Chapter 10: A Second Carcass

The fire investigator, who had arrived before them and was conducting his investigation, was seen walking back from a distance.

When their eyes met, Mu-yun nodded, and the investigator called him.

Mu-yun pointed at himself with wide eyes, and the investigator gestured for him to come quickly.

“What’s the matter?”

The fire investigator looked at him and smiled faintly.

There were scars on his cheeks and up to his temples that looked like burn marks, making his skin appear slightly reddish, so his smile didn’t look particularly friendly either.

“Probationary officer?”

“Yes.”

Mu-yun swallowed a bit of awkwardness and answered politely.

“You haven’t seen that side yet, have you?”

The man, who looked at least twice Mu-yun’s age, was short with his words—that had become common since becoming a police officer—but somehow, the back of his neck felt cold.

“I heard the fire investigation isn’t finished yet.”

There was an order to visiting a crime scene as well.

Most of the time, the police box closest to the scene would respond first, followed by the detectives and the forensic team.

However, if the incident was a fire, the firefighters would respond first, and as soon as the fire was extinguished, the fire investigation team would conduct their investigation.

Usually only after that would the police check the scene and wrap things up.

If there were no other issues, the only job for a patrol officer like him was to block access and guard the scene to prevent contamination.

At Mu-yun’s answer, the investigator nodded.

“That’s right.”

Letting out a low laugh, the investigator glanced toward where the monk and Sergeant Park were.

“Look carefully when you examine the scene.

There’s one there too.”

“What do you mean…?”

The investigator blinked.

“There’s one there, they said.

A burnt cat.”

Mu-yun’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m a firefighter, not a cop.

I’m just letting you know.

It’s completely charred black, hard to tell what it is, so be careful when you look.”

As if that was all he had to say, the investigator shrugged.

“Then I’m off.”

Watching him wave and walk into the area cordoned off with yellow tape strung like a line, Mu-yun abruptly turned around and went to Sergeant Park’s side.

Sergeant Park, having finished his preliminary investigation, was just walking toward him.

As soon as Mu-yun got close, Sergeant Park spoke.

“What did Supervisor Jeong say?”

The question ‘Do you know him?’ rose to his throat but went back down.

He figured everyone else knew each other well, except for him.

Mu-yun checked their surroundings and leaned in.

“He said there’s another cat carcass near the point of origin.”

Sergeant Park’s eyebrows twisted.

Mu-yun let out a short breath and casually mentioned what had come to mind.

“Remember those missing cases filed by the animal protection group last time?

Shouldn’t we check those?”

It didn’t seem likely that the reported missing stray cats and dogs had simply vanished into thin air.

Roadkill or freezing to death in the cold were the most common cases, so those were certainly possibilities.

Still, when it came to wild, unprotected animals disappearing, people usually played the biggest role.

“You think it’s connected?”

Meeting Sergeant Park’s gaze, Mu-yun hesitantly nodded.

“It’s about Rambo.”

At the familiar name, Sergeant Park squinted.

“Why him?”

“I did a quick search because of the missing reports.

For cats, they’re territorial animals, so it’s rare for them to stray outside their territory.

The first place I saw him was in that drainage ditch right below here.

Even if he got scared and ran away from the wildfire, he’d probably be somewhere nearby, but they said there are no cats matching his description reported at the shelter.”

They couldn’t tell if it was a cat or a dog, or if there was only one set of bones in the incinerator or more.

It could have been, for all they knew, someone burning pig trotter bones in there.

Since only a portion covered in ash was visible now.

He hoped it was something completely unrelated, a commotion caused by a misunderstanding, but his premonition was very bad.

“Are you sure you saw him around here?”

“Yes.”

Sergeant Park ran his fingers through his permed curly hair.

“Let’s report it first.

Whatever it is, anyway, burning animal carcasses in that incinerator is already illegal, and even if we don’t know yet whether it was arson or accidental, it’s definitely suspicious.

What about the pictures you took earlier?”

“Here they are.”

Mu-yun handed over the photos saved on his phone.

Sergeant Park looked through them one by one, then returned to the incinerator and took additional photos.

“Next time, take a picture of the padlock too.

Can you see the keyhole here?”

“Yes.”

“Take one of this too.

I already photographed the key I got from the monk.”

Filling in anything they might have missed, they checked everything that could serve as additional evidence, then went to see the spot the fire investigator had mentioned.

It was within thirty big strides.

Mu-yun looked at where the CCTV was, but figured that if it didn’t even capture the incinerator where they had been standing earlier, it wouldn’t capture this spot either.

It was clear that the fire had started here, yet somehow the temple hadn’t burned down.

If the fiercely blowing wind that day had changed direction even slightly, this location would have gone up in flames instantly.

“Where did he say this was?”

Sergeant Park frowned so deeply that even his mask couldn’t hide it.

Mu-yun nodded in answer and then checked the thick layer of fallen leaves that had piled up and then burned.

Among the areas that were entirely black with ash, empty patches were visible here and there.

Checking what looked like a field, Mu-yun stared intently at one spot.

“Sergeant Park, there’s a mound of dirt over there.”

There was a spot that looked hollowed out, higher around the edges and sunken in the middle.

“That’s it.”

Sergeant Park strode over.

Mu-yun quickly followed.

As they got closer, the smell of smoke permeated the air, so strong that even masks couldn’t block it.

Mu-yun narrowed his eyes and checked the black lumps among the ash, which was scattering slightly in the blowing wind.

“Is this it… I see… Huh?”

He was photographing with his phone when he flinched and his shoulders jerked.

A part of a cat’s carcass, not entirely burned, with skin and fur still intact, came into his view.

Somehow, it looked familiar.

“Rambo?”

At the name that slipped out as Sergeant Park, frowning deeply, carefully examined the partially burned cat carcass, Mu-yun’s eyes widened.

“Is it really Rambo?”

“…I don’t know.

Damn!

How many cats have fur like this?

Three out of five strays on the street have this pattern.”

Not all of the body was intact, so Mu-yun wasn’t sure either.

Sergeant Park alternated looking at the sky and the ground with a complicated expression, then sighed.

“It’s not him.

That bastard is too quick.

And if it were Rambo, Supervisor Jeong wouldn’t have missed it.

The Supervisor knows Rambo too.

How many times has he rescued him?

The fire station even caught him and got him neutered.

There’s no way he wouldn’t have recognized him.

This isn’t Rambo.”

“I suppose you’re right?”

Mu-yun looked at the cat that closely resembled the Rambo he had glimpsed in passing, and let out a long breath.

Still, he felt a bit unsettled.

He was ashamed of himself for getting excited earlier, thinking a real incident had broken out.

The fact that an incident was heinous meant that some living creature had been hurt or killed, even if it wasn’t a person.

The two checked the scene more thoroughly.

Only after the forensic team and detectives arrived did they come down from the mountain.

***

“Supervisor Jeong did?”

Tae-i wrinkled the bridge of his nose.

Mu-yun looked at the tteokbokki being placed in a container and nodded.

“One sundae, one tteokbokki, three rolls of kimbap, and two skewers of fish cake.

That’s right, isn’t it?”

“Yes.

Here you go.”

Tae-i held out his card and then looked at Mu-yun again.

“Need anything else?”

Instead of answering, Mu-yun shook the bag in his hand.

The smell of freshly fried whole chicken from a cast iron pot, just received and still hot, wafted up.

“Please ring us up.”

Having bought enough to eat for the evening that seemed a bit much for two people, they left the snack bar with their hands full.

When he was alone, he’d hesitate to order things meant for one person, but with an extra mouth, his greed had increased, making his hands very heavy.

After examining the scene during the day, he had questions he wanted to resolve but had no one to ask.

When Tae-i contacted him saying let’s eat dinner, Mu-yun asked him what he had been wondering about.

“Saying to look carefully—do you think he means the cat didn’t die because of the wildfire?”

Tae-i let out a short breath.

“To be precise, they’d have to examine the bones of the dead animals, but if he said that, maybe 90% certain without an autopsy?”

The snack bar was right next to the tenement house where the two lived, so getting there was quick.

Climbing the stairs, which still smelled damp and musty, Tae-i added an explanation.

“I heard that when a body is found at a fire scene, after the fire investigator’s inspection, the police forensic team takes the bones and examines them.

That’s how they can tell whether the death was caused by the fire, or if it was arson to cover up a death that happened before.

Anyway, within what I know, if the Supervisor said to look carefully, it’s probably that they died and then were caught in the fire.

Because he must have seen something different from death by smoke inhalation.

Besides, our side almost thinks it was arson.”

“Confirmed?”

When Mu-yun asked back, Tae-i shook his head.

“Still about 70%.”

Mu-yun squinted.

The possibility was high, but there was still nothing decisive—an ambiguous feeling.

Having reached the third floor, Tae-i stood in front of unit 305 as if it were the most natural thing.

“Eat at my place?”

Mu-yun looked toward his own house and opened his mouth.

He had called Tae-i because he wanted to ask something, but inviting a stranger he had just recently started talking to into his house required courage.

Tae-i smiled.

“There’s a food-crazy guy at my place.

And I don’t have a table.”

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