satisfied wife and a successful marriage."

"..."

Byul laughs at WheeIn's deadpanned expression and pulls her down for another, more passionate kiss. "I'll let my tongue and fingers do the dancing," she whispers huskily in her wife's ear before nipping playfully on her earlobe, feeling her shudder in her arms. "Yes?"

"Yes, please."

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Another case has been solved... 

Imagination has been wild for a while..... hmmm... A bet satisfied with a hanging ending????

hahahaha....

Don't forget to vote guys...