“Maybe not ever.”
“They’re starting to come forward in professional sports, basketball, even football. If it can happen in the NFL, then you never know.”
“The military is a different beast. I’ve certainly learned that lesson.”
“So, General Daughtrey and you? Can you tell me about your personal life?”
“Why?” snapped Abernathy. But he quickly calmed. “I’m sorry. That was rude. It’s just a very difficult time for me.”
“I can completely understand that, sir. And what you tell me will go no further. I’m just asking because it might help my investigation. That’s all.”
Abernathy nodded and wiped at his eyes, composed himself, and sat down in a chair. “We’ve been together for about ten years. Ten great years. But all in secret. We even bought this condo under the name of a corporation. We don’t appear in public together. I will receive no benefits now that Tim’s dead. Not that I care about that. I’m a partner in a large law practice. I’ve made my pile of money, far more than Tim. Hell, I paid for most of the things in this place, and did the design myself. You see, I didn’t really want to be a lawyer. I wanted to be the next Ralph Lauren. But life doesn’t always work out how you want it.”
He eyed the floor. “But it’s the principle of the thing, really. I have no rights whatsoever. I won’t even be able to attend his burial at Arlington. No one will present me with a flag. His parents will get that, even though they’ve had nothing to do with him for years. I helped vet his speeches. Helped him prepare for every promotion review. Cooked for him and looked after him when he was sick. And just so you know, he did as much for me. We traveled together. We vacationed together, but always with the sword of Damocles over us. Meaning we got to the places separately and left them separately. When people asked about my presence, we told them I was his old friend,” he added bitterly. “Friggin’ old friend.” His laugh turned to a sob.
“I can see how hard that must have been,” said Puller.
Abernathy looked up at him. “This is 2014, not 1914. It just doesn’t make sense to me that other people can dictate who I can or can’t openly love. It’s disgraceful.”
Puller handed the photo back and looked around the space. “Did you come up here to collect some things?”
“Some incriminating things, you mean? Yes, I suppose I did. I never did anything to embarrass Tim while he was alive. I certainly won’t do so now that he’s gone. I loved him very much.”
“I’m sure he would appreciate that.”
Abernathy glanced sharply at Puller. “Are you closer to finding his killer? Please tell me you are. Tim was the sweetest guy. I know he wore the uniform, but he was as gentle as they come.”
“I think it’ll only be a matter of time. And I promise that I will do all I can to catch the person who killed him.”
He eyed Puller keenly. “Thank you, I believe you will.”
“Can you answer a few more questions for me?”
“Like what?” Abernathy asked warily.
“Did you at any point notice a change in General Daughtrey’s attitude?”
“How so?”
“Did he start to seem more nervous? Would he get upset more easily? Did he appear to be holding things back from you?”
Abernathy was nodding before Puller even finished the question. “Hell, all of those things. I kept asking him what was wrong. He just wasn’t himself. But he could never bring himself to tell me. At first I was terrified that he had found someone else. But that wasn’t it. I would’ve known. He was just as affectionate. But there was a wall he’d built that I couldn’t get through. I mean, I was used to his keeping secrets from me because of his work. That was normal.”
“But this was different?”
“Yes. His work-related secrets were par for the course. This other stuff, well, it seemed to me that they were guilty secrets. Things he was ashamed of. That would not have been associated with his work. He was one of the good guys.”
“Did he ever mention any incident that prompted this? Any names?”
“No, not really. He did say once that there was a heavy price to be paid for keeping our secret. And that maybe that price was too high.”
“Interesting choice of words. Do you recall roughly when this new secretiveness started?”
“I can tell you exactly because we had a big argument about it. He had been reassigned to STRATCOM. A command component of it, anyway, I think they call it.”
“ISR?” supplied Puller.
“Right, that’s exactly right. ISR. It was over at Bolling Air Force Base in Anacostia, so at least the assignment was local. Before that he’d been stationed in Louisiana, and before that in North Dakota where the nearest town had fewer people than live in this condo building.”
“So what was the argument about?”
“Well, he had always told me he wanted to go in a different career direction in the Air Force. I thought he had decided to turn this offer down and accept another that he was up for. Tim was a super-bright guy. Lots of folks wanted him in their command.”
“But he changed his mind?”
“To tell the truth, I think someone changed it for him. So off he went to this new place.”
“So this was about two years ago?”
“A little over, but that’s right.”
“Did he ever mention a soldier that he was, in essence, replacing in that job?”
“No, he never did. I do know that he hated being at ISR. He traveled a lot. He was meeting with people in out-of-the-way places.”
“He told you this?”
“Yes. He never gave me any content or context, but it was like he had this powerful need to just, well, confide something in someone.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“Yes, he did. Something strange given all he had done up to that point.”
Puller waited expectantly.
Abernathy said, “He told me recently that he wanted to get out of the military.”
“Did he say why?”
“He said it had gotten too complicated. And that he didn’t enjoy what he was doing anymore.”
“Did he give a reason for this sudden unhappiness at work?” asked Puller.
“No, he didn’t. When I asked for specifics, he changed the subject.”
After giving Abernathy his card and asking him to call if he remembered anything else that he thought was relevant, he said his goodbyes and left Abernathy holding the photo of the man he had loved in life and was now mourning in death.
As Puller rode the elevator back down, he finally knew how they had gotten Tim Daughtrey to turn traitor.