by Debby Giusti
“Because I made a mistake years ago. I was only fifteen. It haunts me to this day, but I can’t let what happened hold me back or stop me from doing my job.”
“Whatever mistake you made had nothing to do with completing a mission. If I lost a man in a noncombat situation, there’s no way I could feel competent leading in combat.”
She shook her head and pursed her lips as she glared up at him. Lines of frustration twisted her face. “Pride.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You’ve got a problem with pride. You think you’re too good to make a mistake, and if anyone says you did do something that led to Taylor’s death then you could never forgive yourself, nor ask forgiveness from your commanders.”
“My superiors won’t be the problem. It’s the soldiers. How will I ask their forgiveness? The men have to have complete confidence in their commander’s ability.” He jammed his thumb back at his chest. “In my ability.”
“They know you’re human. You’re not giving them enough credit.”
Kelly handled situations after the fact. Easy enough to be a Saturday-morning quarterback, which is what her work involved. Someone messes up, and the CID was called in to investigate and point the blame. But she had never been the one who had to make a decision in combat that could cause loss of life.
As much as he was starting to like Kelly, her focus was completely the opposite of his. Plus, she was focused on her job and the answers she needed. Why would he even think that she would understand his side of the situation?
He pointed to the platoon headquarters. “Let’s get this done, and then we can discuss where we go next.”
“Where we go?” She stared up at him, and for a brief second, they both realized there was more in that one phrase than just the investigation.
As if on cue, they turned toward the small brick building where Stanley would be waiting for them, knowing full well that there were other issues between them that had started to surface.
Phil needed to detach himself from the feelings he had for Kelly and focus instead on the investigation. He didn’t need her support or her friendship, and yet those were the only things that made sense at the present moment.
The atmosphere in the platoon headquarters was heavy enough to cut with a bayonet. Lieutenant Bellows and squad leader Sergeant Gates had long faces and their eyes reflected the dark mood that Kelly sensed from Phil. The company commander had been brutally honest about what was on the line for him personally. She’d bet the lieutenant felt the same way.
No one had mentioned the ballistics test to Stanley who probably wondered why he had been summoned. Kelly planned to break the ice with the private with a few questions and then take him back verbally to the live fire and see what his memory revealed. She had a transcript of their original interview, which she would compare with what the soldier had to say today. Any deviation would be noted. Body language would play heavily into it.
Plus, her sixth sense, that innate ability to read people, would have a bearing, as well. Although she wouldn’t mention it to Phil. He wanted everything cut-and-dried and able to be seen and discerned on a very rational basis.
She pulled in a breath and nodded to the lieutenant and Staff Sergeant Gates. Both men stood as she and Phil entered the platoon leader’s office. Gates was a big, muscular guy who was as tall as the lieutenant but twice as broad.
“Ma’am, I’ve got Private Stanley in a side office,” Lieutenant Bellows said. “You’ll be able to talk to him there. He’s a good soldier who does a good job most days. I find it hard to believe that he—”
She held up her hand. To his credit, Bellows dropped the comment and nodded. “It’s your call, isn’t it, ma’am?”
“Exactly.” She glanced at Phil. “The captain and I will need complete privacy while we discuss the incident with Private Stanley.”
“Of course.”
“Who else knows what ballistics uncovered?”
“We’re the only two in the platoon, ma’am. The captain said to keep the information close-hold.”
She nodded. “Good.”
Kelly and Phil walked to the small room where Private Stanley sat at one side of a metal table. His hands were in his lap and his legs crossed at his ankles.
Seeing them enter, he leapt to his feet and saluted. “Sir. Ma’am.”
“At ease, Private.” Phil closed the door as Kelly chose a chair across from Stanley. Phil lowered himself into the seat to her right.
The soldier was young, probably nineteen or twenty, with a round face and big eyes that stared at Kelly from across the table. “Lieutenant Bellows said you wanted to talk to me, ma’am.”
“That’s right.” She placed a folder on the table and looked at Stanley for a long moment before she spoke. “You know I’m with the CID on post and am investigating Corporal Taylor’s death.”
Stanley nodded. “Yes, ma’am. You talked to me the night Rick died.”
“That’s correct.” Kelly opened the folder. “You were issued a weapon—an M-4 carbine—before the live-fire exercise.” Glancing at her notes, she read off the serial number. “Is that your weapon?”
“Yes, ma’am. But actually I checked it out of the arms room before we went to the field. Just like the other men did. That was four days before live fire.”
“Did you keep your weapon with you at all times, Private?”
He glanced up at the ceiling as if reflecting on all that had happened. “I can’t think of any time that it was out of my sight, ma’am.”
“And that would include throughout the training exercise?”
“If you mean live fire, then yes, ma’am. I kept my weapon on my person just as I’m supposed to do.”
“Did you put it down or leave it unattended at any time?” Kelly pressed.
Again, he paused. “Only when Corporal Ramsey stumbled.”
Kelly raised her brow ever so slightly and glanced at Phil. His expression never changed, but she noted the tension in his jaw as he scooted closer to the table.
“What happened to Corporal Ramsey?”
“I’m not sure, sir. It was getting dark. The ground was uneven in that area. Later, Ramsey told me he hadn’t gotten much sleep in the field.”
Phil’s hands fisted. “None of the men had, Stanley.”
“You’re right about that, sir. Not that I’m complaining. I learn a lot every time we go out to the field. The way I see it, sir, you’re helping me get ready for when I have to deploy.”
“Hopefully the unit will be stateside for a period of time.”
“But we need to be ready, sir.”
Kelly turned the questioning back to live fire. “When you helped Corporal Ramsey, what did you do with your rifle?”
“Ah—” The soldier hesitated. “I handed it off.”
“To whom?”
“Well, ma’am.” Stanley bit his lower lip. “I’ve been trying to think who it could have been. For the life of me, I can’t remember.”
Kelly glanced at the notes she’d taken the night of the incident. “You didn’t mention leaving your rifle the first time we talked.”
“No, ma’am.”
When the soldier didn’t provide a reason, Phil asked, “How long was the weapon out of your sight?”
The troop shrugged. “Not long, sir. Maybe a minute or so. Long enough for Ramsey to get his bearings. Then I hurried back to the old tree stump to retrieve the rifle.”
Phil raised his brow. “I thought you said you handed the M-4 to someone?”
“I did, sir. But I was next to the tree stump at the time. When I returned, my weapon was resting against the stump.”
Kelly folded her hands and leaned forward. “A lot was happening. The confusion of the battlefield could have thrown you off. Perhaps you thought you were passing off your M-4, when in reality you dropped the weapon.”
Stanley scratched his jaw. “That seems unlikely, ma’am.”
“Oh?” Kelly waited for an explanation.
“B
ecause I remember passing the gun into someone’s hands.”
“Whose hands?” Kelly pressed.
He squirmed in his chair. “I told you, ma’am. I can’t recall.”
Phil let out a frustrated breath. “What happened after you retrieved your rifle from the stump?”
“I kept advancing up the rise, sir, to get to the enemy.”
“Did you fire your rifle at that point?”
“Not then.”
“But you had fired it earlier?”
“Yes, sir. When we first climbed out of the Bradley, targets popped up in front of us. I took aim and fired.”
“Was Corporal Taylor in your line of fire at any time?”
Stanley’s face blanched. “No, sir.”
Kelly continued to stare at the young soldier. “Ballistics identified the weapon that fired the round that killed Corporal Taylor.”
Stanley didn’t flinch. “Yes, ma’am.”
“The bullet was shot from your weapon.”
His mouth dropped open for a long moment before he shook his head. “Does that mean you think I killed him, ma’am?”
“You tell me, Private.”
“I didn’t do it.” Sincerity filled his eyes. He turned to Phil. “Sir, the bullet may appear to have come from my gun, but I didn’t kill Taylor.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because once the weapon was back in my hands, I didn’t fire it again. Fact was the cease-fire was called pretty soon after that, and everything stopped, as you know.”
“Did you keep the rifle with you from then on?”
“Yes, sir. Until I turned it in back here in the company area.”
Kelly glanced at Phil and then closed the folder. “Thank you, Private. That’s all we need for now.”
Stanley stood as Phil and Kelly left the room and returned to Lieutenant Bellow’s office.
“Stanley says he gave his rifle to someone for a minute or so about the time Taylor was killed,” Phil explained to the platoon leader.
Bellows shook his head, his brow wrinkled with confusion. “But why would he pass off his weapon?”
“Supposedly Ramsey stumbled. He wanted to help.”
“How do the men react to Stanley?” Kelly asked.
“They think he’s a little out of touch with reality, but they like him, ma’am.”
“He goes the extra mile,” Phil mentioned.
Bellows nodded. “Yes, sir, and then some.”
“But,” Kelly added. “He still could have fired the fatal round. I’ve talked to felons who could convince you they were aboveboard on everything. Stanley seems like a good guy, but it could all be a bluff.” Kelly thought of her own dad.
“You’re right, ma’am, about some folks.” The lieutenant nodded. “But the men and I are with Stanley round the clock. No one has ever said that he wasn’t what he seemed.”
“Let’s talk to his squad leader,” Phil suggested. “Staff Sergeant Gates was here earlier when we first arrived.”
“I’ll get him, sir.”
As Bellows left his office, Kelly shook her head. “As much as I want to believe Stanley didn’t do it, the ballistics match confirms that his weapon fired the round.”
“Unless there really was a person who took the gun from him. Even a minute or so is long enough for someone to take aim and fire.”
Kelly narrowed her eyes contemplating the seriousness of Phil’s last statement. “If someone else fired the gun, we’d be dealing with premeditated manslaughter, or worse than that. We might we looking for a murderer.”
THIRTEEN
Phil and Kelly didn’t have to wait long before Bellows returned with Staff Sergeant Gates. The lieutenant invited Phil and Kelly to be seated as the squad leader stood at the side of Bellows’s desk.
Phil extended his hand toward Kelly. “Special Agent McQueen and I wanted to talk to you about the live-fire exercise, Sergeant, and what you recall concerning Private Stanley.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How did he seem prior to the cease-fire?”
Gates lowered his head as if thinking back to the mission. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, sir, but Private Stanley can be pretty high-strung. That day, he was even more on edge than usual, which was probably due to fatigue. He had pushed himself pretty hard out in the field.”
“All the men had pushed hard, Sergeant.”
Gates nodded. “Yes, sir. But Stanley isn’t like most of the other guys. He takes everything to heart. Wears it on his sleeve, as the saying goes.”
Phil waited for the staff sergeant to continue.
“Corporal Taylor had gotten on his case a couple times over the four days in the field. Evidently, Stanley had done a pretty slipshod job of setting up the latrine tent. Corporal Taylor came behind him and fixed the problem. Taylor could be pretty vocal if he thought someone was in the wrong. I happened to overhear him counseling Stanley.”
Gates shrugged. “Hard to believe Stanley would hold that against Taylor, but you never know when someone will snap.”
“Is Stanley one to hold a grudge?” Kelly asked.
“He’s new to the unit, ma’am. I’m not sure how he usually reacts. I can only tell you what I saw.”
“Did you see Corporal Ramsey stumble on the live-fire range as you were approaching the rise of the final hill?”
“Before the cease-fire was called?”
Kelly nodded. “That’s right.”
“Seems to me he lost his footing. A lot was going on. The noise of the live rounds reverberated all around us.”
“Did anyone help him up?”
Gates pursed his lips. “Stanley reached out his hand and pulled him back to his feet.”
“Did Private Stanley have his weapon at that time?” Phil asked.
“I couldn’t tell you, sir. He should have had the weapon on him. You talked to him. What did he say?”
“That he gave his weapon to someone.”
Gates rubbed his jaw. “Well, sir, it could have happened, but I didn’t see it.”
Phil nodded. “All right. We’ll want to talk to the other members of the squad.”
The sergeant nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll have them assemble in the courtyard behind this building.”
One by one, Phil and Kelly questioned the other men in private. No one had seen Stanley pass off his weapon. Nor had anyone seen him aim and fire inappropriately, although each soldier confessed that, with the strain of the exercise, their focus was on the job they had been tasked to do and not on Stanley.
Phil and Kelly left the platoon area and headed back to the company headquarters. Once they were in his office with the door closed, Phil sat on the edge of his desk. “You don’t think Stanley is guilty, do you, Kelly?”
“Guilty of manslaughter?” She shook her head and shrugged. “I’m not sure, Phil. I keep wondering if he’s trying to cover his tracks with that story about handing the gun to someone else.”
“If what he said did happen, then the person who had the gun more than likely fired the deadly round.”
Kelly nodded. “And then there’s only one conclusion to be drawn.”
“Someone wanted to take Private Taylor’s life.”
“Exactly.”
Phil’s gut tightened. “Which means we have to determine why someone would want Corporal Taylor dead.”
Before Kelly could respond, her phone rang again. “This is Special Agent McQueen.”
Chaplain Sanchez’s voice sounded in her ear. “I’m trying to get in touch with Phil.”
“We were tied up with an interrogation and just got back to his office.”
“Put me on speaker so you can both listen.”
“Will do.” Kelly changed the setting on her phone. She glanced at Phil. “It’s Sanchez.”
“Hey, Chaplain, how’s it going?”
Sanchez’s voice filled the office. “I’m at the funeral home waiting for Lola Taylor to arrive. She wants the service to be held Monday and needs to m
ake the arrangements for interment today. I told her I’d stop by so we could discuss the plans.”
“Where’s her mother-in-law?” Kelly asked. “Phil and I were at the farmhouse earlier today, and no one answered the door. I was worried Mildred may have taken a turn for the worse and needed medical care.”
“I don’t think that’s the case,” the chaplain answered. “I asked her if she wanted someone to sit with her mother-in-law while she was at the funeral home. She said a friend would stay with Mildred.”
Kelly felt a sense of relief. “So Millie’s all right?”
“Evidently.”
Phil glanced down at the phone. “I wasn’t able to give her the money collected from the men, Chaplain.”
“That’s why I called. Since she’s going to be at the funeral home for a while, I wondered if you could drive out here with the love offering. Knowing she had some extra cash on hand might bring her comfort. I expect her here in the next fifteen minutes or so.”
Phil glanced at Kelly, who nodded in agreement.
“If we leave now, we’ll get there about the same time.” Phil reached for his hat as Kelly disconnected.
She returned her cell to her purse and stood. “I’m not sure if this has bearing on the investigation, Phil, but I want to see Lola again. I’m still concerned about her mother-in-law.”
“I wonder if someone was in the house taking care of Mildred when we stopped by earlier.”
“Maybe. But if so, why didn’t the person answer the door?”
The first sergeant stood when Phil and Kelly left his office. “Sir, battalion headquarters sent over the roster of post personnel who attended the live-fire demonstration.” He held out a folder. “I included it with the names of the VIPs the protocol office invited. Here’s the entire list.”
“Perfect timing.” Phil took the file from the sergeant and then handed it to Kelly. “You look over the complete list while I drive.”
Once they were on their way, Kelly read through the names. “I’ve seen the list of dignitaries the protocol office invited but not the battalion add-ons.”
“I doubt you’ll find Kyle Foglio’s name.”
“You’re right. I don’t see him.”