demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第3部分

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ilitary　police　at　Fort　Hadley。　He's　a　stickler　for　rules　and　regulations；　and；　while　not　disliked；　he's　not　anyone's　best　buddy。
　Kent　was　all　spiffy　in　his　provost　marshal's　uniform　with　his　white　helmet；　white　pistol　belt；　and　spit…shined　boots。　He　said　to　me；　〃I　have　six　MPs　securing　the　scene。　Nothing　has　been　touched。〃
　〃That's　a　start。〃　Kent　and　I　have　known　each　other　about　ten　years；　and　we've　developed　a　good　working　relationship；　though　in　fact　I　only　see　him　about　once　a　year　when　a　case　brings　me　to　Fort　Hadley。　Kent　outranks　me；　but　I　can　be　familiar　with　him；　actually　give　him　a　hard　time；　as　long　as　I'm　the　investigating　officer　on　the　case。　I've　seen　him　testify　at　courts…martial；　and　he's　everything　a　prosecutor　could　ask　for　in　a　cop：　believable；　logical；　unemotional；　and　organized　in　his　testimony。　Yet；　there's　something　about　him　that　didn't　play　right；　and　I　always　had　the　feeling　that　the　prosecutors　were　happy　to　get　him　off　the　stand。　I　think；　maybe；　he　es　across　as　a　little　too　stiff　and　unfeeling。　When　the　Army　has　to　court…martial　one　of　its　own；　there　is　usually　some　sympathy；　or　at　least　concern；　for　the　accused。　But　Kent　is　one　of　those　cops　who　only　sees　black　and　white；　and　anyone　who　breaks　the　law　at　Fort　Hadley　has　personally　affronted　Colonel　Kent。　I　actually　saw　him　smile　once　when　a　young　recruit；　who　burned　down　a　deserted　barracks　in　a　drunken　stupor；　got　ten　years　for　arson。　But　the　law　is　the　law；　I　suppose；　and　such　a　brittle　personality　as　William　Kent　has　found　his　niche　in　life。　That's　why　I　was　a　little　surprised　to　discover　that　he　was　somewhat　shaken　by　the　events　of　that　morning。　I　asked　him；　〃Have　you　informed　General　Campbell？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Perhaps　you'd　better　go　to　his　house。〃
　He　nodded；　not　very　enthusiastically。　He　looked　awful；　actually；　and　I　deduced　that　he'd　been　to　the　scene　himself。　I　informed　Colonel　Kent；　〃The　general　is　going　to　have　your　ass　for　delaying　notification。〃
　He　explained；　〃Well；　I　didn't　have　a　positive　identification　until　I　saw　the　body　myself。　I　mean；　I　couldn't　go　to　his　house　and　tell　him　that　his　daughter…〃
　〃Who　made　the　tentative　identification？〃
　〃A　Sergeant　St。　John。　He　found　the　body。〃
　〃And　he　knew　her？〃
　〃They　were　on　duty　together。〃
　〃Well；　that's　a　pretty　positive　identification。　And　you　knew　her？〃
　〃Yes；　of　course。　I　made　a　positive　identification。〃
　〃Not　to　mention　dog　tags　and　the　name　on　her　uniform。〃
　〃Well；　that's　all　gone。〃
　〃Gone？〃
　〃Yes　。。。　whoever　did　it　took　her　uniform　and　dog　tags　。。。〃
　You　get　a　sense　for　these　things；　or　maybe　you　get　a　backlog　of　cases　stored　in　your　head；　and　when　you　hear　the　evidence　and　see　the　scene；　you　ask　yourself；　〃What's　wrong　with　this　picture？〃　I　asked　Colonel　Kent；　〃Underwear？〃
　〃What？　Oh　。。。　it's　there　。。。〃　He　added；　〃Usually　they　take　the　underwear。　Right？　This　is　weird。〃
　〃Is　Sergeant　St。　John　a　suspect？〃
　Colonel　Kent　shrugged。　〃That's　your　job。〃
　〃Well；　with　a　name　like　St。　John；　we'll　give　him　the　benefit　of　the　doubt　for　the　moment。〃　I　looked　around　at　the　deserted　barracks；　the　Battalion　Headquarters；　the　mess　hall；　and　the　pany　assembly　areas　overgrown　with　weeds　now；　and　in　the　gray　light　of　dawn；　I　could　imagine　the　young　troops　falling　in　for　roll　call。　I　can　still　remember　being　always　tired；　cold；　and　hungry　before　breakfast。　I　remember；　too；　being　frightened；　knowing　that　ninety　percent　of　us　standing　there　in　formation　were　going　to　Vietnam；　and　knowing　that　the　casualty　rate　among　the　frontline　troops　was　high　enough　so　that　a　Midland　bookie　wouldn't　give　you　better　than　two…to…one　odds　that　you'd　make　it　back　in　the　same　shape　you　left。　I　said　to　Kent；　〃That　was　my　pany　over　there。　Delta　pany。〃
　〃I　didn't　know　you　were　infantry。〃
　〃Long　time　ago。　Before　I　became　a　copper。　You？〃
　〃Always　an　MP。　But　I　saw　some　stuff　in　'Nam。　I　was　at　the　American　Embassy　when　the　Cong　came　over　the　walls　that　time。　January　'68。〃　He　added；　〃I　killed　one　of　them。〃
　I　nodded。　〃Sometimes　I　think　the　infantry　was　better。　The　bad　guys　were　never　one　of　your　own。　This　crap　is　different。〃
　〃Bad　guys　are　bad　guys；〃　Kent　informed　me。　〃The　Army　is　the　Army。　Orders　are　orders。〃
　〃Yup。〃　And　therein　lies　the　essence　of　military　mentality。　Ours　is　not　to　reason　why；　and　there　is　no　excuse　for　failure。　This　works　pretty　well　in　bat　and　most　other　military…type　situations；　but　not　in　the　CID。　In　the　CID　you　must　actually　disobey　orders；　think　for　yourself；　ignore　the　brass；　and；　above　all；　discover　the　truth。　This　does　not　always　sit　well　in　the　military；　which　thinks　of　itself　as　a　big　family；　where　people　still　like　to　believe　that　〃all　the　brothers　are　valiant；　and　all　the　sisters　virtuous。〃
　As　though　reading　my　thoughts；　Colonel　Kent　said；　〃I　know　this　could　be　a　real　messy　case。　But　maybe　not。　Maybe　it　was　mitted　by　a　civilian。　Maybe　it　can　be　wrapped　up　right　away。〃
　〃Oh；　I'm　sure　it　can；　Bill。　And　you　and　I　will　get　letters　of　mendation　inserted　into　our　permanent　files；　and　General　Campbell　will　invite　us　for　cocktails。〃
　Kent　looked　very　troubled。　He　said；　〃Well；　my　ass　is　on　the　line　here；　frankly。　This　is　my　post；　my　beat。　You　can　beg　off　if　you　want　and　they'll　send　another　homicide　guy。　But　you　happen　to　be　here　and　you　happen　to　be　special　unit；　and　we've　worked　together　before；　and　I'd　like　your　name　next　to　mine　on　the　prelim　report。〃
　〃And　you　didn't　even　bring　me　a　cup　of　coffee。〃
　He　smiled　grimly。　〃Coffee？　Hell；　I　need　a　drink。〃　He　added；　〃You　can　get　some　rank　out　of　this。〃
　〃If　you　mean　a　reduction；　you're　probably　right。　If　you　mean　a　promotion；　I'm　topped　out。〃
　〃Sorry。　I　forgot。　Bad　system。〃
　I　asked　him；　〃Are　you　up　for　a　star？〃
　〃Maybe。〃　He　looked　a　bit　worried；　as　if　the　twinkling　general's　star　that　he'd　seen　in　his　dreams　just　blinked　out。
　I　asked；　〃Have　you　notified　the　local　CID　yet？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Why　in　the　world　not？〃
　〃Well　。。。　this　is　not　going　to　be　handled　by　them；　anyway　。。。　I　mean；　Jesus；　this　is　the　post　mander's　daughter；　and　the　CID　mander　here；　Major　Bowes；　knew　her；　and　so　did　everyone　else　here；　so　we　need　to　show　the　general　that　we've　gotten　top　talent　from　Falls　Church…〃
　〃The　word　you're　looking　for　is　scapegoat。　But；　okay；　I'll　tell　my　boss　in　Falls　Church　that　this　is　best　handled　by　a　special　investigator；　but　I　don't　know　if　I'm　the　guy　who　wants　to　do　it。〃
　〃Let's　go　see　the　body；　then　you　can　decide。〃
　As　we　started　to　walk　to　his　car；　we　heard　the　post　cannon　boom…actually　a　recording　of　some　long…scrapped　artillery　piece…and　we　stopped　and　faced　the　direction　of　the　sound。　From　the　loudspeakers　mounted　on　the　empty　barracks　came　the　recorded　bugle　sound　of　reveille；　and　we　saluted；　two　solitary　men　standing　in　the　predawn　light；　reacting　to　a　lifetime　of　conditioning　and　centuries　of　military　custom　and　ceremony。
　The　ancient　bugle　call；　going　back　to　the　Crusades；　echoed　through　the　pany　streets　and　the　alleyways　between　the　barracks；　and　over　the　grassy　assembly　fields；　and　somewhere；　the　flags　were　being　raised。
　It's　been　years　since　I've　been　caught　outdoors　at　reveille；　but　I　sort　of　enjoy　the　pomp　and　ceremony　once　in　a　while；　the　munion　with　the　living　and　the　dead；　the　idea　that　there　is　something　bigger　and　more　important　than　I；　and　that　I　am　part　of　it。
　There　is　no　civilian　equivalent　of　this；　unless　watching　Good　Morning　America　has　bee　a　tradition；　and　though　I'm　on　the　periphery　of　Army　life；　I　don't　know　if　I'm　ready　yet　to　make　the　transition　to　civilian　life。　But　that　decision　might　already　be　in　the　making。　Sometimes　you　sense　when　the　last　act　has　begun。
　The　final　sounds　of　the　bugle　died　away；　and　Kent　and　I　continued　toward　his　car。　He　remarked　to　me；　〃Another　day　begins　at　Fort　Hadley；　but　one　of　its　soldiers　will　not　see　it。〃
　
　CHAPTER　THREE
　
　We　headed　south　in　Kent's　car　toward　the　far　reaches　of　the　military　reservation。　Colonel　Kent　began：　〃Captain　Ann　Campbell　and　Sergeant　Harold　St。　John　were　on　duty　at　Post　Headquarters。　She　was　duty　officer；　he　was　duty　sergeant。〃
　〃Did　they　know　each　other？〃
　Kent　shrugged。　〃Maybe　in　passing。　They　don't　work　together。　He's　in　the　motor　pool。　She's　an　instructor　at　the　Special　Operations　School。　They　just　came　down　on　orders　and　wound　up　together。〃
　〃What　does　she　teach？〃
　〃Psy…ops。〃　He　added；　〃She's　got…she　had　a　master's　in　psychology。〃
　〃Still　has。〃　There's　always　a　question　of　tenses　when　referring　to　the　recently　dead。　I　asked　Kent；　〃Do　instructors　usually　pull　that　sort　of　duty？〃
　〃No；　not　usually。　But　Ann　Campbell　put　her　name　on　several　duty　rosters　she　didn't　have　to　be　on。〃　He　added；　〃She　tried　to　set　an　example。　General's　daughter。〃
　〃I　see。〃　The　Army　runs　duty　rosters　for　officers；　nonmissioned　officers；　and　enlisted　men　and　women。　These　are　pletely　random　lists；　ensuring　that　as　nearly　as　possible　everyone　gets　his　or　her　chance　at　some　sort　of　crap　duty。　There　was　a　time　when　female　personnel　were　not　on　all　lists；　such　as　guard　duty；　but　times　change。　What　doesn't　change　is　that　young　ladies　walking　around　alone　at　night　are　at　some　risk。　The　hearts　of　evil　men　remain　the　same；　the　pulsion　to　stick　it　in　the　most　available　vagina　supersedes　Army　regulations。　I　asked；　〃And　she　was　armed？〃
　〃Sure。　Had　her　sidearm。〃
　〃Go　on。〃
　〃Well；　at　about　0100　hours；　Campbell　says　to　St。　John　that　she　is　going　to　take　the　jeep　and　check　the　guard　posts…〃
　〃Why？　Isn't　that　something　the　sergeant　of　the　guard　or　the　officer　of　the　guard　should　do？　The　duty　officer　should　stay　with　the　phones。〃
　Kent　replied；　〃St。　John　said　the　officer　of　the　guard　was　some　young　lieutenant；　still　pissing　water　from　West　Point。　And　Campbell；　as　I've　indicated；　is　gung　ho　and　she　wants　to　go　out　there　and　check　things　for　herself。　She　knew　the　sign　and　countersign；　so　off　she　goes。〃　Kent　turned　onto　Rifle　Range　Road。　He　continued；　〃At　about　0300　hours；　St。　John　says　he　got　a　little　concerned…〃
　〃Why　concerned？〃
　〃I　don't　know　。。。　You　know；　it's　a　woman　and…well；　maybe　he　was　annoyed　because　he　thought　she　was　goofing　off　somewhere　and　maybe　he　wanted　to　go　to　the　latrine　and　didn't　want　to　leave　the　phones。〃
　〃How　old　is　this　guy？〃　I　asked。
　〃Fifty　something。　Married。　Good　record。〃
　〃Where　i