witch hunts. On the other end, you had people like me and General Baldwin and countless other professional soldiers who supported the policy in theory, but found it impossible to enforce in practice.
You think like me, Colonel Kelly had said.
If he only knew…
13
D riving from the bar, I called Simon to brief him on Kelly. When he answered, he told me to wait. In the background, there was a jumble of voices. A woman said excitedly, “The camera’s in the air-conditioning vent, Lieutenant. I can see the lens.”
“Don’t disturb it, Cherie,” Simon said. “Larry, get Billy Cromartie.”
“On the way, Lieutenant,” a man said.
Simon returned to me, his tone clipped and anxious. “Things are progressing rapidly. We discovered another surveillance camera that wasn’t tied into the central system. We also found several videotapes which are illuminating.”
I said, “By illuminating—”
“There’s not time to discuss them now. Can you pick up Amanda and return here? It would be better if you saw the tapes for yourselves.”
If Simon wanted us to see the tapes this badly, he must have a good reason. “All right, I’ll call her.”
“Good. Now quickly, your impressions of Colonel Kelly.”
“On paper, he’s a prime suspect. He’s a big guy and a former Army Ranger. He could have controlled Talbot and stomached torturing him. He also blames Talbot for getting him passed over for general and doesn’t have an alibi for the time of the killing.” I paused, then added, “But the message he left bothers me. Why make a threatening call to Talbot the day before murdering him? It doesn’t figure.”
“I agree.” Simon said. “Frankly, I’d be surprised if he was the killer.”
A conclusion he’d reached separate from my input. It had to be because of the videotapes. I was tempted to ask him what they revealed, but just then, Enrique called out, “Simon, the natives are getting restless. If you want to talk to them, you’d better do it now, before Congressman Harris arrives.”
“All right.” To me: “Get here as soon as you can. I need your assistance on establishing motive.”
“You do? Why?”
But Simon had turned away from the phone, issuing orders. “Enrique, don’t let those tapes out of your sight. If anyone asks, they do not exist. Cherie, when Billy arrives, tell him to check the camera—”
A click. Simon had finally remembered to disconnect the call.
I was frowning as I lowered the phone. While I had a good idea whom Simon was going to talk to, I was puzzled by his comment to me. Why would he need my help establishing motive?
One possibility came to mind and as I stopped at a red light, I speed-dialed Amanda’s number, hoping Simon hadn’t told her to search a third office.
As I pulled up to the Pentagon’s Corridor Two pedestrian bridge, I spotted Amanda’s familiar silhouette coming down the steps. In her left hand, she carried a folder—Talbot’s RIP that she’d received from Chief Tisdale. When she emerged into the glow of nearby streetlights, two Army officers turned to look at her as she went by. A natural reaction for heterosexual males. After all, this was the new, repackaged Amanda, the kind of woman who could make men walk into walls.
Including me.
As she came toward me, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Her tailored suit clung to her curves, accenting the swell of her breasts and the thinness of her waist. As I watched her, I felt a stirring. I knew what I was feeling was wrong and waited for the guilt to come. For the first time since I could remember, it never did.
When Amanda crawled into the seat beside me, I caught the scent of her perfume. It was almost too much and I wanted to tell her not to marry Bob. To give me one more chance.
But the emotion of the moment gave way to reality. If I surrendered to my impulse, I would come across as needy and desperate. She’d made her decision and I had to accept it.
Jesus, it was
You think like me, Colonel Kelly had said.
If he only knew…
13
D riving from the bar, I called Simon to brief him on Kelly. When he answered, he told me to wait. In the background, there was a jumble of voices. A woman said excitedly, “The camera’s in the air-conditioning vent, Lieutenant. I can see the lens.”
“Don’t disturb it, Cherie,” Simon said. “Larry, get Billy Cromartie.”
“On the way, Lieutenant,” a man said.
Simon returned to me, his tone clipped and anxious. “Things are progressing rapidly. We discovered another surveillance camera that wasn’t tied into the central system. We also found several videotapes which are illuminating.”
I said, “By illuminating—”
“There’s not time to discuss them now. Can you pick up Amanda and return here? It would be better if you saw the tapes for yourselves.”
If Simon wanted us to see the tapes this badly, he must have a good reason. “All right, I’ll call her.”
“Good. Now quickly, your impressions of Colonel Kelly.”
“On paper, he’s a prime suspect. He’s a big guy and a former Army Ranger. He could have controlled Talbot and stomached torturing him. He also blames Talbot for getting him passed over for general and doesn’t have an alibi for the time of the killing.” I paused, then added, “But the message he left bothers me. Why make a threatening call to Talbot the day before murdering him? It doesn’t figure.”
“I agree.” Simon said. “Frankly, I’d be surprised if he was the killer.”
A conclusion he’d reached separate from my input. It had to be because of the videotapes. I was tempted to ask him what they revealed, but just then, Enrique called out, “Simon, the natives are getting restless. If you want to talk to them, you’d better do it now, before Congressman Harris arrives.”
“All right.” To me: “Get here as soon as you can. I need your assistance on establishing motive.”
“You do? Why?”
But Simon had turned away from the phone, issuing orders. “Enrique, don’t let those tapes out of your sight. If anyone asks, they do not exist. Cherie, when Billy arrives, tell him to check the camera—”
A click. Simon had finally remembered to disconnect the call.
I was frowning as I lowered the phone. While I had a good idea whom Simon was going to talk to, I was puzzled by his comment to me. Why would he need my help establishing motive?
One possibility came to mind and as I stopped at a red light, I speed-dialed Amanda’s number, hoping Simon hadn’t told her to search a third office.
As I pulled up to the Pentagon’s Corridor Two pedestrian bridge, I spotted Amanda’s familiar silhouette coming down the steps. In her left hand, she carried a folder—Talbot’s RIP that she’d received from Chief Tisdale. When she emerged into the glow of nearby streetlights, two Army officers turned to look at her as she went by. A natural reaction for heterosexual males. After all, this was the new, repackaged Amanda, the kind of woman who could make men walk into walls.
Including me.
As she came toward me, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Her tailored suit clung to her curves, accenting the swell of her breasts and the thinness of her waist. As I watched her, I felt a stirring. I knew what I was feeling was wrong and waited for the guilt to come. For the first time since I could remember, it never did.
When Amanda crawled into the seat beside me, I caught the scent of her perfume. It was almost too much and I wanted to tell her not to marry Bob. To give me one more chance.
But the emotion of the moment gave way to reality. If I surrendered to my impulse, I would come across as needy and desperate. She’d made her decision and I had to accept it.
Jesus, it was
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