head of CMA. He’s working closely with the project manager at Weidner to locate them.”
“Weidner Engineering is the civilian operation in charge of weapons destruction,” Bran said just to clarify.
“That is correct.” Anson’s gaze returned to Jessie and softened. “I’m sorry this happened, Jessie. Your father chose me to represent him on the basis of my reputation. He could have hired civilian counsel, but he believed strongly in the military system of justice.”
“I know he did. I’m sure he had every confidence in you, Thomas.”
“Unfortunately, aside from what he told me, I have no way of knowing whether he was innocent or guilty. Either way, it was my job to defend him. I wish I’d had a chance to dig deeper into his case, perhaps find something that would corroborate his story. As it happened, time ran out.”
“I don’t believe time simply ran out, Major,” she said. “I believe someone murdered him. In order to prove it, we need that list of visitors. We may also need to exhume his body.”
Anson blinked, obviously surprised. “You would need some sort of grounds for that.”
“I understand. Once we have them, will you handle it for me?”
The major breathed out slowly and rose from his chair. “I’ll help if I can. It’s the least I can do.”
SEVEN
They couldn’t get in to see General Holloway, her father’s superior, until he returned from a meeting at the Blue Grass Depot in Kentucky.
In the meantime, Jessie set up an appointment with the project manager for Weidner, a man named Robert De La Garza, for ten o’clock the next morning. She also hoped to speak to Charles Frazier again. Frazier said he’d reported the missing munitions directly to the CMA because her father hadn’t acted swiftly enough. He was concerned the weapons were a threat to national security.
She wanted Bran to question him, see if he could get something more out of him.
Over cheesesteak sandwiches and fries during a late lunch at Charley’s on the base, they took a cursory look at the visitors list, but nothing jumped out at either one of them. A few of the names were unfamiliar, people her father knew that Jessie had never met. They needed to follow up on those, but equally important was discovering who had contact with her father before his heart attack.
Kitchen stewards and orderlies, nurses, even doctors couldn’t be overlooked.
“You realize you could be following a wild-goose chase,” Bran reminded her as they finished the last of their meals and began to pack up paper cups and soiled wrappers.
“I know I could be wrong, but I just don’t think I am.”
He tossed the trash in the can. “I believe in following your gut. We’ll keep working our latest theory, see what turns up.”
Jessie flashed him a grateful smile. “Thanks for sticking with me on this.”
He just nodded.
Before they left the base, Bran stopped to pick up his weapon at the armory. It was late in the afternoon when the SUV rolled along Club House Drive, heading back to the resort.
“Besides going over the main list of visitors,” Bran said, “we need to find out who else came in contact with your father that last day.”
Jessie sighed. “It’s not going to be easy.”
“We’ll start on it tomorrow. I think we’ve done enough for today.”
Weariness washed over her. “It’s after five. I could really use a glass of wine.” She summoned a tired smile. “Scratch that. I’d kill for a cosmo.”
Bran chuckled. “We can do that. Too early for supper, but I could use a snack of some kind.” Instead of heading for the building that housed their second-floor suite, Bran drove up in front of the entrance to the resort and parked the SUV.
As they walked into the open, high-ceilinged lobby with its gray rock walls and heavy wooden beams, Jessie was reminded that today was October 31. Jack-o’-lanterns flickered on tables, orange and black crepe paper draped from ceilings, gauzy spiderwebs clung to walls, and the staff all wore costumes.
“Halloween,” Jessie said. “My least favorite holiday.”
“What?” Bran grinned. “You don’t like ghosts and goblins?”
“Devils and monsters and ghouls? Are you kidding me? When I was little, some of the costumes people wore freaked me out. Though I did like trick-or-treating, getting all that free candy.”
Bran led her into the bar, which was also decorated in orange and black. They sat down in front of a window looking over the pool toward the mountains. A candle flickered in a miniature pumpkin in the middle of the table.