The two men stared uncomfortably at each other.
Demirjian blurted out, “Look, I just want you to know right off that I don’t agree with Lynda. But she was insistent. And she’s…”
“I know about her medical condition and I’m very sorry. I only have re
ally good memories of her from our time here. She’s a fine lady. And I hold nothing against her.”
“That’s real nice of you to say, John. Lynda’s been a wonderful wife and mother and grandmother. But she just wouldn’t let this go.”
“When did it start?”
“About three months ago. Out of the blue. We’d just moved her into a facility to help her…needs.”
“And she just started talking about my mother and father?”
“You have to understand, John…” He paused. “Heard you were in the Army too.”
“CWO, 701st MP Group out of Quantico.”
“That’s an elite group,” said Demirjian. “You get nominated for that group, not selected.”
“Yes sir.”
The older man waved off this form of address. “I never got the sir when I was in uniform because I wasn’t an officer. And I sure don’t deserve it now, Chief Puller.”
“You were a top-notch SFC. Dad always said so. And as you know, he was a tough man to please. And call me John.”
Demirjian looked around. “I remember coming over and barbecuing in this backyard. You and your brother running around playing Army soldiers. It was in your blood.”
“You were a good friend to Dad. And to us.”
“I would have run through a wall for your father, John. Hell, I did run through a wall for him. A wall of ground fire, mortar rounds, even napalm dropped by our fly guys. Happened about five times a day in ’Nam. And your daddy was right there beside me every time. And he was already a lieutenant colonel at that point. He didn’t have to be running with the grunts like that.” He rubbed his chin and continued. “When he got his second star they made him commander of the 101st. Best leader the Screaming Eagles ever had in my humble opinion. Then he got his corps command when they pinned on the third star.”
“Helluva career,” said Puller. He felt a bit awkward, unsure where this trip through his father’s past was supposed to lead.
Demirjian looked down at his shoes for a few moments. “I have no idea what set off the notion in Lynda’s head about all this. She was moved to the hospice part of the facility a month ago. That’s when she told me she wanted to let the authorities know about this. That about gave me a heart attack. I begged her to just drop it. Thirty years ago? Who would remember anything? And your father and the way he is? Not able to really defend himself?”
“So you know about that?”
Demirjian stared over at Puller, his features crumbling. “I visited him up where he is now.”
“I didn’t know that,” said Puller.
“This was about a year ago. He wasn’t himself anymore. But he remembered me. He remembered some of the old days.”
“He did back then. Not so much anymore.”
Demirjian shook his head. “I’m one tough son of a bitch and I left that place bawling my eyes out. To see your daddy like that…”
Puller didn’t say anything. He let Demirjian regain his composure, rub at his moistened eyes, and then continue.
“But Lynda wouldn’t let it go. If I didn’t help her she’d just get someone else to do it. That’s what she said. Well, I figured that it would be better coming from my hand, so to speak.” He glanced up at Puller. “Did they show you the letter?”
“They did.”
“Well, I softened the tone a lot. I’m sure it still shocked the hell out of you, but her words, well, they were far harsher than what I wrote in that letter. Part of me felt like I was betraying my wife for doing that.”
“It would be an awkward situation for anyone, Mr. Demirjian, and especially so for you. I wouldn’t want to be in that spot.”
“I don’t want you to believe for one second that I agree with my wife on this, because I don’t. But she’s dying, John, and this was so important to her. I didn’t want to open a can of worms for your daddy. He’s the last man on earth I’d ever want to hurt. But like I said, if I didn’t do it, Lynda would have found someone else.”
“I understand.” Puller paused and considered carefully his next words. “Do you think it would be possible for me to talk to her?”
“I thought you might ask that.”
“I don’t want to do it if it will upset her. I mean that.”
“I don’t think much could upset her now. And she’s one tough woman. I wore the uniform, but she raised seven kids on an enlisted man’s pay, largely on her own because I was always gone. And we moved fourteen times while the kids were growing up. I wonder which one of us is the real tough one?”
“So I can speak to her?”
“Way I see it, she’s started all this. Now it has to be seen through. And he’s your daddy. You have some rights in the matter.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll make the arrangements. You can come over later this morning. It takes her a while to get going these days. Give me your phone number and I’ll call you in a bit.”
Puller did so.
As the men walked back to their cars Demirjian said, “Could you give your daddy my best next time you see him?”
“I sure will.”
“He doesn’t know about this, does he?”
“No. I’m not sure he’s in a position right now to understand it anyway.”
“Maybe that’s for the best.”
“Maybe it is,” agreed Puller.
“And I’m sure any investigation they do will clear your daddy absolutely and completely.”
As Puller climbed back into his car, he wasn’t nearly as certain of that as the old soldier was.
Chapter
9
WHEN PULLER RETURNED to his motel room he called his brother. Robert Puller answered on the second ring.
“Please don’t tell me you’re investigating this,” Robert said immediately.
“Good morning to you too, big brother.”
“It’s the afternoon here. Where are you?”
“In Virginia.”
“Right. Where in Virginia? Fort Monroe, perhaps?”
“You got a satellite tracking me?”
“No, but I can have one deployed. Or I can follow the chip in your phone. Or you can save me the paperwork and the cost of the sat time and tell me yourself.”
“I just spoke to Stan Demirjian.”
“Oh, you just happened to run into him,” said Robert sarcastically.
“Actually, I did. I came down to look at our old quarters and there he was.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“I’m going to talk to his wife later today. She’s in hospice.”
“And what exactly do you expect to gain from doing that?”
“Some answers, maybe.”
“CID will have your ass if they know you’re inserting yourself into this matter.”
“They never ordered me off the case. And besides, I’m not here