demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第61部分

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io　transmissions；　check　the　desk　sergeant's　log；　see　if　any　traffic　or　parking　tickets　were　issued　that　night；　and　talk　to　the　MPs　who　had　duty　that　night；　but　be　discreet。　You　know　what　we're　looking　for。〃
　Kiefer　nodded。　〃Yes。　Cars　and　people　where　they're　not　supposed　to　be　after　about　2400　hours。　Good　idea。〃
　〃Actually；　you　gave　me　the　idea　when　you　told　us　about　Randy　Six。　That's　the　sort　of　thing　that　could　be　significant。　See　you　later。〃
　We　left　Ms。　Kiefer　in　our　office。　In　the　hallway；　I　said　to　Cynthia；　〃You　may　have　something　there。〃
　〃I　hope　so。　We　don't　have　much　else。〃
　〃Drink？〃
　〃I　think　you　should　go　talk　to　Colonel　Kent。　You've　been　very　rough　with　him。　I'll　wait　for　you　out　front。　Ask　him　to　join　us　for　a　drink。　Okay；　Paul？〃
　I　looked　at　Cynthia　a　moment；　and　our　eyes　met。　It　seemed　from　her　tone　of　voice　and　her　demeanor　that　she　wanted　more　from　Kent　than　his　goodwill。　I　nodded。　〃Okay。〃　I　went　toward　his　office；　and　Cynthia　continued　on　toward　the　front　lobby。
　I　walked　slowly　toward　Kent's　office；　my　mind　going　faster　than　my　legs。　Colonel　William　Kent…motive；　opportunity；　the　will　to　act；　a　strong　presumption　of　innocence；　but　a　weak　alibi。
　Position　determines　perspective。　Or；　to　put　it　more　simply；　what　you　see　depends　on　where　you're　standing。　I'd　been　standing　in　the　wrong　place。　I'd　been　standing　too　close　to　William　Kent。　I　had　to　step　back　and　see　Kent　from　a　different　angle。
　It　had　been　gnawing　at　me　for　the　last　two　days；　but　I　couldn't　bring　myself　to　say　it；　or　even　think　it。　Kent　had　invited　me　to　take　the　case；　and　that　had　put　me　in　a　certain　mind…set。　Kent　was　my　only　on…post　ally　at　Fort　Hadley。　Everyone　else　was　a　suspect；　a　witness；　a　promised　officer；　or　a　victim　of　sorts。　Kent　had　belatedly　confessed　to　being　promised；　too；　but　only　because　he　thought　I'd　eventually　discover　something　regarding　him　and　Ann　Campbell；　and　he　may　also　have　suspected　that　Cynthia　and　I　had　found　the　room。　In　fact；　if　I　thought　about　it；　Burt　Yardley　probably　told　Kent　that　the　door　of　the　room　had　been　glued　shut；　and　they　suspected　that　it　had　to　be　me　who　did　that。　The　contents　of　the　room　appeared　to　be　intact　when　Yardley　came　upon　the　room；　but　neither　he　nor　Kent　could　be　sure　of　what　I　had　found　there　or　taken　away。
　Burt　Yardley；　cunning　bastard　that　he　was；　had　feigned　surprise　that　I　knew　about　the　room；　but　he　knew　that　Ann　Campbell　wouldn't　have　glued　it　shut…therefore；　he　suspected　that　Brenner　did。　Burt　Yardley　took　that　information　to　Kent；　and　Kent　decided　to　confess　to　sexual　misconduct；　but　hedged　his　bet　and　never　mentioned　the　room。　Now　the　contents　of　the　room　were　in　Yardley's　possession；　and　I　didn't　know　who　had　whom　by　the　balls；　and　what　the　relationship　was　of　those　two　men；　but　if　either　of　them　killed　her；　the　other　didn't　know　about　it。
　I　recalled　how　Kent　resisted　my　decision　to　go　directly　to　the　victim's　off…post　house。　That　was　understandable　on　the　face　of　it…it　was　an　irregular　procedure…but　I　thought　now　that　Kent　had　intended　to　call　Yardley　early　that　morning；　or　may　have　tried　to　call　him　before　or　after　he　called　me；　and　intended　to　say　something　like；　〃Chief；　Ann　Campbell　has　been　murdered　on　post。　You　should　probably　get　a　court　order　and　go　through　her　house；　ASAP。　Collect　evidence。〃　And　Yardley　would　know　what　evidence　had　to　be　collected　and　disposed　of；　ASAP。　But　Yardley；　according　to　his　own　statement；　had　been　inconveniently　or　conveniently　in　Atlanta；　and　Kent　found　himself　in　a　bind。
　Right。　So　I　got　there　first；　and　Kent　had　to　make　a　different　kind　of　call　to　Yardley　in　Atlanta；　explaining　what　had　happened。　Then　Kent　and　Yardley　crossed　their　fingers；　hoping　that　the　hidden　room　would　stay　that　way。　Just　as　Cynthia　and　I　had　hoped　for　the　same　thing；　not　knowing　that　the　Midland　police　chief　and　the　Fort　Hadley　provost　marshal　had　both　been　guests　in　that　room。
　Kent；　too；　had　dragged　his　feet　about　notifying　General　and　Mrs。　Campbell。　That　could　be　an　understandable　human　reaction；　a　natural　aversion　to　being　the　bearer　of　bad　news；　though　it　was　uncharacteristically　unprofessional　of　Kent。　But　if　Kent　had　killed　the　general's　daughter；　then　I　could　see　why　he　couldn't　get　up　the　courage　to　do　his　duty。
　And　Kent　would　not　call　Major　Bowes；　because　Kent　knew　that　Bowes　knew　about　the　room；　the　major　having　been　entertained　there　as　well。　And　Kent　did　not　want　Bowes　to　go　there　and　collect　evidence　on　Kent。　And　Kent　could　not　get　to　that　room　in　Ann　Campbell's　house　himself；　because；　if　he　was　the　one　who　killed　her；　the　place　where　he　had　to　be　was　at　home；　and　damned　quick；　to　wait　for　the　call　from　the　MPs　when　she　was　found。
　I　could　almost　picture　it　。。。　almost。　Kent；　for　some　reason　that　I　still　didn't　know；　was　out　there　on　or　near　rifle　range　six。　I　didn't　know　how　or　if　he　knew　what　was　going　to　go　on　there；　but　I　could　sort　of　picture　him　after　General　Campbell　left：　big；　tall　Bill　Kent；　probably　in　his　uniform；　walking　that　fifty　meters　from　the　road；　toward　the　naked　and　bound　Ann　Campbell。　He　stops　and　they　look　at　each　other；　and　he　realizes　that　fate　has　dropped　this　in　his　lap。　His　problem　was　Ann　Campbell　and　her　willingness　to　take　everyone　down　with　her。　The　answer　to　his　problem　was　the　rope　that　was　already　around　her　neck。
　He　may　or　may　not　have　known　what　this　scenario　was　all　about；　he　may　or　may　not　have　heard　the　exchange　with　her　father。　If　he　hadn't；　then　perhaps　he　mistook　what　he　saw　for　a　sexual　rendezvous　with　another　man；　and　he　was　jealous；　enraged。　In　any　event；　they　certainly　spoke；　and　it　was　very　possible　that　Ann　Campbell　said　the　wrong　thing　at　the　wrong　time。
　Or　perhaps　it　didn't　matter　what　she　said…Kent　had　had　enough。　He　knew　that　there　was　trace　evidence　from　other　people　at　the　scene；　and　he　knew　he'd　be　back　in　an　official　capacity　within　hours；　and　any　evidence　of　his　presence　was　explainable　and　expected。　He's　a　cop；　and　he　putes　all　of　it　very　quickly。　Not　only　would　this　be　the　perfect　crime；　but　it　was　the　necessary　crime。　All　he　has　to　do　is　kneel　down　and　tighten　the　rope。　But　did　he　have　the　will　to　act？　Didn't　she　plead　with　him？　Could　he　have　been　that　cold　and　callous？　Or　was　it　heat　and　rage　that　drove　him？
　What　did　I　know　about　this　man　whom　I'd　seen　maybe　a　dozen　times　in　the　last　ten　years？　I　searched　my　memory；　but　all　I　could　say　for　sure　about　him　was　that　he　was　always　more　concerned　about　the　appearance　of　propriety　than　with　propriety　itself。　He　was　very　aware　of　his　reputation　as　Mr。　Clean　Cop。　He　never　made　sexual　ments　or　jokes；　and　he　was　tough　on　the　men　in　his　mand　who　did　not　live　up　to　his　high　standards　of　conduct　and　appearance。　But　then　he　was　seduced　by　the　general's　daughter。　He　knew　he　was　the　butt　of　jokes；　according　to　Ms。　Kiefer；　he　knew　he　was　losing　respect；　and　he　knew　you　don't　get　to　be　a　general　by　fucking　one　of　their　daughters。
　And　was　it　possible；　somewhere　in　the　dark　recesses　of　his　mind；　that　he　knew　that　certain　people　on　post；　certainly　people　under　his　mand；　would　wonder　in　awe　if　it　was　Colonel　Kent　who　had　done　it；　if　the　top　cop　at　Hadley　had　solved　not　only　his　problem　but　the　problems　of　thirty；　senior　officers　and　their　wives？　The　average　person　might　feel　revulsion　against　a　killer；　but　a　killer　can　also　mand　fear　and　respect；　especially　if　there's　a　sense　that　the　killer　was　doing　something　not　quite　all　bad。
　But　given　all　that；　given　the　fact　that　these　speculations　and　deductions　made　sense　and　fit　the　facts；　did　that　make　Colonel　William　Kent；　provost　marshal　of　Fort　Hadley；　a　suspect　in　the　murder　of　Captain　Ann　Campbell？　With　all　the　other　possible　men；　and　perhaps　women；　on　post　who　had　a　motive…revenge；　jealousy；　concealment　of　a　crime；　to　avoid　humiliation　or　disgrace；　or　even　homicidal　mania…why　Kent？　And；　if　Kent；　how　would　I　go　about　proving　it？　In　the　rare　cases　when　a　cop　at　the　scene　of　a　crime　may　be　the　perpetrator　of　the　crime；　the　investigating　officer　has　a　real　problem。
　I　stood　in　front　of　Kent's　door　a　moment；　then　knocked。
　
　CHAPTER　THIRTY
　
　I　pointed　the　Blazer　toward　the　Officers'　Club；　and　we　drove　in　silence；　then　I　asked　Cynthia；　〃Why　do　you　think　it　was　Kent？〃
　〃Instinct。〃
　〃Instinct　is　what　put　Kent　between　Ann　Campbell's　thighs。　Why　do　you　think　he　murdered　her？〃
　〃I　don't　know　that　he　did；　Paul。　But　we've　eliminated　other　suspects。　The　Yardley　boys　have　tight　alibis；　we　know　what　Colonel　Moore　did；　and　the　Fowlers　are　each　other's　witnesses；　and　the　general；　and；　for　that　matter；　Mrs。　Campbell；　are　clean　as　far　as　I'm　concerned。　Sergeant　St。　John　and　MP　Casey；　who　found　the　body；　are　not　likely　suspects；　and　neither　is　anyone　else　we've　spoken　to　or　heard　about。〃
　〃But　there's　Major　Bowes；　Colonel　Weems；　Lieutenant　Elby；　the　head　chaplain；　the　medical　officer；　and　about　thirty　other　officers　who　had　a　motive。　Plus；　there　are　the　wives　of　those　officers；　if　you　think　about　that。　That's　a　possibility。〃
　〃True。　And　there　could　very　well　be　someone　else　out　there　whom　we　haven't　even　heard　of。　But　you　have　to　consider　opportunity　and　the　will　to　mit　murder。〃
　〃Right。　Unfortunately；　we　don't　have　the　time　to　interview　all　the　men　in　her　diary。　And　I'd　hate　to　think　of　the　FBI　doing　that；　because　they'll　write　a　two…hundred…page　report　on　every　one　of　them。　Kent　is　a　possible　suspect；　but　I　don't　want　him　to　be　a　convenient　suspect　like　he…and　some　others　here…tried　to　make　of　Colonel　Moore。〃
　〃I　understand　that。　But　it　just　struck　me　at　some　point　that　Kent　fits。〃
　〃When　did　it　strike　you？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　In　the　shower。〃
　〃I'll　pass　on　that。〃
　〃Do　you　think　he'll　join　us　for　a　drink？〃
　〃He　was　vague。　But　if　he's　the　murderer；　he'll　be　there。　I've　never　seen　it　fail　yet。　They　want　to　be　close；　to　see；　to　hear；　to　try　to　manipulate　the　investigation。　And　the　bright　ones　are　not　obvious　about　it。　I　certainly　wouldn't　say　that　if　Kent　joined　us　for　a　drink　he　is　the　murderer。　But　if　he　doesn't　show　up；　I'd　bet　money　that　he　isn't。〃
　〃I　understand。〃
　In　my　years　in　the　CID；　I　had　managed　to　avoid　every　Department　of　the　Army　mandated　personnel　management　class；　sensitivity　session；　race　and　gender　relations　course；　and　so　on；　which　was　obviously　why　I　w