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ed； at her request； to the Military Intelligence Officer Course at Fort Huachuca； Arizona。 From there； she went to graduate school at Georgetown and received her master's in psychology。 Her next step was to apply for what we call a functional area； which in this case was psychological operations。 She pleted the required course at the John F。 Kennedy Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg； then joined the 4th Psychological Operations Group； also at Bragg。 From there； she went to Germany； then back to Bragg。 Then the Gulf； the Pentagon； and finally Fort Hadley。
Her officer efficiency reports； at first glance； looked exceptional； but I didn't expect otherwise。 I found her Army test battery of scores and noted that her IQ put her into the genius category； the top two percent of the general population。 My professional experience has been that an inordinate number of two…percenters wind up on my desk as suspects； usually in homicide cases。 Geniuses don't seem to have much tolerance for people who annoy them； or hinder them； and they tend to think they are not subject to the same rules of behavior as the mass of humanity。 They are often unhappy and impatient people； and they can also be sociopaths； and sometimes psychopaths who see themselves as judge and jury and； now and then； as executioner； which is when they e to my attention。
But here I had not a suspect； but a victim who was a two…percenter； which could be a meaningless fact in this case。 But my instinct was telling me that Ann Campbell was a perpetrator of something before she became a victim of that something。
I opened the medical file and went directly to the back； where psychological information； if any； is usually placed。 And here I found the old psychological evaluation report； which is required for entry into West Point。 The reporting psychiatrist wrote：
This is a highly motivated； bright； and well…adjusted person。 Based on a two…hour interview and the attached testing results； I found no authoritarian traits in her personality； no delusional disorders； mood disorders； anxiety disorders； personality disorders； or sexual disorders。
The report went on to say that there were no apparent psychological problems that would prevent her from fulfilling her duties and obligations at the United States Military Academy。 Ann Campbell was a normal eighteen…year…old American girl； whatever that meant in the latter part of the twentieth century。 All well and good。
But there were a few more pages in the psychological section； a short report dated in what would have been the fall semester of her third year at West Point。 Ann Campbell had been ordered to see a staff psychiatrist； though who had ordered this； and why； was not stated。 The psychiatrist； a Dr。 Wells； had written：
Cadet Campbell has been remended for therapy and/or evaluation。 Cadet Campbell claims 〃There is nothing wrong with me。〃 She is uncooperative； but not to the extent that I can forward a delinquency report on her to her manding officer。 In four interviews； each lasting approximately two hours； she repeatedly stated that she was just fatigued； stressed by the physical and academic program； anxious about her performance and grades； and generally overworked。 While this is a mon plaint of first… and second…year cadets； I have rarely seen this degree of mental and physical stress and fatigue in third…year students。 I suggested that something else was causing her stress and feelings of anxiety； perhaps a love interest or problems at home。 She assured me that everything was fine at home and that she had no love interest here at the academy or anywhere。
I observed a young woman who was clearly underweight； obviously distracted； and； in general terms； troubled and depressed。 She cried several times during the interviews； but always got her emotions under control and apologized for crying。
At times； she seemed on the verge of revealing more than mon cadet plaints； but always drew back。 She did say once； however； 〃It doesn't matter if I go to class or not； it doesn't matter what I do here。 They're going to graduate me anyway。〃 I asked if she thought that was true because she was General Campbell's daughter； and she replied； 〃No； they're going to graduate me because I did them a favor。〃
When I asked what she meant by that； and who 〃they〃 were； she replied； 〃The old boys。〃 Subsequent questions elicited no response。
I believe we were on the threshold of a breakthrough； but her subsequent appointments； originally ordered by her mander； were canceled without explanation by a higher authority whose name I never learned。
My belief is that Cadet Campbell is in need of further evaluation and therapy； voluntary or involuntary。 Lacking that； I remend a psychiatric board of inquiry to determine if Cadet Campbell should be given a psychiatric separation from the academy。 I further remend a plete medical examination and evaluation。
I digested this brief report； wondering； of course； how a well…adjusted eighteen…year…old had turned into a depressed twenty…year…old。 The rigors of West Point could easily explain that； but obviously Dr。 Wells wasn't buying it； and neither was I。
I leafed through the file； intending at some early date to read it from cover to cover。 As I was about to close the folder； an errant scrap of paper caught my eye and I read the handwritten words： Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not bee a monster。 And when you look long into the abyss； the abyss also looks into you。…Nietzsche。
What that quote was doing there； I don't know； but it was appropriate in the file of a psy…ops officer and would have been appropriate in the file of a CID man as well。
CHAPTER NINE
I did not need to be； nor did I want to be； Sergeant Franklin White any longer； especially since Sergeant White had to salute every snot…nosed lieutenant he passed。 So I made the half…mile walk to the Infantry Training Brigade and retrieved my pick…up truck； then headed out to Whispering Pines to change into civvies。
I drove past the post armory； but didn't see Sergeant Elkin's POV parked in the lot。 I had this unsettling thought that Elkins was going to consummate the deal behind my back and take off for parts unknown； leaving me to explain how I let a few hundred M…16s and grenade launchers get into the hands of Colombian banditos。
But first things first。 I left post and got onto the highway。 The drive to Whispering Pines took about twenty minutes； during which time I reconstructed the events of the morning from the time the phone rang in the armory。 I do this because my employer； the United States Army； is big on chronology and facts。 But in a murder investigation； what you see and when you saw it is not the whole game； because by the nature of the act of murder； the crucial things happened before you got there。 There is sort of a spirit world that coexists with the world of empirical observation； and you have to get in touch with that world through the detective's equivalent of the séance。 You don't use a crystal ball； though I'd like one that worked…but you do clear your mind and listen to what isn't said and see things that aren't there。
That asid