night. Your father was thirty minutes away from your old house at one p.m. Where

was he in the intervening time? There was no account of him meeting with anyone

official. So where was he?” “What do you know about this flight? How did it get

so buried that no one knew until just recently? And are they certain my father

was on it?” “That remains a big question, Puller. I can tell you that I’m not

satisfied by what I’ve seen so far.” He pulled off the road and turned to her.

“You know about the flight, that he didn’t meet with anyone official? And you’re

not satisfied by what you’ve seen so far? How long have you been investigating

this case?” “Not that long. But I’m nothing if not efficient,” she added coolly.

“And I have the credentials to get answers from people who are not used to

giving them so freely.” “I guess so,” said Puller a bit enviously. “So why did

he come back early?” she asked.

 

Puller took the envelope from his pocket and handed it across to her. Then he

pulled back onto the road.

 

She unfolded the letter inside and read it twice over. “Did your father read

this?” “I don’t know for certain. I know he had it.” “She wanted to work things

out.” “Which means he had no motive to kill her.” “Well, we don’t know that for

sure,” replied Knox. “And she says she wanted to go away for a bit with you and

your brother. I bet your father was not happy about that.” “I’m sure he wasn’t.”

“And there could have been another reason.” “Like what?” “The old story. Another

woman?” “My father did have a mistress.” She jerked and shot him a look. “What!”

“It was called the United States Army. He barely had time for his family, much

less another woman in his life. But it would be nice to know why he came back