Puller had been cleared to speak to the vice chair. She was Army, a one-star brigadier general named Julie Carson and also Matt Reynolds’s direct superior.
Before they entered the woman’s office Puller asked Bolling, “What’s the book on Carson?”
“You’ll have to find out for yourself. I’ve never met the woman.”
A few moments later Puller was seated across from General Carson in her office. Bolling sat in the opposite chair. She was tall, trim, and taciturn. Her blonde hair was cut short and she was outfitted in her dress blues.
“We probably could have done this over the phone,” began Carson. “I don’t have much to tell you.”
“I prefer the face-to-face,” replied Puller.
She shrugged. “You CID guys must have more free time than the rest of us.” She glanced at Bolling. “I’m sure you’re thrilled to be babysitting this guy.”
Bolling shrugged. “I go where they tell me, ma’am.”
Puller said, “Field grade officer? Murdered. Guy was in charge of J23. Oversaw prep of the briefing book for the J2 and then up the line to the Chairman? Minute the guy was identified as DIA a barrage of memos went up the line to you, ma’am, the J2, the Director of DIA, and on up. Even the SecArm is interested.”
She leaned forward. “And your point?”
Puller leaned forward too. “Your casual attitude puzzles me, quite frankly.”
“My attitude is not casual. It’s just that I don’t think I have any information that will be helpful to the investigation.”
“Well, let me see if I can change that opinion. What can you tell me about Colonel Reynolds?”
“Our career paths crossed from time to time. We were rank equals until the last few years when I started to hit the fast track. It was ironic that I ended up with the star and he didn’t. But he wanted to get out and I wanted the star. He was a good man and a good soldier.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Friday before he was found murdered. He was leaving early to go to West Virginia. We had a meeting about a matter he was working on, and then he left. In fact, we met in the conference room across the hall.”
“Did he seem disturbed or anxious about anything?”
“No, he seemed perfectly fine.”
“You say you two had served together at other places?”
“Yes. Fort Benning, for example.”
“Know it well.”
“I know you do. I checked your record. And how’s your father doing?”
“Fine.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
Puller said nothing. He glanced at Bolling. The man did not seem to know what they were talking about.
Obviously sensing that Puller was not going to react to this, Carson changed subjects. “How did a soldier with your combat record and leadership qualities end up at CID?”
“Why not?”
“Best and the brightest are meant for higher things, Puller. They’re meant for command.”
“Do the best and the brightest sometimes commit crimes?”
She looked puzzled but said, “I guess.”
“Then how are we supposed to catch them if the CID doesn’t have some of the best and brightest too?”
“It’s not a joke, Puller. If you’d gone the West Point route one day you could be sitting here with a star on your shoulder and more to come.”
“Stars get to be real heavy, ma’am. I like to stay light on my feet.”
Her lips pursed. “Maybe you aren’t cut out for command. Too much of a joker.”
“Maybe,” said Puller. “But this meeting isn’t about my career shortcomings, and I don’t want to take up more of your time than is absolutely necessary. As you said, you’re busy. What else can you tell me about Reynolds?”
“He was very good at his job. He kept the folks in J23 working like a well-oiled machine. The briefings were strong and the analysis underlying them was spot-on. He was retiring and going into the private sector, which was a loss for the country. He was not involved in anything at DIA that could have led to his murder in West Virginia. That about cover it for you?”
“If he was helping to put the briefings together he was privy to some highly classified and potentially valuable information.”
“We have a lot of people here who qualify for that distinction. We’ve never had any problems in this office regarding personnel. I don’t think Reynolds would be the first.”
“Money problems? Personal problems? Any motivation to sell out to an enemy?”
“It’s not easy to do, Puller. My people are looked at six ways from Sunday. Reynolds had no financial problems. He was as patriotic as they come. He was happily married. His kids were normal and well adjusted. He was a deacon in his church. He was looking forward to retirement and carving out a new career in the private sector. There’s nothing there.”
Puller looked at Bolling. “You guys have any occasion to look at Reynolds for any reason?”
Bolling shook his head. “Checked before I came over here today. Guy was spick-and-span clean. No basis for any blackmail, stuff like that.”
Puller turned back to Carson. “So you knew he was going out to West Virginia?”
“Yes. He told me. His wife’s parents were ailing. He commuted on the weekends. It never interfered with his work so I had no problem with it.”
“He ever talk to you about anything unusual going on out there?”
“He never talked to me about West Virginia, period. It was a personal family matter and I never asked. None of my business.”
“Well, someone murdered him and his family out there.”
“Yes, they did. And it’s your job to find them.”
“Which is what I’m trying to do.”
“Okay, but I think the answer lies in West Virginia, not in the Pentagon.”
“Did you know his wife?”
Carson glanced at her watch and then at the phone. “I have a conference call coming up shortly. And the J2 is out of the country so I’ll be presenting the briefing to the Chairman tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll try to make it snappy,” said Puller, but he looked at her expectantly.
“I knew Stacey Reynolds only through Matt. I saw her at the occasional function. We were friends, but not close friends. That’s all.”
“And Colonel Reynolds never mentioned that something unusual was going on in West Virginia?”
“I thought I already answered that.”
Puller sat patiently looking at her.
“No, he didn’t,” she said, and Puller wrote this down in his notebook.
“When I was assigned this case I was told that it was unusual. I assumed it was unusual because it involved the murder of a DIA field grade officer who had access to highly classified intelligence.”
“Thankfully, murders of such people don’t happen often, so that I guess it would qualify as unusual. ”
“No, I think the term was in reference to the fact that we were going light on assets with this investigation. And if Reynolds was not doing anything of importance for DIA and you don’t think his murder had anything to do with his assignment to DIA, why would it have been described to me as unusual? Then it just becomes another homicide.”
“Since I wasn’t the one who described it that way to you, I have no way of answering that question.” She glanced at her watch again.
“Anything else you can think of that might help my investigation?”
“I can’t think of a one.”
“I’ll need to interview Reynolds’s coworkers.”
“Look, Puller, do we really need to go there? I’ve told you all there is to tell. My people are very busy trying to keep this country safe. The last thing they need is to be distracted by something like this, which has nothing to do with them.”
Puller sat up straighter and closed his notebook. “Your friend and colleague was murdered, General Carson. I’ve been assigned to find out who did it. I intend on accomplishing that mission. I’ll need to talk to his coworkers. I’ll do it efficiently and professionally, but I am going to do it. Right now.”