demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第40部分
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〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Privately。〃
〃I can't leave…〃
MP Corporal Stroud will stay here。 Thank you。〃
He hesitated； then walked out of the office。 I said to Stroud； 〃Whatever you hear is confidential。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
I looked up Colonel Fowler's Bethany Hill phone number in the post directory； and Fowler answered on the third ring。 I said； 〃Colonel； this is Mr。 Brenner。 I'm sorry to bother you at this hour。〃 Actually I wasn't。 〃But I need you to authorize me to remove something from Colonel Moore's office。〃
〃Where the hell are you； Brenner？〃 He sounded as if he might have been sleeping。
I replied； 〃At the Psy…Ops School； Colonel。〃
〃At this hour？〃
〃I must have lost track of the time。〃
〃What do you have to remove from Colonel Moore's office？〃
〃Actually； I'd like to remove the entire office to Jordan Field。〃
He replied； 〃I can't authorize that。 That school is run from Fort Bragg； and it's a restricted area。 Colonel Moore's office is full of classified documents。 But I'll call Bragg in the morning and see what I can do。〃
I didn't mention that I already had Ann Campbell's office at Jordan Field。 This is what happens when you ask permission to do anything in the Army。 The answer is always no； then you negotiate。 I said； 〃Well； then； Colonel； give me permission to seal the office。〃
〃Seal the office？ What the hell's going on？〃
〃A murder investigation。〃
〃Don't be flippant with me； Mr。 Brenner。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃I'll call Bragg in the morning。 That's all I can do。〃
〃That's not enough； Colonel。〃
〃You know； Mr。 Brenner； I appreciate your hard work and initiative； but you can't be charging around like a bull； wreaking havoc wherever you go。 There's only one murderer out there； and you should give some thought to the feelings of the remainder of the people on this post。 And while you're doing that； you may want to keep in mind Army regulations； customs； protocols； and courtesy。 Do you follow me； Mr。 Brenner？〃
〃Yes； sir。 What I actually need at the moment is a sample of Colonel Moore's hair to match up with a strand found at the scene of the murder。 You could call Colonel Moore at home； sir； and have him report to the forensic lab at Jordan Field for a plucking； or we can get a sample of his hair from his b or brush here； which I would prefer； as time is short。 Also； I'd rather that Colonel Moore did not know he was a suspect at the moment。〃 I noticed Corporal Stroud's eyes widen。
There was a long silence； then Colonel Fowler said； 〃All right； I'll let you take his brush or b； but if anything else in his office is touched； I'll have you charged。〃
〃Yes； sir。 Will you instruct the duty sergeant？〃
〃Put him on。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃 I motioned to Stroud； who went out and got Sergeant Corman。 I said to Corman； 〃Colonel Fowler； the post adjutant； wishes to speak to you。〃
He took the phone without enthusiasm； and his end of the conversation went something like 〃Yes； sir。 Yes； sir。 Yes； sir。 Yes； sir。〃 He hung up and said to me； 〃if you'll cover the phones； I'll go look for his brush or b。〃
〃Fine。 Wrap it in a handkerchief。〃
He took a set of keys and left the office。 I heard his footsteps retreating down the hallway。
I said to Corporal Stroud； 〃We'll be outside。 Wait here and collect the evidence。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
Corporal Stroud seemed happy to be of help in the case。 Cynthia and I went outside and stood in the headlights of the MP vehicle。
Cynthia said to me； 〃This place is tight。〃
〃If you were conducting experiments in brainwashing； interrogation techniques； morale destruction； and producing fear and panic； you might not want outsiders snooping around。〃
〃That's what she was involved in； wasn't it？〃
〃I believe so。〃 I added； 〃They have cell blocks here where they keep volunteers for their experiments； and they have an entire mock POW camp out on the reservation。〃
〃How do you know all this？〃
〃I worked on a case with a psychologist about a year ago who had once been stationed here。 He applied for a transfer。〃
〃I guess this place could get to you。〃
〃Yes。 You know； I found apiece of paper in Ann Campbell's personnel file…another Nietzsche quote。 It said； 'Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not bee a monster。 And when you look long into the abyss； the abyss also looks into you。' 〃
〃How in the world did that get in there？〃
〃Don't know； but I think I understand what it means。〃
〃Yes 。。。 I think we both do。〃 She said； 〃Sometimes I want to do something else for a living。 I'm getting tired of vaginal swabs and DNA testing of sperm； and taking statements from rapists and rape victims。〃
〃Right。 I think ten years is the limit。 I've had almost twenty。 This is my last case。〃
〃Do you say that every time？〃
〃Yes。〃
Corporal Stroud came out of the headquarters building holding something in his hand； and as he got closer； we could see him smiling。 He called out； 〃He found it。〃
We met him on the sidewalk； and he handed me a hairbrush wrapped in an olive…drab handkerchief。
I said to him； 〃You know about chain of custody。 I need a statement from you describing how and where we found this； when； who； and so forth。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Signed； sealed； marked 'Brenner；' and in the provost marshal's office before 0600 hours。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
Cynthia asked him； 〃Would you know what kind of vehicle Colonel Moore drives？〃
He thought a moment。 〃Let's see 。。。 old car 。。。 kind of beat…up 。。。 gray sedan 。。。 what the hell is that？ Right； a big Ford Fairlane； about '85 or '86。〃
〃You've been very helpful。〃 She added； 〃This is all strictly confidential。〃
Corporal Stroud nodded and offered； 〃Anything else you want to know about Colonel Moore； ask me； and if I don't know； I'll find out。〃
〃Thank you；〃 I said。 Clearly； there were those who would like to see Colonel Moore on death row in Leavenworth。
We exchanged salutes and went back to our respective vehicles。
Cynthia put the Mustang in gear。 〃Jordan Field？〃
〃Right。〃
We left the main post again and drove out onto the military reservation。 The 100；000 acres of government property puted to something like 150 square miles of mostly uninhabited land。 There are； however； backcountry people； poachers； hunters； and trappers who trespassed frequently。 Also； from the days that preceded Camp Hadley； there are ghost towns； old cemeteries； country churches； abandoned quarries and logging camps； as well as ramshackle structures from what used to be the Beaumont Plantation。 It was a unique environment； sort of frozen in time when the government exercised its right of eminent domain to meet the national emergency of the great war to end all wars。
As I said； I took my infantry basic training and advanced infantry training here； and I still remember the terrain： an inhospitable and eerily quiet landscape of wooded hills； lakes and ponds； swamps and marshes； and a species of hanging moss that gave off a phosphorescent glow at night that caused visual disorientation。
The training itself was a grueling program whose objective was to turn normally fucked…up American kids into efficient； motivated； and loyal bat…ready soldiers with a healthy desire to kill。 The whole process took only four months； though they were long； intensive months。 With a little leave time thrown in； you could enter the Army in June； after high school； as I did； and find yourself in the jungle with an M16 rifle before Christmas； as I also did； with new clothes and a different head。 Amazing。
Cynthia said； apropos of my silence； 〃Are you solving the case？〃
〃No； I was reminiscing。 I took my infantry training here。〃
〃Was that World War II or Korea？〃
〃You're engaging in unacceptable ageism。 Watch yourself。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
I said； 〃Have you ever penetrated into the wilds of this reservation？〃
〃No。 Rifle range six is as far as I've gone。〃
〃That's only scratching the surface。 If you take this road ing up to the left here…General Pershing Road…it leads to the major training sites。 There are artillery and mortar practice ranges and areas for special training exercises； like things called 'The Rifle pany in the Attack；' and 'Armor and Infantry Joint Operations；' 'The Ambush；' 'The Night Patrol；' and so on。〃
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