their way. But I don’t think the timing works for them. Let’s say
Garber called XII Corps in Germany at twelve fifteen, earliest.
Then let’s say XII Corps called the hotel back here in the States
at twelve thirty, earliest. Green Valley is seventy minutes from
D.C. and Mrs Kramer died at two o’clock. That would have
given them a twenty-minute margin to react, maximum. They
were just in from the airport, so they didn’t have a car with
them, and it would have taken time to get hold of one. And they
certainly didn’t have a crowbar with them. Nobody travels with
a crowbar in their luggage, just in case. And I doubt if the
Home Depot was open, after midnight on New Year’s Eve.’
‘So someone else is out there looking?’
‘We need to find that agenda,’ I said. ‘We need to nail this
thing down.’
I sent Summer away to do three things: first, list all female
personnel at Fort Bird with access to their own Humvees, and
second, list any of them who might have met Kramer at Fort
Irwin in California, and third, contact the Jefferson Hotel in
D.C. and get Vassell and Coomer’s exact check-in and checkout
times, plus details of all their incoming and outgoing phone
calls. I went back to my office and filed the note from Garber
and spread the note from my brother on the blotter and dialled
the number. He picked up on the first ring.
‘Hey, Joe,’ I said.
‘Jack?’
‘What?’
‘I got a call.’
‘Who from?’
‘Mom’s doctor,’ he said.
‘About what?’
‘She’s dying.’
75
FIVE
HUNG liP WITH JOE AND CAI.LED GARBER .” OFFICE. HE WASN’T IN.
So I left a message detailing my travel plans and saying I
would be out for seventy-two hours. I didn’t give a reason.
Then I hung up again and sat at my desk, numb. Five minutes
later Summer came in. She had a sheaf of motor pool paper with
her. I guess she planned on compiling her Humvee list there
and then, right in front of me.
‘I have to go to Paris,’ I said.
‘Paris, Texas?’ she said. ‘Or Paris, Kentucky, or Paris,
Tennessee?’
‘Paris, France,’! said.
‘Why?’
‘My mother is sick.’
‘Your mother lives in France?’
‘Paris,’ I said.
‘Why?’
‘Because she’s French.’
‘Is it serious?’
‘Being French?’
‘No, whatever she’s sick with.’
I shrugged. ‘I don’t really know. But I think so.’
‘I’m very sorry.’
‘I need a car,’ I said. ‘I need to get to Dulles, right now.’
Tll drive you,’ she said. ‘I like driving.’
She left the paperwork on my desk and went to retrieve the
Chevrolet we had used before. I went to my quarters and packed
an army duffel with one of everything from my closet. Then I put
on my long coat. It was cold, and I didn’t expect Europe was
going to be any warmer. Not in early January. Summer brought
the car to my door. She kept it at thirty until we were off
post. Then she lit it up like a rocket and headed north. She was
quiet for a spell. She was thinking. Her eyelids were moving.
‘We should tell the Green Valley cops,’ she said. ‘If we think
Mrs Kramer was killed because of the briefcase.’
I shook my head. ‘Telling them won’t bring her back. And if
she was killed because of the briefcase we’ll find whoever did it
from our end.’
‘What do you want me to do while you’re gone?’
‘Work the lists,’ I said. ‘Check the gate log. Find the woman,
find the briefcase, put the agenda in a very safe place. Then
check on who Vassell and Coomer called from the hotel. Maybe
they sent an errand boy out into the night.’
‘You think that’s possible?’
‘Anything’s possible.’
‘But they didn’t know where Kramer was.’
‘That’s why they tried the wrong place.’
‘Who would they have sent?’
‘Bound to be someone who has their interests close to his
heart.’
‘OK,’ she said.
‘And find out who was driving them just now.’
‘OK,’ she said.
We didn’t speak again, all the way to Dulles.
I met my brother Joe in the line at the Air France ticket desk.