Townsend waving at him. He paused, sensing Hugh Renaday and Lincoln
Scott coming to a halt beside him, and the three of them watched the captain from Richmond trot up to them. He wore his usual wry half-smile, and had his cap pushed back on his forehead in a relaxed manner that contradicted the biting wind that pushed sharply at all of them.
'Captain?
'Tommy said.
'Morning, boys,' Townsend answered cheerily.
'Sure as hell will be glad to get home to Virginia. Hell, here it is, nearly time for summer to show up, and it still feels like a damn winter morning. Why's anybody want to live in this country, anyways?
So, Tommy, y'all set for the opening act of our little show?'
'I could use more time,' Tommy replied.
'Well, seems to me you've been right busy, nonetheless,' Townsend replied.
'And I don't believe anyone is inclined to postpone matters none.
Anyways, I wonder if you might just join me for a moment over yonder near Hut 122, where Colonel MacNamara would like a word or two prior to the start of this morning's activities.'
Tommy raised his head, staring down the row of huts. Hut 122 was one of the most isolated barracks.
'Mr. Renaday, you may join us, as well.'
'Scott, too, if this is something about the case,' Tommy said.
Walker Townsend let a small look of annoyance slip across his face, before restoring the same easygoing grin.
'Sure.
That makes some sense. Gentlemen, I do believe we're keeping the commanding officer waiting…'
Tommy nodded, and they followed Townsend through the early morning light and cold. After a few yards. Tommy slightly slowed his pace. He made a small head gesture to Hugh Renaday, who read his motion perfectly, accelerated, and stepped up beside the prosecutor, instantly breaking out into a loud, 'I've never been to Virginia, captain. You ever been up to Canada? We like to think that when God made the other countries. He was just practicing, but when He made Canada, He'd got it right, finally…' At the same time, Tommy dropped a step or two back, and Lincoln Scott, seeing the shift in positions, hovered closely.
'This little meeting isn't supposed to be happening, Hart,' the black airman said.
'Right?'
'Precisely. Keep your eyes and ears open…'
'And my mouth shut?'
Tommy shrugged as he nodded.
'It rarely hurts to play one's cards close to the vest.'
'That's a white man's attitude, Hart. In my situation, or circumstances, you might say, well, it rarely helps. But that's a complicated distinction that you and I can discuss sometime under better conditions. Assuming I live through all this.'
'Assuming we all live through it' Scott coughed a laugh.
'True enough. No shortage of people getting killed in this war.'
They could all see the Senior American Officer pacing near the entrance to the hut, smoking rapidly. Major Clark was standing nearby, also wreathed in cigarette smoke, which blended with the gray, vaporous breaths that came every time any of the men exhaled into the cold air.
Clark dashed his butt to the ground as the men approached. MacNamara took a long, final pull at the cigarette, then sharply ground it beneath his boot. There was a quick round of salutes, and the SAO glared briefly at Walker Townsend.
'I thought you were only going to summon Lieutenant Hart,' MacNamara said sharply.
'That was my order.'
Townsend started to reply, then simply remained at attention as
MacNamara cut off any words with a quick wave of the hand. He turned to Lincoln Scott and Tommy Hart.
'I have been troubled about your accusations,' he said briskly.
'The implications of the theft of evidence are substantial and could threaten the entirety of this morning's planned sessions.'
'Yes sir,' Tommy started.
'That is why a delay would be ' 'I haven't finished, lieutenant.'
'Sorry, sir.'
MacNamara cleared his throat.
'The more I thought about this matter, the more I came to believe that bringing it up in open court in front of the entire camp population as well as the representatives from the Germans would only serve to confuse the situation considerably. The tension in the camp surrounding the murder and now with the arrival of the trial, as evidenced by the confrontation following the discovery of the carvings on Scott's door… well, gentlemen, I am concerned.
Mightily concerned.'
Tommy could sense Scott, standing at his side, about to speak, but the black flier instead swallowed his retort and MacNamara continued to talk.
'Consequently, Lieutenant Hart, Lieutenant Scott, I took it upon myself to summon Captain Townsend, and confront him with the charges you have made, and he assures me that no member of the prosecution nor any witness he is planning on calling to the witness stand were in any way whatsoever involved in this alleged theft.'
'Why, Tommy, I thought y'all were just collecting some firewood for the cooking stove, that's all…' Townsend said brightly, interrupting the colonel, but not receiving a rebuke.
'I had no idea it had something to do with our case.'
Tommy pivoted toward Townsend.
'The hell you did!' he said.
'You followed me over there and observed me prying that board from the wall. You knew exactly what I was doing. And you were equally concerned that Visser saw the same…'
'Keep your voice down, lieutenant!' Clark interjected.
Townsend continued to shake his head.
'Nothing of the sort,' he said.
Tommy turned to Colonel MacNamara.
'Sir, I object-' Again the colonel cut him off.
'Your objection is noted, lieutenant. But…' he paused, eyeing Scott for a moment, before turning his gaze on Tommy, and then speaking with a solidity that seemed to even stop the cold wind, 'it is my decision that the matter of this bloodstained board is now closed.
If it did exist, then it was probably understandably mistaken for firewood and innocently burned by some third party genuinely unaware of its significance. That is, if it actually did exist, of which there remains absolutely no concrete proof in the slightest. Mr. Hart, you may still argue what you wish at trial. But there will be no mention of this alleged evidence without some independent corroboration. And we will hear any claims you might make about it and what it might show in private, out of the sight of the Germans! Do I make myself clear?'
'Colonel MacNamara, this is wrong and unfair. I protest-' 'Your protest is also noted, lieutenant.'
Scott was seething, instantly brought to a boil over by the summary dismissal of their claims. He stepped forward, his fists clenched at his side, jaw stuck outward, about to vent his fury, only to be met with a withering stare from the commanding officer.
'Lieutenant Scott,' MacNamara whispered coldly, 'keep your mouth shut.
That's a direct order. Your counselor has spoken on your behalf, and further debate will only
