He pulled out his phone a few moments later and punched in the number.

 

Two rings later his brother answered. “Hey, little bro, I’m tied up right now.

And if you’re back in Virginia I’m eight hours ahead of you. So can I call—”

“Bobby, we have a big problem. It’s about Dad.” Robert Puller instantly said,

“What’s wrong?” Puller told his older brother everything that had just occurred.

 

Robert Puller didn’t say anything for about thirty seconds. All Puller could

hear was the other man’s breathing. “What do you remember about that day?”

Robert finally asked.

 

Puller leaned back in his seat and ran a hand over his forehead. “I was playing

outside. I turned to the window and saw Mom there. She was in a robe with a

towel around her hair. She had evidently just gotten out of the shower.” “No, I

mean later.” “Later? That was the last time I saw her.” “No it wasn’t. We had

dinner that night and then she left and went out. The next-door neighbor’s

daughter came over to stay with us.” Puller sat up. “I don’t remember that.”

“Well, we never really talked about it, John.” “Where did she go that night?” “I

don’t know. To a friend’s, I guess.” “And she never came back?” “Obviously not,”

Robert said curtly. “And so Dad was back in the country. He told the police he

wasn’t.” “How do you know he told them he wasn’t?” “CID agents came to the

house, John. The next day. Dad was there. They talked to him. We were upstairs,

but I could still hear.” “Why don’t I remember any of this, Bobby?” “You were

eight years old. You didn’t understand any of it.” “You weren’t even ten yet.”

“I was never much of a kid, John, you know that.” He added, “And it was a