Both letters arrived on the same day.
I had not expected that. Baek Soha had written to two separate former property owners in the eastern provinces, and the odds of both responding at the same time seemed low. But the eastern post, I was learning, had its own logic.
The first was from a man named Park Gwangseo. His letter was short — four lines, written in a cramped and slightly trembling hand that suggested either age or cold or both. He confirmed that he had been approached about the property sale by an intermediary he had not known to be connected to anyone official. He confirmed that he had felt pressure to sign quickly. He confirmed that he had not fully understood what he was signing. He would be willing to speak to someone if that someone came to him. He did not want to travel.
