“Yeah, he was the civilian. He takes care of the horses. I tried to look at them, but he yelled at me to get out. This place used to be a horse farm, I heard.” Charlie looked happy at the thought of horses, a lot happier than being forced to fistfight. I wondered if the Eastmans had any connections to the former horse farm, so near the graveyard.
“Okay, Charlie. Stay out of trouble, will you?”
“Sure thing, Captain. You too, Tree,” he said, grinning like a kid.
“Not the easiest thing, Charlie,” Tree said.
CHAPTER TWENTY — ONE
They were waiting for us at the bridge. Three British military police in their distinctive red caps. One waved me to the verge and approached.
“Are you Captain Boyle?” He was a sergeant, and should have added “sir” to that question. I didn’t press the point, since I wasn’t much for military courtesies myself, and the look on his face was the type a cop reserved for picking up a drunk and disorderly.
“Yes I am, Sergeant,” I said, dropping a subtle hint. “What can I do for you?”
“You can follow me, Captain. Someone wants to see you, and he’s not used to waiting, so he tells me.” He nodded to his MP pals, and one of them mounted a motorcycle, pulling out in front, while the other started up his jeep.
“Wait, Sergeant,” I said as he turned away. “I’ve got a hurt man here, I need to get him back to his unit.” I pointed my thumb at Tree, his face bandaged and swollen.
“Are you bleeding to death then, soldier?” the MP asked.
“I’m fine,” Tree said.
“Let’s get this sorted first, and then the captain can take you wherever he needs to. Follow the motorcycle. We’ll follow in the jeep.”
“Sergeant, what’s this all about?” I asked. “Where are we going?”
“Hungerford police station, where all will be answered.”
They kept close, the motorcycle proceeding at a stately pace, the jeep riding our rear bumper. I could have broken free at a turn if I’d been inclined, but something about the sergeant’s attitude told me not to show off.
“Can you hang on?” I asked Tree.
“I’m okay,” he said. “Any idea why they’re after you?”
“Hey, this is an escort, a sign of respect.”
“Hell, Billy, looks like you pulled me out of the frying pan and now you got an escort to your own fire,” Tree said, his laugh turning into a wince.
“Just like old times,” I said.
“Except this time the cops are wearing brown. Looks like neither of us has learned very much.” We slowed and pulled in behind the motorcycle as it parked in front of the police station.
“You mean you went into that fight willingly?” I asked.
“I didn’t run,” Tree said. “Decided I was sick of running when I was down South. It was the same on every damn base, every damn cracker town. Walk in the gutter, eyes down. Yessah, nosah, boss. Can’t do it anymore, Billy. That’s why I want to fight. This TD unit is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I want Angry along for the ride.”
“Let’s go, Captain,” the MP said.
“As long as I walk out of here, Tree, I’ll do my best,” I said in a low voice. The MP sergeant looked like he wanted to prod me with his billy club, so I got out. Tree followed, and no one barred the way. I figured if he didn’t have enough sense to stay out of a police station, that was his business.
Constable Cook stood in the hallway, arms folded and a frown on his face. “Glad they found you, Captain Boyle. Now get this over with so I can be rid of that windbag and back in my office!”
“Windbag? I think I know who you mean,” I said.
Cook squinted at the figure following me. “Tree, is that you under those bandages? What happened?”
“A fight,” Tree said. “I’m fine.”
“Wait here,” I said, making for the closed door.
“Nope,” Tree said. “You came to my rescue, least I can do is explain where you been.”
“This is none of your business, lad,” Cook said. “Best leave it alone, is my advice.”
“No, I need Billy to help Angry. I’ll do what I can.”
I didn’t think there was much Tree could do, but I understood the value of a diversion, so I opened the door and let him follow me in.
“Boyle! About time!” As I’d suspected, the windbag was Major Charles Cosgrove. He was seated at Cook’s desk, not wearing his usual uniform, but dressed in a tweed suit, the vest’s buttons straining to keep his belly from bursting out. Inspector Payne sat across from him, a glazed look in his eyes. I felt sorry for the man; he must have had his fill of Cosgrove by now.
“The MPs were a bit drastic, Major,” I said.
“They were obviously necessary,” Cosgrove said, slapping a file closed on Cook’s desk as he took notice of Tree. “Who is this soldier and why is he here?”
“Billy … I mean, Captain Boyle got me out of a jam, sir,” Tree said. “He got a medic to patch me up and was taking me back to my unit. I guess that’s why you couldn’t find him. I wanted to explain, so he wouldn’t be in hot water.”
“Sergeant Eugene Jackson?” Cosgrove opened the file and pulled out a photograph. “Bit hard to tell with the bandages and that swollen eye, but I’d say you’re the fellow they call Tree. Am I right?”
“Why am I in that file?” Tree asked. “Who are you anyway?”
“Is that a state secret today, Major?” I said, interrupting before Tree got himself in too deep.
“Major Charles Cosgrove,” he said, introducing himself. “In mufti today so as not to draw undue attention to the flogging of Captain Boyle. Sergeant Jackson, please be so good as to wait outside with Constable Cook.”
“Okay, Major Cosgrove,” Tree said and shot me a wink on his way out. I knew he wanted to repay me for getting him out of that rigged fight, but he didn’t know enough about Cosgrove to understand how dangerous he was. He’d made the same mistake years ago with Basher, and Cosgrove made Basher look like an amateur. I heard the door shut, and waited until Tree’s footsteps faded away. He had enough problems without the gatekeeper for the British Empire on his back.
“Okay, Major,” I said as I took a seat. “What’s this all about?”
“It is about, Captain Boyle, your disobedience and willful misconduct in this investigation. What do you have to say for yourself?”
I glanced at Inspector Payne, who lifted his hands from his lap, palms up, signaling that he was lost as well. I didn’t like the legalistic sound of those words, and I was sure they were mentioned somewhere in the Articles of War. Probably in the same paragraph as courts martial and hard labor. I went through the possibilities of what I might have done and came up empty. Then I recalled something about checking in with Cosgrove. Every day, was it? At least it gave me something to apologize for.
“I’m sorry, Major. I was supposed to call you, right? I know Kaz did, but I forgot last night, I know.”
“Yes, you were supposed to check in each day, which you have yet to do. Consider yourself fortunate that I have my own means of following your progress, or lack of it. I’m sure you were too busy dining with your friends to place a simple telephone call.”
“Major, my progress has led me to nearly being drowned. Someone clobbered me and pushed me into the canal. That means we’re close to the killer.”
“I am glad you survived, Boyle. But I am not concerned about your lack of communication. It is your disobedience of a direct order I am here to discuss. Do you recall that I told you the Millers were not under suspicion, and that other than an initial interview, neither you nor Inspector Payne were to further involve them in this investigation? Is that not correct, Captain Boyle?”
“You said that, Major, but you weren’t on the scene. Neville was killed on their basement stairs. I couldn’t ignore that.” I figured that was all I needed to say on the subject.
“No, Captain Boyle, it is you who cannot ignore me, or the orders I give you,” Cosgrove said, his voice grim. “I have already instructed you once on this matter, but perhaps being an American you need more precise orders, not open to your own interpretation. The Millers are not suspect,” he went on, pointing his finger in my direction. “Period. Do you understand?”