find Sergeant James Cole in CID, and that he’d tell me where you were. But he wasn’t in.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Kaz.”
“As am I,” he said. We stood in silence for a heartbeat, the bonds of mourning, suffering, and hardship still strong—so strong that there were no words for it, none that I understood, anyway.
“Let’s take a walk,” I said, putting my arm around Kaz’s shoulder. “I haven’t seen where Captain Galante’s body was found yet. Then we’ll look for Cole.” We walked through the gardens, beautiful even with tents and vehicles marring the landscape. A waterway led from the palace down the gentle slope to the Fountain of Diana and Actaeon. As we drew closer, the formal gardens became wilder, and smooth marble gave way to rough stone, creating the effect of entering a wilderness.
“Apparently the major was lured here,” said Kaz. “One wonders why he was placed in this particular location.”
“Out of the way?”
“Surely. But why was that important?”
“I don’t know. Not a lot about this makes sense.”
“Ah,” Kaz said as the final pool of water came into sight. “Diana and Actaeon. You know the story?”
“It was explained to me,” I said. “Guy got turned into a stag for daring to look at a naked goddess, then got ripped apart by his own hunting dogs.” A small waterfall descended over moss-covered rocks, between two sculptures. Diana on one side, covering her nudity, and Actaeon on the other, being brought down by hounds. It was an oddly private place, sunken from view, surrounded on three sides by trees and shrubs. Not a bad place to stash a body. “I saw this place once before, but I’d forgotten how hidden it was.”
“The report said Galante’s body was laid out at the wall of the pool,” Kaz said.
“Over here. There are still some chalk marks,” I said.
“Interesting,” Kaz said. “He’s facing Actaeon.”
“So?”
“Perhaps nothing,” he said, squatting down to get a corpse-eye view of the fountain. “It just strikes me as odd. This is a public place, although hidden from view until you come upon it. I don’t think the killer’s objective was to hide the body, at least not for very long.”
“Right,” I said. “He could’ve put it in among the trees and shrubs. That would have bought him more time.”
“I wonder if this placement was a statement.”
“What kind of statement?”
“That Captain Galante had seen something, as Actaeon had. Something that must be kept hidden from human eyes. Once he’d seen it, his fate was sealed.”
“Listen, Kaz, this is a nice quiet place, a good place for a killing. The murderer brings Galante down here under some pretense, strangles him after a short struggle, then rolls his body next to that wall. Short and sweet. No mythological psychiatric mumbo jumbo.”
“Perhaps, Billy. I admit to a weakness for the old myths. The killer might also.” I looked at the statues, and thought about my father telling me there was no such thing as a coincidence.
“You might be right about Galante being killed because he saw something. We have to find out what.” This was why I needed Kaz, to help me see what was staring me right in the face.
“What do you make of the playing cards?” Kaz asked as we trudged back to the palace. The sky was darkening with low, gray clouds rolling in.
“It could be part of some crazy game. Or it could be to throw us off the scent. Maybe these two guys were the only targets, and by using the ten and the jack, he’s got us worrying about the next victim instead of focusing on Landry and Galante.”
“It could have been just one of them, with the second man killed to confuse us.”
“I’m confused enough as it is. The only thing I’ve found out is that Cole held something back from me. He’s only been with CID a short time. Before that he served in the 3rd Division and knew everyone in Landry’s platoon. They all refuse to talk about it, as if they’re
“I’m glad you’re here, Kaz.”
“As am I,” he said. We stood in silence for a heartbeat, the bonds of mourning, suffering, and hardship still strong—so strong that there were no words for it, none that I understood, anyway.
“Let’s take a walk,” I said, putting my arm around Kaz’s shoulder. “I haven’t seen where Captain Galante’s body was found yet. Then we’ll look for Cole.” We walked through the gardens, beautiful even with tents and vehicles marring the landscape. A waterway led from the palace down the gentle slope to the Fountain of Diana and Actaeon. As we drew closer, the formal gardens became wilder, and smooth marble gave way to rough stone, creating the effect of entering a wilderness.
“Apparently the major was lured here,” said Kaz. “One wonders why he was placed in this particular location.”
“Out of the way?”
“Surely. But why was that important?”
“I don’t know. Not a lot about this makes sense.”
“Ah,” Kaz said as the final pool of water came into sight. “Diana and Actaeon. You know the story?”
“It was explained to me,” I said. “Guy got turned into a stag for daring to look at a naked goddess, then got ripped apart by his own hunting dogs.” A small waterfall descended over moss-covered rocks, between two sculptures. Diana on one side, covering her nudity, and Actaeon on the other, being brought down by hounds. It was an oddly private place, sunken from view, surrounded on three sides by trees and shrubs. Not a bad place to stash a body. “I saw this place once before, but I’d forgotten how hidden it was.”
“The report said Galante’s body was laid out at the wall of the pool,” Kaz said.
“Over here. There are still some chalk marks,” I said.
“Interesting,” Kaz said. “He’s facing Actaeon.”
“So?”
“Perhaps nothing,” he said, squatting down to get a corpse-eye view of the fountain. “It just strikes me as odd. This is a public place, although hidden from view until you come upon it. I don’t think the killer’s objective was to hide the body, at least not for very long.”
“Right,” I said. “He could’ve put it in among the trees and shrubs. That would have bought him more time.”
“I wonder if this placement was a statement.”
“What kind of statement?”
“That Captain Galante had seen something, as Actaeon had. Something that must be kept hidden from human eyes. Once he’d seen it, his fate was sealed.”
“Listen, Kaz, this is a nice quiet place, a good place for a killing. The murderer brings Galante down here under some pretense, strangles him after a short struggle, then rolls his body next to that wall. Short and sweet. No mythological psychiatric mumbo jumbo.”
“Perhaps, Billy. I admit to a weakness for the old myths. The killer might also.” I looked at the statues, and thought about my father telling me there was no such thing as a coincidence.
“You might be right about Galante being killed because he saw something. We have to find out what.” This was why I needed Kaz, to help me see what was staring me right in the face.
“What do you make of the playing cards?” Kaz asked as we trudged back to the palace. The sky was darkening with low, gray clouds rolling in.
“It could be part of some crazy game. Or it could be to throw us off the scent. Maybe these two guys were the only targets, and by using the ten and the jack, he’s got us worrying about the next victim instead of focusing on Landry and Galante.”
“It could have been just one of them, with the second man killed to confuse us.”
“I’m confused enough as it is. The only thing I’ve found out is that Cole held something back from me. He’s only been with CID a short time. Before that he served in the 3rd Division and knew everyone in Landry’s platoon. They all refuse to talk about it, as if they’re
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