[♪ Theme music playing]
Chief Detective 1958
This series is unrelated to any places, persons, settings or events.
Scenes involving animals were filmed in compliance with animal welfare guidelines.
[thunder rumbling]
[rain pattering]
[thunder rumbling]
[caller in English] I apologize for not keeping the promise to date,
but next time,
I'll make sure to send a well-screened candidate.
You can deposit the balance after that happens, okay?
Episode 4 Yellow Turtle
Baeknyeonhwapyeon rice cakes
"Episode 4"
Mmm!
[in Korean] This tastes amazing.
The mugwort and nuts go so well together.
Yes? You like it?
How do I put it? I feel healthier already.
- Right. - You should start selling it tomorrow.
- [chuckles] - What should you call this?
Call it "Bride's Rice Cake," since you're as beautiful as a bride.
[delighted chuckle]
- Oh, come on. - [laughs]
Beautiful like a bride? You flatter me too much.
By the way, what's he up to?
He's teaching himself how to read and write,
but he's struggling to do it alone.
He should've told me if he was trying to learn.
[Ms. Ho] I want to help him however I can,
but I've got nothing to my name, and I'm uneducated too.
[child's mom] Please find my missing child.
I filed a report more than a week ago,
but I haven't heard back ever since.
[Sooman sighs]
[Sooman] Ma'am, we're short of manpower here.
I'll point you to a different agency that could help instead.
- You should try asking them. - [child's mom] Wait.
You're the police.
Can't you find my child? Why are you giving me another…
[Sooman] Look, ma'am. We're very busy.
Our station deals with major crimes,
not some missing persons cases.
[child's mom] But my baby…
What if he gets sold off somewhere and has to beg on the street?
[sobs] My dear Jongwoo…
[Sooman sighs]
[sobbing] My dear Jongwoo…
He'll have to live as an orphan his whole life.
[Sooman sighs]
Ma'am.
I'll help you over here.
Hey, you.
How dare you?
You're not even doing anything.
You were about to send her elsewhere.
Come on, come over here.
Have a seat here.
- [Sangsun] Please sit. - [Jongwoo's mom] Thank you.
So, what's the name of your child?
It's Kim Jongwoo.
"Kim Jongwoo."
[Sangsun] Name, Kim Jongwoo. A five-month-old baby boy.
On October 6 at about 3:00 p.m.,
when you and the swaddled child were napping at home,
he disappeared.
[♪ Somber music playing]
Is there anyone suspicious close to you?
No.
What about the child's father?
He passed away from tuberculosis.
You said he was swaddled when he disappeared.
Was there anything special about the swaddle?
It has a yellow turtle on it.
[Jongwoo's mom] I embroidered it myself.
Does the child have any particular physical traits?
My baby boy
has two left thumbs.
So he has six fingers on his left hand?
Yes.
It's all my fault.
Ah… Don't say that, ma'am.
It's not your fault.
[sobs]
Please find my dear Jongwoo.
He matters to me more than my own life.
Jongnam Bookstore
Why did you want to see me?
Well, the thing is…
[exhales sharply] …I've been thinking,
and I feel like you'd be a great teacher
considering how smart you are.
[Hyeju] Definitely.
Nansil is such a bright and sharp girl.
Yes, of course.
But I want to be a detective, not a teacher.
You can do that, but only after you graduate high school.
Who would I even teach?
Well…
have you seen the boy who works at Ms. Ho's rice cake place
in Jongnam Market?
Hmm…
Yes, I think I've seen him.
Is it the guy who always sounds angry?
Yes, him.
Would you mind teaching him
how to read and write?
If I do, what will I get in return from you two?
Hmm…
As for me,
I'll reserve all the new mystery novels just for you.
And I'll teach you
how to catch cow thieves.
[sighs]
Like there are any cows to catch in Seoul. I'll get going now.
Wait, Nansil.
Catching cow thieves involves every skill a detective needs to be good at.
Tsk. Well, I guess I have nothing to lose.
All right, then.
[journalist] I can't believe what we discovered in training.
They were only babies too.
They had to be murdered and buried, right?
[surgeon] I've seen the remains of war victims in mass graves,
- but something like this is a first. - [camera shutter clicks]
[camera shutter clicks]
One thing that bothers me is that these babies all have...
- What's going on? - We're from Hoyang Police Station.
We'll be taking the corpses of all the babies here.
Hand over the camera.
The camera and its contents are owned by the military.
You'll need a warrant for them.
[scoffs] Never mind a warrant.
You'll have to make sure that none of this leaks.
- [detective 1] Take the bodies. - [detectives] Yes, sir.
- [surgeon] What are you doing? - Hurry.
- [detective 2] Out of the way. - [detective 3] Step aside.
[Sangsun] "Ten lifeless infants were found during military training.
The infants were orphans. The cause of death is unknown.
One of the infants discovered was found to be polydactyly."
Does that mean it had six fingers?
Yes, that's right.
In that case…
Don't jump to conclusions.
There are plenty of kids out there who are polydactyly.
[door opens, closes]
[Jongwoo's mom panting] Detectives.
Did you read the papers?
Please calm down. We can't be sure it's your son.
- We'll investigate further. - Detective Kim.
Let me get you some water.
Who has jurisdiction over this mass grave case?
It's Hoyang Police Station.
What are they like, sir?
They're just like us over here.
I'll pay them a visit and investigate.
[Yeonghan] You allowed them to be buried?
Those orphans all died from measles.
Their cause of death was confirmed by a doctor,
so we allowed the orphanage to bury them at Hoak Mountain.
- Who gave you that right? - [detective] Listen.
As long as the cause of death is confirmed,
we're authorized to permit burials.
What about the babies' corpses then?
Did you return them to the orphanage?
Of course. What else would we do with them?
Was there a funeral?
Dead orphans don't need funeral.
Cremating them is the way to go.
Are orphans some bundles of hay to you?
You can't just cremate them! [kicks desk]
You little prick! What's your damn rank?
- [Sangsun] Come here! - You damn prick!
[all clamoring]
They're just orphans!
- Hey! - [Hojeong] Stop!
Investigation Division
I bet the orphanage abducted the babies
and cremated them once things went south.
And these Hoyang pricks were bribed to turn a blind eye.
Why would the orphanage abduct those babies?
[Gyeonghwan] I know, right?
Aren't orphanages already full of kids anyway?
Sangsun and I will pay the orphanage a visit.
You two meet with the military surgeon who was in charge of the babies.
Armed Forces Capital Hospital
[Gyeonghwan] What? Transferred?
[Hojeong] Where to? Why was he transferred?
I'm not authorized to tell you that.
Could you just tell us? We really need to know.
I'm sorry, but you'll have to ask my superiors for that information.
[Gyeonghwan] Wait…
[Gyeonghwan sighs]
Angel House
[Yeonghan] I see you're involved in many different projects.
It's only natural,
since experts in my field are rare in the country.
That means I have an endless list of ventures to make.
How did such an expert like yourself let those babies be buried like that?
It was a necessary measure to prevent the disease from spreading.
Is it normal procedure here
to bury and cremate sick children like that?
[chuckling]
Well, you certainly have manners.
Please have a seat.
As you already know…
everything done here is legal.
How do the babies end up coming here?
I'm sure you're already aware.
Countless children are abandoned these days.
I understand that was common during wartime,
but who does that nowadays?
[soft chuckle]
You couldn't be more ignorant of the state of child welfare.
Child… What?
Ah. I'm referring to the well-being of children.
It's quite a developed field over in America.
It seems many children are adopted from this orphanage.
That's right.
Thankfully, many people all over the world take pity on our children.
When you adopt kids, do you receive any compensation?
We do receive a small fee as outlined in the law.
I'm not talking about that.
I'm referring to any premiums or extra charges for rush adoptions.
What did you just say?
What game are you playing here?
Are you…
accusing me of trafficking orphans?
[awkward chuckle] That was not our intention, ma'am.
I'm very offended.
Please leave immediately.
I was just asking out of curiosity.
I didn't want to have to say this,
but I'm also the secretary of the Liberal Party's Women's Society.
The Society consists of the wives of Liberal Party officials
and figures from the Gyeongmudae, the president's office.
[in angry voice] I regularly rub elbows with the elite,
and you accuse me of such evil?
We're not accusing you of anything.
Which station are you two from?
I'll speak with your superior…
to lodge an official complaint.
I'm Kim Sangsun from Jongnam Police Station.
Kim Samsoon of Jongnam?
It's Sangsun, not Samsoon.
And I'm Park Yeonghan.
"Park Yeonghan."
- [receiver clanks] - [telephone dialing]
[Sangsun] I'm telling you I'm right.
She abducts children to sell for a premium,
kills the ones that no one wants and buries them here.
Apparently, she and her friends are too elite to do such a thing.
You saw the photos, right?
All the kids looked miserable and starved.
I bet you, she's starving them.
That orphanage director has to be a horrible witch.
How can you be so sure?
I grew up an orphan too.
Why look so surprised? Never seen an orphan before?
No… No, it's not that.
You should've told me earlier.
You just had me shocked over nothing.
Well, it's nothing to brag about.
One minute.
[child sobbing]
- Did someone hit you? - [sniffles]
Tell me what happened. I'll teach them a lesson.
Thank you, but nobody hit me.
Are you feeling ill?
No, sir.
Take this and get some bread with your friends.
No, thank you.
Hey…
Why does he cry with so much sorrow?
[Yeonghan] It's funny how such a small kid can be too proud for handouts.
Even the smallest kids can be too proud to beg.
Hey, come here! Hey!
[Gyeonghwan] What?
He got in an accident?
He was hit by a car on his way to work.
- [car approaching] - Huh?
[surprised exclaiming]
- [screams] - [slams]
When did this happen?
Just this morning.
[sighs] Another morning incident?
First, the military surgeon was transferred and disappeared,
and now the journalist is unconscious after an accident.
I'm telling you, the orphanage director is behind all this.
How would she orchestrate this?
She's the secretary of the Liberal Party's Women's Society,
- that Audio or Audrey or whatever. - [door opens]
Who did you just say?
Audrey. Audrey Ko.
Audrey is the director of Angel House?
Yes. Do you know her, sir?
Goodness.
I knew she had been lying too low. [scoffs]
How are you acquainted with her?
When I was with the Special Investigation Committee of Anti-National Activities.
Oh. You were a former special police, sir?
Well, back in the day. [chuckles]
Audrey, my foot.
Her real name is Ko Geumja.
Tell us more, Chief.
Well, there was a pro-Japanese group called the New Joseon Patriots
during the colonial period.
Ko Geumja was a member there.
My gosh.
I could just tell she had the face of a traitor.
She used to run Sinkwang Academy,
which was basically an orphanage.
As subjects of the grand Empire of Japan,
we must pledge our bodies and souls to our dear Emperor!
That is our duty!
[Chief Yu] She even took kids who weren't orphans.
Then she brainwashed them completely and sent them off to war.
By fulfilling our duties,
we will taste eternal glory
as subjects of the one true Empire!
[applause]
All the while, she was paid immensely by the Japanese government.
[sighs deeply]
So she's been selling kids off for a while now.
[Chief Yu] That's right.
She still may not have fixed her old habits.
Where did she even get the name Audrey?
Once the committee was dissolved, Ko Geumja fled to America.
Then she came back with some sort of degree
and changed her name then.
I guess she took over Angel House after that.
[groans] Even if Audrey had abducted those babies,
she wouldn't have done it herself.
Perhaps she had her employees do it for her?
No, Ko Geumja is a very thorough woman.
I'm sure she hired someone who doesn't know her.
[♪ Light tense music playing]
Let's start over from when the babies went missing.
Sangsun and I will start with Jongwoo.
You two ask around the other stations and find out
- if there are any more missing kids. - [Hojeong and Gyeonghwan] Yes, sir.
Chief, could you find out
where the military surgeon got transferred to?
- All right. - We already found that out.
- I thought they wouldn't say. - But we found out.
I was about to tell you all, but Chief Yu's story got to me.
- Where did he go? - Morang Island, sir.
What? Morang Island?
We were told it's a small island near Haenam.
He was sent to a clinic there.
[groans] They really sent him to the end of the earth.
How did you find that out though?
Well, you see…
We convinced him earnestly
as a fellow public servant.
We poured our hearts into it.
[groaning]
- You still won't tell us? - Please.
Pipe down.
[officer] Please stop! Stop!
Keep it down.
Are you sure you poured your heart into it?
Yes, my whole heart.
Not your muscles?
Of course not. [awkward chuckle]
- You can't do that these days. - [soft chuckle]
- Hojeong. - Yes, Chief.
You go to Morang Island.
- Sir? - [seagulls squawking effect]
Well, I have horrible seasickness.
Recite the times table. It does the trick.
2 times 1 is 2, 2 times 2 is 4.
- Then 2 times 6 is? - 12.
- Then 6 times 8 is? - 48.
- Good. Just do that on the boat. - [door opens]
[Choi shouts] Park Yeonghan and Kim Sangsun!
Where did they go?
Scatter up! Move!
- [Chief Yu] I'll handle this. Go, hurry. - Damn it.
[Chief Yu] Hurry, hurry!
Hurry up.
Come on, where did they…
What? What's that? Hey!
[Nansil] "Isn't there a big cat over there?"
- "Isn't there… - It's asking if something's there.
…over tere."
[slams on table]
[Nansil] Look. [sighs]
"There" is spelled with an "h."
You need an "h" between the "t" and "e."
Can't I just spell it this way?
Proper spelling is a fundamental part of writing.
Well, I want to wring spelling's neck.
[inhales angrily]
You're being nasty again.
- I told you not to do that. - [knocks on window]
[whispers] Sungchil.
Hey, Sungchil.
[Yeonghan] How's it going?
[soft chuckle]
I don't know how I could repay you.
Don't repay me. Repay your teacher in there.
I will, Detective.
Study hard and become the great man you want to be.
Then treat your grandma well.
I'm going to be a brave and great man like you.
Come on.
Right. Here.
- What is it? - Just take it.
[♪ Soft music playing]
You should wear nicer shoes for work.
You can't work at the market with your feet looking like that.
- Detective Park. - Go and study. I'll go now.
Detective.
Thank you so much.
[soft chuckle]
[sniffles]
Go and study.
[blows air]
[Viper] Flip them over.
[vendors gasp]
No!
Please. I'm begging you.
Then pay your damn dues.
You thieving punk. How many times did I tell you?
Mate!
"Mate"? Are you a rebel or something?
Aren't you ashamed of yourself?
You can't even fight alone.
You're always running around with your little friends.
[scoffs] Are you out of your mind? Say that again.
You aren't the Viper because you're fierce.
It's because of your triangular head.
[laughter]
[threatening grunt]
- [Viper scoffs] - [vendors exclaim]
- [vendor 1] Oh, no. - [vendor 2] Please stop it.
One more word, and I'll kill you.
Hey, Triangle Head.
[shouts] You want me to stab you in the face?
- Come here. - [thug] No!
- [Viper] What did you say? - [thug] Calm down.
Chairman Lee won't be happy if he finds out.
Let's just go, sir.
Hey, Sungchil.
- [thug] Move! - [vendors whimper]
Pay your dues or end up like him!
[thug] Pay what you owe!
[Hojeong] 6 times 5 is… [retching]
[vomiting]
6 times 4 is 24. 6 times 5 is…
3 times 9 is… [retches, coughs]
[Hojeong sobbing] Yeonghan!
Reciting the times table doesn't work!
[Yeonghan] Did anyone come here that day?
No, no one did.
It was just us two.
I see.
[Sangsun] I don't think the kidnapper was a complete stranger.
If they walked right into the house, I doubt they were.
They must've had to walk this narrow alley with the baby for five minutes.
[Yeonghan] It had to be someone familiar with that house and this alley.
And someone should've seen them carrying the baby along this alley,
but no one did.
That means they hid the baby in something
when they took him away.
Who did she say visits regularly?
The coal deliveryman and the paperboy.
What about on other days?
[Jongwoo's mom] On other days,
the coal deliveryman and…
[Sangsun] Sir, please try to jog your memory.
Have you seen anyone suspicious when you came to this area?
- Any information would help. - I swear I haven't.
I'm busy, so scram.
…the junk scavenger.
- Sir. - [junk scavenger] Yes?
You know that house with the blue gate?
Their baby Jongwoo disappeared.
[junk scavenger] I know nothing about that.
Have you noticed any suspicious people around?
Anyone carrying bundles or whatever?
I told you I haven't.
The lady who sells American cosmetics drops by sometimes.
Have you noticed any suspicious people around the neighborhood?
It could be someone carrying a large bag.
I haven't.
[Yeonghan] Hmm…
In times like these,
it's best to interrogate whoever seems the most suspicious.
[Sangsun] The most suspicious? Oh, you mean Audio?
- [♪ Mischievous music playing] - [children laughing]
[Audrey] What is the meaning of this?
Senior Superintendent Choi has ordered us…
to beg you…
for forgiveness, ma'am.
[Audrey scoffs]
He gave us orders to devote ourselves to the orphanage today.
[scoffs]
We're deeply sorry for failing to recognize your eminence
and for our rash behavior.
Kill us if you'd like, ma'am!
[Yeonghan inhales deeply]
We can't imagine how enraged you must have been with us.
[Yeonghan] We are truly sorry. [sniffles]
Until you forgive us,
we will spend hours…
No, days, bowing to you in repentance.
You should've acted this way from the start.
In fact,
please flog us…
with your cane of love.
I will gladly be flogged, ma'am!
Director Audrey Ko
We will accept any punishment you give us.
You may both stand.
[both groan]
God commands us to forgive those who have sinned the most.
As your way of repentance…
I expect you to devote yourself to volunteer work today.
[relieved sigh]
[both] Thank you.
- Thank you. - We won't let you down.
- Follow me. - Yes.
[Yeonghan] Hey, we did a great job.
I can't believe we made it in.
[Sangsun] I absolutely hated the kneeling part.
And I was so scared she'd actually flog… Oh?
[whispers] Hey, where are you going?
To get vaccinated.
- At the nurse's office? - No, at Daejin Clinic.
That little one from last time looks just like me as a kid.
[Yeonghan] Damn it. Why can't we find anything?
Well, we're finding trash.
[coughing]
You go look over there.
[Sangsun grunts]
[Sangsun coughs]
[Sangsun] What did they burn?
[Sangsun exclaims]
Is it what I think it is?
[sighs]
[metal clanks]
[sighs]
[♪ Somber music playing]
[sobbing]
[Jongwoo's mom sobbing]
I'm very sorry.
We should have got to him…
before this happened.
Jongwoo.
Jongwoo!
[♪ Emotional music playing]
[wailing]
Jongwoo!
Isn't this enough evidence to lock her up, sir?
Definitely not.
What if she claims they embroidered it?
And Senior Superintendent Choi will burn all the evidence before then.
Whatever we try to do,
she'll use her Liberal Party connections to evade the law.
Did you meet with the other parents?
I met with the parents of the two other missing kids.
I noticed two strange things.
One kid went missing while the mother was out
giving her husband his lunch.
The other kid's mother runs a restaurant.
Her kid disappeared while she was at the bank
getting change before she headed to work.
So the kidnapper knew their routines?
Right.
They also knew when Jongwoo's mother had to take her medicine.
You're right.
So Ko Geumja hired a professional, someone like a cow thief.
What's the other strange thing?
Right.
This doesn't seem that important,
but their houses had the same type of cosmetics.
I went to give my husband his lunch like always,
and that's when…
- [husband] Goodness. - [wife sobs]
Ravlon Cosmetics
And what type is that?
It's an American cosmetics brand that's smuggled here, sir.
It's called Ravlon.
They're sold with labels just like the domestic ones.
Ravlon Cosmetics?
The lady who sells American cosmetics drops by sometimes.
Ravlon Cosmetics
If it was the cosmetics lady who took the kids,
how do you think she would've carried them?
Ladies who sell cosmetics carry large bags around with them.
Have I seen anyone suspicious?
It could be someone carrying a large bag.
You're right.
[♪ Tense music playing]
- Here you go. - [vendor] Thank you.
- [whispers] Let's go. - Okay.
[indistinct excited chatter]
Hey, you're late. Go on in.
[laughter]
Did you print it right?
I'll pay you back soon.
Come on, give me a bit more.
- Damn it. - All right.
[gasping]
- [gambler 1] How lucky. - [gambler 2] You're out of luck today.
- Darn it. - [gambler 1 chuckles]
Just one more round.
- [gambler 1] What? - [gambler 2] I've had enough.
[gambler 3] Let's wrap it up now.
[Sangsun] Go and bring Yeonghan here.
[Gyeonghwan] Got it.
[gambler 1] Let me take this cash.
[gambler 2] You're taking it back?
- You don't have enough money. - Just deal the cards.
[Yeonghan] Move!
- [clattering] - [gamblers gasp]
Nothing is going on here. Just keep playing.
Who's in charge here?
- [panicked exclaim] - We need to talk.
[panicked chatter]
Calm down, everyone.
Who are you to barge in here?
Are you the boss here?
Jeez.
This is who we are.
Hey, man.
You slipped right out of my hands.
[thwacks]
- [gambling den manager groans] - My gosh.
Why did you take off?
We just wanted to talk.
I thought you were shutting down my gambling den.
You know the cosmetics lady who was sitting here?
She's a regular, isn't she?
[gambling den manager] That's right, sir.
How much does she owe you?
I'd say… about 200,000 hwan.
I need to ask you a favor.
[gate opens]
Let go of me!
[cosmetics lady in soft voice] How could you come to my house?
Shut up and pay me back my 200,000 hwan by tomorrow.
What are you talking about?
You gave me until next month.
The cops barged in and shut my place down!
I can't come up with that money by tomorrow!
If you don't, I'll tell your husband everything.
- [cosmetics lady] Wait. - Let go!
[worried sigh]
What do I do?
[door closes]
[Chief Yu] Did somebody send him off to starve?
Well, it wasn't me.
[Hojeong sighs deeply]
- I recited the times table and threw up. - [♪ comical music playing]
I recited the quadratic formula and still threw up.
[breathes shakily, retches]
So? Did you manage to meet the military surgeon?
I did.
[surgeon] To be accurate,
they hadn't died of measles.
There were signs of vomiting,
but no signs of rash at all.
In the papers,
they said one child was polydactyly.
That's right.
But not only was one polydactyly,
but two other children also had external disabilities.
What about the other seven?
Based on the signs of their development,
it's likely they were disabled.
In addition, all of the children
had signs of vaccination.
Does the orphanage vaccinate the kids?
The kid said they go to a clinic.
What was it called?
Daejin Clinic.
[whispers] Hey, where are you going?
To get vaccinated.
At the nurse's office?
No, at Daejin Clinic.
[Hojeong] To summarize,
some of the abducted children were disabled,
and they were discarded because no one would adopt them.
All right.
Let's get the cosmetics lady first.
[Yeonghan] We've already set the stage for her, sir.
She'll fall for the trap as she's way too deep in debt.
[♪ light suspenseful music playing]
[cosmetics lady clears throat]
[cosmetics lady] Seungmok's mom.
Seungmok's mom.
Is no one home?
[cosmetics lady] I guess she went somewhere.
So you're not home, Seungmok's mom?
[♪ Tense music playing]
Seungmok! My goodness!
[Seungmok's mom] Where are you, Seungmok?
Ma'am.
Who are you?
I'm with the police.
We know where your child is, so you can rest assured.
[♪ Tense music playing]
Get her.
[♪ Suspenseful music playing]
- [Sangsun] Hey, get her! - [Gyeonghwan] Yes, sir!
- [cosmetics lady screams] - Go after her!
Damn it.
- [passerby yelps] - [clanking]
Jeez!
Are you all right? I'm sorry.
[yelps]
I'm a cop.
- Hey! - [pants]
- [Sangsun] Yeonghan, damn it. - [Yeonghan] Hey.
Stop the car. Stop!
[engine revving]
[Gyeonghwan] Yeonghan!
Wait. Did you get the plate number?
No. It didn't have a license plate.
Damn it.
[cosmetics lady] I have no idea who they are.
And yet you abduct kids for them?
Well,
someone at the gambling den offered to pay me
if I did what they said.
Who?
A young man who sometimes comes.
[accomplice] Bring as many children as you can,
preferably infants.
You meet lots of mothers selling cosmetics, don't you?
Target mothers who are alone with their children.
Grab the kids as soon as the mothers are distracted.
Do a good job and paying off your gambling debt won't be a problem.
Don't worry. You won't be doing anything bad.
How did you two make contact?
We left and exchanged messages at the coffee shop by the intersection.
That's how we communicated.
What are the names and jobs of the man and the woman in the scarf?
I don't know.
If you lie to us, you'll rot in jail for 30 years.
I really don't know.
I swear I don't know! I'm serious!
Please believe me, Detectives.
[cosmetics lady sobs]
Daejin Clinic
[doctor] Take care.
[knocks on door]
- [doctor] Come in. - Excuse me.
- We're the police. - [doctor] I see.
What might bring you here?
We have some questions about the vaccines you administer
to the Angel House kids.
I see.
Why don't you come this way?
[all grunting]
[groans]
Damn it.
- [grunts] - [rattling]
[doctor grunting]
[Gyeonghwan] Are you okay?
[grunting, panting]
[typewriter keys clacking]
[Gyeonghwan] It isn't just vaccines, is it?
It's your job to take a look at the abducted kids
and determine which ones are disabled, isn't it?
Answer us now.
[breathing shakily]
- [slams on table] - [chair thuds]
Guys. Hey, tie up this prick.
- You better not play with me. - Yes, I sorted out the disabled kids
and gave them vaccines.
Who brought the abducted kids to your clinic?
An Angel House employee.
Which employee?
I don't know the specifics.
I just know they work at Angel House.
But you know their face, right?
Yes.
We're bringing in every single Angel House employee.
Then we'll search the whole place.
[engine rumbling]
Angel House
[♪ tense music playing]
- [Yeonghan] Arrest them all! - [officers] Yes, sir!
[♪ Tense music continues playing]
Where's Director Audrey?
Apparently, she's at the Liberal Party's Women's Society meeting.
Damn it.
I was hoping to arrest her right away. [clicks tongue]
Hey, kids.
This won't take too long, so sit tight, all right?
[Yeonghan] I'll give you guys some chocolate, okay?
Why are you taking away our teachers?
We just need to ask them some questions, so don't worry.
Does this have to do…
with the ten babies, by any chance?
You know about them?
No.
[♪ Uneasy music playing]
Yeonghan.
Something was found in the basement.
[door creaks]
[Sangsun coughs]
[exhales heavily]
They look like diapers.
So this was where the babies were.
How could they lock the babies up in here?
Wait, take a look at this.
Why? What is it?
The joint on this furnace pipe is severely damaged.
[Hojeong] It couldn't have been done by accident.
It's as if someone tore it open on purpose.
The furnace is full of coal.
So the gas is what killed the babies.
No.
Whoever broke the pipe…
is who killed the babies.
[♪ Tense music playing]
[Gyeonghwan] Hey, Ms. Yoon.
Anything to say?
Who drove the car when you abducted the children?
Director Ko's secretary.
Did Ko Geumja order you to abduct babies and kill them?
No.
Director Ko knows nothing about this.
Only Secretary Kim and I were involved.
How does that make sense?
It's true.
I also broke the furnace pipe open.
My gosh.
You're making this harder for all of us, damn it.
[Yeonghan] How was your meeting about the state of our country?
I knew this car looked familiar.
You're a good driver, by the way.
[sighs]
What's this about today?
Ms. Ko Geumja,
you're under arrest for illegal adoption…
What are you doing?
You little…
[groans]
Move, and I'll kill you.
- …conspiracy to commit murder… - [handcuff clicks]
…and child abduction.
You think you can handle the backlash?
[sighs, clicks tongue]
Let's talk at the station.
[Sangsun] We've collected the full set.
The person who gave orders,
the person who abducted the children…
and the one who killed them.
And this lists the people who paid illegal premiums
on top of the legal adoption fees and the exact amounts.
[Hojeong] It's all here, in this ledger.
Look here.
I had no idea any of this was happening.
It seems to me
that these two abducted children
and had them adopted for a premium behind my back.
And fearing they'd get caught, they…
My God.
They must have killed those poor, innocent babies.
How could I have not known?
How did you even think of creating such a ledger
and putting it in my desk drawer?
Were you trying to slander me?
Yes, she's right.
[gasps]
[Secretary Kim] I secretly sold off the kids for adoption.
I conspired with Ms. Yoon out of sheer greed and...
I had always…
hated Director Ko.
I wanted to put a dent in her career.
Dear God!
I should have listened to my father when he told me to never trust others.
It's my fault that I couldn't see what was under my nose.
[sighs, scoffs]
You all have such great chemistry.
Did you rehearse this story beforehand?
You could all act this out on stage.
Instead of trying to frame an innocent person,
why don't you offer some evidence,
you incompetent pigs?
"Incompetent"?
[scoffs] How dare you, old woman?
"Old woman"? What's your name?
[Gyeonghwan scoffs]
Jeez.
Come with me.
[Gyeonghwan sighs]
Something was fishy, so I did some digging.
Ms. Yoon and Secretary Kim used to work at Sinkwang Academy.
- What? - [Gyeonghwan groans]
- Damn it. - You mean they're from
the pro-Japanese orphanage Ko Geumja used to operate?
No wonder they were so eager to take the fall.
[groans] Getting a confession out of them
won't be easy.
I'm sure they'll just try to take the fall even more.
Damn it!
Hey, where are you off to?
I'm getting heated.
I need to cool off with a smoke. [clicks tongue]
[inaudible]
Do you two realize that you're also victims of Ko Geumja?
She's using you!
[Hojeong] Ms. Yoon.
If you don't talk to us, you'll be sentenced to death.
But it'll get commuted if you confess to Ko's crimes.
I will gladly accept my punishment.
You don't have to be glad about it.
You were just following orders.
I will also gladly accept my punishment.
[door opens]
What's going on here?
[sighs]
[Choi] Everybody, out!
[grunts angrily, slams on table]
- [clicks] - I apologize for my negligence.
It's not your fault.
You can blame your incompetent subordinates.
Hey! Apologize to her right now!
There's no need for an apology.
Just sack all of them.
[Choi] I see. As you wish, ma'am.
The chairwoman is here to see you.
- [Audrey] Oh, my. Chairwoman! - You all…
- I'll deal with you later. - [Audrey] I'm deeply sorry.
Now, who's that?
The chairwoman of the Women's Society.
Just apologize.
Otherwise, you'll get arrested by the special police tomorrow.
Please use my office to chat.
- All right. - [Choi] This way, ma'am.
[Sangsun] Stop right there.
- You startled me. - [Audrey gasps]
Going somewhere?
[nervous chuckle]
[Audrey] Ma'am, I'm deeply sorry for taking up your precious time
over such a trivial matter this late at night.
My heart still pounds so frightfully when I think of what my employees did.
Youngnam, tell us what you know.
[scoffs]
While playing outside,
I came across the place.
What place?
Where the babies were.
[Youngnam] Ms. Yoon was feeding the babies milk.
- [baby coos] - I counted the babies
because there were so many of them.
There were 10.
I went to look at the babies every day
because they were so cute.
I went in the mornings whenever Ms. Yoon fed the babies.
But that day…
Why are there so many defective ones?
- Do your jobs properly! - I'm sorry, ma'am.
[Ms. Yoon] I'm deeply sorry.
What are you going to do about these useless maggots?
- [Audrey] Huh? - I-I'll take care of them, Director Ko.
[clanks]
You can't do one thing right.
[laughs]
[chuckling]
My gosh. How ridiculous.
What were you thinking using this little child
to fabricate all these lies? [clicks tongue]
- [Audrey] My goodness. - [Choi chuckles]
- Exactly, ma'am. - [sighs]
This is an important case, Detective Kim.
Why did you involve a little child like this?
Let us go, Chairwoman.
That child is old enough to give an accurate testimony.
This child is young enough to be scared into saying anything!
[clicks tongue]
Mr. Kim Youngnam,
were you taught to lie to adults?
- B-But I'm not lying. - [inhales sharply]
[scoffs]
[both chuckle]
Your left hand, Director Ko.
You can't do one thing right.
[metal creaking]
- [clanks] - [screams in pain]
[Secretary Kim] Are you hurt, Director Ko?
- Are you all right? - [Audrey groans]
[Sangsun] If he's lying,
there wouldn't be a scar on your left hand.
Take off your glove.
Well…
I refuse.
I don't have to listen to you! [clicks tongue]
Yes, you do.
He's the detective who'll prove you guilty.
Chairwoman. [sighs]
This is a waste of your time. We should go now.
It's such a relief you're here, Chairwoman.
If Secretary Audrey Ko really is innocent, shouldn't she prove so?
[Yeonghan] It would be a shame if she besmirched the Women's Society.
Ma'am, these people are slandering me to my face.
Give me your hand.
Goodness, ma'am.
Now.
Your left hand.
No, wait. I…
Damn you!
[gasps]
That's not what I meant. I was just…
I hurt my hand while organizing my desk drawers.
[Audrey] Oh!
Chairwoman.
[Audrey breathes heavily] Ma'am! Chairwoman!
- Ms. Ko Geumja. - [breathes heavily]
You're also charged with infanticide.
- This can't be real. - Cuff her.
- [Hojeong and Gyeonghwan] Yes, sir. - [Audrey] This can't be happening.
Get your dirty hands off of me.
- [Gyeonghwan] Stay still. - [Audrey] Let go.
- [Gyeonghwan] Cuff her. - [Audrey] Let go of me, you prick!
Is this how you repay me for taking you in, you orphan scum?
[Audrey] You little prick. You must've lost your nerves.
You better watch your back!
[♪ Somber music playing]
[inaudible]
How could you tell he knew everything?
I know how it feels…
to be too scared to talk.
[Sangsun] I'll just take a quick look.
Gosh. [sighs]
It must have really hurt.
I know how it feels to get beaten up.
Really?
Of course.
I got whooped by my orphanage director and the boys around town.
I was the neighborhood punching bag.
I was a lot smaller and weaker than you as a kid,
- so I came up with my own way of fighting. - [♪ gentle music playing]
What was it?
[grunts]
Biting as hard as I could.
If you're weaker than them, just bite as hard as you can.
The bullies eventually run away if you keep biting.
Can I get good at it too?
Definitely.
When in doubt, bite.
They'll all take off. [soft chuckle]
[both grunt]
[chuckling]
The 10 babies were there.
I saw them.
[Hojeong sobs, sniffles]
Why are you crying?
I admire you and Youngnam
both so much,
and I feel so sad.
[Chief Yu scoffs]
Hey, save your tears.
[sighs, sobs quietly]
- [Gyeonghwan] What's wrong with me? - Look at you two.
[Chief Yu chuckling]
[♪ Soft somber music playing]
Good job, Detective Kim.
[sniffling]
I didn't do a good job, sir.
Those 10 babies won't come back to life.
[wooden fish clacking]
[monk chanting] ♪ We offer this prayer ♪
♪ May Kim Bumjun rest in peace ♪
- ♪ May the dead rest in peace ♪ - [sobbing]
♪ May Kim Jongwoo rest in peace ♪
♪ May Lee Inwoo rest in peace ♪
♪ May the dead rest in peace ♪
♪ May Lee Jungtae rest in peace ♪
♪ May Han Minchul rest in peace ♪
♪ May the dead rest in peace… ♪
- [wind howling] - [footsteps]
[citizen] Please spare me.
- Please. - [citizens whimpering]
[soldier] Aim!
[♪ Tense music playing]
[citizens whimpering, sobbing]
- Fire! - [citizens grunting, groaning]
- [soldier] Aim! - [rifles rattling]
Fire!
- [rifles firing] - [citizen breathing heavily]
[soldier] Hey! Why aren't you firing?
What are you doing, student soldier?
Don't look at me. Look forward, aim and fire.
What's wrong with you? Face forward.
Please spare me.
[soldier] Just aim and fire. Like this.
Aim.
[sobbing, breathing heavily] I'm carrying a child.
- Please spare me. - [soldier] Shut up! Tsk.
Fire. Fire!
Fire, you little prick!
[groaning]
You dumb prick.
- This is how you shoot. - [gun cocks]
[♪ Music swells, fades]
[gasps]
[breathing heavily]
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
Closed
You'll meet great people over there.
I looked into it, so don't worry.
- I'm not worried. - Really?
I have my secret weapon now.
- [grunts] - [scoffs]
Goodness.
[Sangsun] Chulsoo, listen to your brother, okay?
Okay.
[Sangsun] Give me your hands.
Hold tight.
Never let your brother go, Youngnam.
I won't.
[♪ Gentle music playing]
Go on now.
[Hyeju] What happened to the director?
[Yeonghan] She died.
Her cellmate, Ms. Yoon,
stabbed her in the neck with a snapped toothbrush.
[Hyeju] Really? She just killed her like that?
[Yeonghan] Ms. Yoon might have stabbed her,
but it was Director Ko's own past that truly killed her.
What goes around really must come around.
Exactly.
Detective Kim seemed particularly relieved after.
- He was really devoted to this case. - Mm.
By the way, how is Sungchil following along?
Nansil is very strict with him,
so he has to study hard.
That's good to hear.
Thank you again
for offering him space to study at your bookstore.
There's a space for you too,
so you're always welcome to come over.
What is it?
Should I get rid of your space?
- [chuckles] No, it's not that. - [whistle blowing]
[gasps]
It's curfew already.
- But I'm a cop... - Let's run.
Wait.
- [Yeonghan] Hyeju! - Come on.
[whistle blowing]
- [Yeonghan] But I'm a cop. - [panting]
[♪ Soft music playing]
- [whistle blowing] - [Yeonghan] Oh.
- [running steps in distance] - [whistling blowing]
[both panting]
[soft chuckle]
[panting]
Are you okay? [pants]
Did I run too fast?
[chuckles]
What was that?
You're a cop, so why did you run?
You're right.
I guess I wanted to be with you.
Uh…
That was a joke. I actually don't have my ID on me.
I think they're gone. We should go now.
Not yet.
They go around in pairs, so they might return right away.
That's all right. I know a secret detour here.
Wait.
I'll be honest with you.
Wait, isn't that…
It's my police ID.
I actually have it on me.
It's just that I want to be with you.
You could've just told me.
Will you leave me a space in your bookstore?
Always.
- [running steps in distance] - [Hyeju gasps]
[♪ Soft music playing]
- [♪ Music fades] - [insects chirping]
[electricity crackling]
[♪ Foreboding music playing]
[electricity crackling]
[♪ Ominous music playing]
[♪ Closing theme music playing]
Chief Detective 1958
[vegetables vendor's daughter] Sungchil…
[Hojeong] Is it really Sungchil?
[Yeonghan] Any witnesses?
- [Sangsun] They're just afraid to talk. - [Hojeong] How could they be like this?
[Yeonghan] They're fearing for their lives.
I'm sure he did it.
- [grunts] - [groans]
- [body thuds] - [Yeonghan] I know you killed him.
[shouts] Why did you kill him?
- [Choi] Do you have proof? - [breathing heavily]
[Yeonghan] I know who killed him,
- but there's nothing I can do. - [Yeonghan sobs]
[Yeonghan] I promise you I'll catch his murderer.
I'll give you a choice.
[Chairman Lee] Either die or work for me and chase fortune and glory.
[Yeonghan] Chairman Lee, ruler of the heavens and the earth.
I'm here to humbly offer you a proposal.
Translated by Jihun Lee