“You went to your commonwealth attorney, told him you had a feeling about this case, and said you wanted to talk to Admiral Sherman. The CA told you to be very damn careful about pulling in a flag officer when you didn’t have any sort of case. Said he didn’t want any federal heat about harassment, or to listen to legions of federal lawyers raising hell because something got loose in the press.”
“His very words, sir,” Mcnair said admitingly.
Carpenter nodded. “Detective, we appreciate your discretion, and of course we’ll be happy to cooperate. I’ll speak to Admiral Sherman right away, and I’m sure we can work something out-as long as you can assure both of us when we meet that he is not suspected of any crimes. I will be present for this meeting, and I’ll want the right to shut it off if I think it’s going astray, all right?”
“Yes, sir,” Mcnair said. “I have no problems with that.”
“I’ll have my aide get back to you this afternoon, Detective.,., Mccarty remained behind after the aide shut the door.
“I’m amazed,” Carpenter said. “That they would be so discreet?”
Yes. I mean, admiral or no admiral, we’re all citizens first. If there’s been a homicide out there in civvy street, they’d have every right to go see him, or ask him to come down and see them.”
“Well, he did say that they’re not sure they even have a homicide.”
“I guess I’m glad. Our-friendly hometown newspaper would love a little morsel like this. Okay, Dan, call this guy Sherman and have him come up and see me this afternoon.
And get me his bio.”
“Would you like me to handle this one, Admiral? Or maybe the Deputy?
Keep you at arm’s length and all that?” Carpenter thought about that for a moment. “We might do that eventually. But let me see his bio first, see if -I know this guy Sherman.”
At 5:30 that afternoon, Captain Mccarty brought Carpenter a manila folder. “This is the bio on Admiral Sherman,” he said. “The picture was taken when he was a captain, but he doesn’t look much different.”
“That’ll change,” Carpenter observed as he opened the file.
“He’s waiting out front, Admiral. If you’ll buzz me when you’re ready…”
“Just give me a minute to look at this and then you can bring him in.”
While Mccarty waited, Carpenter looked at the photo for a minute before scanning the career biography. The photo was that of a very young-looking officer with the sharp eyes and the taut-skinned face of an athlete. The face was composed in an expression of watchful authority that bespoke command at sea. He wore five rows of awards and decorations, which indicated he had wartime service in Vietnam.
The insignia worn over the ribbons indicated a surfacewarfare specialist.
He scanned the bio page. Naval Academy, class of ‘66.
First ship was a destroyer in San Diego. Then a year and a bit in the gunboat Navy, down in the Mekong Delta. Fun times, that must have been.
Then department-head school in Newport, a second tour in another destroyer in San Diego.
Then graduate school up at Monterey. Exec in yet another destroyer, then off to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington. “Ah,” he said out loud. “The Bureau. He was a detailer.” Both of them knew that being a personnel assignment officer was one of the surer routes to the flag selection boardroom. After seeing the Bureau of Naval Personnel item, Carpenter barely scanned the rest of Sherman’s record.’ “Okay,” he said.
“Professionally good enough to get that first job as a detailer, and politically good enough to get another one. I wonder who his patron saint was.”
“He was executive assistant to Admiral Galen Schmidt,” Mccarty said.
“Just before Admiral Schmidt’s ticker trouble forced him to retire.”
Carpenter nodded. “Schmidt would have made a great CNO,” he said. “And young Sherman would not be coming to see me if Schmidt were the CNO today. Okay, he’s something of a pretty boy, and I distrust pretty boys.
Jealousy, I suppose. Bring him in, please.”
Mccarty smiled and left the room, returning a few seconds later with the officer in the picture.
“Sorry about the delay, Admiral,” Carpenter said in a formal tone. “The Deputy Secnav called precisely at seventeen-thirty.” It was a small lie, but he expected Sherman to be adept enough to swallow it.
“No problem, Admiral,” Sherman replied.
“Thank you, Dan,” Carpenter said to his executive assistant, who nodded and left the room. “Admiral Sherman, it’s a pleasure to see you again, especially as a flag officer.
Congratulations” Carpenter smiled as he said it, but he watched to see if the younger officer understood that the JAG was reminding him who was the senior officer in the room.
“Thank you, sir,” Sherman replied. “Even after a year, I’m still getting used to it.”
“I’ll bet you are. Please sit down.”
When Sherman had taken one of the chairs in front of the desk, Carpenter walked him through the morning’s visit from the police.
“I’m sure Dan told you that this concerns the Fairfax County Police. I had a visit today from a homicide detective.
They are investigating an apparent accident that involved a woman having a fall in her town house in Reston.”
“In Reston?” Sherman asked quickly.
Carpenter saw a look of alarm cross Sherman’s face. He leaned forward before Sherman could say anything.
“The woman died of her injuries. An Elizabeth Walsh.”
He stopped when he saw the alarm in Sherman’s face change to shock. “You didn’t know about this? Was she someone close?”
The color was draining out of Sherman’s face. He appeared to struggle for words.
“I-yes. I didn’t know anything had happened,” he stammered. “I-we-we used to date. I’ve known her for three years or so. When did this happen?”
Admiral Carpenter suddenly felt as if he had been caught off base.
Automatically, he looked around for his executive assistant, then shook his head. “This apparently happened three days ago. Friday night. The homicide cop showed up here this morning. They’re investigating her death. I guess because she died by misadventure-you know, as opposed to dying in a hospital with a doctor present. I think the cops are called anytime there’s an unexplained death,”
“But what-“
Carpenter felt genuinely embarrassed now. He should have thought of this-that no one had told this guy. McCarty should have checked. “He said that there was no direct evidence of foul play. But they pulled the usual strings, and they found out that she had a life-insurance policy, a pretty big one. And apparently you’re the beneficiary.”
“Me? Life insurance? Elizabeth?” Sherman was shaking his head. “So I’m a suspect of some kind? In-a murder case?”
“No, no, no,” Carpenter said waving his hand. “That’s why they came to see me first. There is no murder case.
There’s apparently no evidence, of foul play. I think they just want to talk to you.” Sherman was obviously in a state of emotional shock.
“Look, you-want a glass of water or something? Coffee? A drink maybe?” Sherman was still shaking his head, his eyes unfocused.
“No thank you, sir. I saw her-what, three weeks ago. I can’t believe this.”
“Yes. Damn. I am very sorry. I just assumed … well, I don’t know what I was thinking. But back to the cops. You know how they are-they go with what they’ve got. They have to investigate. You’re apparently the only human tied in some fashion, however indirect, to her death, so they want to talk to you. “
“But what-“
Carpenter interrupted him again. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I think they’re just running down their standard procedure checklist. And the guy who came to see me said they disagreed among themselves if it even was a homicide.”