Sweepers

by P. T. Deutermann

  “That’s the Mr. von Rensel from the NIS. Wolfgang Guderian von Rensel, to be precise. Warren Beasley’s relief, at long last. I can’t wait to hear the admiral’s reaction to him. ““Wolfgang von Rensel’? Now, there’s a good Irish name.”

  “Yeah, right. Somebody told me his nickname is Train.

  He’s been in the building before.. Naval Intelligence, I think. re Anyway, you may get to find out if this meeting develops into something.

  The admiral apparently told him to hang around for this meeting.” Ah,” she said. Vintage Carpenter again.

  “Exactly,” Mccarty said.

  A lighted button on his multiline phone-had just gone off.

  He stood up. “Okay, let’s rock and roll,” he said, picking up the phone and hitting the intercom button for Admiral Carpenter’s desk. “We’re ready, Admiral,” he said. He listened for a few seconds. “Yes, sir, she’s here. And Admiral Sherman. Right.”

  He hung up the phone and they went back out into the front office reception area. Admiral Carpenter’s aide came out of the inner office and asked them all to come in. Admiral Sherman went first, followed by the policeman and the EA. Karen saw that von Rensel had turned around from the window. His great size notwithstanding, he was an unusual-looking man. He had a high forehead with receding, very close-cut black hair. His alert brown . eyes were faintly Oriental in shape, and a large Roman nose presided forcefully over thin lips and a prominent chin. He looked directly into her eyes and smiled, until she realized with something of a start that he was waiting for her to precede him into the room. She recovered and nodded a silent hello before walking ahead of him into the admiral’s office. Out of the comer of her eye, she thought she detected an amused expression on his face.

  Admiral Carpenter was standing at the head of the conference table.

  “Morning, everybody,” he said, and made the introductions.

  Carpenter began by recapping the problem. “Admiral Sherman, this matter concerns an accidental death, as we’ve previously discussed. Detective Mcnair would like you to help him with his inquiries.”

  “How can I help you, Detective?” Sherman said. He was not smiling, and he focused intensely on the detective.

  Mcnair cleared his throat before beginning. “Admiral Sherman, this concerns a Ms. Elizabeth Walsh. I assume the admiral here has told you what happened?”

  Karen saw Sherman’s face tighten. “Yes. He said that she had an accident of some kind in her house and died from her injuries. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir. That’s what it looks like to us right now. We understand that you, ah, knew Ms. Walsh?”

  “Yes.” He looked down at the table for a moment before continuing. “Ms.

  She and I were … dating. Until about six months . ago.

  “And may we ask, sir, why you stopped dating?”

  Sherman hesitated, and Carpenter stepped into the conversation.

  “Detective, I think we need to know where everybody stands before Admiral Sherman answers that. Could you please explain where you are in your investigation and what Admiral Sherman’s status is?”

  Mcnair opened his notebook. “Last Saturday morning, the police were called in when Ms. Walsh’s neighbor, a Mrs. Klein, reported that she had found Ms. Walsh lying at the bottom of the stairs going down into her town house basement level. It appeared to Mrs. Klein that Ms. Walsh had fallen down the stairs, and that she was deceased. Mrs. Klein was very upset.”

  Karen watched Sherman as he listened to the detective recite the grim facts. She realized from his expression that the relationship between Elizabeth Walsh and Sherman had gone well beyond dating. Von Rensel was also studying Sherman’s face.

  “The Homicide Section was called in as a matter of routine,” Mcnair continued. “As you probably know, we are required by law to investigate any unexplained death. We arrived at the scene within an hour of Mrs.

  Klein had a key, and she had let the EMTS in. was no sign of violence in the house, no sign of forced entry, or that anyone else had been in there other than Ms. Walsh and Mrs. Klein, who stated that she had not seen anything missing or out of order. The medical examiner’s preliminary judgment as to the cause of death was a fractured cervical vertebrae broken neck. Time of death was probably early Friday evening.”

  “And she just felt down the stairs?” Sherman asked.

  Mcnair gave him an appraising stare, which made her wonder if this was more than just a friendly little chat after all.

  She realized at that moment that the detective had not answered Carpenter’s other question about Sherman’s status.

  “Well, sir,” Mcnair replied, “there was one of those plastic laundry baskets at the bottom of the stairs. It looks like she was carrying it downstairs and maybe tripped. Hard to tell,.really.”

  “Laundry?” Sherman said, frowning.

  “It was clean laundry,” Mcnair said. “You are familiar with the layout of the town house.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “Yes, I am,” Sherman replied, staring back almost belligerently.

  “Could you tell us where you were on Friday evening, Admiral Sherman?”

  “Detective,” Carpenter interrupted. “An answer to my original question, if you please. Is Admiral Sherman a suspect in a homicide investigation?”

  “No, sir,” Mcnair answered immediately. “This isn’t really a homicide ‘ investigation. If it becomes one, we’ll of course have to start over. We can do the Miranda bit if you’d like, Admiral.” Sherman started to shake his head, but then he looked to Carpenter for guidance. Carpenter nodded, indicating to Sherman that he should go ahead and answer their questions.

  “Friday.” Sherman thought for a moment. “Friday, we were preparing for internal Navy budget hearings. I was here-I mean here in the Pentagon-until, oh, I’d say twenty-thirty. Sony. That’s eight-thirty.

  Then I drove home.

  I live in Mclean.”

  “We,’ meaning you and members of your staff?”

  “Yes.

  My deputy, Captain Gonzales, and two OP-32 branch heads-Captains Covington and Small.”

  “And home is at nineteen Cheshire Street, the Herrington Mews complex, is that right, sir? Off Old Dominion?”

  Mcnair was letting him know that he had done some checking.

  “Yes, that’s right. The traffic was pretty much done by then; it takes about forty minutes from the Pentagon to my house.”

  “So you were home by nine-fifteen, nine-thirty?”

  “Yes, somewhere in there. Then I changed clothes and went up to Pucinella’s. That’s a restaurant about a ten minute walk from my house.

  I had dinner there and went home, where I remained for the rest of the night.”

  “Did you pay with a credit card, by any chance?”

  Sherman paused. “I think I used cash. Oh, I see-if I’d used a card, you could verify that I was there, and at what time. Sorry. But I’m a regular there. They’d probably remember. Now, my turn. Why do you ask?”

  Mcnair frowned but then said, “Sir, as I told Admiral Carpenter yesterday, we have no probable cause to suspect foul play here, although there are some minor forensic ambiguities. It’s just that the only lead to other persons we turned up in our preliminary work was that Ms. Walsh had a life-insurance policy nan-thing you as beneficiary. Did you know about that policy, sir?”

  Sherman shook his head. “Not until Admiral Carpenter told me about it yesterday. Elizabeth and I didn’t talk much about personal business affairs. No, the insurance policy is news to me.”

  The detective looked straight at him. “The death benefit is two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Admiral.”

  Revelation of the actual amount cast a hush over the room. Sherman’s eyebrows went up, but then he said, “I’d trade it back for Elizabeth.”

  Good answer, Karen thought. And yet, despite his quick reply’, even Sherman appeared to be surprised by the sum of a quarter of a million dollars. “I knew nothing about
this,” he said. “I wonder-“

  “Yes, sir?” Mcnair had his notebook open and pen poised.

  “Detective, Elizabeth Walsh and I had an intimate personal relationship for a little under three years. That relationship ended on my initiative-when it became evident to Me! that she wanted to get married.” He stared down at the table for a moment. “For reasons I won’t go into, I was not prepared to remarry, so I began to put the brakes on.

  I’d been married before. It turned out badly. I had told her from the start that I did not want to remarry-ever. Elizabeth iswas, I guess is the appropriate word now-a lovely woman.

  She would have made a very fine wife for someone.” He paused again for a moment, his lips pressed together, while he looked down at the table.

  Then he continued.

  “We parted amicably, and we even saw each other socially from time to time. I think both of us kind of hated just to let go. I was about to speculate that maybe she’d had this policy from her previous marriage, then changed the beneficiary while we still had prospects, and simply forgot to do something about it. I don’t know. I can’t offer any other explanation.”

  “Yes, sir,” Mcnair said. “To your knowledge, was she seeing anyone else after the two of you broke up?”

  “Not to my knowledge, but then, I wouldn’t necessarily know. I didn’t ask. Besides, I’d just been promoted, and the pace of my work here has increased considerably.”

  “And when did you last see Ms. Walsh, sir?”

  “About three weeks ago. We went to a benefit dinner for the Wolftrap Farms concert center. But other than that, I don’t know anything about her current social life. Mrs. Klein would probably know more about that.”

  “And your own personal and social life, sir?”

  “I took my Opnav division in the middle of the budgeting cycle. I don’t have a personal social life at the moment.”

  Karen saw a wry took pass over Admiral Carpenter’s face at this answer.

  Mcnair studied his notebook, as if searching for more questions.

  Carpenter finally spoke. “Detective, have we covered the ground here?”

  Mcnair nodded. “Yes, sir, Admiral, I think we have.

  Again, I appreciate your cooperation, Admiral Carpenter, Admiral Sherman. If -we have anything else, we’ll be in touch. But right now, I think I’ve got what I need.”

  “Well, then, everyone,” Carpenter said, standing up. “We’re adjourned.

  Lieutenant Benning will escort you back to the South Parking entrance.

  Admiral Sherman, I appreciate your assistance this morning.”

  Everyone stood. Karen did not know whether she and von Rensel should leave or not, but Carpenter gave them a sign indicating they should stay. Sherman remained standing by the conference table as Carpenter walked over to his desk.

  “Sounds to me like that’s all back in its box,” Carpenter said.

  “Commander Lawrence, any observations?”

  Karen consulted her own notebook for a moment, aware that Sherman was looking at her. “Nothing of significance, Admiral,” she said finally.

  “Except that I’m not convinced that they’re finished with this.”

  Carpenter paused in the act of slipping his jacket over the back of his chair. “You think it’s not over, Karen?”

  “Her death is ambiguous, Admiral,” she said. “On the other hand, if they had some clear evidence of a homicide, we wouldn’t have been meeting here in this office.”

  Carpenter nodded thoughtfully, then glanced over at von Rensel.

  “Comments?, he said. But vbo his head. Carpenter turned back to Sherman’you okay with this?” he asked. “What do they call you, anyway?

  Bill?” . “Actually, Admiral, it’s Tag. Short for my middle name, Taggart. I used it at the Academy to make sure all the Southern upperclassmen knew it wasn’t William Tecumseh Sherman.”

  Carpenter smiled briefly. “Damn straight,” he said. But then his face sobered. “Look, I know this has been unpleasant, if not a shock. A lady friend dead. A homicide cop nosing around before you’ve even had a chance to absorb the news. I’d recommend you attend to your personal affairs and let us handle this. In that regard, I’ll ask Commander Lawrence here to pull the string in a few days, make sure there aren’t any loose ends. If nothing else, that will put them on notice that Navy JAG is between you and them.

  That okay with you? Or do you have a personal attorney you’d rather consult?”

  “No, sir, I don’t. Not for something like this. I’d appreciate any help I can get. I do have one question.”

  “Yes?”

  “Has the CNO been informed of this matter?”

  Carpenter shook his head emphatically. “No, no. I didn’t feel that was appropriate at all. He would just have asked me for the facts on the case, and of course we have no facts, to speak of anyway. Once we’re sure it’s all cleared up, I think the less said the better, don’t you?”

  “Yes, sir. I appreciate your discretion.”

  “Very well, Tag,” the admiral said, pointedly eyeing his in-basket.

  “Thanks again for helping out with this.”

  Sherman nodded and left. Karen gathered up her notebook.

  “Just a moment, please,” the admiral murmured after the door closed. He took a red pen to something in the folder, drew several lines on the paper, and then tossed it into his out basket before looking up.

  “Mr. von Rensel, given a two-hundred-fifty-thousand dollar prize, and acknowledging that you’re coming out of the gate cold, what’s your take on this?” he asked.

  “I believe the cops think it is a homicide,” von Rensel replied. Karen was surprised at the clarity and precision of his diction, which hinted at a level of education beyond that of most of the NIS people she had met. “Before this meeting, Mcnair wasn’t sure about how to approach Sherman.

  Now he’ll check his alibi. If it holds up, then they’ll have to regroup.

  That insurance money is a natural pointer.”

  Carpenter nodded thoughtfully. “And Karen, what’s your take on Admiral Sherman?”

  Karen was expecting to be asked to comment on what von Rensel had just said. Carpenter’s question had surprised her: Admirals did not normally ask commanders for their opinions about other admirals.

  “Based on first impressions,” she replied, “I don’t think Admiral Sherman killed his girlfriend. Assuming she was killed at all, that is.”

  She glanced over at von Rensel. “I think he was sincere about trading in the money if he could get her back.”

  Carpenter stared at her for a moment. “Two hundred and fifty thousand tax-free dollars. But, yeah, I think you’re right. Okay. Karen, I want you to run a very quiet probe for me. I want to know what else the cops found in the house that’s making them itchy, and I want to know something about William Taggart Sherman. See, contrary to what I told the young admiral, I did tell the’CNO about this. The CNO has one cardinal rule about possible scandals He doesn’t like surprise “s.

  Really doesn’t like surprises. ‘

  So, yes, I let the CNO know. He told me to forget about it.”

  “Forget about it?” Karen was surprised. “Yes. Forget about it. As long as I could assure myself that there was absolutely nothing to it.”

  “In other words,,, von Rensel said, “check it out.”

  Carpenter grinned. “Exactly. Although, of course, he neven did say that, did he? Now, Karen, I take it you’re not exactly overwhelmed with work down there in the IR Division these days, right?”

  Ah, here it comes; she thought. “As the admiral is aware, I’ve put my papers in,” she replied sweetly.

  “Right. So I am. Okay. I’ll be asking Captain Mccarty to have a word with your boss, Captain Pennington. But I want both of you to go check this thing out for me-lowkey. see Sherman, tell him that you’re going to snoop around to see what the cops are doing. Then go see the cops and tell them you’re going to check out the dashing young adm
iral. Mr. von Rensel here can help you with any outside resources, such as the NIS or any other law-enforcement agencies if you need them.”

  “In other words, we play both sides against the middle,” von Rensel said.

  Carpenter gave him a speculative look. “You could say that.

  “But we report only to you,” Karen said.

  “Exactly.”

  Karen had one more question. “So, I am not in any way representing Admiral Sherman?”

  “Representing? Whatever gave you that idea, Commander? You work for only one admiral at a time in this business.” And then, with a little wave, he dismissed them.

  Karen took von Rensel to see Captain Pennington. Pennington was in his cubicle, but they had to wait for a few minutes until he got off the phone. She had expected a flurry of questions from von Rensel on the walk back to the IR offices, but he had said nothing at all. She was amused at how the flow of people in the corridor parted around him like skiers avoiding a tree.

  “Goddamned people up in OSD,” Pennington complained as he hung up the phone. “They want another meeting on the Tailhook report. Lord, I’m getting tired of that word. Okay, Karen, what did the great man want this time?”

  Karen slipped into a chair and crossed her legs. Von Rensel remained standing, literally filling the doorway. “Something a little different,” she said. “A private matter involving a flag officer on the Opnav staff.

  Admiral Carpenter wants me to do some off-line work.”

  “Ah. Another one of his little secret missions. Mr. von Rensel, you’re probably used to this. By the way, mind if I use a first name?”

  “It’s Wolfgang von Rensel,” the big man said. “In high school, they called me Train. It was a football nickname.”

  “Train,” Pennington said, savoring the image with a grin.

  “Perfect. Train it is. Anyhow, this JAG plays a lot of things pretty close to his vest-. Likes to work the back channels, set things up before he makes any significant moves, especially when it concerns flag officers. Your predecessor here was unfortunately not very adept at that kind of work.”