“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
He continued to stare at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded decisively. “I’m positive. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a soldier on my caseload that may need help at the hospital.”
Frustrated with the mix of emotion bubbling up within her, Stephanie climbed into her car. She hadn’t wanted to talk about the accident on the lake, but Brody seemed to have pulled the information from her.
She regretted her defensiveness, which he must have recognized. In truth, she wanted to know what had happened to Josh as much as Brody did. Just so he realized she and Ted weren’t at fault.
Maybe her brother had been right.
Maybe she shouldn’t have come back to Freemont.
TWO
Stephanie parked her Corolla next to the Fort Rickman Hospital’s emergency room and hurried inside. The clerk at the desk directed her to the intensive-care unit. She rode the elevator to the third floor and followed the signs to the ICU, where she checked to ensure Josh’s hospital-entrance forms had been properly filled out.
Satisfied his paperwork was complete, she continued on to the ICU waiting room, where she found Ted sitting on a vinyl couch with his elbows on his knees. He looked younger than his twenty-one years and so very vulnerable.
He glanced up when she entered the room.
“Any news yet?” she asked, wanting to put her arms around him and draw him close.
He shook his head. The glare in his eyes warned her against any display of affection.
Major Jenkins stood nearby. “The doctor ordered three units of blood. The nurse said they won’t know anything for a number of hours. His parents are with him now.”
With a deep sigh, Ted stood and walked toward the large window. He stared down at the parking lot below, as if trying to hide the worry that was plastered over his pale face. “The...the nurse said everything was being done to save his life.”
“I’m sure he’s getting the best of care.” Stephanie knew the struggle her brother was waging to remain in control. “Joshua is a fighter, Ted. He’ll pull through.”
“Dad said Mom was a fighter, and you know what happened to her.”
“That was different.”
He turned, his face tight with emotion. “Different because she had cancer or different because you weren’t around to watch her life waste away?”
Stephanie’s breath hitched. She hadn’t expected the bitterness she heard in his voice.
Working to keep her own voice calm, she said, “Mom wanted me to finish the semester at college, but I came home every weekend.”
“Which wasn’t enough.”
How many times would he need to hear the truth before he could accept what happened? Her mother regretted not having the opportunity to get a degree and had insisted Stephanie continue her studies.
A freshman in high school, Ted had needed someone in his life. That someone should have been their dad, but he’d buried his own pain in his job. Stephanie had tried to fill the void on the weekends when she came home, never realizing it wasn’t enough for Ted. Worried though she was about Joshua’s condition, she was even more worried about her brother.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway. She turned, expecting to see Joshua’s physician. Instead, she saw Brody Goodman.
He hesitated in the doorway, glancing first at her and then at Ted, who stared out the window. “Did something happen?”
“The doctor’s with Josh now,” she said, hugging herself. “He’s critical and receiving blood.”
Ted’s cell trilled. He pulled the phone to his ear and nodded. “You heard right. Josh was admitted to ICU. Third floor. The waiting room is at the end of the hallway.”
He disconnected. “Paul Massey’s downstairs. He’s home on leave with orders for Fort Hood and heard about the accident.” Ted glanced at the major. “Paul stopped by Josh’s house, sir. One of the neighbors mentioned seeing an ambulance.”
Stephanie was surprised by the change in Paul when he joined them in the waiting room. Previously a gawky kid with big eyes and long hair, the soldier who greeted Ted was tall and tan and sure of himself.
“Hey, man, what’s going on?” Paul asked as he and Ted gripped hands.
“The doc said they’ll know more after he’s transfused. They won’t let anyone back there except his parents.”
As the soldiers talked, Brody and the major stepped into the hallway. Stephanie couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she was convinced it had something to do with the CID agent’s suspicions about Josh’s injury.
The major nodded and glanced at her ever so briefly, his expression difficult to decipher. Brody waved a hand in the air and then paused. His eyes locked on hers for a long moment.
Her cheeks burned.
Averting her gaze, Stephanie smiled at Paul, who gave her a warm hug.
“Glad you’re back in town, Steph.”
“She took over as the AW2 advocate.” Ted’s tone was anything but enthusiastic.
Paul nodded with approval. “You’ll be good at that job.”
If only. Seemed her brother would be her biggest challenge. Right now, she didn’t feel up to the task.
She glanced at her watch. “I need to get back to work, Ted. I’ll call you later.”
He fiddled with his phone. “Whatever.”
“Sorry to interrupt.” Stepping into the hallway, she looked first at the CID agent and then at Major Jenkins. “I need to change clothes before I make another house call.”
“Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off?” the major suggested. “You still have to get settled, and the Hail and Farewell starts at four o’clock.”
Jenkins turned to Brody. “I saw your name on the list of folks being welcomed to post.”
“Glad you reminded me. After three weeks, I feel like an old-timer.” Brody tilted his head and smiled at Stephanie. “So I’ll see you there?”
“Probably.”
She didn’t want to go to the social event, but it was a command performance. After the new people on post were welcomed, she planned to hurry back to her father’s house.
Not that she wanted to be there, either. Too many memories remained of her mother and the way life had been before cancer took her life. The change in Ted after her death, coupled with their father’s detachment, had added to Stephanie’s grief.
The problems had culminated that night on the lake.
A night that had changed her life forever.
A night she never wanted to think about, yet coming back to Freemont threatened to put it front and center once again.
* * *
After talking to Major Jenkins, Brody returned to CID headquarters and headed for the chief’s office.
He knocked and then pushed the door open. “Sir, do you have a minute?”
“What do you need, Brody?”
Wilson was big in stature, with a short buzz of black hair and equally dark eyes set in a round mocha face. He glanced up from the open manila folder as Brody approached his desk.
“An incident involving one of our injured soldiers.” Brody relayed the information about Josh’s accident.
“You think it was intentional?” the commander asked.
“Yes, sir. Due to the blood spatter. The woman who found the victim is the new AW2 advocate. Her brother was with the victim earlier in the day. He injured his hand and went to the hospital for stitches. While he was gone, Webb was attacked.”
“Seems a bit coincidental.”
“Yes, sir. He and Webb are both assigned to the Warrior Transitional Battalion. PFC Upton seems to have a short fuse, especially when it comes to his sister.”
Wilson nodded. “Sounds like a problem w
aiting to explode. The Freemont police are handling the investigation?”
“Currently they’re in charge, although their first assessment missed the mark.”
Wilson’s full lips twitched. A spark of amusement glimmered in his brown eyes. “I presume you set them straight.”
“I pointed out the obvious, sir. All with deference to their position as lead investigators on the case.”
“How’d you learn of Webb’s injuries?”
Brody explained about the call to Joshua’s battalion. “I was in Major Jenkins’s office at the time. He was called away from his desk for a few minutes and asked me to man his phone.”
“That was fortunate. You were discussing your interest in PTSD?”
“Yes, sir. Major Jenkins agreed to let me speak to the battalion. They’ve received support from other on-post agencies, but I want to make sure they’re aware the CID could provide additional resources.”
Wilson leaned back in his chair. His right hand tapped a mechanical pencil against a tablet on his desk. “What you experienced was regrettable, Brody. I applaud you for turning tragedy into something positive for other military personnel.”
“That’s my hope, sir.”
“Seems you’ve arrived at Rickman at the right time. The post commanding general is concerned about the growing number of violent shootings around the country. A handful of veterans have been involved. The media seems to focus on their tie-in with the military, which paints all of us in a bad light. General Cameron is insistent that we remain proactive at Fort Rickman and defuse any problems before they get out of hand, especially when redeployed soldiers are involved. I realize the local police are investigating, but I want you involved, too. Keep your eye on the advocate, as well as her brother. Family troubles can escalate in a heartbeat.”
“Yes, sir, but isn’t the CID short staffed at this time?”
“As is the entire army.” Wilson pointed to a folder on the corner of his desk. “We have two new special agents transferring here within the next few months, which will resolve our manpower problems. Until you hear otherwise from me, follow up on this current case. Take as much time as you need. I’ll know where to find you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Keep me posted on Webb’s condition. Be sure to let the Freemont police know of our interest in their investigation.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tact is important when working with local law enforcement. We’ve had a fairly good relationship in the past. I wouldn’t want that to change.”
“I agree, sir.”
“They’ve got a new chief of police. Name’s Don Palmer. I’ll call him and mention your interest in the case.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Wilson shifted forward, a visible sign the discussion was over. “I’ll see you at the club this afternoon.”
“Four o’clock. I’ll be there, sir.”
Returning to his desk, Brody logged on to the internet and pulled up the local newspaper’s home page. He wanted to learn as much as he could about the Upton family, and the local rag would, no doubt, provide information.
Tapping into the archives, he searched for stories on Stephanie Upton. A number of articles popped up.
Brody shook his head in amazement.
Stephanie’s accomplishments ranged from swim team to prom queen. The pictures showed a teen with sparkling eyes, shoulder-length hair and an inviting smile.
His own high school in California had four times as many students as Freemont High. He’d played sports and had his own fair share of news mentions, but nothing compared to the hometown darling who was also dubbed Girl Most Likely to Succeed.
On a more solemn note, he uncovered an obituary for a Jane Upton. “Survived by husband, Davis, daughter Stephanie and son Theodore.” Brody did the math. Ted had been a freshman in high school. Stephanie must have been in college. “Memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.” All too well, Brody knew the toll malignancy took on families. His maternal grandfather had died of colon cancer, a disease that with proper screening could have been prevented.
Stephanie had mentioned her father was out of town on business. He entered the dad’s name in the search box and clicked on an article that recapped the elder Upton’s success growing his company into a large enterprise that provided jobs for many folks in the local area.
Mr. Upton’s picture showed a tall man with a receding hairline and twenty extra pounds tucked around his middle. Davis Upton appeared to be an older and heavier version of his son.
Returning to the archives, Brody found a story on the drowning incident at the nearby lake—Lake Claims Local Teen.
He opened the file and quickly read about the group of teens who had partied on Big Island Lake shortly after their graduation. As Stephanie had mentioned, the frivolity turned deadly when a storm hit unannounced. The teens were caught in the rapid currents on the straits that ran between Big Island and Small Island to the south. Stephanie had boated to the island and pulled the teens to safety. All except Hayden Allen, a cousin on her mother’s side.
Brody leaned in closer and read Keith Allen’s comment on Stephanie’s attempt to save his brother.
“My mother and I appreciate Stephanie’s heroic efforts to find Hayden. Without regard for her own safety, she searched tirelessly for my brother, for which we are grateful.”
A team of divers eventually found the missing teen’s body tangled in debris.
Brody saved the article to his hard drive as well as his smart phone and then inserted a printed copy into a manila folder labeled Investigation: PFC Joshua Webb.
On a hunch, he dialed Major Jenkins.
“It’s Brody, sir. I’ve got a question for you.”
“Shoot.”
“You said Joshua Webb and Ted Upton enlisted at the same time. Do you have the date they entered the military?”
“Not at my fingertips, but I’ll call you back.”
According to the article, the two PFCs, along with Paul Massey, had been part of the group of teens at the island. The tragedy happened three years ago on June 10, just twelve days after the group had graduated high school.
Brody wrote the names on a clean sheet of paper and added Stephanie’s at the bottom. Next to hers, he drew a large question mark.
His phone rang. “Special Agent Goodman.”
“I found the information, Brody.” Jenkins’s voice.
“Yes, sir.”
“Both Webb and Upton enlisted three years ago, on the thirtieth of June.”
Twenty days after Hayden’s death. Fast-forward to a deployment in Afghanistan and an IED explosion that injured both soldiers.
Brody picked up the printout of the article. On the bottom of the page was a photo of Stephanie Upton. The girl named Most Likely to Succeed had failed to save her cousin.
The expression she wore revealed deep emotional pain and a tragic sense of loss. Hayden’s brother had offered praise for her attempts, but the slant of her eyes and heavy pull on her shoulders told a different story.
All too often what happened in the past had bearing on the present. Stephanie could have suffered as much trauma as her brother had in Afghanistan and still be fighting her own internal battles. If so, she might not be the best person to help Fort Rickman’s wounded warriors.
No law enforcement officer worth his badge believed in coincidence. Nor did Brody. The Upton siblings had some history with a dead relative and a group of friends who had joined the military, perhaps to distance themselves from the lake tragedy.
Call it a long shot, but Brody wondered if that history played into what had happened to Joshua Webb. If so, he needed to uncover the truth about the struggle between Stephanie Upton and her brother. At this point, neither person was a suspect, yet Brody had to be open
to any possibility. In the days ahead, he planned to keep his eyes and his attention focused on both of them.
He would talk to Major Jenkins about Ted, but he’d keep his concern about the AW2 advocate to himself. He was more intrigued than suspicious about her involvement, but either way, she needed to be watched. Wilson had given Brody an assignment, one he was determined to fulfill.
THREE
On her way to the Fort Rickman Club later that afternoon, Stephanie drove past the large brick quarters that surrounded the main parade field. So many families had lived in the homes since they had been built in the 1930s. Growing up, she’d known a few “Post Toastees,” as the locals called the army brats, but she’d always associated with kids from Freemont. Now she regretted her own attempt to isolate herself from the military. She’d been young and too focused on herself.
Her mother’s illness and Ted’s troubles during high school had changed her outlook on life. Not that her family hadn’t had their share of problems before her mom had gotten sick. After her death, everything had been exacerbated by a workaholic father who preferred to stay at the office rather than deal with the situation at home.
Evidently, her father still hadn’t changed. Case in point, his current trip to Europe, supposedly to oversee the start-up of a satellite company. To his credit, he had visited Ted often at Fort Sam and had provided for additional specialists to consult with the military docs, yet he handled Ted as if he was a business venture instead of his needy son.
Over the past few years, Ted had rejected Stephanie’s outreach so many times that she had finally decided their relationship could never be reconciled. Then the job had opened at Fort Rickman, and she’d transferred home.
If she believed in God’s intervention, she would be convinced He had stepped in. As it was, she had severed her relationship with the Lord three years ago.
Refusing to spend any more time focused on the past, she turned into the lot for the Fort Rickman Club and found one of the few remaining parking spots in the last row, farthest from the brick facility. Hot air wrapped around her as she climbed from the car. Beads of sweat had dampened her brow by the time she entered the club, causing her to shiver in the cool, air-conditioned interior.
The Soldier's Sister Page 3
