Chapter 15: Not Just Arson

“So, I’m not sure how best to put this, but looking only within statistical bounds, the fire last time at the foot of Bongosan Mountain behind Baekdu Seogwang Apartment complex is somewhat removed from the characteristics of planned arson in the usual sense.”

“Planned?”

Mu-yun asked back, retracing what he had heard.

Tae-i reached into his pocket, rummaged around, then took out a small packet of jelly and tore it open.

“Meaning there are two types of arson.

The premise that someone deliberately set the fire is the same, but the characteristics differ depending on whether it was planned or impulsive.”

“Like distinguishing between premeditated and impulsive crimes?”

At Mu-yun’s answer, Tae-i nodded.

“Right.

In the case of Bongosan, they used only materials that were already on-site to start the fire.

In planned arson, there are usually traces of something that wasn’t originally there.

Like oil or paper that’s hard to obtain on the spot?

But I heard there was nothing like that.

If they didn’t go there to set a fire but went there and then needed to set one, it means they wanted to burn something or felt an impulse to start a fire.

That would explain the cat carcass found there.

Though this is under the assumption that the arsonist and the animal abuser are the same person.

Anyway, to hide a cat carcass, just abandoning it would have been more advantageous for the culprit than burning it.

Dead cat carcasses are more common than you’d think.

But the fact that they didn’t do that means the carcass was damaged enough that anyone could tell it didn’t die naturally.

Yet, oddly enough, for that level of damage, they made no effort to dispose of the body quickly—to accelerate combustion.

As if they didn’t care if it was found.”

Mu-yun frowned and organized the words in his head.

“If it hadn’t spread into a large fire, the cat behind the temple wouldn’t have been completely burned either, and could have been found with evidence intact?

Did I hear that right?”

“That’s right.”

Tae-i met Mu-yun’s eyes as if to say ‘good job’ and smiled.

“Besides, arson with that kind of purpose is a bit different from just setting a fire.

Smoke rises in a way that can’t escape people’s notice.

They set the fire to hide something, but the result was completely opposite to their intention.”

Mu-yun narrowed his eyes.

Listening to Tae-i, something seemed strange.

“The place where the cat was found is a bit too exposed for avoiding people’s eyes.”

“Too open.

Unlike the place you saw today.”

Tae-i was definitely right.

Even if the site of the wildfire wasn’t easily visible from the front, it happened in an open place where people could climb up at any time.

The temple incinerator was the same.

Mu-yun swallowed deeply.

Thinking that way led to an even scarier assumption.

“If you look at it that way, it means it was done in a very short time, in a place not noticeable to people… without much forethought, or that there are two or more perpetrators.”

The temple’s head monk had said he had no idea about the animal carcasses in the incinerator until they were discovered due to this wildfire.

“Are the characteristics of that arsonist very different from, say, statistical profiles of serial arsonists or something?”

At that question, Tae-i shrugged, then poured the jelly he had been nibbling into his mouth and mumbled.

“I’m a firefighter—so, fire suppression specialist, not investigation.

Criminal profiling is even further outside my field.

It’s outside my knowledge base, so I can’t really help.

What I told you is just shallow information I heard from others and passed on.”

Mu-yun let out a short, hollow laugh.

“True.

I’m the cop, after all.

By the way, I wonder if there are any related papers.

I’d like to look them up.”

It wasn’t something he could easily ask someone about, either.

“I’ll ask the Supervisor for you.”

“Really?”

At Tae-i’s words, Mu-yun’s eyes sparkled.

“Most of what I’ve told you so far, I picked up while with the Supervisor.

I’m a bit curious about this case too.

I’ll buy him a coffee and ask.”

Tae-i flipped his phone over and checked the date.

Mu-yun hurriedly spoke.

“I’ll buy the coffee.

I’m on night shift tomorrow, so I have time during the day.”

“Never mind.

It won’t happen tomorrow anyway.

The Supervisor is going on a business trip for a fire-related conference.

I’ll ask some other seniors too, and if I find out anything, I’ll let you know right away.”

Tae-i waved his hand.

Then he narrowed his eyes and looked at Mu-yun with a slightly threatening face.

“By the way, Officer So.

Until we find out something, don’t go wandering around the mountains alone.

You know what I mean, right?”

Mu-yun’s shoulders flinched.

He had planned to search the whole neighborhood for Rambo starting tonight, but he felt blocked before even stepping outside.

Still, he nodded.

“A dangerous scene should be handled by two-person teams as a rule.”

At his calm remark, Tae-i chuckled.

“For the time being, let’s only do morning searches by car.”

Mu-yun smiled back and said okay.

The GPS movement path he had seen during the day came to mind.

It wasn’t in the mountains but in the city center, starting from near the owner’s house.

He had to look for not just Rambo but also the other animals on the missing list anyway, and he thought a night walk might be fine.

If he happened to catch the culprit in the process, even better.

***

March 23rd

[Busy?]

Checking his phone at the buzzing vibration, Mu-yun looked up, surveyed his surroundings like a meerkat, and then moved his fingers.

[It’s okay.]

[Then can you step out to 1-1 for a bit?]

At Tae-i’s immediate reply, Mu-yun looked at Sergeant Park, who was lounging with a languid face in the mild weather.

“Sergeant Park.”

“Huh?”

A bit of focus returned to Sergeant Park’s dazed face.

Mu-yun smiled brightly.

“Would it be okay if I go to 1-1 and buy some coffee?

I’ll buy some for the seniors too.”

At that, Sergeant Park laughed.

“Caffeine is good.

The kind pulled straight as espresso.”

He said that, then turned his head and checked the clock first.

There was still time before lunch.

“There’s not much time left until patrol, so come back quickly.”

Perhaps because it was a takeout-only cafe just across the street, permission was readily granted.

Mu-yun got up, took orders from Sergeant Lee and Senior Patrol Officer Kim as well, and quickly left the police box.

When he stepped outside and turned his head, Tae-i, who was standing in front of the cafe occupying one corner of the intersection where the police box and fire station were located, waved his hand.

When the pedestrian signal came on at the two-lane traffic light, Mu-yun ran across the crosswalk.

“You came out fast?”

Tae-i smiled and greeted with a question instead.

“Is it a time when everyone desperately needs caffeine?”

Mu-yun answered like that and immediately placed an order at the counter.

“It’ll take a little while.

I put in an order for six drinks.”

The youngest of Team 3 at the 119 Safety Center grumbled gloomily.

Mu-yun giggled softly.

“So why did you call?

Did you find out something?”

That morning before work, Tae-i had said the fire investigator would be coming in during the morning, though.

Standing with his legs unevenly propped, Tae-i nodded.

He leaned in and whispered softly into Mu-yun’s ear.

“I don’t know if there are more reports on the police side of animal carcass incineration, but according to Captain Ahn, there are six cases on our side.

I haven’t been able to look at them separately yet.”

At the low breath of Tae-i, whispering information he had heard from his senior, Mu-yun flinched, his neck ticklish.

Whether he knew or not, Tae-i continued nonchalantly.

“And both of these recent cases, he said, seem to have pleasure as the goal rather than covering up a crime.”

Mu-yun turned his head in surprise.

Tae-i’s face was right in front of him, startling him even more.

He flinched and took a step back.

“Why are you so close?”

At that, Tae-i puffed out his cheeks.

“Then should I bring a megaphone and say it?”

“No, that’s not it.

Anyway.”

Mu-yun waved his hand and composed himself.

“Six cases?”

“Yeah.”

Tae-i nodded.

“And pleasure?”

“According to an official Captain Ahn overheard in passing.”

If they were all by the same person, combined with the recently discovered ones, it was a considerable number.

Mu-yun let out a long sigh, feeling suffocated instantly.

“Crazy.”

Tae-i’s expression also darkened gravely.

“It is crazy.

For now, I’ll do some digging too.

You look into the police records as well.”

Mu-yun nodded.

“Two banana shakes and four Choco-Mongttangs are ready.”

Cutting through the heavy atmosphere, the order—full of sugar instead of caffeine—was announced.

Tae-i turned and raised his hand.

“Here.”

He turned his head back toward Mu-yun.

“I’m going back first.”

“Yeah.

Thanks for asking.”

At Mu-yun’s thanks, Tae-i shrugged.

“I don’t know if the information is worth the price of ten drinks, but it’s a bit confidential to leave in a text.”

Mu-yun, who had ordered drinks for his seniors too just to get this information, laughed.

“No, it’s enough.”

He was truly grateful even for this much information.

Just having something that could help identify the culprit was good enough for now.

Seeing him like that, Tae-i grinned, then hooked his long fingers around the carrier full of drinks and lifted it.

“Do good work.”

At Mu-yun’s greeting, Tae-i said ‘you too,’ then hurried across the road at the newly changed pedestrian signal and returned to the fire station.

Mu-yun also put the drinks that came out shortly into a carrier and immediately returned to the police box.

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