Chapter Thirty-one.
After leaving the restaurant I found myself in an unsettled frame of mind, a mixture of frustration at Kim Su-mi's evasion, and anticipation of our next meeting. I sat in my car for some minutes, wondering how to spend the next hour or so. There were plenty of inviting bars within easy reach, but I felt that it was important to keep a clear head.
In the end I decided that I might as well go back to my apartment, just in case there should be any telephone calls before ten. I started the engine and drove slowly to the top of Yeoksam-dong. As I turned right, with a careful eye on my driving mirror for any following traffic, I caught sight of a black saloon car drawing out from the kerb. It swung round the corner close behind me. In the next road I had to pull up for the traffic lights and saw the black saloon swerve sharply in.
A couple of minutes later, however, it was only twenty yards behind me. I took advantage of the traffic flow to turn quickly down a narrow side street on my left, and when I saw the black saloon in my mirror once more, I knew I was being trailed.
As I steered carefully down the narrow street my brain whirled with speculations as to the identity of my pursuer. I tried several times to get a glimpse of the driver of the car through my mirror, but the angles seemed to be all wrong. All I could see were reflections on the windscreen.
Turning right I made the most of a clear stretch of road and passed through one set of traffic lights on red, leaving my pursuer to wait for the next change to green.In the swirl of the thick traffic I thought I'd lost the black saloon, but it was visible in my driving mirror again. I thought of Zhong's warning: 'These people will not hesitate at violence - or worse'.
The black saloon kept a steady twenty yards behind me. I tried to figure out why they should be following me. If they'd planned some sort of attack, surely it would have been easier to wait for me in the dimly-lit street. Or didn't they know where I lived?
I glanced at the petrol gauge; there was enough in the tank to keep me going if I just drove around until I was due to meet Su-mi again. But that would only have meant being followed to her apartment. I decided that I had to shake off the black saloon once and for all.
I pulled up quickly, jumped out of the car, and dodged past the bus queue, into the subway station arcade. I ran almost to the end, then turned into the opening to the line. The lift was ascending with infuriating deliberation, and I lost patience. I darted down the steps just as a westbound train was coming in. I muttered something to the ticket collector, then rushed down the steps, three at a time. As I shot into the train the doors began to close, as if on cue. Breathless, I sank into a seat, satisfied that no one could have followed me on to that train.
Leaving the train I gave the ticket collector a shilling and went out into the street. I still regarded every black saloon suspiciously, but their drivers never glanced my way. When I came to my street I walked round to the back entrance from the square.
I entered the apartment as quietly as possible, carefully closing the door after me and putting up the catch. I flung open the living room door and waited a second before entering. I looked behind the door, then crossed to the window and drew the curtains before switching on the light. The room seemed unnaturally quiet.
When I was halfway through a cigarette I felt much more relaxed. The clock in the corner chimed nine. I blew a long stream of smoke and decided I'd go back to pick up the car.
Leaning back in my armchair I tried to work out what plans Kim Su-mi had for me at our meeting, but the heavy silence of the apartment was beginning to be unnerving. I reached over to switch on the tv, but before I could do so the doorbell rang.
In my haste to switch off the light I nearly knocked over an occasional table. Four more strides took me over to the window, where I peeped cautiously through the curtains. There in the street below was the familiar black saloon car.
The doorbell rang again.
I decided that the showdown might as well come now as later; at least I was on my home ground and fully alert. I switched on the light again and went to thefront door. My plan was to open it quietly for a few inches and stand prepared to slam it into the intruder's face.
'It's all right, sir - nothing to fear', said a familiar voice as the door opened.
I pulled it wider and immediately recognised the man in the raincoat and grey hat. It was Detective Inspector Lee Shi-hoo.