Chapter Two
As I was ushered into the room I thought, as I always had, how improbable a setting it was for the briefing of a mission that could well culminate in violent death. It was high and spacious, with a veined marble floor, and wall-fitted bookcases. Several club leather easy chairs were strategically placed around the modern desk with its businesslike telephones.
Behind the desk sat a man in his early fifties, neatly groomed and wearing an inconspicuous, well fitting dark grey suit. At a first glance he might have been mistaken for a successful businessman; it was not until he started to speak that you realised Na Sang-wha possessed certain qualities, which would have been wasted in the world of commerce.
He rose as I came in, gave me his deceptively benevolent bow, and indicated for me to sit down. As I settled into the chair closest to the door he inclined his head towards a man relaxing in one of the leather chairs by the window.
'I want you to meet I'm Sun-taek, Moon Han-sang. He'll be a colleague of yours on this case'. He shot an amused glance at the other man. 'He's not entirely sold that we have a case at all. Or is your cynicism just a cover for laziness, I'm?'
I'm smiled sardonically. 'Weariness, sir? As Confucius said "roads were made for journeys not destinations". How that woman covered so much ground in stiletto heels will always be a mystery to me'. He stood up and took my hand in a firm grip. 'Do you know how many museums there are in Shanghai, Moon?'
I smiled blankly in the way you do to that sort of question, and he sank back in his chair.
'You will', he assured me.
I gave him an appraising glance. He had an intelligent face, with a long, shrewd nose. His brown eyes had the good-humoured tolerance of having seeneverything and not believing half of it. I had a feeling I was going to get along with my new colleague.
Na said brusquely: 'This is a photograph of the woman you will be having under observation, Moon'. He took a print from his blotter and handed it to me.
It was a photograph of a woman in her early thirties. Shoulder length hair, with wide-spaced dark eyes, a well-shaped nose, and a full, generous mouth. I could have thought of many less pleasant assignments than trailing legs as slender as those below the knee-length pencil skirt.
'Her name is Kim Su-mi, Na was saying. 'She's part owner of an art gallery in Gangnam. She's engaged to a stockbroker. A man named Yun Hyeok'.
I glanced up over the photograph to catch I'm Sun-taek' satirical gaze. 'Lucky man, Yun. Eh, Moon?'
Na cut in abruptly. 'She's flying to Shanghai the day after tomorrow. I've arranged for you to travel on the same plane'. He looked at me. 'You've brought your passport?'
I produced the passport. Na gave it a quick glance and pushed it into a drawer.
'It will be returned to you before you leave'.
It seemed high time I asked a leading question, so I said: 'May I ask why you want this woman kept under observation, sir?'
Na took a cigarette from a silver box and pushed the box across to my side of his desk. 'Just over six weeks ago an agent of this department called Chang Chu-chu was killed. He was knocked down by a car driven by Kim Su-mi'.
I helped myself to a cigarette. 'You suspect it wasn't an accident - is that it?'
I'm made a steeple of his forefingers and thumbs, gazing through it, one eye screwed up. 'That's the loaded question, Moon'.
Na snapped off his lighter in the direction of I'm with a half smile. 'Well, let's put it this way. Chang was one of our best men. There must have been several people who wanted him out of the way'.
I wondered, a trifle uneasily, whether I'd ever achieve that unenviable status in the department. 'But there'd be an inquest. Didn't anything come out in the evidence?'
Na nodded across at I'm. 'You take over, I'm. You were there'.
'It was a genuine enough accident, according to the witnesses', I'm said heavily.
'They said Kim Su-mi did her best to pull up, but just didn't have a chance to avoid Chang. According to their testimony he stepped off the pavement right in front of the car'.I glanced again at the open, attractive face in the photograph. 'Any idea what Kim Su-mi was doing in Shanghai at the time?'
Na cut in: 'We know she was there on holiday'.
'She's been back there since the accident?' I said.
Na nodded. 'She flew there about six weeks ago and stayed six days. We sent I'm over to tail her'.
I'm groaned hollowly. 'Six days of museums and art galleries. And nothing more incriminating to report than a sidelong glance at a male nude statue'.
I smiled. 'And yet you still suspect her of not being entirely innocent of causing Chang's death?'
'Not me', I'm said emphatically. 'For my part, it was a pure accident. These things happen … even to us'. He pulled at his long nose. 'Only I can't convince Mr Na that's all it was'.
'All right, I'm', Na said soothingly. 'I know you think I've a bee in my bonnet about Miss Kim. But there it is'.
I'm laughed embarrassedly. 'I didn't say that, sir'.
'I wouldn't hold it against you if you had'. Na smiled at him paternally, then his face tightened as he turned to me. 'These trips back to China by Miss Kim can't be completely purposeless. I want to know what their significance is. That's your assignment, Moon. I want a report from you on everyone she meets and where she goes'. He rotated his cigarette lightly between finger and thumb.
'I'd particularly like to know whether she visits a cafe called the Chinese Dragon'.
I raised my eyebrows. 'Why the Chinese Dragon particularly?'
'Chang used to frequent it'. Na opened a side drawer in his desk and brought out a street map of Shanghai. Spreading it out on the desk he put a manicured finger on a red-encircled area of streets named. 'Tian Zi Fang. The Chinese Dragon is just here'. He said tapping his finger on the map.
I made a mental note of it. 'Chang', I said. 'Can you tell me anything about him? What was he doing in China?'
'He lived there. Worked in Shanghai. From time to time he supplied us with information'.
Na's mouth tightened, so I did not press the obvious question about the nature of the information. Instead, I queried: 'Did anyone know about this?'
He shook his head slowly. 'Not that we are aware of. But, of course, certain people must have known we had a contact in China and that information was coming through to us'. He smiled thinly. 'Nothing you need concern yourself about. Just information about things in general'.
You perceptive old devil, I thought. I said, 'What if I'm is right? That the accident was genuine and Miss Kim wasn't interested in Chang?'Na gave me a long, cold-eyed stare. 'I ask the questions, Moon. Your job is to bring me the answers. Your plane ticket to Shanghai will be mailed to you tonight'.
I didn't need cueing to know what my next line was. 'Goodbye, sir'.
As I passed I'm's chair he hooded one eye at me. 'I hope you like museums, Moon', he said softly.
I came out of the office into the gathering darkness of the evening. Opposite me, the skyline of Seoul was lit by the bright neon signs of the advertising hoardings. I wished my instructions had been equally well illuminated, at the moment they didn't seem to make a great deal of sense.