Solemn Duty (1997)

by Leonard B Scott

  "Agent Tanner, this is Don Farrel, SAC Atlanta. This is a hell of a way for us to meet, over a damn telephone. What is going on? That colonel seems pretty angry. Give me a rundown."

  "Sir, I'm ruling a suspicious death of the post sergeant major and am calling in the GBI. There's more, sir. A woman is missing. She appears to have been having an affair with the victim. It's messy, sir."

  "The colonel is worried about image. That right?"

  "Yes, sir. He's standing right here."

  "I understand. In a sec put him back on the line and explain he only has one option. Mine. Look, I don't know you and we haven't met so this is awkward. I don't know any other way to say it, but are you sure you can handle it? Be honest. I can have a team down there in a couple of hours."

  "Sir, Agent Sutton and I will take care of it."

  "Sutton? She's a wire head! She's never worked a homicide.

  I'll send you a good man to help out, okay?"

  "Thank you, sir, but that won't be necessary. We will take care of it. Sir, I'm passing the phone to the colonel now. Goodbye and thank you for your support."

  "Well?" the colonel said smugly.

  Eli handed him the phone. "The SAC will explain your options." Eli backed away, took Ashley's arm and walked her toward the van. "The colonel is not going to be a happy camper. Better get on that gee wiz computer of yours and notify GBI and the medical examiner. I'll talk to the chief about expanding the barrier and beginning a search of the area Looks like we're going to be here awhile. That van of yours have a coffee machine by chance?'

  She ignored his question, stopped and faced him with a glare. "What was that thing about walking a step behind you and to your right? The Japanese make their woman do that, and I hear the Saudis do it, but I'm telling you right now / don't do it."

  "It's a battle formation, Agent Sutton. I was taking point and you were covering in the slackman position."

  "We weren't going into a fight, Tanner."

  "Yes, we were, and we won."

  "It's not standard procedure and in no book I've ever read, Tanner."

  Eli nodded. "It's in my book, I learned it from experience a long time ago. Oh, just so you know, the SAC sent his regards.

  Said he has complete confidence in our abilities and all that"

  "Yeah, I'll bet. Okay, I'll defer to your experience on the formation thing. But the next time, tell me what's going on."

  She turned toward the van but stopped and looked over her shoulder. "The woman's probably dead, isn't she?"

  Eli silently dipped his chin, then walked toward the range shack.

  "It's a cross," said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime scene detective. He handed over a plastic bag. "Chain and cross are twenty-four karat gold, with no markings. Chain is eighteen inches when doubled and of unusual design."

  Eli held the small bag up for a closer view. "Looks like a Baht chain, Ed."

  "A what?"

  Eli unbuttoned his shirt and pulled out a gold chain holding a tiny gold-encased Buddha. "See, the chain style is almost identical. They're called Baht chains. At least that's what they were called in 'seventy-two when I was in Nam. A lot of the locals over there wore them to hold their Buddhas-like this one, or other good luck charms. Same kind of clasp . . . but it's not really a clasp. You see how it's shaped kind of like a letter M, but rounded? The post exchange in Nam sold them. A lot of troopers bought them to send borne to their girls or wives. Gold was cheap then."

  Ed Faraday shrugged. "Makes sense, the Asian's are big into twenty-four karat jewelry. The cross has no special designs, it's your garden variety cross. Looks like ya made a good call on it being a suspicious death. M. E. found marks on the vic's chest; says the vic was hit with a taser or something like one. Took the fight out of him for sure. With one of those attached to you, all you can do is bulge your eyes and piss on yourself. He also says the trajectory of the bullet was definitely downward. Once he conducts the autopsy he'll know more, but he says he thinks the vic had to have held the weapon, muzzle down, at a sixty to seventy degree angle, which would make it hard to pull the trigger. My guess is he had help. When we run the residue test we'll know more, but I'll bet his trigger finger only has traces on the outsides. Somebody else's finger covered his. One more thing, the vic was moved once he'd been hit with the taser. When we turned him over, we saw that the toes of his boots were scuffed almost white. He was drug to the spot. The bad news is this damn gravel makes footprints and tire tracks a nonstarter. The other bad news is your killer is good at covering his or her tracks. Not a sign of a third person being here, and I'll bet the print boys come up with nada."

  "And the truck?" Ashley asked.

  The short detective faced her. "Very recent semen and vaginal secretions on the blanket along with smudges of makeup. That's experience talking, not lab results. But I'm pretty sure. We also collected hairs from two people from the blankets in the back; one of the people who was in back had Very long black hair. It's almost a guarantee two people exchanged bodily fluids in the back of that pickup sometime last night. Found some change in the folds of the blanket near the tailgate. The vic probably sat on the edge of the tailgate to put on his pants. We'll have a lot more information once we get the body and samples processed."

  "No blood in the pickup, then?" Eli asked.

  "Nope. We've done about all we can for now. Like I said, we'll know more once the lab and autopsy results come back.

  M. E. gives us a rough time of death of between midnight and two A. M. That's based on the temp of the body and stage of rigor mortis."

  Ashley handed the detective a card. "Give us a call if something else comes up. Thank you very much for your help."

  The detective nodded and shifted his gaze to Eli. "Agent Tanner, I believe you can rule this out as a crime of passion.

  The taser, using suicide as a cover, and leaving nothing behind, means your killer had a well-thought-out plan and executed it almost perfectly."

  Eli got up from the backseat of the FBI van, stepped down to the ground and extended his hand. "Thanks for coming so quickly, Detective. At least now we know."

  Sitting in a newly erected tent beside the van, Major Reeves stood and walked over as the GBI detective departed. "Agent Tanner, I overheard the GBI detective. I'm sorry about this morning. What else can I do to help?'

  Eli glanced up at the hot sun. "Since the search of the post hasn't turned up Mrs. Hargrove, I think you should go to Plan B."

  "Plan Br "Start looking for her body. The killer will have dumped her. As I remember, Fort Benning is pretty much surrounded by water, the Chattahoochee River and the creeks that feed into it. I suggest you have divers check beneath the bridges where the roads lead off post, and I'd begin looking in places where a body could be dumped. Now that we know the cause of death for sure, it's time Agent Sutton and I talked to the sergeant major's wife."

  The major grimaced. "Agent Tanner, I'm sorry about this, but the colonel and the commanding general had hoped that would not be necessary. The colonel has already notified Mrs.

  Rhodes of her husband's death."

  Eli sat on the van's doorstep to get out of the sun. "We won't need to mention Mrs. Hargrove, but something like this can't be kept a secret for long. Your colonel is going to have to tell the widow the truth. Keep us posted, call us soon as you find something. We'll be at the widow's house."

  Eli turned to Ashley. "Time to saddle up and ride. We're done here."

  Ashley didn't move a muscle. "Tanner, I think it's time I told you I've never done anything like this before. I would understand and hold no grudge if you were to ask for help from a more experienced agent. I'm sure the SAC would be only too happy to provide one."

  Eli walked around to the passenger door and opened it. "I know it's hot, but I didn't think real ice queens melted. You're not melting on me, are you, Agent Sutton?"

  "What's that supposed to mean?'

  "Good, I didn't think so; I was just checking. Drive this
thing and get the air conditioner going."

  Putting away her laptop and shutting the passenger-side sliding door, she finally looked at him. "I was serious, Tanner.

  I don't want to be a hindrance. I'm out of my field of expertise.

  I'm not comfortable with not knowing what I'm doing."

  Eli motioned to the distant road. "The hardest part is coming up. Once we talk to the widow, it's all downhill. Trust me you're doing great. Now come on, will ya? Get this thing on the road."

  "Looks like a reception committee," Ashley said as she pulled to the curb in front of a huge white two-story stucco house.

  Eli glanced out the window. "Yep, looks like the colonel wants to talk again. I don't recognize the others, but I imagine they're here to pay condolences. This is the Army civilians don't see. When you're in a while, the Army becomes family, and family takes care of one another. Don't be surprised to see women inside preparing food, cleaning, and whatever else they can to help. It's kind of a support-group thing, but it's a tradition to help those wives whose husbands have fallen."

  "How are we going to handle this?" Ashley asked.

  Eli grasped the door handle. "With sensitivity. Just follow my lead and step in anytime."

  Both agents got out of the van and walked toward the house side by side.

  "Agent Tanner," the colonel said, stepping forward, "Major Reeves informed me of the GBI's findings so far. I hope you understand our concerns in this matter."

  "Yes, sir, I do, and Agent Sutton and I will certainly keep those concerns in mind. I understand you've told the widow?"

  "Yes, and I just updated her on the death being a murder. I told her you two would be talking to her. She is not yet aware Mrs. Hargrove is . . . a part in this af-matter, but I'll tell her later this afternoon. . . . I thought I'd give her some time before I ripped her heart out. There was a time when all this wouldn't be necessary. Damn liberal press changed that, I can damn well tell you. They've got no feelings, the bastards, no feelings at all."

  "Yes, sir. If it's all right we'll go in now," Eli said.

  "Yes, of course, come on. I'll make the introductions and herd the other ladies out so you can talk to her privately. Just so you know, she was visiting a sick friend last night. We checked and confirmed it."

  "Thank you, sir. That is helpful." Eli allowed Ashley to proceed him up the steps toward the front door.

  Ann Rhodes held a fresh Kleenex as she sat on the couch facing the two FBI agents. She shook her head. "No, Agent Tanner, I'm sure Jerry hadn't received any threats; he would have told me. I wish I could help you, but I don't know who would want to-"

  "We understand, Mrs. Rhodes," Ashley said. "Could you please give us the names of your husband's closest friends.

  We'll talk to them and see if they might know someone he was having problems with."

  Ann folded her hands in her lap and looked up at the ceiling.

  "Oh, God, let me think a moment Jerry had many friends-but close ones? There weren't that many you would call close.

  Jerry didn't make friends very easily, Agent Sutton. He always said being a sergeant major was the loneliest job in the Army.

  Let me see. The first would be Sergeant Major Dan Murphy.

  He liked Dan, a lot They went fishing together and told each other war stories, I think. Dan works in Building Four. There's First Sergeant David Gregory, but he just left for duty in Germany. . . . Let's see . . . oh, yes, Glenn Hoffman. He retired and lives in Columbus. Glenn and Jerry served together in the Special Forces in Vietnam. They were very close. Glenn works for the post office and lives near the river. I believe I have his address in my address book."

  Eli gave Ashley a nod and stood. "Thank you very much for your help, Mrs. Rhodes. You have been most helpful. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss. We'll do our best to find the one who did this," I can assure you."

  Ann Rhodes rose and dipped her chin to Ashley, but looked Eli in the eyes. "Did they find the woman Jerry was with? Eli held her gaze. "No, ma'am. She's still missing."

  "Is she a suspect?" Ann asked.

  "No, Mrs. Rhodes, she's not."

  Ann broke her stare and nodded. "I'll get Glenn's address for you."

  They heard footsteps, and seconds later Ann appeared and handed Eli a piece of paper. "I suppose you're wondering how I knew? Jerry was a very good soldier, Agent Tanner, but he wasn't smart. He would tell me he was going out to inspect training, but the next day I would smell perfume on the fatigues he'd left for me to wash. It was cheap perfume . . . like her, I imagine. I knew . . . I knew, but I also knew it wouldn't last We were going to Washington, you see. He'd been selected by the Secretary of the Army to be the new sergeant major of the Army. It was his dream . . . and mine. In Washington things would have been different."

  Eli lowered his chin. "Yes, ma'am, I'm sure they would have been. We can see ourselves out. Good-bye."

  In the van, Ashley glanced at her passenger as she turned on the ignition. "You men are really pathetic at times, you know?"

  Eli nodded in silence.

  "Like I told ya, Tan, I don't know a soul who'd want to kill Jerry. There's a bunch who would have liked to bust his nose, but kill him? No way."

  Eli stood and extended his hand. "Thanks Murph; I had to ask. And thanks for the tip this morning."

  "And yer sure it wasn't the bitch?"

  "We're sure. Agent Sutton, do you have anything you want to ask Murph before we go?"

  Ashley looked at her notepad. "You said you know Glenn Hoffman as well?"

  "Sure, Huff-that's what we call him-went fishin' with Jerry and me a couple of times. Huff is retired S. F. He and Jerry go back a ways, served in the same team in da Nam. But I gotta tell ya, he's gonna tell ya the same thing I did. Jerry had enemies, but none that would have murdered him."

  Eli patted his friend's back. "'Thanks again, Murph. We've got to get to the office and start writing a report. I'll call ya when the dust settles on this and we'll go drink a beer."

  Once outside, Eli slowed his steps and looked at his watch.

  "It's after five. I feel like I've been up thirty hours instead of only twelve."

  Ashley sighed. "I'm beat, too. It doesn't look good, does it? Not a single lead, and they still haven't found Mrs.

  Hargrove."

  "Something will turn up. The lab will find something that will help us . . . I hope. If you're up to it, we can go visit with Glenn Hoffman, or we can do it tomorrow when we're both rested."

  "I vote for rest first"

  "Good, that's my vote, too. Want to get a beer and wind down? You do drink beer, don't you?"

  "You're learning, Tanner. You asked this time. No, I don't drink beer, but I'll have a gin and tonic. But Tanner, let's go to a place with some class. A place where I don't have to brush flies away and hold my breath when I visit the ladies' room. Oh yeah, and no country music."

  Eli opened the van door and, expressionless, said, "Just drop me off at my truck."

  "What happened to your offer of a drink?"

  "I didn't know it was going to have so many qualifiers. I could agree to all but the last one. What's your hang-up with country music, anyway?"

  "I prefer music that doesn't twang, okay? And I went with a guy once who . . . never mind, you'll just laugh and think it's silly."

  "I wouldn't do that. Tell me."

  "When I was in high school, I went out with this guy who played in a band. Yes, Tanner, it was a county western band. I had to sit for hours wearing a stupid grin like I loved the music he was making. Every time I hear the stuff it reminds me how dumb I was."

  "What happened? I mean between you and Mr. Country and Western."

  "He wanted me to tell him how great he was. He was okay but not great. I couldn't lie to him."

  "Why, you liked him, didn't you?'

  "Not enough to lie and feed his ego all the time. Anyway, he smoked. I didn't like walking around smelling like stale beer and Marlboros."

  "All right, A
gent Sutton, we'll go someplace nice. You pick the place. I need a beer and a chance to think."

  Ashley gave him a side glance. "You've not giving up so easily, are you? I would have given in a little."

  "No, you win. I was just sitting here trying to picture you at a table watchin' Mr. Country and Western with a grin. Can't seem to get that picture in focus. Did you wear boots, tight jeans, and a spade-front shirt?"

  "That's enough, Tanner."

  "You did, didn't you? How about a hat? Did you two-step and Cotton-eye Joe, too?"

  "I'll drop you at your pickup."

  "So I win after all?"