TLWSL 07

Chapter 07

“My eyes feel dry.”

After putting in some eye drops, I turned my gaze back to the monitor.

According to Mr. Sim Oh-han, the client had supposedly come to the Seoul Emerging Artists Exhibition and then commissioned the work.

“No matter how many times I replay this, the client’s movement path is too straight.”

Without looking at any other pieces, it was as if they knew exactly where Mr. Sim’s work was located.

It almost seemed like they came just to leave an alibi.

“Mr. Sim might be right, but this is serious.”

After reviewing four days’ worth of CCTV footage, only one conclusion came to mind:

When cross-examining the client, who was also the defendant, there was a real chance things would get messy.

“If I ask, they’ll just dodge with answers like ‘I suddenly remembered,’ or ‘I don’t recall.’”

To prevent that, I needed to think one step ahead—but I couldn’t see the move.

“Only then could the judge hand down a verdict different from the first trial, but there isn’t enough time.”

Unfortunately, a judge’s working hours are limited (even with overtime), while new cases keep flooding in.

In such a situation, unless there are extraordinary circumstances, a judge can’t help but uphold the first trial’s verdict.

That meant, without overwhelming evidence to overturn the first verdict, the judge might simply go along with the false testimony of the client—just like in the first trial.

Tap. Tap.

“Not being able to find a decisive move to break the prosecutor’s case is humiliating. I’d better start by retracing the client’s commission.”

I immediately called Mr. Sim.

Ring. Ring.

Click.

• …Attorney, you’re still awake?

His voice was groggy, as though I had woken him.

“Mr. Sim, the client said they saw your piece The Art of Money at the Suryeon Gallery, right?”

• …Uh, yes.

“But according to the CCTV, the client walked straight to your work.”

• What? Didn’t they have a pamphlet?

“No.”

• What in the world…

There was a brief silence over the phone.

• What’s going on here? I definitely heard that from the client. Even at the first trial, they testified they saw it at Suryeon Gallery.

‘Must’ve felt like their head would split from the pain.’

That’s when you need a lawyer.

“Mr. Sim, when you exhibited, you didn’t have enough money to print images in the pamphlet, so you only listed your name, number, and email, right?”

• That’s right.

“My guess is the client thought your work would be displayed at Suryeon Gallery. They probably wanted to confirm your skills.”

• ……?

“In other words, they must’ve seen your work somewhere else—through social media, or maybe an acquaintance.”

• Haa…

“Did the client say anything unusual when you first spoke on the phone?”

He fell silent for a moment, recalling.

• No, nothing unusual. They just asked if I could take a commission and where we could meet. I told them to come to my studio the next day.

“And at the studio? What did they say?”

• I don’t remember clearly… Oh, they asked if originals were possible.

I already knew that much through ability.

“And then?”

• Ah!

“You remember?!”

• The client said they’d seen my work somewhere. But this exhibition was my first one, so I thought that was odd.

A client with sharp instincts.

• When I pressed them, they said mine was the piece that caught their eye the most at Suryeon Gallery, so they became a fan.

“…A fan?”

• Yes. They said they lied about seeing it elsewhere because it would’ve sounded weird to call themselves a fan after seeing just one piece. They didn’t think it would backfire like this.

“Aha.”

‘Good thing I studied statement analysis, whether from dreams or tutorials—it’s finally paying off.’

When you first learn about statement analysis, you’re told this:

“There’s no such thing as coincidence in life. Every word spoken by a witness carries meaning.”

If words like “suddenly,” “by chance,” or anything that stands out slip into their speech, you need to pay close attention.

It was too soon to draw conclusions, but it seemed highly likely the client had truly seen Mr. Sim’s work somewhere.

• …So when they asked me to take the commission, I just went along with it. The money was good, too.

If my hunch was right—

“Mr. Sim, are you sure you’ve never displayed your work elsewhere? Not in a gallery, but maybe a subway station, a fair, or something like that?”

• …Other than galleries?

“Yes. Whether free or paid. On walls, floors, whatever—or maybe you gave one to an acquaintance.”

• Th-there is one!