Chapter Forty-four
The thought of the pistol in my pocket comforted me once again as I walked along the deserted street, peering at the tall apartment block of [ayu Court. It was shabby and in need of repair, with a gaudy neon sign outside.
I caught the elevator up to the fourth floor and walked along the paint-peeling corridor until I reached 418s door, and swiped the electronic key over the lock. The door creaked as I pushed it open, and I stepped into a stuffy-smelling hallway.
I switched on my small torch, and looked round the meagrely furnished hall. There was a door on the right, opposite the foot of the stairs. I stood and listened for a moment or two; if Bae had arrived there was no sign of his presence. Carefully, I turned the door-knob and slowly pushed open the door.
At first glance it looked like an ordinary living room: the furniture was covered with dust sheets, and I could detect the familiar shapes of chairs, a sideboard, and a writing bureau. Swivelling the torch beam over a wide radius, I began to advance across the room. It seemed like any other room awaiting the removal men - until the beam of my torch suddenly lit up a man's foot.
The foot was turned upwards, and as the torchlight probed further into the darkness I discovered that the owner of the foot was lying behind the sofa, apparently unconscious.
My first reaction was to switch off the torch and stand perfectly still, listening for the sound of his breathing. A shaft of light from a street lamp on the opposite side of the road shone weakly through the side of the old-fashioned woodenwindow; the room was still eerily quiet, nor was there any sound from any other part of the apartment.
Making up my mind at last, I took a couple of quick steps, put one knee on the sofa and, leaning over the back, shone the torch behind. What I saw made me go round the sofa at once to take a closer look .
The pale face and sandy hair were only too familiar. No Jung-jong hadn't used his passport to get to Vancouver, it seemed. He would never use it again.
There was a heavy crimson smear on his left temple and a trickle of blood from his mouth. Obviously there was nothing I could do for him this time . I straightened myself and as my head came above the level of the back of the sofa the beam from a powerful torch caught me squarely in the eyes.
It was a few seconds before I could distinguish the figure in the doorway. Standing there, with the torch in his left hand and what looked like a .38 automatic in his right, was Yun Hyeok. He had removed his glasses, and his staring eyes were cold and menacing.
I waited for him to break the silence, but he did not speak. 'I came here to meet Bae Yeon-seok', I said at last, through dry lips.
'That's a damn lie!' Yun said hotly. 'You'd arranged to meet Su-mi here'.
I gripped the back of the sofa.
'Switch off that torch and put your hands up!' he ordered, and it seemed safer to obey. His face was strangely contorted as he said: 'Why the hell couldn't you stick to the job you were hired for, and leave Kim Su-mi alone?'
'What was the job I was hired for?' I asked edging forward.
'To uncover the diamond racket, wasn't it?' he said, gripping the butt of the gun. 'Kong So-ra's been on to you ever since you went to see No Jung-jong'.
'I've brought you the diamonds', I said, lowering my arm and feeling for the jewel box in my waistcoat pocket. 'Have you brought the twelve million won?'
'Keep your distance!' he said sharply. 'No, I haven't brought the twelve million. Do you think that I'm Bae?'
'No, I don't', I said. 'Don't be a fool, Yun. The people I work for won't let you get away with murdering me. Put that gun away and you can have the diamonds'.
'You're in no position to bargain, Moon', he said, taking a pace towards me. 'You're going to die - not only because you know too much, but because you took Su-mi from me'.
'Wait a minute, Yun', I said, opening the jewel case. 'Lee Shi-hoo's getting damn close to finding Doyle's murderer. If you have any sense you'll leave the country as soon as you can. You'll need money. Here, take these diamonds and sell them to Bae'. I held out the box, letting the light shine onto the stones. 'They can buy you your freedom. Otherwise, you'll get a fifteen years' sentence at least'. The gun in his hand wavered. He leaned forward, his eyes focused on the box. I brought my hand up with all my weight behind it, the diamonds hitting him directly between the eyes.
As he staggered back I swung my other arm against his gun, knocking it from his hand. As I made a dive for it he came down on me with an upward knee-thrust. Then his fingers closed round my throat with the vicious clutch of a near-maniac. In a desperate attempt to escape those choking fingers I heaved my body upwards, throwing Yun over my head. His hands left my throat but he grabbed at the gun. Then he was kneeling over me, the gun pointed between my eyes. There was a sudden crack, and I thought for a moment that the explosion was the bullet crashing into my skull. Then I realised that the gun itself had dropped on my forehead, and the blood I could feel on my face was dripping from Yun's wrist. I rolled over, and saw the figure of a tall, lean man looking down at me.
'Doesn't do too badly for a sick man, does he?' said I'm' imperturbablevoice.
'Thanks, I'm!' I managed to say breathlessly, as I struggled to me feet. I indicated the sofa. 'I was luckier than No Jung-jong, poor devil!'
'Yes, we know about him', I'm said quietly. 'They've already dealt with No Jung-jong when I arrived on the scene'.
'Yes, just what are you doing here, I'm Sun-taek?' I asked, still trying to get my breath back.
'Our department isn't a suicide squad, Moon', he answered smoothly.
'When you were so adamant about meeting Bae Yeon-seok I simply decided to keep an eye on things'.
'M'm . ' I said reflectively. 'So that's what was in your mind when you insisted on knowing the time and place'.
He smiled, and picked up Yun's gun, wrapping it in his handkerchief. 'This will interest the police, I daresay', he said to Yun, who was binding his own handkerchief round his injured wrist. 'Inspector Lee Shi-hoo should be here at any moment. I put a call through to him directly I found No Jung-jong'.
'It's lucky for me you came back here when you did', I said. 'Thanks again!'
'A pleasure', he said, and added casually: 'Don't forget the diamonds, Moon. Na will dock their value out of my salary if you don't return them . '
I laughed, retrieved the diamonds, and handed the box to I'm. A police car drew up outside the house.
'Come on, Moon'.
As we went down the pathway Inspector Lee Shi-hoo got out of the car. 'I'll want a word with you tomorrow, Mr Moon', he said as he passed me.
'Make it ten o'clock', I said. 'At 824 Seoul Tower. It may be rather urgent'.
'I'll have two of my men there', Lee said, turning. 'We don't want anyone getting out by the balcony this time, do we, sir?'