Truth and Justice - Fern Michaels Page 0,32
military? It was recent, I’m thinking. Something in the last six months that’s ringing a bell in my head. For the life of me, I can’t think what it is. Now, wouldn’t it be something, and lucky for us, if Bella and I are on the same page and neither one of us can remember the same thing. Crazy flukes like that happen all the time,” Nikki said fretfully, her brow furrowed in thought as she struggled with her memory.
“Nothing comes to mind, Nikki. Do you have anything else to go on? If I did see it, I probably did what you did, glossed over it since I don’t know anyone in the military these days.”
Nikki slapped at her forehead. “Actually, I do, Maggie. I think it was something about signing a petition. I just can’t remember if I did or not, but if I was thinking about it, it must have seemed important at the time. Damn. I hate when I can’t remember something.” Agitation rang in Nikki’s voice as she yanked at her seat belt in frustration.
Maggie took her eyes off the road for a second to look at Nikki. “In your opinion, in your gut, do you think it’s important to this mission?”
Nikki didn’t have to think about the question. “Yes, I think so, but if you ask me why, I can’t tell you. This is my gut talking, but my gut has served me well both in and out of court all these many years. I always pay attention to my gut feelings. Jack says I scare him because, as he put it, it’s uncanny how I’m right ninety percent of the time.”
“Ted says that about me, too.” Maggie laughed. “I think it’s a female thing, to be honest with you. Probably has to do with our hormones.” She looked over at Nikki, wiggled her eyebrows, and giggled.
“Okay, then.” Maggie waited for a break in traffic before she moved into the right lane and steered off the road to the shoulder. “You drive, and I’ll see what I can dig up on my laptop. No sense wasting time gabbing or gossiping when I might be able to figure out what it is you cannot remember. Who knows, we might have some answers by the time we get to Steven Conover’s house. I know my way around the military archives, so it will be easier for me to do it. Might as well make use of our time on the road. I need to do something, accomplish something of value today. Everyone needs to do that, don’t you think? I try to make it a goal every day. See, see, if I’m not working, I’m babbling. Just ignore me, Nikki.”
Seven minutes later, Nikki inched her way back into traffic. “Have at it, Miz Reporter. I’ll just pay attention to the road and all the crazy drivers out here.”
“Hmmmn,” was Maggie’s only comment, as she tapped away a mile a minute.
Fifteen miles down the road, Maggie’s fist shot in the air. “I think this might be it. Tell me if it rings any bells. I’m going to read it to you just the way it is here. Some club or organization called Change.org posted it. There is a bill called HR 553 that military widows and widowers want Congress to enact into legislation. It seems that over 65,000 military spouses are being denied their full military insurance due to an archaic law dating back to 1972. In today’s time, that is forty-eight years during which Congress has failed to change this for men and women who have given up their lives for their country. That’s if I’m reading this correctly. It says here that the amount is $1,000 a month for the survivor. That’s some serious money, Nikki, for a spouse to lose. Especially if there are children involved. Simply put, these men and women are being denied survivor benefits because of this archaic law. There’s an address here for an Offset Facebook group and, of course, instructions on contacting your member of Congress.
“There are all kinds of stories here about families and their hardships. This one lady said they handed her a folded flag and said on behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation, she was to accept the flag. That was when she realized the Department of Defense wasn’t grateful at all. She said she sacrificed her husband, her children’s father, her best friend, her sole provider, then they expected her