demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第98部分

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　Kent　fought　back　the　tears　and　tried　to　sound　angry。　He　shouted；　〃She　did　deserve　it！　She　was　a　bitch；　a　fucking　whore；　she　ruined　my　life　and　my　marriage　。。。〃
　〃I　know。　But　now　you　have　to　make　it　right。　Make　it　right　for　the　Army；　for　your　family；　for　the　Campbells；　and　for　yourself。〃
　The　tears　were　running　down　his　cheeks　now；　and　I　knew　he　would　rather　be　dead　than　be　crying　in　front　of　me；　Cynthia；　and　Cal　Seiver；　who　was　watching　from　the　other　side　of　the　hangar。　Kent　managed　to　get　a　few　words　out　and　said；　〃I　can't　make　it　right。　I　can't　make　it　right　anymore。〃
　〃Yes；　you　can。　You　know　you　can。　You　know　how　you　can。　Don't　fight　this。　Don't　disgrace　yourself　and　everyone　else。　That's　all　that's　left　in　your　power　to　do。　Just　do　your　duty。　Do　what　an　officer　and　a　gentleman　would　do。〃
　Kent　stood　slowly　and　wiped　his　eyes　and　nose　with　his　hands。
　I　said；　〃Please　hand　me　your　weapon。〃
　He　looked　me　in　the　eye。　〃No　cuffs；　Paul。〃
　〃I'm　sorry。　I　have　to。　Regulations。〃
　〃I'm　an　officer；　for　Christ's　sake！　You　want　me　to　act　like　an　officer；　treat　me　like　one！〃
　〃Start　acting　like　one　first。〃　I　called　out　to　Cal；　〃Get　me　a　pair　of　handcuffs。〃
　Kent　pulled　the　。38　Police　Special　out　of　his　shoulder　holster　and　shouted；　〃Okay！　Okay！　Watch　this！〃　He　put　the　revolver　to　his　right　temple　and　pulled　the　trigger。
　
　CHAPTER　THIRTY…SEVEN
　
　The　human　eye　can　distinguish　fifteen　or　sixteen　shades　of　gray。　A　puter　image　processor；　analyzing　a　fingerprint；　can　distinguish　two　hundred　fifty…six　shades　of　gray；　which　is　impressive。　More　impressive；　however；　is　the　human　heart；　mind；　and　soul；　which　can　distinguish　an　infinite　number　of　emotional；　psychological；　and　moral　shadings；　from　the　blackest　of　black　to　the　whitest　of　white。　I've　never　seen　either　end　of　that　spectrum；　but　I've　seen　a　lot　in　between。
　In　truth；　people　are　no　more　constant　or　absolute　in　their　personalities　than　a　chameleon　is　in　terms　of　color。
　The　people　here　at　Fort　Hadley　were　no　different　from；　no　better　or　worse　than；　people　I'd　seen　at　a　hundred　other　posts　and　installations　around　the　world。　But　Ann　Campbell　was　most　certainly　different；　and　I　try　to　imagine　myself　in　conversations　with　her　if　I'd　met　her　when　she　was　alive；　if；　for　instance；　I'd　been　assigned　to　investigate　what　was　going　on　here　at　Fort　Hadley。　I　think　I　would　have　recognized　that　I　was　not　in　the　presence　of　a　simple　seductress；　but　in　the　presence　of　a　unique；　forceful；　and　driven　personality。　I　think；　too；　that　I　could　have　shown　her　that　whatever　hurts　other　people　does　not　make　her　stronger；　it　only　increases　the　misery　quotient　for　everyone。
　I　don't　think　I　would　have　wound　up　like　Bill　Kent；　but　I　don't　discount　the　possibility；　and；　therefore；　I'm　not　judging　Kent。　Kent　judged　himself；　looked　at　what　he　had　bee；　was　frightened　to　discover　that　another　personality　lurked　inside　his　neat；　orderly　mind；　and　he　blew　it　out。
　The　hangar　was　filled　with　MPs　now；　and　FBI　men；　medical　personnel；　plus　the　forensic　people　who　had　remained　behind　at　Fort　Hadley　and　who　had　thought　they　were　almost　finished　with　this　place。
　I　said　to　Cal　Seiver；　〃After　you're　done　with　the　body；　get　the　carpet　and　furniture　cleaned　up　and　have　all　the　household　goods　packed　and　shipped　to　the　Campbells　in　Michigan。　They'll　want　their　daughter's　things。〃
　〃Right。〃　He　added；　〃I　hate　to　say　this；　but　he　saved　everybody　but　me　a　lot　of　trouble。〃
　〃He　was　a　good　soldier。〃
　I　turned　and　walked　the　length　of　the　hangar；　past　an　FBI　guy　who　was　trying　to　get　my　attention；　and　out　the　door　into　the　hot　sun。
　Karl　and　Cynthia　were　standing　beside　an　ambulance；　talking。　I　walked　past　them　toward　my　Blazer。　Karl　came　up　to　me　and　said；　〃I　can't　say　I'm　satisfied　with　this　oute。〃
　I　didn't　reply。
　He　said；　〃Cynthia　seems　to　believe　that　you　knew　he　was　going　to　do　that。〃
　〃Karl；　all　that　goes　wrong　is　not　my　fault。〃
　〃No　one's　blaming　you。〃
　〃Sounds　like　it。〃
　〃Well；　you　might　have　anticipated　it　and　gotten　his　gun…〃
　〃Colonel；　to　be　perfectly　honest　with　you；　not　only　did　I　anticipate　it；　but　I　encouraged　it。　I　did　a　fucking　head　number　on　him。　She　knows　that　and　you　know　that。〃
　He　didn't　acknowledge　this　because　it　was　not　what　he　wanted　to　hear　or　know。　It　wasn't　in　the　manual；　but；　in　fact；　giving　a　disgraced　officer　the　opportunity　and　encouragement　to　kill　himself　was　historically　a　time…honored　military　tradition　in　many　armies　of　the　world　but　never　caught　on　in　this　Army　and　has　fallen　out　of　favor　nearly　everywhere。　Yet；　the　idea；　the　possibility；　permeates　the　subconscious　of　every　officer　corps　who　are　linked　by　mon　attitudes　and　overblown　feelings　of　honor。　Given　my　choice　of　a　court…martial　for　rape；　murder；　and　sexual　misconduct　that　I　knew　I　couldn't　beat；　or　taking　the　。38…caliber　easy　way　out；　I　might　just　consider　the　easy　way。　But　I　couldn't　picture　myself　in　Bill　Kent's　situation。　Then　again；　neither　could　Bill　Kent　a　few　months　ago。
　Karl　was　saying　something；　but　I　wasn't　listening。　Finally；　I　heard　him　say；　〃Cynthia's　very　upset。　She's　still　shaking。〃
　〃es　with　the　job。〃　In　fact；　it's　not　every　day　that　someone　blows　his　brains　out　right　in　front　of　you。　Kent　should　have　excused　himself　and　gone　into　the　men's　room　to　do　it。　Instead；　he　splattered　his　brains；　skull；　and　blood　all　over　the　place；　and　Cynthia　caught　a　little　of　it　on　her　face。　I　said　to　Karl；　〃I've　been　splattered　in　'Nam。〃　In　fact；　once　I'd　gotten　hit　in　the　head　by　a　head。　I　added；　helpfully；　〃It　washes　off　with　soap。〃
　Karl　looked　angry。　He　snapped；　〃Mister　Brenner；　you're　not　funny。〃
　〃May　I　go？〃
　〃Please　do。〃
　I　turned　and　opened　my　car　door；　then　said　to　Karl；　〃Please　tell　Ms。　Sunhill　that　her　husband　called　this　morning；　and　he　wants　her　to　call　him　back。〃　I　got　into　the　Blazer；　started　it；　and　drove　off。
　Within　fifteen　minutes；　I　was　back　at　the　VOQ。　I　got　out　of　my　uniform；　noticing　a　spot　of　gore　on　my　shirt。　I　undressed；　washed　my　face　and　hands；　and　changed　into　a　sports　coat　and　slacks；　then　gathered　up　my　things；　which　Cynthia　had　laid　out。　I　gave　the　room　a　last　look　and　carried　my　luggage　downstairs。
　I　checked　out；　paying　a　modest　charge　for　maid　and　linen　service；　but　I　had　to　sign　an　acknowledgment…of…damage　slip　regarding　my　writing　on　the　wall。　I'd　be　billed　later。　I　love　the　Army。　The　CQ　helped　me　put　the　bags　in　my　Blazer。　He　asked　me；　〃Did　you　solve　the　case？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Who　did　it？〃
　〃Everybody。〃　I　threw　the　last　bag　in　the　back；　closed　the　hatch；　and　got　in　the　driver's　seat。　The　CQ　asked　me；　〃Is　Ms。　Sunhill　checking　out？〃
　〃Don't　know。〃
　〃Do　you　want　to　leave　a　forwarding　address　for　mail？〃
　〃Nope。　No　one　knows　I'm　here。　Just　visiting。〃　I　put　the　Blazer　in　gear　and　headed　out　through　main　post；　north　to　the　MP　gate；　and　out　onto　Victory　Drive。
　I　drove　past　Ann　Campbell's　town…house　plex；　then　reached　the　interstate　and　got　on　the　northbound　entrance。　I　put　a　Willie　Nelson　tape　in　the　deck；　sat　back；　and　drove。　I　would　be　in　Virginia　before　dawn；　and　I　could　catch　a　morning　military　flight　out　of　Andrews　Air　Force　Base。　It　didn't　matter　where　the　flight　was　going；　as　long　as　it　was　out　of　the　continental　United　States。
　My　time　in　the　Army　had　e　to　an　end；　and　that　was　okay。　I　knew　that　before　I'd　even　gotten　to　Fort　Hadley。　I　had　no　regrets；　no　hesitation；　and　no　bitterness。　We　serve　to　the　best　of　our　ability；　and　if　we　bee　incapable　of　serving；　or　bee　redundant；　then　we　leave；　or；　if　we're　dense；　we're　asked　to　leave。　No　hard　feelings。　The　mission　es　first；　and　everyone　and　everything　are　subordinate　to　the　mission。　Says　so　in　the　manual。
　I　suppose　I　should　have　said　something　to　Cynthia　before　I　left；　but　no　one　was　going　to　benefit　from　that。　Military　life　is　transient；　people　e　and　go；　and　relationships　of　all　kinds；　no　matter　how　close　and　intense；　are　understood　to　be　temporary。　Rather　than　good…bye；　people　tend　to　say；　〃See　you　down　the　road；〃　or　〃Catch　you　later。〃
　This　time；　however；　I　was　leaving　for　good。　In　a　way；　I　felt　that　it　was　appropriate　for　me　to　leave　now；　to　put　away　my　sword　and　armor；　which　were　getting　a　little　rusty　anyway；　not　to　mention　heavy。　I　had　entered　the　service　at　the　heigh