“They won’t miss ’em.”
We walked along the edge of the hall until we reached the double doorway leading back to the kitchen. When a white-gloved waiter came by, Ernie managed to snag some snacks off a silver platter. The man ducked away and kept moving.
“Now for some champagne,” Ernie said.
“Forget it, Ernie. You’ll get us in trouble.”
He stopped suddenly and elbowed me. “Get a load of her.”
Across the hall, wearing a tailored uniform of a short skirt and a matching tunic, stood a statuesque woman.
“She’s looking at you,” Ernie said, munching on his cracker. “Man, she could be a fashion model. What a doll.” He swiveled his head to study me. “Do you know her?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I stared into the haunting eyes of Senior Captain Rhee Mi-sook. At first, I had the impulse to run, but I controlled it. She wasn’t wearing the uniform of a North Korean officer; she was dressed as a major in the South Korean Army. And she wasn’t trying to hide. Not at all. She seemed perfectly at home in this crowd. She held my gaze boldly, a half-smile on her lips.
Then she raised her champagne glass in a toast and sipped.