“You’re certain of that?” Darcangeloasked.
How could Joaquin explain? Would they be able to understand if he told them that viewing the world through his camera had taught him to see things other people missed, to look beneath the surface, to read the emotions people tried tohide?
Nah, probablynot.
He answered with a question of his own. “If there were circumstantial evidence against me in a homicide, would you believeit?”
The two men’s gazes met again, and they shook theirheads.
Hunter’s eyes narrowed. “How well do you know thiswoman?”
Joaquin wouldn’t lie to them. “We’ve danced together. She was my cousin Elena’s commanding officer during Elena’s first year in theArmy.”
“Huh.” Hunter soundedunimpressed.
“Youdancedwith her?” Darcangelo crossed his arms over his chest. “Is this about your sexlife?”
Didn’t Joaquin wish? “Nah, man, I told you. She was Elena’sCO.”
Hunter exchanged another glance with Darcangelo. “You can sit in my office for now. We’ll try to find out what’s goingon.”
“This is off the record. Understood?” Darcangelo leaned in close, lowered his voice. “If one word of what we tell you ends up in the newspaper, Old Man Irving will have our balls forbreakfast.”
“Got it. Thanks,man.”
* * *
“Andy was depressed—aboutbeing disabled, about the way the government treated him.” Mia was fighting a losing battle against her temper. “Seriously, how long can it take to review six hours of security footage? I’ve told you where I was all day. You ought to be able tocorrob—”
“I’ve gone over your military record.” Wu pulled a file folder out of a stack that sat on the table beside him. “You were decorated twice. No disciplinary actions against you. An honorable discharge. It says here, ‘an exemplaryofficer.’”
“I did my best,sir.”
Wu nodded. “Thank you forthat.”
He reached for another, thicker file and opened it. “Andrew Meyer, on the other hand, was Uncle Sam’s problem child. His file says that he ‘demonstrated a pattern of behavior that consistently fell short of the Army’s expectations for its soldiers.’ He was discharged under ‘other than honorable conditions.’ What does thatmean?”
“His service was not exemplary, but it wasn’t serious enough for a court-martial and a dishonorabledischarge.”
“He sounds like a total fuck-up.” Wu watchedher.
Mia chose her words carefully. “He was adisappointment.”
Wu looked down at Andy’s file. “I see here that you were the officer who reported him on a number ofoccasions.”
“I was the XO of hiscompany.”
“I thought an executive officer was in charge of paperwork, food supplies, and toilet paper, not discipliningsoldiers.”
“I was second in command. It was my job to deal with paperwork, to keep our company supplied and running, and to supervise certainstaff.”
Wu nodded. “So, all of these documents with your signature—they don’t represent a grudge againstMeyer?”
“A grudge?” Heat rushed into Mia’s face. “No. Of coursenot.”
“Did he have a grudge againstyou?”
That was closer to thetruth.