Chương 8
“I know.”
“You keep saying that.”
The echo of Vega’s words irritated her.
She sat.
Ross waited until her breathing slowed.
Then Price said, “There is something you’re not going to like.”
Mara looked at him.
“Mercer has retained counsel.”
“That was fast.”
“He was notified yesterday.”
“Does he deny it?”
“He says Daniel’s memorandum was never formally submitted to him.”
Mara laughed again.
“He took it from Vega.”
“That is Vega’s account.”
“And the notebook.”
“Supports that Vega believed Mercer had it.”
“And the photograph.”
“Supports the underlying heat discrepancy.”
Mara rubbed both hands over her face.
“What does Mercer say the memo was?”
“He says Daniel showed Vega an informal draft and that Mercer may have discussed concerns verbally but did not receive a completed document.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Possibly.”
“Price.”
“Mara.”
She hated his calm.
“Does he know about the notebook?”
“He knows evidence was recovered.”
“Not the content?”
“I’m not discussing disclosure strategy.”
She leaned back.
“So what now?”
“Now we interview people who were present.”
“Who?”
“Former members of the company. Training staff. Medical personnel. People involved in the original investigation.”
“Three years later.”
“Yes.”
“They’ll remember nothing.”
“Some will.”
“Some will remember wrong.”
“Yes.”
“Some will protect themselves.”
“Yes.”
Mara looked at him.
He put his glasses back on.
“This is what investigations are.”
She thought of the neat folder she had built after Daniel died.
Every text printed.
Every email.
Every timeline.
Every photograph.
She had labeled tabs.
Her mother once called it Mara’s second coffin.
At the time, Mara had been furious.
Now she understood what Evelyn meant.
“You want Vega to testify against Mercer,” Mara said.
Price did not answer.
Ross did.
“We want Vega to tell the truth.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
“It is if the truth implicates Mercer.”
Ross unfolded her arms.
“And himself.”
Mara looked at the notebook.
That was the problem.
Truth had arrived with a witness she despised.
If Vega admitted everything, he helped Daniel’s case and destroyed part of his own career.
If he minimized, they might lose the person best positioned to connect Daniel’s warning to Mercer.
Mara hated needing him.
Price seemed to read the thought without commenting on it.
“Sergeant Vega has requested to speak with you.”
“No.”
Ross raised an eyebrow.
“You didn’t even think.”
“I did.”
“For half a second.”
“Efficient.”
Price closed the folder.
“He requested. You are not required.”
“Why?”
“He didn’t say.”
“Then no.”
The answer remained no until that evening.
Then Bowen called.
Mara almost ignored the unfamiliar number.
Something made her answer.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Ward?”
“Yes.”
“This is Specialist Bowen. From the march.”
Mara sat up on the hotel bed.
“How did you get my number?”
A pause.
“That’s actually why I’m calling.”
Mara closed her eyes.
“Oh no.”
“I got it from a group chat.”
“Of course you did.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why is my number in a group chat?”
“I don’t know who put it there.”
“What group?”
Another pause.
“Our platoon.”
Mara stood.
“How many people?”
“Thirty-four.”
“Delete it.”
“I did.”
“Tell everyone else to.”
“I already told them.”
“Why are you calling me?”
Bowen exhaled.
“Because people are saying Sergeant Vega killed your brother.”
Mara said nothing.
“They’re saying he made him march.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“I looked up the old report.”
“What report?”
“The public safety summary.”
Mara walked to the window.
Cars moved below on the access road.
“You need to stop.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I mean it. Do not investigate this yourself.”
“I’m not.”
“You found my private number.”
“Right.”
“That counts.”
Bowen sounded embarrassed.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mara pinched the bridge of her nose.
“What are people saying?”
“That Sergeant Vega covered up a heat warning. That Command sent you undercover to catch him. That you collapsed on purpose.”
Mara laughed once.
“I definitely did not collapse on purpose.”
“I figured.”
“Anything else?”
Bowen hesitated.
“What?”
“Somebody said you were suing the Army for ten million dollars.”
“I wish people were more creative.”
“So that’s not true.”
“No.”
“Okay.”
“Bowen.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you really call?”
The young woman became quiet.
Mara waited.
Finally Bowen said, “Because he told us to stop today.”
“Who?”
“Sergeant Vega.”
“Stop what?”
“Training.”
Mara frowned.
“Command already halted it.”
“Not today. I mean this morning.”
“What happened?”
“Private Landry said he felt dizzy during the movement.”
Mara’s fingers tightened around the phone.
“And?”
“Sergeant Vega stopped everyone. Had Keller check him. Captain Haines said they could keep moving while medic assessed him.”
Mara stared through the glass.
“What did Vega do?”
“He said no.”
“Exactly?”
“He said, ‘A schedule is not a medical diagnosis.’”
Despite herself, Mara smiled.
“That sounds like Keller.”
“I think he stole it from Keller.”
“Probably.”
Bowen’s voice lowered.
“Captain Haines was mad.”
“I’m sure.”
“Sergeant Vega didn’t care.”
Mara watched a woman in running clothes cross the parking lot with a dog pulling ahead of her.
“So you called to tell me he changed?”
“No.”
The answer came fast.
Mara respected it.
“Why then?”
“Because I don’t know what I’m supposed to think.”
“That isn’t my job.”
“I know.”
Mara almost laughed at the phrase again.
Bowen continued.
“He lied about your brother, right?”
“Yes.”
“But he stopped Landry.”
“Apparently.”
“Does doing one good thing mean anything?”
Mara leaned her forehead against the cool glass.
Her answer came more slowly than she wanted.
“Yes.”
Bowen waited.
“It means he did one good thing.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all you know.”
Bowen was silent.
Mara added, “People are not math problems. You don’t subtract one from the other and get the final person.”
“I guess.”
“No. Don’t guess. You asked.”
“Okay.”
Mara heard voices in the background on Bowen’s end.
“Delete my number.”
“I will.”
“And tell the group to stop saying Vega killed Daniel.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“He didn’t.”
Another pause.
“Do you hate him?”
Mara almost ended the call.
Instead she looked at the traffic.
“I don’t know him well enough.”
May you like
Bowen whispered, “Okay.”
The call ended.
