Chapter Eight
At Sejong-daero the door was opened by Shin, of the department, a soft-spoken man in a black double-breasted jacket and striped trousers. Mr Na, he told me as though revealing a state secret, was not available.
Fuming with frustration I asked if Mr I'm were available. That got me into the hallway while Shin went down to the far end of it and whispered confidentially into a telephone. Replacing the receiver silently he told me, in hushed tones, that Mr I'm could see me.
In the library I'm was sprawled in an easy chair, a soju in his hand. 'Sorry about Na. He was called to the Blue House to prime officials on a suitably ambiguous answer to .' He broke off, eyeing me shrewdly. 'Hello . You look as though you'd seen a ghost'.
'The makings of one', I said. 'Doyle, the American I saw in Shanghai, is dead. Murdered'.
I'm whistled silently, then unfolded himself from his chair. 'What you need is a drink'. He crossed to the drinks cabinet and opened it. 'A brandy I think is indicated'. He examined a bottle. 'Ah, yes. A Courvoisier'. Pouring it, he said, in a conversational tone tactfully intended to bring my nerves off the boil: 'The boss looks after himself well in the drink line. Something of a gourmet, too. You want to time your murders better, Moon. Say, lunch-time at his club'.I'd sunk into an easy chair opposite his when he came back with the brandy.
'Sorry to be jumpy', I said, taking the glass from him. 'But I don't stumble over corpses every day in the week'.
'Unfriendly things', he said, letting himself down into his chair. 'Na told me about this American. Like to elaborate, Moon?'
When I'd outlined the events in Kim Su-mi's apartment I'm pulled at his nose. 'A very unpleasant business. And the murderer left the apartment the same way you did - by the balcony?'
I nodded. 'After first slipping the door key under the front door'.
I'm frowned. 'That's what puzzles me, Moon. Why make it easy for you to find the body so quickly? You'd think a murderer would want to give himself plenty of time to make his getaway'.
'That had occurred to me'. I sipped my brandy, trying to work it out.
'It could be this way'. I'm closed one eye thoughtfully. 'You were expected at the apartment. They slipped you the key, knowing damned well you'd go in. Right? Then they tip off the police that a murder's been committed. The police come to the apartment, find you there with the body. And .'
I cut in on him. 'I was expected at the apartment. But by Kim Su-mi'. I'm eyed me casually over the rim of his glass. 'Well?'
'Oh, come off it, I'm', I said exasperatedly. 'Kim Su-mi had nothing to do with the murder. I was watching her from the bedroom as she came into the apartment. She was petrified when she saw the body. As for tipping off the police, it was she who telephoned them'.
I'm looked down his nose. 'Witness for the Defence can now leave the box'.
'I'm giving you the facts. Her reactions were those of any woman who finds a dead body in her apartment', I said heatedly. 'Anyway, why would I defend her?'
He gave me an amused glance. 'Our Miss Kim's a damn attractive girl', he reflected. 'I wonder what Doyle was doing in her apartment?'
'I don't know. All I do know is that she was as stunned as I was to find himthere'.
'You say Doyle's bag was lying in the hall? And the contents were scattered round his body in the living room?'
'An auction catalogue, a chronometer, and the Chinese doll'.
'That Chinese doll', I'm said reflectively 'Any theory why the murderer would rip the stuffing out of it?'
'An obvious one. He was looking for something that could be hidden in the doll'.
I'm nodded. 'Is there anything special about the chronometer?'
'Mechanically it was like any other. But this one was more than usually ornate. Delicately carved and brightly painted, the sort of thing you'd expect tofind in the souvenir shops'. My fingers tightened on the stem of my glass. 'Chang Chu-chu was carrying a chronometer when he was accidentally killed, wasn't he? What was that one like?'
'You've just described it pretty accurately'.
'Then .' I began.
I'm shook his head. 'This wasn't his. Na has that locked up in his safe. I managed to get possession of it after the inquest'. He smiled. 'This department does manage to pull a string or two sometimes, you know, Moon'.
I looked suitably impressed, then finished my brandy. 'Well, where do we go from here?'
'So far as you're concerned - nowhere, for the moment'. He got up, and took my glass and is over to the drinks cabinet. 'The police will be at Miss Kim's apartment now, questioning her. If she's as genuine as you think she is, she'll tell them she was expecting you tonight'.
'I'd take a bet on that', I said sharply. 'And there's no need to be sarcastic about it'.
'Did I sound sarcastic?' he said smoothly. 'The point I was making was this. You'll need to think up a pretty plausible story to keep the police off your back'.
'I'll just tell them the truth. I've nothing to hide'.
'Haven't you?' I'm handed me another Courvoisier, then took his own glass for a walk up and down the room. 'You found the body. Why didn't you wait until they came to the apartment and tell them about it? The police won't like that at all'. He waved his glass at me. 'Oh, we know why you came dashing round here to report to Na. But police won't say, 'Thanks very much, Mr Moon, that let's you off!' when you tell them you were doing a tail job on Kim Su-mi. They'll be very curious indeed'.
'Well, suppose they are?' I said, shrugging. 'All I have to do is mention this department .'
'That's just what you haven't got to do', I'm said quickly, swinging round on me. 'Get this into your head, Moon. All Na is concerned with is why one of his most trusted agents should have been killed. That we disagree as to it being an accident is beside the point. Your assignment is to find out whether Miss Kim is mixed up with people who wanted Chong out of the way. And to do that she mustn't know you're tailing her. Tell the police you are, and they'll make big feet noises that will divert her shell-like ears in your direction. And not quite so charmingly as they are at present'.
'It's back-handed, but I'll take it as a compliment on my handling of the assignment so far', I said, grinning up at him. 'By the way, do you still think it was an accident?'
'This American being murdered in her apartment certainly opens up possibilities'. He pursed his lips thoughtfully, then said decisively: 'Phone her now. Give her some reason why you didn't turn up'. He went over to the desk and flicked through the pages of a diary on it. 'Here we are . '.
I took my Samsung from my pocket, and dialled the number slowly, figuring out a plausible excuse.
I put the receiver to my ear and heard the ringing tone. A couple of seconds later there was a click as the receiver was lifted at the other end.
A man's voice came crisply on the line. 'Hello .'
I hesitated, then after a slightly surprised, 'Oh - er .' I went on briskly: 'Could I speak to Miss Kim? My name's Moon'.
There was an unmistakable hand-blanketing of the mouthpiece at the other end, and I lip-spoke 'Police' to Na. He smiled back sagely. Then I was listening to Kim Su-mi's voice. 'Is that you, Mr Moon?'
'I say, I'm terribly sorry about tonight', I said with, I hoped, an authentic note of frantic apology in my voice. 'But I had a business appointment at Daegu. I forgot all about it when I accepted your invitation. I was hoping to get back in time, but this conference went on and on. As a matter of fact, I'm speaking from Daegu at the moment'.
'Bad luck. I mean about your conference. I wondered what had happened to you'.
'I did ring before I left but couldn't get a reply'. I glanced across at I'm who seemed amused. 'It was about a quarter past seven'.
'Oh, did you? I wasn't in then. Yun Hyeok, my fiance, rang me earlier. He had one of his asthma attacks and I thought I ought to go round and make sure he was all right'. A smile came into her voice. 'If you had come you'd have been ringing the bell of an empty flat. Still, some other time, perhaps'.
I said I hoped so, apologised again, and hung up.
'Nice work', I'm said, taking a cigarette from the silver box and pushing it across to me. 'Where was she at a quarter past seven?'
'Apparently her fiance was ill and she went round to look after him'.
'You can rely on the police to check that', I'm said, with a sardonic glance at me. 'You want to watch out, Moon. They'll be looking for a motive for Doyle's murder. Something nice and primitive, like jealousy, for instance'.