The Sun to my Moon

Chapter 36: Samael

"Jeong Gook-pyo knew Edward Park in the army," he told them. "Edward Park killed a local girl while they were overseas and tried to get Jeong Gook-pyo's friend Park Man-young to cover it up for him."

Haeri frowned. "Park Man-young? Wasn't that the name of the man who was sheriff in Busan before Jerome?"

"The very same," Dal-geon confirmed. "He and Jeong Gook-pyo were army buddies."

"Did Park Man-young help Edward Park cover up the murder?"

"Aniyo. Park Man-young refused, and Edward Park had to come up with a different way of getting cleared. After Park Man-young refused to back Edward Park's story, Edward Park had him kicked out of the army for trying to ruin his reputation. When he came back, he couldn't get a job, so Jeong Gook-pyo helped him get set up on the Busan police force."

"How'd he get cleared?" Tae-ung wanted to know.

"He managed to produce some surveillance footage of himself at the project site and he framed the girl's brother for the murder, killing him for good measure."

"Why do you think this man you're talking about is Edward Park, if he had an alibi for the murder?" Hwa-sook asked.

"He painted his victim's toenails in her own blood," Dal-geon told her. "You think that could be a coincidence?"

"Aniyo," Hwa-sook admitted.

"How could there be surveillance footage of him somewhere else if he was off murdering someone?" Se-hun asked.

"Obviously, this was one of his first forays into accessing a secure system and manipulating its data. I have no idea how he did it, but I'd bet my only pair of shoes that he tampered with the security footage somehow."

"But the army suspected him at the time?" Haeri asked.

"The girl's brother-the one he ultimately framed-accused him, so they launched a full investigation. The army cleared him once he came up with the security footage, and then he turned around and demanded that they prosecute Park Man-young for incriminating him."

"Where does Jeong Gook-pyo fit into all of this?"

"Jeong Gook-pyo spoke in Park Man-young's defense. He told the army Park Man-young hadn't done anything wrong, and essentially called Edward Park a spoiled brat for going after Park Man-young in the first place."

Haeri sucked in a breath. "Jesus."

"Once they all got back from the army, Edward Park arranged for Park Man-young to die in a suspicious accident and then set up one of his followers as his replacement as sheriff. Death was too good for Jeong Gook-pyo, however, because he insulted him, so Edward Park set about crafting a more complex revenge against him: he went after his three children instead."

"Three?" Tae-ung asked.

"Ne, three," Dal-geon confirmed. "He was trying to recruit Jeong Siwon to join his followers."

Haeri blinked. "Jinjja?"

"Ne. I believe that was Jerome's primary reason for being in Busan. I think Edward Park sent him there specifically to persuade Siwon to join Edward Park's followers."

"I thought you said Edward Park only helped with Jeong Ji-yeong's kidnapping because Jerome asked him too," Tae-ung said.

"That's what I thought at first," Dal-geon admitted. "I thought Edward Park chose Jeong Ji-yeong as his victim because Jerome asked him for help getting Molly for himself. But now I don't think that's true. Edward Park was the one who chose them. Jerome was just there to do Edward Park's bidding."