The Prosecution of General Hastings

by A. A. MacQueen

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  Friday morning broke over northern Mexico with high wispy clouds that showed a slight tinge of red from the morning sun that was lazily climbing from the eastern horizon. When Harry Kincaid emerged from his motel room he guessed it to be over eighty degrees. Von Karmenn heard Kincaid’s door and opened his own.

  “Going to be another scorcher, Pedro,” Kincaid remarked.

  “Yup,” Pete agreed. “With any luck at all though, we’ll be back in God’s country by sundown, and considerably cooler weather.”

  “Luck?” Harry grinned. “Is that you? Asking for more luck?”

  Pete chuckled. “Yeah. I guess I forgot about the double ration of it I got last night, huh?”

  “Just yankin’ your chain, Pete,” Kincaid said. “What say we locate us a place to scarf down a breakfast burrito? Sound good?”

  “You betcha, Amigo. I’m hungry enough to chow down on some road kill if we don’t get to an eatin’ place first.”

  Kincaid walked around to the back of the Honda and popped the trunk. Pete followed him with his bag and placed it inside. He stood by looking around the parking lot while Harry went back into his room to retrieve his gear. He emerged with the ice chest in one hand and his overnight bag in the other.

  They pulled out of the Fiesta Inn and back on to the highway heading north. Less than a mile up the road, Kincaid spied a diner that sat near the entryway to the industrial park that he had noted on his way south. There were a fair number of cars in the dusty gravel lot out front indicating the food was passable. Kincaid pulled in looking for some shade in which to park the Honda. Seeing none, he opted for a place close to the door.

  The two Americans pushed through the glass door ringing a bell that was attached to the handle on the other side. There was a counter full of Mexicans in a wide range of dress. Some appeared to be laborers, others perhaps mid-level businessmen. None of them seemed in a hurry and none of them seemed to take note of the two who had just entered. Kincaid always took it as a good sign when no one seemed to notice him. And that was certainly the case here. They stepped into the room and took a booth that overlooked the parking lot and the highway that was now bustling with what would pass for rush hour in Nogales, Mexico.

  After they were seated, they looked back towards the cash register and watched as a woman, assumed to be their waitress squeezed from behind the counter and came walking their way. She was a middle aged woman dressed in a colorful skirt that resembled a serape and a white cotton blouse. She was wearing a string of beads around her neck that looked like pieces of hard candy strung together.

  As she approached from a distance Kincaid remarked, “Damn, Pete. There’s enough fabric covering that woman to make sleeping bags for a whole ‘A Team.’”

  Pete broke into a laugh, “Kincaid, you do have a way with words.”

  “Buenos días, chicos,” she said. Good morning, guys. “What can I get you to eat?”

  “Hola, mi amor,” answered Kincaid. “Bring me your favorite breakfast,” he said. “And, plenty of it. We are two hungry boys.”

  “Yes,” Von Karmenn agreed. “I’ll have the same.”

  She smiled at Kincaid’s calling her ‘sweetheart,’ and said. “Si. Dos especialidades.” She turned and squeezed back behind the counter and into the kitchen.

  Von Karmenn appeared to sink into a pensive mood. Kincaid had noticed that he was a bit subdued when he first emerged from his room just before leaving the Fiesta Inn. Harry’s little stabs at humor were aimed at bucking Pete up, but their effects had been short lived. Harry watched Pete absentmindedly spinning a small bottle of hot sauce on the table with his fingers.

  “You look a million miles away, Pedro,” Kincaid remarked. “You still bothered by the broken firing pin from last night?”

  Pete returned from his reverie. “Naw, I’ve gotten past that,” he answered. He stared down at the table for a moment, then he looked up at Harry. “What the hell am I going to do about Carol?” he asked. He was speaking more to himself than his friend. He knew that Harry couldn’t answer for him.

  “I guess that all depends on what you want to do, Pete,” Kincaid said. “If you are certain that she had a little thing going on, you are going to have to decide whether or not you can get past it.”

  “We were high school sweethearts, Harry,” he said. “I would have never believed she’d cheat on me.”

  “How long have you been married?” Harry asked.

  “Almost eighteen years, now,” Pete said.

  “Have you ever suspected this sort of thing from her before?”

  “Never,” Pete said. “Never.” He once again was looking down at the table and playing with the hot sauce.

  “Let me ask you this question,” Harry said. He paused for a moment. “Have you ever cheated on her?”

  Pete looked up immediately, searching Harry’s eyes for some obscure purpose in the question. He was met simply with Harry’s curiosity. “Well?” Harry asked.

  Pete squirmed a bit in his seat. “Uh…”

  “Hey, look, Pete,” Harry said. “You don’t have to answer. I mean, hell, I know what it’s like for guys like you and me. We bounce all over the world… in and out of different places. And, yeah… a man’s got needs, right?”

  “Well, uh…, yeah, I suppose,” said Pete, now watching Harry. “I certainly never, you know, got attached to anyone else. I’ve always loved Carol. Just Carol.”

  “You know, Pete. I’m single because I need to be single,” Harry said. “I know how I am. Right now I’m involved with a real nice gal who works at the Department of Agriculture. Her name’s Penny and we have great times together.” Kincaid could see that Pete was listening carefully. “I’m pretty sure that Penny would marry me this afternoon if I asked her and could get there in time. But, like I said, I know me.”

  Von Karmenn nodded his head, following what Harry was saying.

  “It’s about trust, Harry. And… honor,” said Pete.

  “You’re absolutely right,” Harry agreed. “But it’s got to run both ways, doesn’t it? I know a whole lot of guys who seem to live by a double standard: ‘It’s okay for me; but it ain’t okay for her.’ You know them, too.”

  “Yeah. you’re right,” Pete agreed. “I just never thought Carol and I would be in this situation.”

  “And let’s not forget, Pete,” Harry said. “At this very moment, Carol still thinks you are dead.”

  “I know. That’s another problem,” Pete acknowledged.

  “Why don’t we take this one step at a time,” Harry suggested. “Let me give her a call. I’m not sure what would happen if you called her after almost two months with her thinking you’re dead.”

  Pete was nodding in agreement. “Makes sense.”

  “Let me get her prepared. Then you give her a call before we leave for Oklahoma,” Harry said. “You’ll be back tonight and can just take it one step at a time.”

  “Yeah,” Pete agreed. “Let’s do that.”

  “I’ll call her when we get out of here,” Harry said. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

  Harry and Pete looked up as their waitress approached carrying two very large plates. She set one down in front of each of them. There was a pile of food on each plate that was covered with salsa and cheese. It looked to be enough to feed everyone in the restaurant.

  The waitress gave the guys a big smile, one that displayed the front tooth that she was missing. She placed the check on the table, looked at Harry and said, “Enjoy, my love.”

  Kincaid took the check to the register and paid the bill as Pete walked outside. No one took any notice of the two men who appeared to by just two more Mexicans starting their day. They got back into the Honda. Harry backed out of the parking place and pulled over to one side of the lot allowing the air conditioning to cool the car. He took out his cell phone, pulled up Carol Von Karmenn’s number and initiated the call. Pete sat quietly listening.

  Harry acknowledged her answering with a nod of
his head and said, “Carol, it’s Harry Kincaid.”

  Pete could hear the garbled sound of his wife’s voice bleeding through Kincaid’s earpiece.

  “Yes,” Kincaid said. Then, “Uh, Carol, I have some news for you.” He paused a moment. “Are you sitting down?” Again a slight pause. “Pete is alive… Yes, Carol, I’m sure. Yes. It has definitely been confirmed…” Pete could hear the excitement coming from his wife through the phone. “I don’t know all the details, but you can expect to hear from Pete later today.” Harry looked over at Pete. It was clear that Pete was pleased with Carol’s reaction. “Yes, Carol… Yes, today… Okay… yes… okay. Carol, I need to run, now. Yes, I’m very happy for you, too… Okay, bye now.”

  Harry looked over at Pete. He noticed Pete’s eyes seemed a bit moist. Harry made a fist and gave Pete’s leg a light punch. “Everything will work out, Pete.”

  Pete nodded, not allowing his voice to betray his feelings. He just nodded.

  “Now,” Kincaid said, “let’s go find the Ax Man.”