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〃Yes； sir。 I know that。 Colonel； would it be convenient for you to meet me at the O Club now？ I won't keep you more than ten minutes。〃 Unless you interest me； Colonel。
〃Well 。。。〃
〃I have a deadline in about two hours； and I'd like to get at least a few words from her manding officer。〃
〃Of course。 Where…？〃
〃The grill。 I'm wearing a blue suit。 Thank you； Colonel。〃 I hung up。 Most Americans know that they don't have to speak to the police if they choose not to； but somehow they think that they have an obligation to speak to the press。 Be that as it may； I'd spent the better part of the day as Paul Brenner； CID； and the need to be deceitful was more than I could bear。
I pulled the Midland telephone directory toward me and located a Charles Moore in the same garden apartment plex where Ann Campbell had lived。 In and of itself； this was not unusual； though Victory Gardens was not where a colonel would normally choose to live。 But maybe he had debts； or maybe； as a shrink； he didn't care if he bumped into lieutenants and captains in the parking lot。 Or maybe he wanted to be near Ann Campbell。
I jotted down his address and phone number； then called the VOQ and reached Cynthia just as she got into her room。 〃Colonel Moore is meeting us。 We're from the Army Times。 Also； see if you can get me a room there。 I can't go back to Whispering Pines with Chief Yardley on the prowl。 Stop at the PX and pick me up a toothbrush； razor； and all that。 Also； jockey shorts； medium； and socks。 Maybe a fresh shirt； too； size fifteen collar； and be sure to bring walking shoes for yourself for later when we go out to the rifle range； and a flashlight。 Okay？ Cynthia？ Hello？〃
Bad connection； I guess。 I hung up and went downstairs to the grill room； which is not as formal as the main dining room； and where you can get immediate sustenance。 I ordered a beer from the bar and dined on potato chips and bar nuts while I listened to the conversations around me。 The subject was Ann Campbell； and the tone of the conversation was cautious and muted。 This was； after all； the Officers' Club。 The subject in the Midland bars would be the same； but there would be more opinions expressed。
I saw a middle…aged man in dress greens with colonel's eagles enter the grill； and he scanned the big open basement room。 I watched him for a full minute； noting that no one waved or said hello to him。 Obviously； Colonel Moore was not well known or perhaps not well liked。 I stood and approached him。 He saw me and smiled tentatively。 〃Mr。 Brenner？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃 We shook hands。 Colonel Moore's uniform was wrinkled and badly tailored； the true sign of an officer in one of the specialized branches。 〃Thank you for ing；〃 I said。 Colonel Moore was about fifty； had black curly hair that was a bit too long； and an air about him that suggested a civilian shrink called to active duty the day before。 Army doctors； Army lawyers； Army shrinks； and Army dentists always intrigue me。 I can never determine if they're on the run from a malpractice suit or if they're simply dedicated patriots。 I led him to a table in the far corner； and we sat。
〃Yes。〃
I signaled a waitress； and Colonel Moore ordered a glass of cream sherry。 We were off to a bad start already。
Moore stared at me as though trying to guess my mental disorder。 Not wanting to disappoint him； I volunteered； 〃Sounds like she got nailed by a psycho。 Maybe a serial murderer。〃
True to his profession； he turned the statement back on me and asked； 〃Why do you say that？〃
〃Just a wild guess。〃
He informed me； 〃There have been no similar rapes and murders in this area。〃
〃Similar to what？〃
〃To what happened to Captain Campbell。〃
Exactly what happened to Captain Campbell should not have been general knowledge at this point； but the Army thrives on rumor and hearsay。 So； what Colonel Moore knew and Colonel Fowler knew and General Campbell knew； and when they knew it and how they knew it； was anyone's guess at this point in the day。 I asked； 〃What did happen to her？〃
He replied； 〃She was raped and murdered； of course。 Out on the rifle range。〃
I took out my notebook and sipped on my beer。 〃I just got called in from D。C。； and I don't have much information。 I heard she was found naked； tied up。〃
He considered his response； then said； 〃You'd better check with the MPs on that。〃
〃Right。 How long were you her manding officer？〃
〃Since she got here at Fort Hadley； about two years ago。〃
〃So you knew her fairly well？〃
〃Yes。 It's a small school。 There are only about twenty officers and thirty enlisted men and women assigned。〃
〃I see。 How did you feel when you heard the news？〃
He said to me； 〃I'm in total shock over this。 I still can't believe this happened。〃 And so forth。 He actually looked all right to me despite the total shock。 I work with psychologists and psychiatrists now and then； and I know they tend toward inappropriate behavior while saying appropriate things。 Also； I believe that certain professions attract certain types of personalities。 This is especially true in the military。 Infantry officers； for instance； tend to be somewhat aloof； a bit arrogant； and self…assured。 CID people are deceitful； sarcastic； and extremely bright。 Your average shrink has chosen a life that is involved with troubled minds； and it might be a cliché； but a lot of them have gone around the bend themselves。 In the case of Charles Moore； psychological warfare specialist； who tried to make healthy enemy minds into troubled enemy minds； you had the equivalent of a physician cultivating typhus germs for the biological warfare people。
So； anyway； as we spoke； Charles Moore seemed to me not pletely well。 He seemed distant for short periods of time； then he'd stare at me at inappropriate times as though trying to read something in my face or read my mind。 The guy actually made me uneasy； and that takes a lot of doing。 Besides being slightly weird； his eyes were a bit sinister…very dark； very deep； and very penetrating。 Also； his voice had that slow； deep； pseudo…soothing tone that they must teach at shrink school。
I asked him； 〃Did you know Captain Campbell prior to this assignment？〃
〃Yes。 I first met her about six years ago when she attended the functional area school at Fort Bragg。 I was her instructor。〃
〃She had just pleted her master's in psychology at Georgetown。〃
He looked at me the way people look at you when you say something they didn't think you knew。 He replied； 〃Yes； I believe so。〃
〃And were you together at Bragg while she was with the Psy…Ops Group？〃
〃I was at the school…she was working at her trade with the Fourth Psy…Ops。〃
〃Then what？〃
〃Germany。 We were there at about the same time。 Then we returned to the JFK School at Bragg； and we both instructed for a while； then we were assigned on the same orders to the Gulf； then to the Pentagon； briefly； and two years ago we came here to Fort Hadley。 Is all this necessary？〃
〃What do you do at Fort Hadley； Colonel？〃
〃That's confidential。〃
〃Ah。〃 I nodded as I scribbled。 It is not mon for two people to share so many assignments； even in a specialized area like psychological operations。 I know married military couples who have no