Sunday morning dawned on an uncertain note in Washington. Ominous, dark gray folds of cloud hung over the capital, giving credence to a disc jockey's prediction of snow, though the weather bureau forecast called for something else. Nate Highsmith had just finished breakfast when the phone rang. He kept a small supply of "Sierra" floppy disks at home for such occasions. After giving Burke the identification, he activated his scrambler.
"I'm glad to hear you're back," Nate said with relief. "I worried about you. How did it go?"
"Fantastic!" Burke said. "I got the full pedigree on our 'old tiger.' He had apparently sent somebody after Ahn Wi-jong recently, but Ahn's son has an army of his own. When I made contact with the old guy, he was ready to bare his soul."
Burke laid out the details the old Korean had provided, provoking Nate to observe, "You've undoubtedly found our man, but some of it still doesn't make sense. How do you plan to approach it from here on?"
Burke outlined what he had in mind.
"I'd better pass it by Kingsley and General Thatcher," Nate replied. "The General will want to brief the President and get his blessing."
"Fair enough. I won't be ready for another day or two. I hope Duane can pick up on Hwang Sang-sol if they bring him into the game."
"Evidently you were right about An Kye-sun, Burke," Duane said on his extension. "As soon as he found out you were gone yesterday, he started asking questions. Then this morning Mitch Steele called me. Said you hadn't showed up down there but somebody had called looking for you. Wouldn't leave a name or number, just said they would contact you later."
"Must have been An Kye-sun's handler," said Nate.
Burke agreed. "Probably one of Colonel Han's NSP types. I think we could dispense with Mr. An's services."
"You'll have to find some good pretext," Nate said. "Could you engineer some sort of heated disagreement, Duane? Maybe give Burke an excuse to fire him?"
Duane chuckled. "You know me, Chief. I could stir up a steamy dispute with the Devil himself."
"Since the Agency can't give us any help on this," Nate said, "I'm sending a couple of other people over there. They can share the burden with Duane. Colonel Han might decide to use some of his domestic forces as well as Hwang."
"Who's coming?"
"I'll discuss it with some of the others first. But I think one will be Rudy vanRoden. He practically wrote the book on counter-surveillance."
"Rudy's good," Duane said.
"Since it's Sunday, it may be tomorrow before I can get them on the way," Nate said. "They should be there by Tuesday evening, your time, at the latest."
Chapter 64
It didn't take Duane Elliston long to pick a fight with An Kye-sun. He hadn't been especially enamored of the brash young Korean writer anyway. Their personalities were too much alike. It was early on Monday when Duane stormed into Burke's office shouting, "I refuse to work with that sonofabitch any longer!"
Burke summoned An and Travis Tolliver into the office, where Duane proceeded to tick off a list of imaginative grievances. An did not understand the necessity for handling the Funland USA campaign as Duane wanted it; he objected to copy changes Duane insisted on making; An wanted to re-focus parts of the campaign based on his own preconceptions rather than the research findings. And on and on and on.
Travis took An's side and attempted to gloss over the differences.
Burke finally asked the two Americans to leave and announced his "most difficult" decision in face-saving privacy.
"In a small operation like this, Mr. An, it's vital that everyone fit in harmoniously." He spoke with the gravity of a judge pronouncing sentence. "Since it appears you and Duane have irreconcilable differences, I'm afraid it will be necessary to terminate your services. I'm sorry it's come to this. I had hoped things would work out differently. We'll give you two months' salary as severance pay. I think it would be best to go ahead and clear out your desk now."
Sober-faced and silent, his bravado gone, An Kye-sun gathered up his belongings and departed sullenly, not unlike a baseball player banished to the dressing room for brawling.
Afterward, Burke left word for Lieutenant Yun to call. The young policeman got back to him during his lunch hour.
"I just returned from Thailand last night," Burke told him. "I picked up some information I think you'll find quite revealing."
"What kind of information?" Yun Se-jin asked.
"It has to do with the man I believe ordered your father's death."
"When can we talk?"
"Would you be available for dinner this evening?"
"Yes, certainly."
"By the way, have you ever been to a kisaeng house?" Burke asked.
"Once," said Se-jin. "As a guest. At the Jang Jung Gak. It's quite expensive."
"So I understand. Duane Elliston and I would like to give it a try. He has a businessman friend who promised to make the arrangements for us. We'll pay for it if you'll sort of guide us along. Neither of us speaks Korean."
"It sounds fine with me, Mr. Hill. My fiancee might not be too thrilled. I'll assure her it's in line of duty." He gave a slight chuckle, then added, "A kisaeng house is hardly the place for a serious private conversation, though."
"You have a point. Why don't you meet us in the lounge at the Chosun and we can chat before going to dinner."
Han Mi-jung, who had a lively curiosity and not the slightest sense of insecurity about her boyfriend, thought the kisaeng house idea was great. She relished the thought of going there herself, but Se-jin assured her that was not possible. He had merely called when he got home from work to tell her about it.
"Then I guess I'll have to go knock on Mr. Min's door and see if he'd like company for dinner," she said.
"Is he back again already?"
"Is or will be shortly. My artist friend on the other side said the Reijeo cleaning crew was out this afternoon." They had learned the cleaning crew's appearance was a sure sign of Mr. Min's impending arrival. She enjoyed needling Se-jin but knew he'd take it as a joke. The man sported long hair and a mustache.
"I'll tell you all about the Jang Jung Gak when I get back," he said.
"Just don't bring a kisaeng home with you. I might have to practice my yudo on her."
Burke and Duane Elliston were waiting in the Ninth Gate bar, where Duane was engaged in his usual clowning act with the waitress, when Lieutenant Yun arrived. As soon as they had ordered drinks, Se-jin wasted no time in getting to the point.
"Tell me about the man who ordered my father's death," he said, his voice cold as the night outside.
"I think it might be well to give you a little background first," Burke said.
He outlined briefly the course of Captain Yun's investigation and told him about the hired assassin his father believed responsible for the murders. Then he explained what the Captain was doing in Pyongyang and how he had followed up Yun's lead with the trip to Chiangmai.
"I have a plan to unmask the Young Tiger," Burke said. "He's hardly young any more, of course. But I need your help. Hopefully, it will lead to the man who killed your father."
Se-jin sat there for a moment, looking numbed by the enormity of what he had just been told. His father's death was no longer an inexplicable, senseless act but a cold, calculated murder, ordered from the top levels of the government. "I'll help," he said. "What do you want me to do?"
When Burke had finished detailing his plan, it was time for their reservation at the Jang Jung Gak. Se-jin was quite familiar with the place, since it lay within the jurisdiction of the Tongdaemun Police Station.