Solemn Duty (1997) (15 page)

"Whoa, Murph. Are you saying you think he was murdered?"

'Tan, I'm tellin' ya he wouldn't kill himself like the MPs are sayin'. He had this E-7's wife he was sneakin' around with.

Christ, I told him not to mess with her but it was like talkie' to the fuckin' wall. She's from El Salvador or Panama-- someplace down south. He even had the husband assigned to FASO in Fort Leavenworth so he could play footsy with her on the sly. She's missin', Tan. She's not in her quarters and the neighbors ain't seen her since last night--and they got her kid!

It's all horseshit, Tan, and these damn MPs ain't listenin' to me. Wait one. . . Word now is the MPs are changin' their minds. They think it was an accident. That's horseshit, too. The bitch killed him."

"Murph, I'm on the way. Where's Red cloud range?"

"Just as you enter the main post, across from the officer's golf course. Tan, I called Agent Sutton first; I didn't have a number for you. She gave me Jerome's number. Tell him I'm sorry I got him up, huh?"

"No sweat. I'll tell him, Murph."

"Hurry, Tan. I don't trust the damn MPs worth a shit."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes, buddy. I'll talk to you later."

Eli tossed the phone to Jerome and swung out of bed.

"Got a homicide on post?" Jerome asked.

"Dan thinks so." Eli put on his pants. "The vic is the post sergeant major. MPs seem to be vacillating between suicide and accident."

"Rhodes? If it was, I can tell ya they'd want it to be an accident and keep a lid on it. Suicide doesn't look good for the Army's image."

"Dan says there might be a woman involved, a married woman."

"Then you'd better watch yourself. If it's messy, they damn sure don't want it aired. The brass will want this cleaned up quickly and with as little exposure as possible. I think the sergeant major was married. We attended a fund-raiser and he was there with what I thought was his wife. If he did have a wife, the commanding general will put the pressure on to keep the whole thing quiet."

Eli slipped into his shoes and picked up his shoulder holster from the nightstand. "Thanks, Jer. Sorry about the call waking you up. I should have thought of having new cards made with my cell phone number when I started work. I'll move out during the weekend so you and Millie can get back to your normal lives."

"Aw hell, don't do that, Elly. With you here, Mill is cookin' real meals for a change."

Eli patted his brother's slightly protruding stomach. "Like I said, I'd better move out pretty soon."

"Go get 'em, Br'er Rabbit," Jerome called as Eli headed for the door.

Chapter 9.

The sun was just coming up over the pines when Eli pulled his pickup into the Red cloud range's huge gravel parking lot.

He was immediately stopped by an NIP guard.

"FBI," Eli said, showing his ID.

The guard stepped closer to the pickup. "Sir, all visitors are to report to Major Reeves, the officer in charge of the scene.

Please park over there and stay within the taped-off area"

Eli counted five MP sedans and two Army camouflaged Humvee's as he parked beside Ashley's blue dodge van. She was leaning against the front of the vehicle with a scowl on her face.

He got out of his pickup and asked with his eyes.

She frowned. "Major Reeves told me his people didn't need our assistance."

"Have you seen the body?' he asked as he stepped closer.

"I was told very politely to stay out of the way."

Turning around, Eli walked back to his pickup and opened the passenger side door. A minute later he strode back to Ashley armed with a notebook and rubber gloves. He handed her a pair. "Take out your cell phone and hold it. When I tell ya, follow me. Keep one step behind and to my right. We're going to take a look."

Seeing the look in his eyes, she didn't argue, and quickly pulled her small folding phone from her purse. "You know something, don't you?"

He quickly told her what Murphy had told him, then turned toward the knot of MPs clustered around a small building twenty-five yards away. "Here we go, Agent Sutton. Put on your best boo investigation look and follow me."

"What kind of look is that supposed to be?"

"Look at everybody like they owe you money."

They had covered only half the distance when Major Reeves stepped out of the cluster of officers and raised his hand. "Sir, I'm sorry, I don't recall your name, but like I told Agent Sutton, we've got this under control and don't need federal assistance."

Eli halted and began putting on his latex gloves. "The name is Tanner, Major. And may I remind you that the role of the resident office is to assist and advise your organization. We cannot advise or assist if we don't know what is going on. In the future please call us immediately when there is a shooting that results in a death. Now I have a few questions before we take a look at the sergeant major. Has anyone touched his body?"

The major shook his head. "I just told you, Agent Tanner, that we don't need-"

"Major, I was being polite before, now I'll give it to you straight. We are going to do our job here. Our job is to ensure the investigation is being handled properly. Now I ask you again. Has anyone touched the body?"

"I have to call the colonel and see what he says about this," the major said, elevating his chin.

"That's fine. Agent Sutton will let you borrow her cell phone. Now please answer my question."

"No, no one has touched the sergeant major. The captain who found him was running down the road and veered off into the parking lot to take a leak. He spotted the body and ran back to the road and flagged down the first car that passed."

"And who were the responding officers?"

"Look, Agent Tanner, let me call the colonel and-"

Ashley stepped forward, holding out her folding phone. Eli spoke evenly. "Call him. Agent Sutton and I will be taking a look. Oh, by the way, I understand you have a woman missing on post. Have your people found her, by any chance?"

The major grabbed the phone.

Eli nodded toward Ashley and they strode toward the taped barrier.

Seconds later Eli paused as he looked down at the dead man dressed in camouflage fatigues. The smell and ugliness of death were always the same. The sergeant major, who had occupied one of most respected positions in the Army, now lay on his side in the gravel with a bullet hole in the temple.

Something odd caught Eli's eye and he squatted down to get a better look.

Ashley leaned over his shoulder. "Is that a gold chain in his mouth?"

"Part of it is. Can't see what the chain is holding. Coagulated blood has filled the bottom part of his mouth. Strange, huh?"

Eli looked to his right, where a balding chief warrant officer with a salt and pepper mustache was standing. Eli remembered meeting him at the CID office. He was the senior investigator for the Criminal Investigation Division. Eli motioned the officer over. "Chief, give me a rundown on what you've got so far."

The middle-age investigator stepped forward and spoke almost in a whisper. "The major told us not to speak to you, sir.

I'm sorry."

Eli glanced over his shoulder at Reeves, who was talking on the phone. "You know who's going to win this turf battle, Chief. What ya got?"

The chief sighed and squatted down. "Sergeant major has an M-9 Beretta in his right hand, and you can see the entry wound yourself. The weapon looks to be his personal weapon, the grips aren't issue. We're running a check now. Powder burns are consistent with the barrel being pressed against the skin. I figure he was on his knees when he pulled the trigger and fell forward. You can see the dust there on the right knee of his fatigues. When we roll him over we'll be able to confirm it.

Shell casing is over there with the plastic glass over it. Couple of things I don't like. The chain in his mouth is a mystery, and take a look at his legs-the fatigue pants are unbloused, and neither boot is laced or tied properly. The other thing is the large amount of blood in his mouth and the accumulation that drooled out onto the gravel."

"You're saying you think the angle of trajectory went down, not up?' Eli asked.

"Only explanation for the bullet to pass through the roof of his mouth like it obviously did . . . but that's speculation on my part. Bullets can travel funny sometimes. Need an autopsy to tell for sure, but it looks like that way to me."

Standing erect, Eli looked over to his left. "That the sergeant major's pickup over there?"

The chief nodded. "Yes, I haven't had a chance to take a look as yet. The major's boys checked it, though. Saw them inside the cab when I got here ten minutes ago."

Eli was about to ask another question when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and faced the major, who motioned to an approaching staff car. "The colonel was on the way. He wants to talk to you."

Eli headed straight for the car. The left-rear door opened and out stepped a stocky officer wearing his dress green uniform.

The colonel placed a gold-braided billed hat on his head and stepped forward, pointing an unlit cigar toward Eli's chest.

"Are you Agent Tanner?" he barked.

Eli extended his hand. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."

Ignoring the hand, the officer shook the cigar. "What in the hell do you think you're doing, ignoring my officers? This is our investigation and we don't need federal involvement."

"Again, I'm sorry, sir. But you're not quite right on that. I received a tip that this might be a possible homicide. And you are aware of our jurisdiction concerning homicide. It's a federal matter now."

"That's nonsense! It's certainly no homicide. Major Reeves assures me the post sergeant major's death was suicide or possibly an accident. Where did this so-called tip come from?"

Eli stepped closer, keeping his eyes level with the colonel's hostile stare. "Sir, I've looked at the body, and there are grounds for ruling a suspicious death. I'm calling in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the state medical examiner on this. Right now a complete search of the area will need to be conducted. And I would appreciate your and your major's complete cooperation."

"Suspicious death? How the hell you come up with that?

Calling in the GBI on this is ludicrous. And you still haven't answered my question about who tipped you."

Eli turned and looked toward the dead man's pickup. "Sir, I don't need to explain my actions to you, and right now I don't have time. I have to check that vehicle. Just pray I don't find what I'm looking for. If I do, we all have a bigger problem than you think. Excuse me."

Eli made a motion for Ashley to follow him, and he strode straight for the distant vehicle as the colonel growled, "What do you mean you don't have to explain your actions? The hell you don't!"

Out of the side of his mouth, Eli whispered, "Keep walkin', Agent Sutton, and don't look back."

His face flushed, Major Reeves quickly caught up and stepped in front of Eli. "The colonel is calling your superior in Atlanta. Just stay right where you are, Agent Tanner, until this is resolved."

Tanner motioned toward the two MPs standing by the pickup. "Is that the team that searched the vehicle?"

"Agent Tanner, I just told you wait until-"

Eli strode toward the two officers. "I'm Agent Tanner, FBI, what did you find in the cab?"

Both young specialists began to speak, but again the major stepped in front of Eli. "They found nothing of relevance to the shooting, Agent Tanner. I'm warning you for the last time that I will-"

Eli suddenly stepped forward and poked the shocked officer in the chest with his finger. 'Listen to me very carefully. I am about to lose my patience with you. I am going to pretend I haven't heard you try to interfere with my duties as a federal officer. If you interfere with me one more time, I will charge you with tampering and concealment of evidence. I know what you are trying to do, but concealing evidence from me is not going to make the news any more palatable to the widow or to the citizens of Columbus. Now just back away and tell these two officers of yours to cooperate with me. Do it, now."

His face pale, the major stepped back and nodded toward the two MPs. "Tell him what you found."

The shorter of the two took a step forward. "Sir, we found a purse under the passenger seat. Inside, on top, was a pair of wadded up panty hose."

"ID in the purse?" Tanner asked.

"Yes, sir, billfold, checkbook, credit cards all there plus the usual pocketbook litter a lady would carry. The purse belongs to a dependent, Mrs. Rosa Hargrove, wife of Sergeant First Class Ronald Hargrove."

The other MP motioned toward the camper shell over the back of the truck. "I checked, sir. There's a mattress in back covered with a couple of poncho liners. Found a big earring and one lady's shoe. Sir, it looks like somebody did some huggy bear and kissy-facing in the back. The poncho liner was still wet in the center and the mattress was damp."

"Anything else?"

The first MP spoke again. "Yes, sir, in the cab was the sergeant major's LBE, helmet, and a rucksack. His holster was empty and the ammo pouch was missing one magazine.

Nothing else unusual."