take its lumps and it should. The deaths of the women, your mother, Jericho,

everything. You say the word and all of this comes out. I’m not putting any

pressure on you one way or another. I mean that. The Army royally fucked up.” He

sat back and looked at the pair.

 

Robert and Puller exchanged a single glance, but a lot was communicated during

those few moments.

 

Puller said, “I think the appropriate parties have been punished adequately,

sir. And I think the Army has learned a valuable lesson.

 

So, no, it need not be made public.” Coleman nodded, his face not revealing

whether he agreed with this decision or not. He opened his desk drawer and took

out a file.

 

He slid on wire-rimmed glasses and looked at the pages. “As I understand it,

your father was not considered a suspect in your mother’s disappearance because

he was out of the country.

 

Recently, though, this was found to be incorrect. And then he became a suspect

thirty years later.” “He came back a day early,” noted Puller. “And this is the

reason why.” Coleman slid the file across.

 

Both brothers looked stunned. Puller turned the file around and the two began to

read down the pages. When they were done they both looked up.