He could fire twice, fast.
He had to take them both to make sure of hitting one.
But suppose I wasn't the one he had to hit.
Well, who else was there?
Only Donny.
Could it be about .. . Donny?
CHAPTER thirty-five.
He awoke early, without a hangover, because he had not been drunk. He looked at his watch and saw that it was eight here, which meant it was eleven in the East.
He picked up the phone, then called Henderson Hall, United States Marine Corps Headquarters, Arlington, Virginia. He asked to be connected to the Command Sergeant Major of the Corps, got an office and a young buck sergeant, and eventually got through to the great man himself, with whom he'd served a tour in Vietnam in sixty- five and run into a few odd, friendly times over the years.
'Bob Lee, you son of a bitch.'
'Howdy, Vern. They ain't kicked you out yet?'
'Tried many a time. It's them pictures I got of a general and his goat.'
'Those'll git a man a long way.'
'In Washington, they'll git you all the way.'
The two old sergeants laughed.
'So anyhow, Bob Lee, what you got cooking? You ain't written a book yet?'
'Not yet. Maybe one of these years. Look, I need a favor. You're the only man that could do it.'
'So? Name it.'
'I'm flying to DC this afternoon. I need to look at some paperwork. It would be the service jacket of my spotter, a kid that got killed in May
1972.'
'What was his name?'
'Fenn, Donny. Lance corporal, formerly corporal. I have to see what happened to him over his career.'
'What for? What're you looking for?'
'Hell, I don't know. I got something to check out involving him. What it is, I don't know. It's come up, though.'
'Didn't you end up marrying his widow?'
'I did, yeah. A terrific lady. We're sort of on the outs now.'
'Well, I hope you get it straightened out. This may take me a day or so. Or maybe not. I can probably get it, if not from here, from our archives, out in Virginia.'
'Real fine, Sergeant Major. I appreciate it much.'
'You call me when you get in.'
'I will.'
Bob hung up, hesitated, thought about the booze he did not drink and then dialed the Boise General Hospital and eventually was connected to his wife's room.
'Hi,' he said.
'It's me. How are you? Did I wake you?'
'No, no. I'm fine. Sally took Nikki to school. There's nobody around. How are you?'
'Oh, fine. I wish you'd reconsider.'
'I can't.'
He was silent for a while.
'All right,' he finally said, 'just think about it.'
'All right.'
'Now I have something else to ask.'
'What?'
'I need your help. This last little thing. Just a question or two. Something you would know that I don't.'
'What?'
'It's about Donny.'
'Oh, God, Bob.'
'I think this may have something to do with Donny.
