Cynthia observed, “It’s been a stressful day for you. I don’t suppose it was pleasant informing the Campbells of their daughter’s death.”
“No. I called their home and got Mrs. Campbell. I asked her to call the general and requested that they meet me at their home.” He added, “She knew something had happened. I showed up with the head chaplain, Major Eames, and a medical officer, Captain Swick. When they saw us… I mean, how many times have we seen or been part of a notification detail? But when it’s a combat death, you can say the right things. When it’s murder, then… there’s not much to say.”
Cynthia asked, “How did they take it?”
“Bravely. That’s what you’d expect of a professional soldier and his wife. I only had to stay a few minutes, then I left them with the chaplain.”
I asked, “Were you at all explicit?”
“No. I just told them that Ann had been found on the rifle range, dead, apparently murdered.”
“And he said?”
“He said… ‘She died while doing her duty.’ ” Kent paused, then added, “I suppose that is comforting.”
“You didn’t go into details about her condition, the possible rape?”
“No… He did ask how she died, and I said she was apparently strangled.”
“And he said?”
“Nothing.”
“And you gave him my name and phone number?”
“Yes. Well, he asked if the CID was doing everything possible. I told him I’d taken advantage of your presence here, and Ms. Sunhill’s presence, and that I’d requested that you take the case.”
“And he said?”
“He said he wanted Major Bowes, the CID commander here, to take the case, and that you and Ms. Sunhill were relieved of your responsibility.”
“And you said?”
“I didn’t want to get into it with him, but he understands that this is one thing that he has no control of on this post.”
“Indeed not.”
Cynthia asked, “And how did Mrs. Campbell take it?”
Kent replied, “She was stoic, but about to fall apart. Appearances are important with general officers and their ladies, and they’re both from the old school.”
“All right, Bill. Forensic will be here after dark, and they’ll stay through the night. Tell your people here that no one else is allowed in, except us.”
“Right.” He added, “Don’t forget—the general would like to see you at his home, soonest.”
“Why?”
“Probably to get the details of his daughter’s death, and to ask you to brief Major Bowes, and to ask you to step aside.”
“Sounds good to me. I can do that over the phone.”
“Actually, I got a call from the Pentagon. The judge advocate general agrees with your boss that you and Ms. Sunhill, as outside parties and being more experienced than the local CID people at Hadley, are best equipped to handle this. That’s the final word. You can pass that on to General Campbell when you see him. And I suggest you do so now.”
“I’d rather speak to Charles Moore now.”
“Make an exception, Paul. Do the politics first.”
I looked at Cynthia and she nodded. I shrugged. “Okay. General and Mrs. Campbell.”
Kent walked with us across the hangar. He said, “You know, it’s ironic… Ann had a favorite expression, a sort of personal motto that she got from… some philosopher… Nietzsche.The expression was, ‘What does not destroy us, makes us stronger.’ ” He added, “Now she’s destroyed.”
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
We headed toward the general’s quarters on main post. Cynthia said, “I’m starting to see a picture of a tortured, unhappy young woman.”
“Adjust your rearview mirror.”
“Cut it out, Paul.”
“Sorry.”
I must have drifted off because the next thing I remember is Cynthia poking me. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes. Cut it out.”
“I said, I think Colonel Kent knows more than he’s telling.”
I sat up and yawned. “One gets that impression. Can we stop for coffee someplace?”
“No. Tell me, is Kent really a suspect?”
“Well… in a theoretical sense. I didn’t like it that his wife was out of town and he had no corroboration for his alibi. Most married men, in the early morning hours, are in bed with their wives. When the wives are out of town, and something like this happens, you have to wonder if it was his bad luck or something else.”
“And Chief Yardley?”
“He’s not as stupid as he sounds, is he?”
“No,” confirmed Cynthia, “he is not. I worked a rape case with him about a year ago when I returned from Europe. The suspect was a soldier, but the victim was a Midland girl, so I had the pleasure of meeting Chief Yardley.”
“He knows his business?”
“He’s been at it a long time. As he pointed out to me then, officers and soldiers come and go from Hadley, but he’s been a Midland cop for thirty years, and he knows the territory, on and off post. He’s actually very charming when he wants to be, and he’s extremely cunning.”
“He also leaves his fingerprints in places where he suspects they might already be.”
“So did Kent. So did we.”
“Right. But I know I didn’t kill Ann Campbell. How about you?”
“I was sleeping,” Cynthia said coolly.
“Alone. Bad luck. You should have invited me up to your room. We’d both have an alibi.”
“I’d rather be a murder suspect.”
The road was long, straight, and narrow, a black slash between towering pines, and heat waves shimmered off the hot tar. “Does it get this hot in Iowa?”
“Yes,” she replied, “but it’s drier.”
“Did you ever think about going home?”
“Sometimes. How about you?”
“I get back fairly often. But there’s less there each time. South Boston is changing.”
“Iowa stays the same. But I’ve changed.”
“You’re young enough to get out and start a civilian career.”
“I like what I do,” she replied.
“Do it in Iowa. Join the county police force. They’d love to have your experience.”
“The last felon in the county was found dead of boredom ten years ago. There are ten men on the county police force. They’d want me to make coffee and screw for them.”
“Well, at least you make good coffee.”
“Fuck off, Paul.”
Score another zinger for me. As I said, it’s hard to hit on just the right tone and tint when speaking to someone you’ve seen naked, had sexual intercourse with, lain in bed with, and talked through the night with. You can’t be stiff and cold, as if it never happened, yet you can’t be too familiar because it’s not happening anymore.
