‘No one should have ever said such a thing to you,’ I replied with feeling. ‘You are a lovely person, Jennifer, and we are very fortunate to have you here.’
‘Thank you,’ she said quietly, eyes cast down.
I got up. ‘I think you should go home for the rest of the day and have a nice long weekend. How about it?’
She continued looking down at the floor. ‘I think I saw him,’ she said, biting her bottom lip.
‘Who did you see?’
‘I saw that man.’ She glanced at my eyes. ‘When I saw the pictures on TV, I couldn’t believe it. I keep thinking if only I had told somebody.’
‘Where is it you think you saw him?’
‘Rumors.’
‘The bar?’ I asked.
She nodded.
‘When was this?’
‘Tuesday.’
I looked closely at her. “This past Tuesday? The day after Christmas?’
That night Gault had been in New York. I had seen him in the subway tunnel, or at least I thought I had.
‘Yes, ma’am,’ Jennifer said. ‘I guess it was about ten. I was dancing with Tommy.’
I did not know who Tommy was.
‘I seen him hanging back from everyone. I couldn’t help but notice because of his white hair. I’m not used to seeing anybody his age with hair that white. He was in a real cool black suit with a black T-shirt under it. I remember that. I figured he was from out of town. Maybe from a big place like Los Angeles or something.’
‘Did he dance with anyone?’
‘Yes, ma’am, he danced with a girl or two. You know, he’d buy them a drink. Then next thing I know he was gone.’
‘Did he leave alone?’
‘It looked to me like one girl went with him.’
‘Do you know who?’ I asked with dread. I hoped the woman, whoever she was, had lived.
‘It wasn’t anybody I knew,’ Jennifer said. ‘I just remember he was dancing with this one girl. He must’ve danced with her three times and then they walked off the floor together, holding hands.’
‘Describe her,’ I said.
‘She was black. She was real pretty in this little red dress. It was low cut and kind of short. I remember she had bright red lipstick and all these little braids with little lights winking in them.’ She paused.
‘And you’re certain they left the club together?’ I asked.
‘As far as I could tell. I never saw either one of them again that night, and me and Tommy stayed till two.’
I said to her, ‘I want you to call Captain Marino and tell him what you just told me.’
Jennifer got out of the chair and felt important. ‘I’ll get started right this minute.’
I returned to my office as Rose was walking through the door.
‘You need to call Dr. Gruber,’ she said.
I dialed the number for the Quartermaster Museum, and he had stepped out. He called me back two hours later.
‘Is the snow bad in Petersburg?’ I asked him.
‘Oh, it’s just wet and messy.’
‘How are things?’
‘I’ve got something for you,’ Dr. Gruber said. ‘I feel real bad about it.’
I waited. When he offered nothing more, I said, ‘What do you feel bad about, exactly?’
‘I went into the computer and ran the name you wanted. I shouldn’t have.’ He got quiet again.
‘Dr. Gruber, I’m dealing with a serial killer.’
‘He was never in the army.’
‘You mean his father wasn’t,’ I said, disappointed.
‘Neither of them was,’ Dr. Gruber said. ‘Not Temple or Peyton Gault.’
‘Oh,’ I said. ‘So the boots probably came from a surplus store.’
‘Might have, but he may have an uncle.’
‘Who has an uncle?’
‘Temple Gault. That’s what I’m wondering. There’s a Gault in the computer, only his name is Luther. Luther Gault. He served in the Quartermaster Corps during World War Two.’ He paused. ‘In fact, he was right here at Ft. Lee a lot of the time.’
I had never heard of Luther Gault.
‘Is he still alive?’ I asked.
‘He died in Seattle about five years ago,’
‘What makes you suspicious this man might be Temple Gault’s uncle?’ I asked. ‘Seattle’s on the other side of the country from Georgia, which is where the Gaults are from.’