Original subtitles

Partners for Justice Season 2

The characters, institutions, place names, and incidents in this drama are all fictional.

Male, Jang Ho-gu, age 41.

He ran into the median strip...

near the bridge pier when he was driving his car.

He'd only been married a year,

but his wife died in a car accident too.

The Civil Act Article 997 says...

an inheritance shall be commenced by death.

My sister is his wife, so she's the primary legal heir.

But they treated us like we were some kind of swindlers.

Why don't we request an autopsy from the NFS,

and find out the exact time of death?

Jang Ho-gu's time of death...

is 7:37 a.m.

- What about Cha Ju-hui? - Cha Ju-hui's death...

was possibly a murder.

Excuse me?

It was a homicide.

What are you talking about? Was Ju-hui really murdered?

Please sit down.

We've examined the scene of the accident,

and there were no skid marks.

Just as I expected.

There are no skid marks here.

What does that mean?

It means she didn't step on the brakes.

Due to the collision impact without slowing down,

she had a cervical spine fracture and a whiplash injury.

The neck being severely shaken due to damage and shock

The weather was cloudy on the day of the accident,

but the fine dust concentration was only 30 micrograms per cubic meter.

So the visibility range was more than 650 feet.

If she had her eyes forward,

she would've instinctively hit the brakes as soon as she saw the truck.

Then why didn't she?

There are two possible scenarios. First of all,

she was unconscious.

During the autopsy,

we found vomitus in her throat.

Vomitus in the throat.

It's the most common symptom before losing consciousness.

Secondly, she could've had vision problems.

There was retinal detachment in her eyes.

When that happens, you can lose your eyesight.

Is that why you extracted the eyeballs?

Then what's the reason?

Both of them.

A substance that causes both problems has been found in her blood.

Autopsy Report

What am I looking at here?

Here.

Right here, this is it.

It says right there, N2O.

- Excuse me? - Nitrous oxide.

A transparent gas resulting from pyrolysis of ammonium nitrate

When inhaled,

it causes hallucination, headaches and vomiting.

Retinal detachment, anoxemia...

caused by intraocular pressure leads to loss of consciousness.

The cause of death was brain damage due to a car accident.

However, the accident was caused...

by loss of consciousness due to acute nitrous oxide poisoning.

Therefore,

we can't exclude the possibility of murder.

By the way,

what exactly is nitrous oxide?

It's a medical auxiliary anesthetic agent.

It's a type of gas frequently used in surgeries and at dental clinics.

And about her sister, Cha Do-hui,

she works as a dental hygienist...

and makes $1400 a month.

Her family can't afford a cheap ring, let alone a Tahitian pearl necklace.

We'll investigate this case as a murder case now.

The family members here are...

all key testifiers.

You can also be suspects.

And Ms. Cha Do-hui.

- Yes? - You work in a dental clinic, right?

So?

You bribed the duty doctor to forge the time of death.

And you have access to nitrous oxide, the criminal tool.

As of this moment forward,

you're the suspect in this case.

For flight risk and the destruction of evidence,

- you're arrested without a warrant. - All right.

- Wait. - Hold on.

What do you mean, you're arresting her?

Why are you doing this?

Why are you taking Do-hui?

What are you doing?

This is ridiculous!

I thought it was a dispute over inheritance, but it's a murder case.

We'll find out who killed your daughter-in-law.

Of course you should.

I doubt they even have money to hire a lawyer.

Partners for Justice Season 2

Maximum Engagement: Of vehicles during collision

You didn't make any mistakes, did you?

What are you talking about?

Mom, did you by any chance...?

- Stop the car. - Okay.

This case is a planned crime that caused a car accident...

by using nitrous oxide, an unprecedented tool...

to pull off the perfect crime.

The suspect is very meticulous,

with a strong crime motive,

and this person must've planned this crime for a long time.

It almost succeeded too.

Therefore we're dealing with a difficult case here.

We'll be investigating this case from the start.

- Let's begin. - Okay.

The victim, Cha Ju-hui, age 27.

A former flight attendant.

She'd been married for a year.

Her husband...

Jang Ho-gu, age 41, died on the same day.

He ran a café...

in a building he owned.

The first suspect is...

the victim's younger sister Cha Do-hui, a dental hygienist.

She's cunningly clever,

since she forged the time of her sister's death...

in the ED, coveting the inheritance.

As you know, it's easy for her to access nitrous oxide.

It's giving me the creeps just thinking about it.

That's what she did as soon as her sister died.

Yes, that's probably because...

she and her fiancee Lim Jong-min used up all the money they had,

including savings deposit, a credit line, and the cash advance service.

They must've been blinded by money.

She might've fallen out with her sister fighting over the assets.

What? You want a settlement?

You must've enjoyed the apartment worth $4 million, haven't you?

Ho-gu said he'll give that to us...

What's strange is that...

the poor family married off their daughter to a rich family.

Wouldn't she be like a goose laying golden eggs?

Ju-hui must've been a pushover to the family.

I don't see any reason for her to kill her sister.

The suspect used nitrous oxide.

You need expert knowledge to use it properly.

I'm sure we'll find a definite lead if we search the dental clinic.

I'll turn that place upside down if I must.

That's not the place for you to rummage through.

It's a pretty obvious case.

It's one of three reasons. Love affair, money, or grudge.

But this is obviously because of money.

Yes, money.

Her family was completely broke.

It could be a problem if you're too poor,

but it could be problematic if you're too rich.

Let's look at the second suspect.

It's the victim's brother-in-law, Jang Ho-cheol.

His business for customizing imported cars went under three years ago,

but his mother paid off the debt, and he moved into the home.

He gets $2000 a month...

managing his mother's building.

Although he comes from a wealthy family,

he's practically poor with no possessions.

So when his brother received an apartment and a building,

he was left out into the cold.

I smell something fishy.

Moreover, he's the most financially profitable person in this case.

He only has one brother,

and both his brother and his wife died,

so he's the sole inheritor to his mother's wealth.

Only because they both died, right?

Yes, precisely.

For Jang Ho-cheol,

his brother would've been his biggest stumbling block.

Didn't he die of a car accident...

caused by careless driving?

We can't be sure of that yet.

Where's the car from the accident?

It was a general case, so we haven't confiscated yet.

Issue a confiscation warrant for both cars,

and send them to the NFS for a vehicle examination.

Okay.

I'll dig up Jang Ho-cheol's alibi and all past traces.

I'll do the same for Cha Do-hui.

I'll even find out the color of her poop that day,

and find out every bits and pieces.

That can't be all.

- What does she mean? - What?

We have a third suspect.

It's the mother-in-law, Cheon Chun-ja.

She owns five to six buildings,

and dozens of studio apartments in Gangnam.

She's a wealthy woman...

with property assets worth more than $50 million.

It seemed that Ms. Cheon was reluctant even talking to Ju-hui's family.

Yes, their families weren't financially balanced.

Ju-hui's family was evicted and was about to end up on the streets,

and yet she got married to an incredibly wealthy family.

Marriage is also a part of business for these people,

so she must've opposed to their marriage.

Why would she kill her when she has divorce as an option?

Divorce isn't an easy option, either.

In my opinion,

there was something going on between Ju-hui and her mother-in-law.

And she didn't even bat an eye...

when she heard that her daughter-in-law died.

And do you think such a crime plan...

came from this guy's head?

Cheon Chun-ja is behind Jang Ho-cheol's crime?

We must be cautious,

and secure enough evidence when dealing with someone like her.

There are no eyewitnesses, yet we have three suspects.

Moreover, they all have definite motives for murder,

and circumstantial evidence.

That's how complicated the case is.

We should conduct multiple investigations simultaneously.

The NFS found material evidence and found out it was a murder case.

Now it's time for us to investigate.

Let's go for it with Seoul Eastern DPO's pride on the line.

- Okay. - Got it!

National Forensic Service

- What? It's a murder case? - Yes.

Seong-joo, what's this about?

Well, it's...

Nitrous oxide was found in Cha Ju-hui's blood.

Here's the autopsy report.

I didn't hear about the vehicle coming in.

It was a general case, so no request for an examination was made.

Hey!

She died inside a vehicle, and you concluded as murder without examining it?

Are you all insane?

And Dr. Sally,

how dare you give a briefing there when you're new here?

I was just stating the fact, did I do anything wrong?

What?

Dr. Park.

We have a hierarchy and a system here at the NFS,

are you going to keep letting them act so dogmatically like this?

It's a murder case now,

so I'm sure they'll send over the vehicle soon.

Hey!

Contact the Seoul Eastern DPO. This must be re-examined!

Excuse me,

I'm from the Seoul Eastern DPO.

These cars arrived after a car accident on May 15, am I correct?

Two cars owned by Jang Ho-gu...

has been related to a murder case, so we have to take them for examination.

This?

This is the sedan,

and someone took the SUV to scrap it.

What? Who took it?

His brother came by about an hour ago,

saying that the owner of the car had passed away.

Here you go.

Jang Ho-cheol, you jerk. I knew he'd pull a stunt like this!

Did he tell you where he's headed, by any chance?

Beats me.

He beat us to it knowing we'll issue a confiscation warrant...

Why was he in such a hurry?

I'm guessing he went somewhere in the Gyeonggi-do area.

There are no junkyards in Seoul.

There must be dozens of junkyards in Gyeonggi-do.

This is driving me nuts!

Let's go to the nearby tollgate.

We can narrow down the area by tracking his phone calls.

- Thank you. - Sure.

We're from the Seoul Eastern DPO.

Is Cha do-hui working here as a dental hygienist?

Yes, she does.

There's a possibility that Cha Do-hui used nitrous oxide,

which is used here, for a criminal case.

Also,

we have a search warrant regarding this case.

Who's in charge of managing nitrous oxide?

It's Cha Do-hui.

I knew it.

Please gather security-camera footage of this building's parking...

on the day when nitrous oxide was supplied.

Sure will.

This is the storage room.

Nitrous Oxide

Okay.

Cha Ju-hui came for a one-on-one Pilates lesson...

every morning at 8.

- Every day at the same time, right? - Yes.

Okay, thank you.

If you were close with your sister,

you must've known her daily schedule.

Where were you until 7 a.m...

on the morning of the accident when Ju-hui left the parking lot...

to go to the Pilates studio?

Are you suspecting me, her own sister?

- How could you question...? - Most murder cases...

are done by someone very close.

20% of the murder cases are done by family or relatives.

My sister was beautiful,

and she was the pride of our family.

And she was my one-and-only friend.

Why would I kill her?

Nitrous oxide was found...

in Cha Ju-hui's blood.

And you...

I only use nitrous oxide for medical purposes...

in restricted environments.

On the day before the accident,

you received seven cylinders of 10-kilo nitrous oxide...

yourself, didn't you?

Receipt

Why are there only six of them written on here?

This isn't the only case.

It's been confirmed that...

there's been inconsistency in numbers...

between supplied items and received items while you were working.

I'm really busy at work.

I guess I made a mistake putting down the numbers.

Let's say you made a mistake there.

But why did you load nitrous oxide in your car?

Prosecutor, there must be a misunderstanding.

You got off work at 3 p.m. the day before the accident,

and requested a monthly day off, didn't you?

Didn't you visit your sister with nitrous oxide in your car trunk?

- No, that's not it. - Then...

where the heck did you go...

with nitrous oxide in the car?

- Gosh, seriously... - You have no alibi,

and we found the crime tool.

Cha Do-hui, you're a prime suspect at this point.

Prosecutor.

Do you know what happy balloons are?

Yes.

Those balloons are frequently used in red-light districts.

People put nitrous oxide in balloons...

for a hallucination effect.

I snuck some from the dental clinic,

and sold them to clubs.

That's where I went that day.

Money was so tight. I'm sorry.

But that's all.

I was supposed to have lunch with her that day.

Would I have made plans with her if I was going to kill her?

Prosecutor,

you should be questioning the in-laws, not her sister.

My sister...

was killed by those people, for sure.

How can you be so certain?

Those people...!

They had no respect for human life when it comes to money.

Mother.

You're a sneaky wench, aren't you?

Have I done something wrong?

Who were you planning to give this home to?

I apologize, Mother.

I didn't mean it, I swear.

He just went too far. It's a misunderstanding.

Stop bothering my son, and get a divorce.

Ma'am.

It's a misunderstanding.

When I mentioned I didn't have a place to live after I got married,

- he just wanted to help me... - Gosh.

This is ridiculous.

Submit these divorce papers.

Mother, please...

Please listen to me.

Mother!

"I'm going to separate you two, no matter what."

That's what she said before she left.

Those people have all the reasons to kill my sister.

It's just her claim that she sold them to the club.

She could've made plans with her sister on purpose, too.

Please cross-check the amount of missing N2O from the dental clinic,

and the amount sold to the clubs.

Okay.

Keep going.

Keep going! Hurry!

Come on, hurry.

- You have to hurry. - Who is it?

Stop that!

Hold on.

- Keep going. - Stop that right now!

Wait, hold on!

I told you to stop!

Gosh!

What do you think you're doing?

Huh? What?

- What's wrong? - I told you to stop!

It was too loud, you know.

I couldn't hear a thing.

Okay, good. Now you're busted.

Jang Ho-cheol,

From this moment forward,

we'll confiscate this vehicle...

as evidence of a murder case.

Really?

In that case,

do whatever you want with it. Take it.

Goodness,

it's all ruined.

I'm sorry.

Keep up the good work.

That son of a...!

Are you going to let him go, just like that?

It's on us for being a step behind.

Send the vehicle over to the NFS.

Okay.

I thought you left, did you come back?

What's going on with this car?

They were trying to compress it, but they stopped him and brought it here.

- Let's start the exam. - Right now?

You can look at it in the morning.

No, start the preparation. We're starting right away.

Hi, Dr. Baek.

What are you doing there?

Why wouldn't I? I live here now.

What about Prosecutor Eun?

She's your ex-neighbor now, so it's none of your business.

Aren't you going to work?

Since we ran into each other, do you want to take my car to work?

No personal conversations.

Hello, this is Baek Beom.

Dr. Ma says he has a big announcement to make.

About the couple's car accident. So hurry!

Got it.

You have a car?

Hop in.

Elbows down, pull up the window.

You'll cut your arms if you get into an accident.

Sunglasses off.

The NFS is located at 23 degrees to the southeast.

In the morning time, it can obstruct my field of vision due to direct sunlight,

which leads to a higher risk of getting into an accident.

But these sunglasses...

has 30% of visible transmittance,

and only blocks direct light without blocking my views.

SUVs are more likely to roll over than sedans...

Yes, because they have a higher center of gravity and a soft suspension.

That's why I remodeled the center pillar and side shields,

and added 60TRIP high-strength steel plates.

There's no pillar deformation in the event of a side impact or rollover,

so it protects the passengers perfectly.

That's enough, right?

Is it okay to go now?

Fine, go.

Traffic Engineering Laboratory

Dr. Baek, you're here.

Here he comes.

What is it?

Since this is a critical matter,

I stayed up all night as the Head of Forensic Investigation,

and performed an urgent vehicle examination.

I'll tell you the results of...

joint examination of Traffic Engineering and Forensic Investigation Division.

Dr. Baek has analyzed that the deceased Cha Ju-hui...

had been murdered because she became unconscious due to acute poisoning of N2O.

But that was only a presumption before the vehicle examination.

Therefore, I retract...

Dr. Baek's conclusion.

When fuel is combusted while the vehicle is driven,

nitrogen oxides are produced as nitrogen in the air is oxidized.

One of those components is nitrous oxide.

The exhaust gas is supposed to be emitted outside the vehicle.

And the equipment to do that...

is...

this exhaust-gas-inlet barrier.

Here, take a look.

- There's a hole in the connecting parts. - That's right.

That's how nitrous oxide entered the vehicle.

Also, I can't agree to your murder theory.

If nitrous oxide was injected in her body by another person,

there must be a container inside the vehicle that contains nitrous oxide.

However,

even if we consider the fact that the vehicle was damaged,

there was no container to hold gas...

inside the vehicle.

So what's your conclusion?

Nitrous oxide wasn't injected from the outside.

It's proper to say that...

the gas entered the car due to an internal flaw of the vehicle.

Therefore, the type of death...

is accidental.

Then what about the retinal detachment?

It only appears when it's an acute poisoning.

A severe blunt force, such as a traffic accident is applied to the eyes,

it could cause retinal detachment.

I can bet my 13 years of autopsy experience on this matter.

Hey,

he's taking a firm stand this time.

- What's going to happen to us? - You're telling me.

I think he's too emotional right now, because he didn't get any sleep.

I feel responsible,

and would like to apologize as the Head of Forensic Investigation...

for causing confusion in the investigation,

due to an Dr. Baek's irrational opinion.

Then it's all over, isn't it?

You were making a fuss about nothing.

Let's get going.

Oh, my. I bumped into you.

Missed you there.

Sorry.

That punk...!

- The NFS made their conclusion... - Prosecutor Doh.

Stay here.

- You messed with the wrong person. - Where are you going?

The NFS...

examined this matter in various ways.

Since the criminal tool wasn't found inside the vehicle,

murder is considered as a mere assumption.

Yes, sir. We understand.

Dr. Baek.

It's basic knowledge to examine the vehicle.

Why did you overreact without looking at the vehicle first?

Let's look at the sedan.

The husband's car?

Why would you look at his car? It's all over now.

He's going too far again, gosh.

Get out if you're not joining me.

It must've been a difficult time for you.

It's all over now.

It's all thanks to you.

I'll set up a meeting with the chairman soon.

It'd be an honor.

Yes, we'll see each other soon.

Okay, take care.

It was a close one.

You useless dirtbag.

I tried my best, Mom.

- The car was crushed, so nothing... - Shut it.

What are you still doing here?

Prosecutor Doh.

Anything on Cha Do-hui?

She claims she only sold them to clubs.

The ledger isn't accurate enough,

so it's difficult to specify the exact numbers and usage.

We can't give up yet.

So it's an accidental death...

I heard that Jang Ho-cheol tried to destroy the vehicle.

Would he have done that if it was an accidental death?

This can't be it. There must be something else to it.

Let's see...

Bloodshot eyes, dry skin,

and long eye bags.

Are you getting any sleep lately?

I have so much on my mind, I can't get any sleep.

You spent the night at the night-duty room, didn't you?

- When did you last go home? - It's been about three days.

Go home, get some rest.

You should get some sleep to get a clear mind.

The case is closed, why aren't you going home?

Now I see why you two have been mentioning the NFS so much.

They cleared everything out.

This case is over now, so let's clear out the documents from the cabinet.

Dr. Jang?

Go ahead.

We're here to return $5000...

we received from the family of Cha Ju-hui.

I apologize.

You can deposit the money according to the procedures.

Okay.

You startled me!

That's right. I forgot we switched apartments.

I called the moving services and sent your stuff over.

You can move your furniture in the weekend.

Already?

After all, a promise is a promise. Bye now.

Text Message from Sally New address

Who are you?

What?

Isn't this...

Dr. Sally's home?

You're the person that's moving in her room, right?

- I'm the H.M. - Excuse me?

- H.M.? - I'm her housemate.

This way.

This is Sally's room.

Again?

Come out, Sally's sub is here.

There's no need. No thanks.

Follow me.

This is the laundry room.

This is the kitchen,

and follow me.

Room D is in charge of cleaning every Tuesday and Friday.

This is Si-ho.

The bathtub is in here, so if you're going to use it,

room D is allowed to use it from 9:30 to 10 p.m.

Hold on.

So what you're saying is,

this is...

This is a share house of four people?

Yes.

What is it?

Wait!

Did you get robbed?

Then did you mess this place up?

That's not important right now.

Dr. Sally,

did you commit real-estate fraud to a prosecutor?

- Fraud? - It was a share house.

You even have to take turns using the bathroom.

Yeah, so?

You should've told me that sooner!

I'm sorry, but I can't get used to a place like that. I'm switching back.

You're so picky.

Hey, I can hear you!

Just hang in there. It's still a place to live, you know.

Dr. Sally,

you fought with your housemates, didn't you?

You're messy, untidy, and bossy.

Now I get why people dislike you so much.

I'll go if you say so.

I guess I'll start packing.

Where am I supposed to go at this hour?

You're so cold-hearted.

Fine, whatever.

Look, I'm extremely tired right now.

I'm going to sleep,

so you can leave tomorrow.

Hey, that's mine!

This is my home, okay?

I should get some sleep too.

Gosh, it's too small for me.

Let's go for it!

Did you drink too much last night and pass out?

Mr. Yang isn't a wimp like somebody.

It seems he worked all night. Let's sit down first.

Gosh...

he's not the only person working hard around here, gosh.

He's deep asleep, so let's get started without him.

- Yes. - Okay.

Goodness! I have cramps!

Wait, hold on.

I found something.

- What did you find? - I found it!

Here, it's Jang Ho-cheol.

I caught him going into the parking lot...

of Cha Ju-hui's apartment two days before the accident.

Here he is.

Also,

he stayed in her car for almost half an hour.

Gosh.

Partners for Justice Season 2