Slow Kill - Michael Mcgarrity [115]
“At least he wasn’t a murder victim,” Kerney said, “which means we have one less crime to worry about. How was his body retrieved?”
Sara wiped Patrick’s chin with a napkin. “There’s no record that it was, at least by our personnel. The file does show that South Vietnamese naval commandos mounted several search and recovery missions for his body after the SEAL pullout. But there are no follow-up action assessment reports. They were probably burned before Saigon fell. Lots of official documents were destroyed to keep them out of the hands of the North Vietnamese.”
“What about mortuary records?”
Sara held out the spoon to Patrick. He took it and banged it on the high chair. “According to the quartermaster corps, the sailor ’s remains were never received at either Da Nang or Tan Son Nhut. From what we now know, the likely scenario is that after Spalding faked his death, someone at the mortuary sent the body bag home under Spalding’s name, and whoever processed it stateside made sure no questions were asked.”
“I wonder how many gemstones were in the body bag, and how Spalding left Nam without getting caught.”
“Given his job, it would have been easy for him to assume a dead soldier ’s identity. He probably came home on a chartered troop transport flight.”
“He would have needed orders to do it.”
“Which a processing clerk could have provided for a hefty bribe.”
“That makes sense,” Kerney said. “Has the sailor ’s family been notified?”
Sara shook her head as she tried to get Patrick to eat more dinner. He pushed the spoon away. “No, but when they are told, there will be no mention of the fact that his remains were unearthed in a casket buried over thirty years ago under another man’s name.”
“I think he’s finished eating.” Kerney took Patrick out of his high chair and plopped him on his lap. “That would be an embarrassment to the military.”
Sara gave him a guarded look. “Do you think they should be told the truth?”
“I don’t think that would be wise,” Kerney said. “The family has had over thirty years to wonder, hope, and grieve. Let them bury him and move on. What are the Army’s plans to find George Spalding?”
“JAG and CID have mounted a full-scale investigation into the entire gemstone smuggling operation. It’s quite possible that a quartermaster officer, who has since retired at a fairly high rank, may have been involved.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The officer in question authorized the release of the remains to Clifford and Alice Spalding and logged in the body bag containing the gemstone shipment that was intercepted.”
Patrick smeared a sticky hand on Kerney’s shirt and burped. “Are you still in the loop on the case?”
Sara shook her head. “Only peripherally, but I’ll keep an eye on it. When will you tell Alice Spalding about her son?”
“Not right away,” Kerney replied. “Although with her deteriorating mental condition it might not matter when I did. Are you busy tomorrow night?”
“Of course not, it’s Saturday.”
“Good. I’ve booked dinner reservations at a Georgetown restaurant. Afterward, we have tickets for a chamber music concert in the city. I’ve already arranged for a babysitter.”
Sara smiled. “That sounds nice.”
Kerney lifted a very smelly Patrick off his lap. “I think our young friend needs his diaper changed.”
“Your turn,” Sara said. “I’ll do the dishes.”
Kerney took Patrick away and cleaned him up. Through the open door he could hear Sara loading the dishwasher. She was still a bit preoccupied and overworked, and not her usual self. But the tension between them had diminished.
Kerney thought it best to let the situation ride. He didn’t want anything to spoil his last two days in Arlington.
He put a clean diaper on Patrick and tickled his belly. “Let’s have a great weekend, Champ, before I head back to Santa Fe.”
Patrick giggled in agreement, burped, and kicked his little feet in the air.
A late afternoon summer sky greeted Kerney upon his return to New Mexico. The