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n Field； and the forensic people are still at the scene。 Here are Captain Campbell's medical and personnel files。 The dental file is with the coroner； who also wants her medical file； so I need it back。〃
〃Photocopy it；〃 I suggested。 〃You have my authorization。〃
We were almost at it again； but Ms。 Sunhill； ever the peacemaker； interjected； 〃I'll copy the fucking file。〃
This sort of stopped the fun； and we got back to business。 Kent showed us into an interrogation room…now called the interview room in newspeak…and asked us； 〃Who do you want to see first？〃
〃Sergeant St。 John；〃 I replied。 Rank has its privileges。
Sergeant Harold St。 John was shown into the room； and I indicated a chair across a small table at which Cynthia and I sat。 I said to St。 John； 〃This is Ms。 Sunhill and I am Mr。 Brenner。〃
He glanced at my name tag； which said White； and my stripes； which said staff sergeant； and he didn't get it at first； then he got it and said； 〃Oh 。。。 CID。〃
〃Whatever。〃 I continued； 〃You are not a suspect in the case that we are investigating； so I will not read you your rights under Article 31 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice。 You are therefore under orders to answer my questions fully and truthfully。 Of course； your voluntary cooperation would be preferable to a direct order。 If； during the course of this interview； you say something that I or Ms。 Sunhill believes would make you a suspect； we will read you your rights； and you have the right to remain silent at that point。〃 Not fucking likely； Harry。 〃Do you understand？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Good。〃 We chatted about nothing important for five minutes while I sized him up。 St。 John was a balding man of about fifty…five； with a brownish plexion that I thought could be explained by caffeine； nicotine； and bourbon。 His life and career in the motor pool had probably predisposed him to look at the world as a continuing maintenance problem whose solution lay somewhere in the Maintenance Handbook。 It may not have occurred to him that some people needed more than an oil change and a tune…up to get them right。
Cynthia was jotting a few notes as St。 John and I spoke； and in the middle of my small talk； he blurted out； 〃Look； sir； I know I was the last person to see her alive； and I know that means something； but if I killed her； I wasn't going to go report I found her dead。 Right？〃
Sounded reasonable； except for the verb tenses and syntax。 I said to him； 〃The last person to see her alive was the person who murdered her。 The person who murdered her was also the first person to see her dead。 You were the second person to see her dead。 Right？〃
〃Yeah 。。。 yes； sir 。。。 What I meant…〃
〃Sergeant； if you would be good enough not to think ahead of the questions； I would really like that。 Okay？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
Ms。 passion said； 〃Sergeant； I know this has been very trying for you； and what you discovered must have been fairly traumatic； even for a veteran…have you been in a theater of war？〃
〃Yes； ma'am。 'Nam。 Saw lots of dead； but never nothing like that。〃
〃Yes； so when you discovered the body； you couldn't believe what you were seeing。 Correct？〃
He nodded enthusiastically。 〃I couldn't； you know； believe my eyes。 I didn't even think it was her。 You know； I didn't recognize her at first； because 。。。 I never 。。。 never saw her that way 。。。 Jesus Christ； I never saw anybody that way。 You know； there was a good moon last night； and I see the humvee； and I get out of my car； and off a ways I see 。。。 you know…this thing lying there on the rifle range； and I get a little closer and a little closer； and then I know what it is and go right up to her and see if she's dead or alive。〃
〃Did you kneel beside the body？〃
〃Hell； no； ma'am。 I just beat feet the hell out of there； got into my car； and tore ass right over to the provost marshal。〃
〃Are you certain she was dead？〃
〃I know dead when I see dead。〃
〃You'd left headquarters at what time？〃
〃About 0400 hours。〃
〃What time did you find the body？〃 Cynthia asked。
〃Well； must have been about twenty； thirty minutes later。〃
〃And you stopped at the other guard posts？〃
〃Some of them。 Nobody saw her e by。 Then I get to thinking she headed off toward the last post first。 So I skipped some posts and went right out there。〃
〃Did you ever think she was malingering somewhere？〃
〃No。〃
〃Think again； Sergeant。〃
〃Well 。。。 she wasn't the type。 But maybe I thought about it。 I do remember thinking she could have got lost out on the reservation。 That ain't hard to do at night。〃
〃Did you think she could have had an accident？〃
〃I thought about it； ma'am。〃
〃So when you found her； you weren't actually taken by plete surprise？
〃Maybe not。〃 He fished around for his cigarettes and asked me； 〃Okay to smoke？〃
〃Sure。 Don't exhale。〃
He smiled and lit up； puffed away； and apologized to Ms。 Sunhill for fouling the air。 Maybe what I don't miss about the old Army is twenty…five…cent…a…pack cigarettes； and the blue haze that hung over everything except the ammo dumps and fuel storage areas。
I let him get his fix； then asked； 〃Did the word 'rape' ever cross your mind as you were driving around looking for her？〃
He nodded。
〃I didn't know her；〃 I said。 〃Was she good…looking？〃
He glanced at Cynthia； then looked at me。 〃Real good…looking。〃
〃What we call rape bait？〃
He didn't want to touch that one； but he replied； 〃She never flaunted it。 Real cool customer。 If a guy had anything on his mind； he'd get it out of there real quick。 Everything I heard about her said she was a fine woman。 General's daughter。〃
Harry was going to learn otherwise in the ing days and weeks； but it was interesting that the conventional wisdom seemed to be that Ann Campbell was a lady。
St。 John added gratuitously； 〃Some of these women； like the nurses； you know； they should be a little more 。。。 you know？〃
I could actually feel Cynthia heating up beside me。 If I had any real balls； I would have told him that the CID women were worse。 But I survived 'Nam； and I wasn't going to push my luck。 Back to business。 I asked； 〃After you discovered the body； why didn't you go on to the next guard post； where PFC Robbins was； and use her telephone？〃
〃Never thought to do that。〃
〃And never thought to post Robbins at the scene of the crime？〃
〃No； sir。 I was really shook。〃
〃What made you go out and look for Captain Campbell in the first place？〃
〃She was gone a long time； and I didn't know where she was at。〃
She was supposed to be behind the preposition； but I let that slide and asked； 〃Do you make it a habit to check up on superior officers？〃
〃No； sir。 But I had the feeling something was wrong。〃
Ah…ha。 〃Why？〃
〃Well 。。。 she was 。。。 kind of 。。。 like jumpy all night 。。。〃
Cynthia's turn。 〃Will you describe her behavior for me？〃
〃Yeah 。。。 well； like I said…jumpy。 Kind of like out of it。 Worried； maybe。〃
〃Did you know her prior to that night？〃
〃Yeah 。。。 not real well。 But like everybody knew her。 General's daughter。 She did that recruiting mercial on TV。〃
I asked him； 〃Did you ever speak to her before that night？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃Did you ever see her on post？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
'Off post？〃
〃N