Flower Girl: A Burton Family Mystery (17 page)

I replied, "If we've seen him, so has Reddy." Then I saw the black motorcycle parked alongside the Benz, with a dog standing guard, but not the rider.

One more stop on our tour.

 
Chapter 9: My First Assignment

I had a poster on my bedroom wall in Berkeley of the place that was the last stop on our tour, Namdaemun Gate; however, I had never seen the Gate firsthand. Hamish promised that some day he would take me on a tour that included the remaining historical gates. The walls were demolished during Japanese occupation to make way for roads and a tram system.

Hamish knifed the SUV through the heavy traffic entering Seoul, and then we circled slowly around the newly restored Namdaemun Gate and past the busy market area. Back-dropped by several twenty-story skyscrapers, the Great South Gate was topped by two red and green pagoda style roofs. Officially called Sungnyemun Gate, more popularly called Namdaemun Gate, it was one of the eight gates in the fortress wall that surrounded Seoul during the Joseon dynasty, several hundred years after the Silla dynasty. Four of these magnificent pagoda style gates remained.

"What a fantastic contrast in architecture," I noted.

As we entered the Great South Gate to Seoul, Sister Cerice said her goodbyes. "I have enjoyed meeting you and I hope we can stay in touch. I shall send Hamish some of my recent translations of ancient historical records to be forwarded to you both. May I contact you if I have need of assistance with some difficult linguistics?"

"We would be pleased to assist, any time," I replied as Rhyly nodded.

"I trust you will continue your interest in research on the historical contributions of women. Perhaps we can meet and expand on our brief tour someday. I can always be reached through Hamish. Kamsamnida!"

Sister Cerice quickly vanished into the bustling marketplace crowds; however, her presence lingered as Rhyly and I discussed her and the importance of her research on the wanton destruction and obfuscation of women's contributions to the development of the Korean peninsula. We were especially intrigued by the Silla era which produced the first queen to rule in these parts, and we couldn't wait to find out more about the almost forgotten Wonhwa.

When the man-in-black snatched me away from the home for girls, I thought I would never have the opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds and smells of the great city of Seoul that I heard the guards speak of frequently. With my mother and myself declared dead, I had been immediately transported to the south, to Parks' Home for Girls and Clinic off the southern coast of Korea on Cheju-do Island. The plan was that by age thirteen I would be sent to my husband. Reddy interrupted the plan.

I learned many things at the Parks' Home for Girls. Tutors came to teach us language skills as well as music and etiquette. I learned Korean, Arabic, Japanese, and Mandarin and was fluent in all four by age ten. I also picked up some English slang from the guards at the clinic who were all ex- ROK Special Forces, trained by the US Army from nearby Camp Casey. I enjoyed the history lessons nearly as much as the stick fighting, my favorite martial art. I still practice daily with my long stick.

"Rhyly, did I ever tell you about my skill with the jang bong, the long stick?" I asked.

Rhyly replied, "Is stick fighting a substitute for sword fighting?"

"No, that's called gumtoogi," I answered. "As you know, I'm an aficionado of bontoogi, Korean stick fighting. I learned the art when I was a child at a dojang next to the Parks' Home for Girls on Cheju-do Island. My instructor taught me hand fighting, and only when my skill was sufficient was I graduated to weapons skills. The instructor saw that I had a talent for stick fighting so I kept practicing and he overmatched me at every opportunity until I defeated all the boys in the dojang except the oldest. By then I was eleven years old. The oldest boy was Sincere Park. At fourteen, Sincere bragged that he was the best stick fighter in the dojang. He was a bit of a bully so none of the other boys, younger and smaller than he was, ever challenged him. At age eleven, I defeated Sincere in a bontoogi match. Defeated by an eleven year old girl he knew as Carrie Lee was too much shame for him, to the point that he didn't show his face at the Pak Dojang for months."

"I would love to learn, can you instruct me some day?" Rhyly asked.

"My pleasure, we can start tomorrow if you'd like?"

Reddy heard me talking about Sincere and stick fighting. "Two stalkers have followed us on our tour, the guy in the Benz and the black motorcycle dude. One of them could be Sincere Park. Sincere was teased mercilessly about his defeat at the hands of an eleven year old girl. It's possible he's carried a grudge all these years."

Our tour was almost over. We had one more place to visit, the Parks' Seoul Clinic, located near the Namdaemun Gate. But first we headed to the Namsan Chosun Hotel. We entered by the rear entrance and headed straight for a red leather upholstered booth next to the bar. There were big screens surrounding the booth which swiveled to give Hamish a 360 degree view. It resembled a hi-tech operations planning center. World and local news and stock market reports from New York to Dubai to London were all there for the viewer. This was Hamish's place of business.

Reddy says, "Anyung hashim nika, Hamish, I see you've made a new friend," referring to the police officer we had watched carry a case of Johnny Walker Blue Label scotch out to the trunk of his police cruiser.

"The Captain's been a friend for many seasons," Hamish replied as he shook Reddy's hand and waved for me to take a seat opposite him in the booth. "Good morning, goddaughter," Hamish said, adding, "has Reddy told you how I came to be your godfather?"

"I didn't even know you were a Catholic until you told us about Sister Cerice, but it pleases me greatly, godfather Hamish. I feel we've known each other for many years. I'm looking forward to learning more about my mother from you."

"I never knew Anne; however, I have assisted Reddy for many years," Hamish said as we sat down opposite him in the posh red leather seats, but not before holding up three fingers and gesturing to the barman.

"What details do you have for me on the Parks?" Reddy asked. Hamish's grapevine had uncovered info about a recent partnership meeting in Seoul between the Parks and an American, Courtney Blaine Grey.

"Dr. Evel Park Junior and his brother Sincere have plans to expand operations to Dubai and Guatemala. Even more importantly, my operatives have photos that have verified the evidence that the three year old Arab girl has been delivered along with another girl, as yet not identified, to the Park's Cheju-do Island Home for Girls.

"Princess Zubaida has seen the photos and she replied with pictures of her and her daughter as children. They both have a small, distinct rose-shaped birthmark on the right side of their necks, a family birthmark. The three year old who recently arrived at the Home for Girls has the same birthmark. Better than DNA as evidence of who she really is," Hamish added.

"To better answer your earlier enquiry about your mother, I was the one who tipped Reddy to the discovery that his daughter was actually alive. You were one of Dr. Evel Park Senior's earliest victims, a sort of test case. Park could not resist when Anne Burton, Reddy's wife and your mother, entered his Seoul Clinic almost exactly twenty-seven years ago. She was six months pregnant and feverish with a deadly case of malaria."

Reddy cut in on Hamish's story of my mother and said, "Had I not received word from Hamish that Park had at least two western girls in his Cheju-do Island Clinic-Compound and had I not acted immediately, I'd still be wandering around the Mansions in Hong Kong following trails to nowhere and no one."

It was clear that Reddy wanted to change the subject, away from Anne. I said, "I need to know this, Reddy. Please let Hamish continue."

Hamish said, "Well, I don't want to dwell on the negatives. He rescued you and he returned another girl to an expat family in Oregon. They had suffered nearly eight years over the loss of their daughter in childbirth at the Park's Seoul Clinic. Same M O. Their joy was only surpassed by their shock as they had absolutely no idea that their baby girl had survived.

"After Reddy rescued you fifteen years ago, Dr. Evel Park, Sr. never expanded his child bride operation to more than ten girls at any one point in time. However, two years ago, Park's son, Evel Junior, took over as CEO. He lacked his father's knowledge and skills and he was still learning the family business. Profit was the entire motivation for getting into the exotic child brides business. My sources estimate that it cost the Parks a bit over $60,000 to raise and train one girl until she is twelve and ready for sale as a child bride to a rich client for $300,000.

"Junior couldn't resist what he saw as an opportunity when Princess Zubaida's daughter checked into the new offices of the Park Clinics in Singapore. She was six months pregnant, and the younger Dr. Park made the mistake that she would be convinced by his simple argument that her baby had been still-born. But, after the doctor told Zinni that the fetus was still-born, she insisted on knowing if it was a boy or a girl. She also felt certain that the baby was viable at six months, perhaps a mother's instinct. First, she challenged her husband, asking if it was a question of life for her versus for her baby. He assured her it was not, telling her that he too asked Dr. Park if he could see the baby and if he would return her corpse to the family for a proper burial. The doctor told them she had already been cremated."

"Couldn't a four pound fetus have survived, with better care?" I asked.

"That is precisely what the mother thought. However, Dr. Park stonewalled her further. Her servants reported that she cried for two days and nights. Then she awoke one morning, sat up suddenly, and told her husband: 'My mother knows Dr. Matte Morgan of RVU, a clinical psychologist and counselor who specializes in cases of child brides and child slavery. I shall ask mother to contact Dr. Morgan to see if she knows an investigator we might hire.'"

Hamish concluded: "That's the story of your mother and of how Reddy's contract with Princess Zubaida began. He was fortuitously the best choice she could have made as only he had the experience that approximated hers. Furthermore, the name Park shot through his heart."

"I get it," I said. "Dr. Evel Park, Jr. hadn't factored Reddy into the equation. Junior expanded operations to securing babies from Singapore, and now he's shifting to Central America, India, and Africa where there are fewer rich families to deal with. In his mind he has reduced the risk factor to zero."

"Exactly!" Hamish concluded as the barkeep arrived with the refilled tea pot.

"Anyung hashim nika, Godfather," I said, sliding across the posh red leather upholstery. I gave him a big hug, breaking my no contact rule. Matte would be proud of my progress.

Reddy and I had one more question for Hamish. "Since Dr. Park's Seoul Clinic is still in operation, under the leadership of Dr. Evel Park, Junior, can we safely visit without being identified?"

"That red brick one story building that is to the west of Namdaemun Gate surrounded by the market area is the Park's OB/GYN Clinic," Hamish said. "It was on our left as we circled around the Gate. Yes, the clinic is most certainly still operating. Did you notice the line of limousines in the driveway?"

Just then, Rhyly came into the bar to tell us, "I'm packed and I've checked out of the hotel. How about a lift to the airport?"

"I'll drop you off at the hotel by the Incheon Airport for your return flight to the States," Hamish replied.

Rhyly said, "Kamsamnida, Hamish, thank you for the wonderful briefing and tour. It's been a delight and made my research on the women of seventh century Silla come to life." Then she whispered to me, "I trust that this tour was helpful to Reddy and you. Someday I hope you'll fill in the blanks on what you two are up to. Meanwhile, I'll be in touch after I get home to River View. I hope you get to visit your mother's grave before you return stateside. Stay safe, girlfriend."

Outside, a black motorcycle darted past. The stalkers that followed us on our Gyeongju tour were making me jumpy, especially the Phantom motorcycle rider. Then another rider all dressed in black went by, and another. Maybe I was getting spooked over nothing more than a biker fashion. However, the thought of visiting the clinic where I was born and where my mother died had my nerves on edge, even more than the thoughts of stalkers.

After we said our goodbyes to Rhyly, Hamish turned to Reddy and me. "I'll pick you two up at the hotel after I drop Rhyly at the Incheon Airport. Our appointment to visit Dr. Evel Park, Jr. at the Park's OB/GYN Seoul Clinic is at 2pm." That gave me three hours to dress and prepare for playing the role of a prospective mother. I needed to get a fix on Dr. Park Junior, and I was mindful of Reddy's earlier warning that I might be recognized. I decided to take a run through Seoul to clear my head.

It was summer in Seoul but a cold wind cut through me as I started out of the Namsan Chosun Hotel for a run to relax me before my forthcoming visit to see Junior at the clinic. I went back to my hotel room and grabbed a light jacket. The sun was making an appearance through the clouds as I headed past the vacated hotel swimming pool where the only living soul was a slender boy in his teens, vacuuming the pool and checking the chlorine level of the water. I stretched for five minutes and started out at a slow jogging pace, wishing Shy and Comet were with me.

My run took me around the grass covered circle of Seoul Plaza, then south to Namsan Park, then on to the Han River. I crossed over the river at Yoido Island and went northwest along the side road of the Olympic Expressway. As I crossed the bridge to the old World Cup Stadium, a black motorcycle reappeared briefly. This time it got close enough in bridge traffic that I saw a red dragon decal on its rear fender.