"I was worried about you," she said. "We thought you would be back last night. I stayed here late, but you didn't return. I heard the weather was bad down at Kyongju."
"The weather wasn't too bad," Jerry said, "but I would have had to drive at night to get back. I thought it best to stay over till this morning. Where is everybody?"
"Let's see." She counted them off on the fingers of one hand. "Mr. Hill has gone over to the Bank of Korea. Mr. Elliston is meeting with a group of fast food managers, Mr. Tolliver is calling on a television station, and Miss Pickerel is in her office." She looked down at his desk and saw the note she had left there. She pointed to it, frowning. "That Mr. Yoo called and wants to come by to see you. He said you could call him at that number."
Jerry noticed she didn't offer to place the call for him. That was unusual. But he thought no more of it as Brittany stuck her head in the door to say she would be out for a short while.
"When do you plan to move into your apartment?" Ji-young asked.
"I thought I'd take my stuff over there this evening after work. With no more than I've accumulated so far, it'll all go in the car with room to spare."
"What about bed linens, towels, things for the kitchen?"
He rumpled his brow and scratched his chin. "Leave it to a woman to complicate matters."
"Do you want to sleep on a bare mattress?"
"Okay. You're right. I need to do some shopping." He thought about all the things he needed to discuss with Burke and the report he would have to make to Nate Highsmith. He frowned. "Only trouble is I don't know when I'll find time. I may have to put off moving till tomorrow."
She smiled brightly. "If I can have the afternoon off, and you will trust me with getting the proper things, I'll do your shopping for you."
"Would you, really?"
"Of course. I'd love to."
Not knowing the best places to shop, it would take him twice as long as it would her. He hated shopping anyway. "I could let you have my credit card."
She gave him a devilish grin. "Are you sure you'd trust me with that?"
"I trust you implicitly, Miss Song," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "Furthermore, I'll take you to dinner when I get home tonight. Let's wait till Burke gets back and see if he has anything for you. Then you're on your way."
He called Mr. Yoo, who indicated he would be over shortly to report on his investigation of An Kye-sun, the newspaper reporter Travis Tolliver had recruited for an assistant.
Burke returned to the office about the time the garishly dressed private investigator arrived. Jerry invited him to sit in on the session with Mr. Yoo.
Jerry looked through the report, one ear tuned to Yoo and Burke.
"How is our friend Captain Yun?" Yoo asked. "I saw you with him last night at the Dokjo."
"I didn't see you," Burke said.
"I was in a private room having dinner with a friend."
"Was that you in the pastel blue jacket?"
The investigator chuckled. "Then you did see me."
"Apparently so."
Jerry laid the report on his desk. "Looks like An Kye-sun is our man."
Yoo nodded. "He checked out fine. Think you'll hire him?"
"No reason not to. He should be a big help to Travis."
"What's your opinion of Captain Yun?" Burke asked, changing the subject.
Yoo spread his hands. "What can I say? He's a great guy. He recommends me to his friends."
"From a professional standpoint," Burke added.
"He's got a reputation as the best homicide investigator in Seoul. A bit eccentric, some people think. A loner. He's nobody's man, that's for sure."
"I understand he's had some real problem cases."
"That happens."
"Politics ever get in the way?"
Yoo grinned. "You're kidding. In Korea, politics gets in the way of everything. You got political problems, Mr. Hill?"
Burke shook his head. "No, no. Not me. We're doing fine. I was just curious."
When Mr. Yoo left, Jerry sent Ji-young on her way and asked Brittany Pickerel to catch the phone. Then he closed his office door and energized the electronic sweeper. "All's clear," he said, turning to Burke. "What was that about dining with Captain Yun at the Dokjo?"
"I'll tell you about that later. Did you find your Dr. Shin?"
"Yes," Jerry said, excitement intensifying his voice, "and he turned out to be a real gold mine."
After listening to his story, Burke whistled softly. "I'd say you've just about nailed 'em. The only thing we don't know is whether they can really deliver the weapons, and what the hell they intend to do with all that firepower."
"I don't know of any way to answer that without going straight to the Blue House."
"Yeah. I'm sure President Kwak would just love to give us the answer, if he knows."
"If? You must be thinking about Operation Pok Su," Jerry said. "That was a long range plan."
"I'm wondering who's the brain behind the operation, and how it ties in with a group of 1940's assassins known as Poksu. There's a certain poetry to it, you know. A dramatic flair. I have a feeling we're getting closer to the answer."
It was now midnight in Washington. Although what they had to report was certainly explosive enough, they decided it wasn't something that warranted sending shock waves along the Potomac in the middle of the night. They would wait until that evening when Nate Highsmith would be starting a new business day halfway around the world on Sixteenth Street. They agreed to meet back at the office around ten.
Song Ji-young spent a couple of hours at Tongdaemun, the Great East Gate Market, Korea's largest. It required two trips back to her car to carry all of her loot. She resembled one of those workers who strapped A-frames on their backs to haul around large loads of merchandise. On her way to Jerry's apartment, she stopped at a grocery and stocked up on food for his refrigerator.
She spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen, peeling, slicing, chopping, dicing, marinating, and cooking.
When Jerry arrived, his eyes bulged. Beds were made. Towels and wash cloths hung in the bathrooms. Attractive pictures graced the walls. Tantalizing odors drifted out of the kitchen and the dining table was set for two.
"Ji-young, what have you done?" he said, frowning.
She stood in the kitchen doorway, a troubled look on her face. "Did I do something wrong, Jerry?"
His face relaxed into a smile as he shook his head. "No, you silly girl. You've done everything right. I'm just not prepared for all this."
She told him to sit down and she would bring out dinner.
"Looks like all we're lacking is candlelight and wine," he said in a teasing voice.
"Oh, I almost forgot." She held a hand to her mouth as she hurried into the kitchen. She came back a few moments later carrying a brass holder with a tall candle in it and a bottle of white wine.
Jerry chuckled. "California wine?"
"I thought it would make you feel at home."
She set them on the table and Jerry got up to light the candle. He held the match for her to blow out. While her lips were still puckered, he drew the match away and kissed her gently.
"Let's eat," he said, grinning.
No doubt he was in a prejudicial frame of mind, but he considered it one of the best meals he could remember. Afterward, they sat on the sofa and he took one of her hands lightly in his own. He was immediately struck by the soft, smooth texture of her skin. Idiot, he chided himself, that's the way girls are supposed to feel.
"You said you and your friend had talked your parents out of arranging a marriage," he said hesitantly. "Are there any boyfriends?"
Her smile warmed the room, like the flame from a hearth. "There was one," she said, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "He married my best friend."