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Kent looked exasperated； and he said； 〃Paul； I understand what you're doing up to a point； and so will everyone else。 But you've passed that point； and if you don't arrest Moore now and he turns out to be the killer； and the FBI arrests him； then you look really stupid。〃
〃I know that； Bill。 But if I do arrest him and he's not the killer； I look worse than stupid。〃
〃Show some balls。〃
〃Fuck you。〃
〃Hey！ You're speaking to a superior officer。〃
〃Fuck you； sir。〃 I turned and walked down the hall toward our office。 Cynthia followed； but Kent did not。
In our office； we were greeted by a stack of white telephone messages； a pile of reports from forensic and the coroner； and other pieces of paper that appeared to be 〃read and initial〃 internal memos； half of which didn't concern me。 The Army could screw up your pay records； send your furniture to Alaska and your family to Japan； and lose all track of your leave time…but if you reported into someplace on temporary duty； you immediately got on the distribution list for bullshit memos even if you were working undercover with an assumed identity in a borrowed office。
Cynthia mented； 〃That wasn't a smart thing to do。〃
〃You mean him telling me to show some balls？ No； it wasn't。〃
〃Well； that wasn't smart of him； either。 But I mean you telling him； quote； fuck you； unquote。〃
〃No problem。〃 I leafed through the stack of telephone messages。
Cynthia stayed silent a moment； then said； 〃Well； but he did do something wrong； didn't he？〃
〃You got that right。 And he knows it。〃
〃Still 。。。 you don't have to rub his face in it。 If nothing else； we need him even if he is damaged goods。〃
I looked up from the phone messages and said； 〃I don't have a lot of passion for an officer who breaks a trust。〃
〃Except if her name is Ann Campbell。〃
I refused to respond to that。
〃Anyway； how about some coffee and donuts？〃
〃Sounds good。〃
Cynthia pushed the inter button and asked for Specialist Baker to report。
I sat down and opened Ann Campbell's medical file； which was exceedingly thin for her years in service； leading me to believe that she used civilian doctors。 There was； however； a gynecological report dating back to her entrance physical at West Point； and a doctor had noted； 〃H。 imperforatus。〃 I showed it to Cynthia and asked； 〃Does that mean an intact hymen？〃
〃Yes； intact and without any opening。 But it is not absolute evidence of virginity； though it's very likely that nothing very big ever got that far。〃
〃So we can rule out her father raping her when she was a young girl。〃
〃Well； pretty much。 But we can't rule out other forms of sex abuse。〃 She added； 〃But what Colonel Moore said seemed to have the ring of truth。 Whatever her father did to her； he did it to her in her second year at West Point； and I doubt if he could rape his twenty…year…old daughter at West Point 。。。 but it's interesting that she was probably a virgin when she got there。 Any other gynecological reports in there？〃
I looked but saw none。 I said； 〃They are strangely missing。 I suspect she used private doctors whenever she could。〃
〃Right。 You don't go that long without seeing a gynecologist。〃 She thought a moment； then said； 〃Why do I think that whatever happened to her at West Point was sexual？〃
〃Because it fits。 Something to do with an eye for an eye。〃
〃We know it had to do with her father 。。。 maybe he forced her on some superior officer； or maybe 。。。〃
〃Right。 We're getting close。 But let's wait until we know more。〃 I gave the medical file to Cynthia and said； 〃Read the psychiatrist's report in the back of the file。〃
Specialist Baker came in and I introduced her to Cynthia； but they'd already met。 I asked Baker； 〃What do you think？〃
〃Sir？〃
〃Who did it？〃
She shrugged。
Cynthia looked up from the file and asked Baker； 〃A boyfriend or a stranger？〃
She thought a moment and replied； 〃A boyfriend。〃 Baker added； 〃But she had lots of them。〃
〃Really？〃 I asked her； 〃Did anyone here in the provost office or anyone else ask you to give them any information on this case？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Who？〃
〃Well； I've been taking calls for both of you all yesterday and this morning； and everyone keeps asking questions。 A Colonel Moore； the victim's boss； plus Colonel Fowler； the post adjutant； Major Bowes； the CID mander； Police Chief Yardley from Midland； and a whole bunch of other people； including reporters。 I wrote all the calls down on the slips。〃
〃And they were all nosy？〃
〃Yes； sir。 But I just told them to speak to either of you。〃
〃Okay。 Tell me； did anyone here in the provost marshal's office say anything to you that we should know about？〃
Specialist Baker understood the question； wrestled with it； and finally said； 〃There's a lot of talk going around here； a lot of rumors； gossip； and things that may or may not be true。〃
〃Right。 I figured that out already； Baker。 This is privileged information； and I'll guarantee you not only anonymity but a transfer to anyplace in the universe you want to go。 Hawaii； Japan； Germany； California。 You name it。 Okay？〃
〃Yes； sir 。。。〃
〃Tell me first about Colonel Kent。 What's the news around the office？〃
She cleared her throat and said； 〃Well 。。。 there were always rumors that Colonel Kent and Captain Campbell were 。。。〃
〃Fucking。 We know that。 What else？〃
〃Well 。。。 that's about it。〃
〃How long have you been stationed here？〃
〃Only a few months。〃
〃Do you think he was in love with her？〃
She shrugged。 〃Nobody said that。 I mean； you couldn't tell because they'd be real cool when they were together。 But you could sort of tell something was going on。〃
〃She'd e here to his office？〃
〃Sometimes； usually during the day。 At night； he'd go to her office。 The MP patrols would see his car heading to the Psy…Ops School； and they'd radio a niner…niner…you know； all points…and say something like 'Randy Six is inbound to Honey One。' It was sort of a joke； you know； but Colonel Kent monitored his own car radio； for sure； and he figured out that these made…up call signs referred to him and Captain Campbell； but the callers never ID…ed themselves and always disguised their voice； so he couldn't do anything about it。 I don't think he would have done anything anyway； because that would just make the rumors worse。〃 She added； 〃You can't get away with much on a small base； and with the MPs； they see a lot of what's going on like that； but if it's not against the law； or against regulations； they don't make too much of it； especially if it has to do with ranking officers。〃 She added； 〃Especially if it's the boss。〃
Well； I was glad I asked。 I had another question。 〃Baker； Captain Campbell was the post duty officer on the night she was murdered。 You know that？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Was it Colonel Kent's habit to work late on those nights when Captain Campbell had night duty？〃
〃Well 。。。 that's what I hear。〃
〃Do you know if Colonel Kent was here on the night she was murdered？〃
〃He was。 I wasn't here； but the word going around is that he left the office about 1800 hours and returned about 2100 hours； then worked until about midnight； then left。 The personnel who were on duty said he was spotted in his staff car