A Corpse in the Koryo

10

The next morning wasn't so humid. It was still August, but the light was starting to change. The sun was losing its edge, and the morning shadows were softening so that even my neighborhood looked less ragged. Across the river, people in the tall new apartment houses were probably out on their balconies, scratching themselves and yawning, looking down on boulevards ten lanes wide. Very grand, but I found it depressing whenever I drove through that part of town. Nice buildings, but no sense of belonging to anything. No place for the old ladies to sit.

When I walked into my office, there was a note from Pak on my desk. He always arrived early, read the overnight logs, prepared the duty sheet, and then went for a stroll. The note said I was to call Kang as soon as I got in. At the bottom of the note Pak had scribbled three stars over a tree. It didn't mean anything to me. I figured Kang would keep while I made some tea, but then remembered our kettle had disappeared, so I went over to the Operations Building to borrow a cup of hot water. By the time I got back, Pak was waiting for me.

"Did you call Kang?"

"No. You didn't say it was urgent."

"Didn't you see the three stars?"

"Since when does three stars mean urgent?"

"Inspector, anytime the Investigations Department calls, it's urgent."

"What can be urgent? I just talked to him last night at the Koryo.

You want to hear? Oh, and he gave me back my pin."

Pak looked at my shirt. "I'm glad it's back home again in your top drawer. Maybe you should wear it sometime." He motioned me to follow him to his office. "You had a good chat with Kang? Anything special he wanted to discuss?"

I went over what Kang had told me about the wrecked car and the bodies, including the boy. Pak drummed his fingers a couple of times on the desk, then stopped. It was a sign that something was bothering him.

"Call him back. Let me know what he wants." I started to pick up Pak's phone, but he put his hand over mine. "Use yours. There's less static."

'Something the matter?"

'No. I had a dream last night."

'How many times do I have to tell you, dreams don't mean anything.

All chemistry and biology and electrical impulses."

It was about a tiger."

What was the tiger doing?"

Nothing. It was swishing its tail. Kind of a hypnotic look in his eyes. Just behind him was a house. Or what was left of it."

'Where were you?"

'I was in bed."

"No, I mean in the dream. Were you climbing a tree, or trying to run away but couldn't, with a hopeless feeling, stifling, like? Then you woke up and you sweated a little, maybe let your heart calm down as you looked at the ceiling?"

"The tiger wasn't doing anything. He wasn't chasing me. He never chases me. He doesn't have to. He just has to wait and swish his tail, in front of that ruined house. It's an omen. I had the same dream just before my son died."

"Tigers are symbols of strength and pride. Cats and crows are a problem. Pigs are good. That's what they say, anyway. Keep dreaming of tigers, as long as they aren't chasing you."

Pak shook his head. "Dreams don't mean anything, you say, and then you repeat old grandmothers' tales about cats and crows."

"Trying to be helpful, that's all."

"Try to be helpful by calling Kang from your office." He waved me out the door.