which Commander Yi had retreated. How would he react to my words? I had not the faintest idea. My heart pounded loud in my ears and my uniform clung to my perspiring body. I clasped my hands together, preparing to prostrate myself before him.
Then an inhuman force snatched me back, away from what felt like the cliff’s edge.
Are you completely certain? came my sister’s voice, carried on the breeze. Such recklessness. What if this inspector is your orabeoni? Will you be your brother’s killer? For the commander will kill him, indeed.
I shook my head, trying to clear out the whispers. I refused the possibility of having to carry the guilt of another murder victim, all because of my silence. Only the commander could stop the killer. He had the authority, the means, the intelligence. But with each step, I felt the weight of my sister’s words, the weight of my hesitation.
“I found it!” Officer Goh cried as he came running into the bureau. “I found it!”
The sound of his voice froze me. Other officers hurried into the courtyard, blocking my path. With a crowd now gathered, so close to the pavilion, I lost my courage to face Commander Yi. One only needed to press their ear against the hanji screens to know that Damo Seol was a traitor, a servant handing her master over.
Another time, relief assured me. There is no need to tell him today.
After the trembling in me settled, I made my way over to Officer Goh, wondering what he had discovered. Peering past the other officers, I saw in Goh’s hand a mud-covered wooden object.
“I found the missing ornament from Lady O’s necklace,” Officer Goh said, panting. “Look here, there is a hole at the top of this wooden pendant. It must be where the necklace string slipped through.”
“Where did you find it?” Hyeyeon moved closer, her shoulder knocking into mine in the process. It was as though she had not seen me, though she clearly had.
“The area between Mount Nam and the South Gate.”
She crossed her arms and arched her brow. “Who can say it was from the string we found in Lady O’s hand? What if some random necklace broke during the past few weeks?”
Silence fell, watchful gazes turned in one direction. I looked to see Senior Officer Shim striding over. Everyone parted for him, heads bowed. He had lost more weight over the weeks, all bones tightly roped in muscle. He was the scrawny street dog that was always alert, flinching at sudden movements or sounds.
“What is all this commotion?” he asked.
Officer Goh stepped forward and reported his discovery. As Shim inspected the wooden pendant, I watched him carefully.
“Hmm.” Shim used his thumb to break off the mud encrusting it, and then he fell still, so still that the crowd exchanged glances. “A horse-dragon pendant…”
“And what is the significance behind it, sir?” My voice cracked as I spoke, dry from disuse. I’d tried to keep quiet when among those close to Inspector Han, like a cat hoping she wouldn’t be seen in the shadows, but this time my curiosity was slicing sharp. Would Shim try to dismiss the possible evidence? “For example, sir, the cross pendant signifies Catholicism.”
“There is only one story behind the horse-dragon,” Shim replied, unable to look away from the object. “It is a myth called the Agijangsu, The ‘Mighty Infant.’”
“What is this myth about—” But before I could finish, Hyeyeon cut me off.
“Do you think this is evidence, sir? A month has passed since the murder, and thousands of people have trod the area around the South Gate.”
Shim finally lifted his gaze, eyes red-rimmed and uncertain. At first, he seemed unable to speak. “It may be evidence,” he said at length, his voice barely a whisper. “Take it away.”
* * *
Commander Yi was occupied in the examination room, studying the horse-dragon ornament. It was not a good time to speak to him, I felt. Or perhaps this was another excuse to avoid the storm ahead. The wrath of the entire police bureau would be upon me, not just the commander’s. They would call me the meddler, the girl who had recklessly ruined the inspector’s life, and the other damos would spit into my drink before serving it to me.
Was I making a horrible mistake? Would I regret exposing Inspector Han? If only someone could tell me.
I took out Aejung’s incense sticks, lighting each one. Smoke slowly curled into the air as I prostrated myself. One kowtow, two kowtow, three kowtow.