Chapter 53 - Mansions & Basements
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Jina and her team had arrived at Song Yohan's mansion. The giant European style mansion stood in the middle of the city like a magnum opus which was untouchable to the common folks. Sprawling across several acres of land, it was cited as one of the most beautiful architectural sights of the country.
The lawn was neatly trimmed with a walkway adorned with exotic flowers on both ends. A small koi pond was located right off the walkway surrounded by large pebbles and the path leading to the mansion was tiled with several colorful slabs. The grass was bright green and well kept while the dogs were kept locked in a large kennel. The canines glared at the police and crowd which had gathered there, barking loudly at them.
Reporters flooded the front gate but they were not allowed to enter because the CSI was still investigating. Jina was irritated by the crowd and yelled at them.
"MOVE IT!" she shouted. "Let us through!"
Upon seeing the detectives, the media swooped in on them.
"Detective, how did she die?" One reporter demanded.
"Is it true she ran away?"
"Was she killed by her family?"
"Get away, you lot!" Jaebum yelled at the pesky reporters. Together with Dahoon, he pushed them backwards in an attempt to clear the way.
"Ugh, I just hate these reporters," Jiwoon muttered. "Can't they let the family live in peace?"
"They're really the worst," Woohee agreed. "Making stories out of people's grief."
But Jina was not listening to any of them. She had bigger things to deal with.
As soon as she entered the house, a woman in her mid fifties came running to her and hugged her.
"Jina!" she exclaimed. "Thank god, you're here!"
This was Yoo Seohyun, Rachel's mother and the wife of Song Yohan. The Song family was one of the investors of Jina's father and their families shared good relations. Jina even met their daughter, Rachel, on several occasions. While she disliked the kid, she never thought that the girl would end up like this.
Seohyun's posh and elegant features were now distorted by her makeup. She had been crying nonstop for hours. Her black hair was a mess and she was wailing loudly in Jina's arms.
"My daughter!" she cried. "My sweet daughter!"
Jina pitied the woman's state and hushed her.
"I'm here now, auntie," she consoled the aggrieved woman. "We'll find the culprit…"
Her team was behind her, feeling awkward to be in the presence of the rich family.
"Looks like having riches come with their own set of problems," Chanmi muttered.
"Rich or poor, it doesn't matter," Jiwoon said. "Criminals and death don't see status."
A lean figure approached them. It was a man in his early sixties. The man's skin was lined with wrinkles and his goatee was almost white. His grey hair was neatly back brushed and unlike his wife, he did not seem distraught nor sad. On the contrary, he was calm and poised.
"Uncle Yohan," Jina greeted. "I'm really sorry for your loss-"
"The body is downstairs," he said in a steely tone. "I believe the cops will investigate this thoroughly. If you need any help from us, please let us know."
Jina was not unsurprised by his cold attitude but her team was shell shocked.
"Is he the father?" Jiwoon whispered to Jina.
"Yes," Jina replied. "He's Rachel's father."
Seohyun glared at her husband who was completely unaffected by their daughter's death. She sprang to her feet and yelled at him.
"Are you that heartless?" She shrieked. "Our daughter just died! Her body was found rotting in the basement after weeks! Why are you so cold hearted?"
Yohan pretended not to hear her and vanished from sight. Jina held Seohyun back, trying to prevent the woman from gouging out her husband's eyes. Song Yohan was a cold and calculative businessman who never gave time to his family. He was mostly detached from everyone and was not the fatherly type. His daughter, Rachel, was a notorious spoiled brat and got into trouble every now and then.
But even Jina could not help thinking that his reaction was quite unnatural.
"Auntie, we'll have to go and investigate," she told Seohyun. "Chanmi, can you please stay here and keep her company?"
Chanmi nodded and stayed back with Seohyun while the others went downstairs to investigate the body.
"Don't you think it's strange that the body of their girl was buried under their home and the parents did not know?" Woohee asked as they headed for the basement.
"It's really weird," Jaebum agreed. "And the dad's reaction is even weirder. Why wasn't he affected at all?"
"Song Yohan isn't the affectionate type," Jina stated. "He puts business before family. Many rich people do. I've seen it all the time but to be this unaffected...It's fishy for sure."
"Boss, do you think he killed his daughter?" Woohee suggested.
"We can't make assumptions," Jina said.
"But it still doesn't answer why they didn't know their daughter was buried here," Jaebum pointed out. "I mean, if she was killed here, that means she must have screamed for help."
Hearing Jaebum's question, one of the CSI officers said, "The body wasn't buried very deep. It was a shallow grave. Her hand was sticking out."
"What?" Jaebum exclaimed. "And no one saw it? But if she was killed here, someone must have heard her cries!"
"You don't know much about these mansions, do you?" Woohee asked.
"What do you mean?" Jaebum frowned.
"This whole mansion is soundproof," Jina revealed. "You can scream on one floor and the people upstairs will hear nothing. Not a sound can go outside the premises. That poor girl had no chance."
"But there are household staff here," he pointed out. "They must have cleaned the cellar many times."
"Large mansions hide terrible secrets," Jina grimaced. "You don't know what goes on behind these walls. This body was found after three weeks but some bodies can't even be found. Burying a body in a mansion is much safer than elsewhere."
They entered a basement which was quite dark. There were stacks of alcohol lined up against the walls and a large clearing in the middle which was now swarming with CSI officers. The body was surrounded by forensic doctors who were collecting samples. A foul smell enveloped the whole place, making them almost gag.
"The body rotted a lot," Jiwoon said, covering her nose with a handkerchief. "And there are really a lot of policemen here. More than necessary."
Jina was unaffected by the stench and put on her gloves.
She crossed over the warning signs to take a closer look at the body. What she saw next, made her blood freeze.
"Oi Tinkerbell!"
The others turned around to find that Hobin had also arrived. But Jina did not respond to him, her eyes fixed on the body in front of her.
"Can't you hear me?" Hobin asked in irritation when he reached her but she silently pointed at the body. He followed her gaze and his eyes widened in shock.
Rachel was not merely killed. She was completely massacred.
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