AGENT 24

“…I will just check the pipes, quickly.”

His legs were trembling. As soon as the faint scent of blood hit his nose, he wanted to turn around and bolt out of there immediately.

However, since he had come saying he would conduct an inspection, leaving right away without doing anything would surely arouse suspicion. He had to act as natural as possible, pretend to inspect the place, and then leave. Just like he had done earlier today.

“Follow me.”

The fellow took the lead and entered the house first, and Yongnae followed behind him.

Upon passing the foyer and entering the living room, unlike other houses filled with furniture, this fellow’s house had no TV; there was only a wide sofa and a single low table. And on top of that sat a single glass cup.

Furthermore, this fellow’s house was distinctly different from other homes overflowing with warmth. Since it was the season transitioning from autumn to winter, not running the heat was understandable, but this house, far from having the heat on, actually had the air conditioning running at a high setting. Running the air conditioning to this extent meant that someone was either doing a very active sport inside the house, or it was because of the smell.

“Ah.”

The fellow walking in front suddenly stopped in his tracks. At that, Yongnae, who had been walking at a steady distance, flinched, stopped his feet, and moved another step away from the fellow.

“In our house, the pipes are in the basement.”

The fellow gestured with his eyes toward a door at the end of the living room that looked like a basement entrance.

“…”

Crazy. Was he trying to lure him into the basement? Luring him into the basement meant this fellow was currently thinking of killing him. The smell of blood was vibrating from the direction of the basement door. A normal person would never have been able to smell it, but it was reaching Yongnae very strongly.

What should he do? His brain was overloading due to the fear he was facing right before his eyes. Should he just run away right here? Or should he call Lee Suji immediately? While Yongnae was holding onto his fading consciousness, the fellow spoke again.

“But, there is construction going on in the basement right now. Is it possible for you to check through the lower kitchen cabinets?”

Haa— A sigh of relief burst out from within. Fortunately, the fellow seemingly had no intention of doing anything to him yet.

“…Yes. That is possible.”

“The kitchen is over that way.”

Indeed, it made sense. Since this fellow was also someone who committed meticulously planned crimes, he would not act recklessly. If a civil servant went missing while conducting an inspection, he would not take hasty actions thinking he would be caught quickly in this neighborhood where there are many CCTVs.

The fellow told Yongnae the location of the kitchen and then moved his steps to approach the living room window. Then, with his arms crossed, he stared out at the unmaintained garden.

“But, they say there’s an odor in the neighborhood?”

He looked as if he were inspecting the front of his own house, as if he were curious to find out what the odor in the neighborhood was. Yongnae left the man behind and pretended to inspect the pipes by opening the lower kitchen cabinets. In the kitchen as well, there were no tools present for cooking.

“…Yes. Since a few days ago, people said a smell was coming up as if a pipe had burst somewhere, so we tested it, and since the hydrogen sulfide levels in the neighborhood are high, we are inspecting.”

To firmly plant the image of an inspection civil servant in the fellow’s mind, Yongnae was busily pretending to inspect by moving the device here and there and even giving rambling explanations. In other houses, even when they asked this or that, he had just given half-hearted answers like a tired, worn-out Monday morning cat and ended it there.

“…The smell coming up, what kind of smell do they say it is?”

“…It is just the smell of rotting food.”

“Ah… Food…”

Was he worried it might be the smell of a rotting corpse? At the fellow’s probing tone, Yongnae told him it was food to reassure him. Then, the fellow did not continue speaking further as if he accepted that.

“…There is nothing particularly wrong with the house pipes.”

Thinking that pretending to inspect this much should be enough to leave now, Yongnae stood up while closing the lower kitchen cabinet and saying there were no issues.

“But you see…”

However, having arrived at some point, the fellow was standing right behind Yongnae.

Gasp— He was so startled that a scream almost burst out for a second, but Yongnae, having barely swallowed it, acted as if nothing were wrong and moved another step back from the fellow.

“…”

“…”

The fellow cast his gaze toward Yongnae’s legs, then slowly let it travel up to meet his eyes again.

“Earlier, where did you say you were from?”

“…Pardon?”

“Didn’t you say you were from the provincial office?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

That behavior was like a snake. Eyes like a snake just before capturing its prey.

“This is Gucheon ‘City’ though.”

Ah, damn it.

Profanity burst out of Yongnae’s mouth. And simultaneously, the man struck Yongnae’s head hard with the glass cup.