The Officer's Secret

by Giusti, Debby

  Nate turned to look over his shoulder as Jamison scurried down the stairs and motioned him into the foyer, providing the reprieve Nate needed. Time to regroup and focus on the internal warning signal that was telling him something unexpected and downright powerful was happening to his status quo.

  “Excuse me for a minute.” He rose from the chair and met the agent in the kitchen.

  “You okay?” Jamison stared at him with narrowed eyes.

  Nate straightened his shoulders. “Yeah, why?”

  “You look troubled.”

  “An officer died tonight. That is troubling.”

  “Of course, it is. The ME is getting ready to release the body. They’ll bring Major Bennett downstairs soon. Might not be good for her sister to watch.”

  Jamison was right. Maggie shouldn’t be around when the body was removed.

  “What did the doc say?” Nate asked.

  “Only that he’ll order a toxicology screen. Drugs and alcohol. As backed up as the lab is at Fort Gillem, I don’t know when we’ll get the results back, though.”

  “See what you can find out about Major Bennett’s father,” Nate said. “He was stationed at Rickman sixteen years ago and evidently committed suicide.”

  Jamison let out a low whistle. “Quite a coincidence.”

  Before Nate could respond, the front door opened and CID agent Kelly McQueen scurried inside and joined the men in the kitchen. She was blond-haired and blue-eyed and the best marksman in the unit.

  “What do you need me to do?” she asked after Nate filled her in on what they had learned so far.

  “Help me decide where Major Bennett’s sister can stay tonight,” Nate said. “The downtown area has had problems with all the rain. The basement of the Freemont Hotel is flooded, and they’ve shut down temporarily.”

  A number of small motels were located immediately off post, but most of them were fleabag rentals that catered to a transient troop population. At this difficult time, Maggie deserved something more ac com mo dating.

  “I’ve got an extra room,” Kelly volunteered. “She’s welcome to stay at my place.”

  Nate nodded. “That works.”

  Kelly was good at her job and had compassion to embrace someone reeling with grief. Her apartment was directly across from Nate’s in the bachelor officer quarters on post so he would be able to keep an eye on Maggie and offer his support.

  “I’ll have Mills follow us to the BOQ,” said Nate. “He can bring me back here once I get Maggie settled.”

  The corporal responded with a thumbs-up. “Can do, sir. By the way, Ms. Bennett’s driving a silver Saturn. I checked the car and her personal effects. She’s clean.”

  “You need authorization.”

  Mill’s face darkened.

  “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “What about the wine bottle? Did you find prints?”

  “Negative.”

  Nate turned back to Jamison. “Pull the major’s medical records and see if there’s any history of psychological problems. Also, check with the main gate and find out what time the sister, and any other guests the major may have had this evening, entered post. Question the neighbors in case the major and her husband aired their dirty laundry and find out if any strange cars or visitors stopped by this evening.”

  “Will do,” Jamison said.

  “Lieutenant Colonel Foglio lives across the street,” Kelly volunteered. “That teenage son of his is staying with his dad again.”

  “The one with the tattoos?” Jamison asked. “What’s his name? Carl, Kurt…?”

  “It’s Kyle,” Kelly said. “After the trouble he got into last summer, I didn’t think Lieutenant Colonel Foglio’s current wife would allow the kid back in her house.”

  “Be sure to ask Foglio where his son has been this evening,” Nate said to Jamison.

  “You got it.”

  “Have we located Graham Hughes yet?” Nate asked.

  Jamison pulled a notebook from his pocket. “I called his boss. Graham’s a civilian contractor who works for AmeriWorks. After splitting with his wife, he moved in temporarily with a guy who has the desk next to him in the contracting office. The guy’s name is—” Jamison referred to his notes “Arnold Zart. Travels between Fort Rickman and various forward operating bases in Afghanistan. He’s got an apartment off post.”

  Nate nodded. “Once we get the sister settled in at Kelly’s place, the chaplain and I will pay Mr. Zart a visit.”

  Jamison removed a sheet of paper from his notepad and offered the handwritten note to Nate. “Here’s Zart’s address.”

  “Thanks.” Nate stepped back into the living room and motioned Kelly forward. “Maggie, this is Special Agent Kelly McQueen.” Kelly offered a few words of compassion along with a warm smile.

  “Agent McQueen has a spare room at her place,” Nate continued. “You’ll be able to get some rest there tonight, and we can talk more in the morning.”

  “But I…” Maggie looked around seemingly momentarily confused.

  “I’m going home shortly,” Kelly said. “You and Nate can take your time and come over when you’re ready.”

  With a final smile, Kelly headed into the foyer just as the front door opened once again. Chaplain Grant, a tall lieutenant colonel with a sincere face, stepped inside.

  Nate excused himself from Maggie and approached the chaplain. “Thanks for being here, sir.”

  “Terrible shame.”

  “Yes, sir.” Nate lowered his voice. “Major Bennett and her husband had separated about a week ago. He’s currently staying with a guy who works with him in the AmeriWorks contracting office on post.”

  “Over the phone, Sergeant Thorndike mentioned a sister from Alabama.”

  Nate nodded. “She’s had a rough night. The sister’s the one who found the major’s body.” Nate ushered the chaplain toward the living room, introduced him to Maggie and then stepped back, giving the two of them a bit of privacy while the lieutenant colonel offered words of comfort, which Maggie seemed to appreciate.

  “Have you talked to your brother-in-law?” the chaplain eventually asked her. When she shook her head, Chaplain Grant turned serious eyes toward Nate. “Might be beneficial to have Maggie with us when we notify Mr. Hughes.”

  “Ah, sir—?” Before Nate could register an objection to the idea, the chaplain had refocused his gaze on Maggie.

  “I’m sure you and Mr. Hughes have things you’d like to discuss, concerning your sister’s internment, if you feel up to seeing him at this late hour.”

  Maggie nodded. “You’re right, Chaplain. I… I need to talk to Graham.”

  Nate wasn’t sure whether her current interest in her brother-in-law had to do with discussing the major’s burial or establishing his guilt. Either way, the chaplain had made the offer, and Nate wouldn’t withdraw it now. Besides, seeing the dynamic play out between the victim’s sister and husband might reveal more information than Maggie had been willing to share.

  Touching her elbow, Nate encouraged Maggie to stand. Corporal Mills approached, carrying her coat and handbag, which Nate took from him.

  Nate handed Maggie her purse and helped her with her coat. “If you give me the keys, I’ll have Mills drive your car to the BOQ and leave it there, while you and the chaplain and I talk to Mr. Hughes.”

  “What about Dani?” she asked as she placed the keys in Nate’s outstretched hand.

  “She’ll be taken to the morgue. An autopsy will be performed sometime later today. Once you and Mr. Hughes determine how your sister should be buried, her body will be released to the funeral home. If you’d like, I can help you with the arrangements.”

  Nate was relieved to see her face soften. She attempted to smile. “Thank you.”

  Warmed by her response, he asked, “Is there anyone you’d like to call? A family member? Your mom? Maybe a boyfriend?”

  Her eyes clouded as she shook her head. “My mother died a number
of years ago. There’s no one else.”

  Her loneliness in the midst of her grief cut him deeply. Upstairs the sound of footsteps indicated the body was being prepared for transport. It was time to get Maggie out of the house.

  “My car’s outside.” Nate put his hand on the small of Maggie’s back and urged her toward the door Corporal Mills held open. The chaplain grabbed her suitcase and followed them into the damp night air. Maggie wrapped her arms around her waist and accepted Nate’s steadying hand on her elbow as she walked down the steps and settled into the front seat of his car, while the chaplain slid into the rear.

  A light went on in the front bedroom of Lieutenant Colonel Foglio’s quarters across the street. The curtain moved ever so slightly.

  Looking back at Quarters 1448, Nate’s eyes focused on the attic dormer window. The copycat suicide was unusual, and often little things made a difference in an investigation. The fact that Major Bennett had been barefoot when she died bothered him. But something else troubled Nate more.

  The victim would have needed light to loop the rope over the crossbeam. Why would Major Bennett then turn off the light and take her own life in the dark?

  TWO

  Sitting next to Nate in the passenger seat, Maggie watched the headlights cut through the darkness, knowing she had kept information from the CID agent. She needed time to put some semblance of order to the confusion of her life before she made the decision to tell him.

  Dani had implied some military law enforcement personnel couldn’t be trusted. Maggie wasn’t sure if that included the CID. Graham worked in the AmeriWorks contracting office and her sister hadn’t mentioned the problem to him. Could the contractors be involved, as well?

  It was hard to believe her sister was dead. Right when they were beginning to reconnect.

  Oh, God, why? Maggie had been working on improving her relationship with the Lord. Hopefully He would provide the strength she needed.

  Her parents, now Dani—

  “Graham’s staying at an apartment complex not far from post.”

  Nate’s comment pulled her from a path to the past where memories cut like shards of glass. Tonight another tragedy left her riddled with grief and filled with questions.

  From the backseat, the chaplain once again offered words of sympathy that Maggie appreciated but wasn’t able to fully comprehend. The fact that Dani was dead seemed surreal. Maggie still refused to believe it could have been suicide.

  Her sister had worked too hard to get where she was in the military to take her own life. Plus, if she had wanted to end it all, she wouldn’t have chosen a noose.

  The chaplain finished his discourse and settled back in his seat, giving Maggie an opportunity to glance at the agent sitting behind the wheel. Despite the civilian coat and tie he wore, Nate had military written all over him with his short haircut and intense gaze. He was probably a workaholic, who put the job first. Her father had fit that bill. Although so did she, if truth be told.

  Just as Dani had turned to the military for fulfillment, Maggie had allowed counseling to take over her own life. They’d both learned from their dad, no doubt.

  Riding across post in silence, Maggie concentrated on seeing Graham again. The last time they were together, Maggie had been in high school. Back then, he’d been the bad boy all the girls ran after. But people changed and maybe Graham had, as well.

  Would she even recognize him after all these years? No matter what, she needed to be in control of her emotions and display strength instead of weakness. Dani deserved as much.

  Nate drove through the main gate and turned onto a stretch of road lined with seedy bars, pawnshops and fast-food restaurants, all low-rent businesses that preyed on young soldiers far from home. Alabama had its fair share of ticky-tacky, but nothing compared with those hawking wares to the nation’s youthful warriors.

  “Shouldn’t be much farther.” Nate checked the address written on a sheet of paper. Eventually, he pulled into an apartment complex and braked to a stop in front of a row of two-story town houses.

  “Wait in the car, Maggie. Once we’ve established Graham is in the house, I’ll come back and get you.”

  Trying to appeal to his common sense, she opened the passenger door. “That will delay you. There’s no reason why I can’t go with you now.”

  “She’s right.” The chaplain stepped from the car and glanced at Nate.

  “Whatever you say, sir.”

  Maggie heard a hint of frustration in Nate’s reply. No telling how Graham would react to this dead-of-the-night encounter. The CID agent probably wondered if having her underfoot would complicate an already difficult situation. The look on his face sent a clear message he would rather leave her in the car.

  Nate hadn’t known her long enough to realize she could handle adversity. She’d had enough in her lifetime, although tonight wasn’t the norm. She was acting on instinct rather than reason.

  Falling into step between the two officers, Maggie was struck with the irony of the moment and the army’s attention to detail. The powers that be had provided a chaplain to comfort the grieving husband and a CID agent to decide whether to haul him in for questioning. If Maggie had anything to say about what would unfold, she’d demand Graham be interrogated for hours until he divulged the truth about her sister’s death.

  Nate flicked his gaze around the apartment complex, making her realize that, if her brother-in-law was a killer, the three of them could be in danger. The hair on the back of her neck tingled as she took in the deep shadows and hidden recesses where someone—anyone—could be hiding.

  Nate stepped protectively in front of her and knocked on the door. The three of them waited in silence.

  “Yeah?” A deep voice sounded through the closed door.

  “I’m Special Agent Patterson, of the U.S. Army CID, and I’m here with Chaplain Grant. We’re looking for Graham Hughes.”

  The door opened, and a tall, beefy guy, wearing a T-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms, stood in the threshold. A scruffy beard and disheveled hair completed his attire.

  Resting his hand on the doorjamb, he stared at them with confused eyes. “Something wrong?”

  Nate pulled out his identification and held it open. “We need to speak to Graham Hughes.”

  “He’s not here.”

  Glancing around Nate and into the apartment, Maggie saw a leather couch and a coffee table covered with newspapers and a pizza delivery box.

  “Are you Arnold Zart?” Nate asked.

  “Yeah.” The guy stifled a yawn. “Who’s the woman?”

  “I’m Maggie Bennett,” she said, in a voice that sounded more self-assured than she currently felt. “I’m Graham’s sister-in-law.”

  “Any suggestions where we can find him?” Nate asked, deflecting the guy’s attention away from Maggie.

  “No clue.”

  “When was the last time you saw Mr. Hughes?” Nate continued.

  “We work together. I saw him at the office yesterday, that would be Friday, and only briefly after work.”

  “Has he been living here with you?”

  “Graham and his wife are having problems. I’ve got a spare bedroom and told him that he could bunk here until they patched things up.”

  “Did he mention reconciling with his wife?”

  Zart dropped his arm. “Look, I’m not comfortable talking about Graham’s personal life behind his back.”

  Nate squared his shoulders and leaned in closer. “I could take you to the CID office if you’d feel more comfortable there.”

  The guy held up his hands. “Give me a break, okay?” He hesitated and then sighed. “Graham said he was going over to the Freemont Bar and Grill on Johnson Street about nine o’clock last night. A woman works there. She’s been interested in him for some time. Graham needed to talk.”

  “A woman?” Maggie blurted out unable to remain silent. “What’s her name?”

  The contractor shrugged. “Graham never said.”

 
Nate gave him his card. “If Mr. Hughes comes back, have him call me.”

  “Will do.” The guy shut the door, leaving them standing on the front steps.

  “But—?” Maggie wanted more information.

  Nate took her arm and turned her toward the street. “We’ll talk in the car.”

  She pulled her arm from his hold and huffed as she hurriedly walked along the sidewalk. “You could have searched the house.”

  “We don’t have the authority—not at this point. But we’ll track down the woman who works at the bar and grill. She might be able to lead us to Graham.”

  Maggie wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling tired as well as angry. “He’s probably out of the country by now.”

  “More likely, he’s with his new girlfriend.”

  “Well, that makes me feel better. He kills Dani and then finds another woman.” She glared at Nate.

  “His indiscretion may be reprehensible, but it doesn’t prove he killed your sister.”

  “What does it prove?”

  “That he’s not the type of guy I’d want my sister to marry.”

  The sudden softness in his tone made her drop her defenses. Tears flooded her eyes. She missed her step and stumbled on the rough sidewalk.

  Nate steadied her with his hand on her elbow. “It’s late, Maggie. You need some sleep.”

  A lump settled in her throat and prevented her from speaking. Maybe the CID agent understood a bit more than she had realized. If only she could make him understand that her sister hadn’t taken her own life. Maggie would do anything to convince him of the truth.

  Once Maggie and the chaplain climbed into the car and buckled their seat belts, Nate pulled out of the apartment complex and onto the main road, leading back to Fort Rickman. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket, called Jamison and relayed what had happened.

  “Have someone locate the owner of the bar and grill. See if he knows Graham Hughes or the woman who has taken an interest in him. We might get lucky. Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until he eventually returns to Zart’s apartment. I’ll see you when I get back to post.”