Chapter Nineteen
She'd changed into the suit she'd been wearing the first time I saw her. But, as I followed her into the living room, I thought she looked less at ease than she had then.
'I'm sorry, Han-sang, but I'm terribly on edge', she said, over her shoulder.
'That detective was waiting for me outside my apartment when I got back from Wonju. This cat and mouse business really is preposterous. I'm sick and tired of answering the same old questions. I must have told him a dozen times I've never heard of this - what's his name? - Oh, Bae Yeon-seok'.
As I looked down at the dark brown eyes ablaze with indignation I refrained with difficulty from challenging her, there and then, with Kong So-ra's telephone message. I think it was only the thought of I'm listening behind the bedroom door that deterred me. Abruptly, I turned, and went over to the drinks table.
'Do sit down, Su-mi. What can I get you?'
'Please, if you have it, a brandy and ginger ale'. She sank into an easy chair.
'What a day it's been! So-ra, then that dreadful Inspector, then Hyeok .' Her tone lightened. 'He hasn't phoned you, has he?'
Keeping my back to her I clinked bottles while I made up my mind whether to tell her or not. 'No', I lied. 'No, he hasn't'.
'Well, that's one mercy', she said, with a short laugh. 'Perhaps he's stopped being suspicious at last'.
When I came back with the drinks she smiled up at me. I took my whisky and soda to the chair opposite hers and sat down.'This is definitely what I needed', she said. 'Now, I suppose I should tell you why I wanted to see you'. She looked at me from under half closed eyelids.
'I've seen your video, Han-sang. The one they found on Doyle. The police played it through for me'.
'Not exactly a professional job, I'm afraid', I said easily. 'It was a first attempt, you know. I'd only bought the camera just before I went away'.
Her eyes widened. 'For a beginner the shots were remarkably good - particularly the ones of me'. She twirled the stem of her glass between her fingers, then demanded bluntly: 'Why were you following me in Shanghai, Han-sang?'
'Following you?' I repeated. I hadn't expected her to be quite so quick off the mark, and was momentarily at a loss.
'There can't be any other explanation. Although the Inspector only seemed to recognise me in one or two shots, I caught a glimpse of myself in at least six others'. Her eyes narrowed. 'I simply can't believe that we both happened, by chance, to be in those places at the same time'.
There didn't seem much purpose in continuing to deny her accusation. 'All right', I said, with a half smile, 'I was following you'.
Her knuckles whitened as her fingers tightened on her glass. It was a moment before she spoke. 'Why?'
'If you insist on knowing', I said, feeling slightly ridiculous, 'it was because you are . well, an extremely attractive woman'.
'But why follow me?' she persisted. 'You'd met me on the plane. There was no reason why you couldn't have asked me to go out with you'.
'You'd made it very plain to me that you were engaged. I can take a hint as well as most other people'.
She relaxed in the chair. 'So you just kept a respectful distance', she murmured.
'That's rather touching'.
'You sound relieved', I said sharply, in an attempt to discover whether she believed my explanation.
'As a matter of fact, I am', she said imperturbably. 'I thought you must be a private investigator or something'.
'Me!' I laughed. 'I've told you, I'm an engineer'.
'I don't know why I should have thought that. But strange things have been happening since .' She fluttered a hand. 'Oh, let's forget it. You're not a private detective, and that's all that matters'.
'I can't let you get away with it as easily as that', I said lightly. 'Not after having practically accused me of spying on you. What are these strange things that have been happening to you?'
She bit her lip. 'I hate going over all this'. She closed her eyes. 'I killed a man'. I tried to appear suitably shocked.
Her eyes opened, and looked directly into my face. 'In a car accident in Shanghai. His name was Chang Chu-chu. Oh, it was his own fault - that was proved at theinquest - but that didn't make me feel any better about it. I tried to contact his family, even consulted a lawyer to trace them, but without results. I just came up against a blank wall'.
'That is strange. He must have had some relatives'.
'Han-sang', she said, suddenly leaning forward in her chair. 'You don't think there's a connection between Doyle's murder and my car accident?'
'I don't see how there could be', I said, watching her. 'Do you?'
'Not unless Doyle had known Chang Chu-chu. Doyle had been in Shanghai before, you remember'.
'Yes, he said he had all his possessions stolen'. I gripped the arm of my chair. 'What are you driving at, Su-mi?'
'Oh, I don't know - I'm so confused by it all'. She brushed the back of her hand across her forehead. 'Can't we talk about something else now?'
'How about another drink? You've finished that one'.
She glanced at the watch on her wrist. 'No, I really must fly now. So-ra and I have to take some furniture down to a client. We're supposed to there by nine'.
'Don't you ever let up?' I said, trying not to sound too curious. 'I never seem to be able to pin you down. It's either a five-minute drink or a two-minute tea'.
She made a little face at me, and I went on: 'There was that first date I had with you .' I left the sentence unfinished, hoping she would give me a lead-in to my real purpose.
She shuddered. 'That dreadful evening; and I had so looked forward to it'.
'I meant to ask you this before', I said casually, getting up and taking our empty glasses to the drinks table. 'It's always puzzled me why you invited me to your apartment that night, Su-mi'.
'But I've told you - to meet my fiance'.
I crossed the room and looked down at her. 'He's almost psychopathically jealous. I should have thought the one thing you'd have wanted to avoid would be introducing a man you'd met on holiday'.
'That's the whole point', she said earnestly. 'I'd mentioned meeting you. If I hadn't asked you to the apartment after that, he'd have suspected there'd been something more between us than just a casual acquaintance'.
'I suppose he would', I had to agree.
She stood up, smoothing the jacket of her suit. 'I'm so glad we've had this talk, Han-sang. I hated to feel I couldn't trust you'.
'And you do now?'
Her eyes misted. 'You know I do', she said softly.
She was very close to me now; her face raised to mine. As I involuntarily made a movement towards her she placed a restraining hand against my chest. 'Han- sang, why did you ask me about the invitation to my apartment?'I smiled at her. 'You've explained it all now, Su-mi'.
'And you're not suspicious of me?'
I wasn't thinking very clearly at that instant. 'Suspicious of you? Of course not. Why should I be?'
Her hand dropped to her side, and she sighed deeply. 'Everyone else seems to be'.
Looking down at the head dropped so close to my chin I had an almost overwhelming desire to stroke the jet-black hair. Then I remembered I'm. I stepped away from her. 'You mustn't keep dear So-ra waiting', I said, with a light laugh.
She looked at me for a moment, rather dazedly, then smiled. 'Thanks, Han-sang. I'd completely forgotten her'.
The spell was broken and, as I ushered her out into the hall, we were two normal people exchanging conventional phrases after a social drink.
When I came back to the living room I'm was squirting soda on to a whisky.
'Sorry to abuse your hospitality, but my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth'.
'Mine too', I said, with a laugh I hoped didn't sound too embarrassed. 'Her refusing another drink rather cramped my style'.
'So I gathered', he said dryly. 'Oh, by the way, here's the auction catalogue you wanted'. Taking it from his jacket pocket, he handed it to me.
I flipped the pages. 'Let's hope my hunch pays off'. I strolled over to the drinks table. 'Well, what did you make of it all?'
He was in the middle of the room, his feet planted wide. 'Can I give you a piece of advice, Moon?'
Unstoppering the whisky decanter, I said: 'About not mixing business with other things?'
'Something like that'.
Why the hell must he always act the schoolmaster, I thought irritably, giving a stiffer than usual whisky. I lifted the glass, smiling at him.
He said, quietly: 'But you can take care of yourself, can't you, Moon?'
'I can take care of myself, I'm'.
'A lot of other people have said the same thing'. He tossed back his whisky. 'Perhaps Chang Chu-chu said it. Who knows?'