Egan, p.6
Egan, page 6
“If they even notice that you’re leaving,” he pointed out. “Outside of Chef, getting food for you, or Joe, if you’re taking his dogs and a sled.”
“Sure, the obvious ones in the search and rescue process, but keep an eye out for someone too nosy,” Mountain suggested, “and it’s easy to make us think that it’s nothing, but obviously something much bigger than I assumed is going on here.”
“I don’t think it’s anything bigger at all,” Egan shared, “in terms of the Russian Yegorahn. I’m wondering if that wasn’t just a case of jealousy.”
At that, Mountain turned with an amazing speed, as he snorted. “Why would you say that?”
Egan quickly told him about Berry and Cherry.
Mountain shook his head. “I spoke to both of them myself,” he snapped. “They never mentioned it.”
“They never mentioned it because Cherry didn’t want her relationship with Yegorahn made public,” Egan explained.
“And Berry went along with that?” he asked in astonishment. “From the very beginning it was a potential damn murder investigation,” Mountain declared in frustration, his face growing all red and puffy. “Why would anybody not want to get to the bottom of it?”
“I don’t know about that, and all I can tell you is what I know at the moment. Berry also suggested that Amelia may not have been acting on her own accord, which just adds to our own suspicions.”
“Right,” Mountain noted, with a disgusted tone. “So now she talks. As much as I want to ask her some more questions before I head out, I don’t have time, so I’m delegating that to you.”
“What do you want me to do?” Egan asked.
“Track it down, sort it out, and find out how much of that is something that we can move on, versus something that’s really not helpful,” Mountain detailed. “Just because people say they were in a relationship doesn’t mean that they were.” At that, he looked down at his watch. “I’ve got to go.” And he stomped off and disappeared rapidly down the hall.
*
Day 2 Dinnertime
Egan wanted to call out and ask Mountain if he’d gotten some food to go before heading out, but it didn’t look like it. Maybe Mountain already had his supplies loaded up.
Now, as Egan watched Cherry and Berry step into the cafeteria, Cherry took one look at him, and her face twisted in anger. She immediately turned and glared at her sister, then picked up a plate, filled it, and walked right back out again. He gathered that he’d been pegged as the bad guy in the whole deal.
Berry walked over, sat down beside him, and murmured, “Sorry about that. She’s quite pissed off at me for starting this.”
“Apparently you both were questioned along with everybody else when Yegorahn first went missing, and somebody is not happy that you lied.”
She looked at him and shrugged. “I didn’t lie. Really I didn’t. At the time I didn’t see any value in discussing Cherry’s relationship with Yegorahn. As to what I was being asked, I told the truth. However, nobody specifically asked me if my sister was in a relationship with Yegorahn,” she replied in astonishment.
“So, that won’t wash. Just so you know.”
She rolled her eyes at that. “Great, my sister’s already pissy enough, and now the last thing I need is for her to get questioned once more about it by the authorities.”
“Did she get asked point-blank if she knew him?”
“I don’t know what she got asked. I was in a different room at the time,” Berry explained. “I was asked if I knew him, and I said that I knew of him, but I didn’t know him well, and that was very true,” she stated. “Believe me. I didn’t spend any time with him. He was all about my sister.”
“And where exactly did they have time and space to be together?”
“Our room,” she replied, with a wince. “My sister kept asking me to go for a walk, so I spent a lot of time in the common room, while they got to know each other.” She added air quotes to emphasize her point.
“And their last night together?”
“Yeah, that night I found an empty room,” Berry explained. “So I bunked in there and left our room to my sister. Believe me. I wish now that I hadn’t.”
“It doesn’t mean that’s why Yegorahn is dead though,” Egan reminded her. “It’s easy to take on guilt, but it’s not your fault. The only person who’s at fault here is the one who killed Yegorahn.”
Berry wanted to believe that, but she was not quite sure that she could let herself off the hook. Then she slowly nodded. “I keep telling myself that, but my sister’s so broken up over it.” Berry groaned. “So I keep wondering if I could have done something else.”
“Of course you wonder,” Egan agreed. “But, in this case, finding Yegorahn’s dead body, we’ve got to question everything, and that’s what we’ll do now. We’ve got to start at the beginning and question everything, and unfortunately that means we’ll also talk to your sister.”
Berry nodded slowly. “She’s likely to be quite combative. She doesn’t like authority in the best of times.”
“Which doesn’t make any sense,” Egan broke in, “since the military is all about authority.”
“Yet she fit in quite well, as if she understands the whole system, as if she understands how it works, and she’s been good with that. Still, when people step out of that box she’s constructed, she doesn’t like it. So, if you have an official standing that puts you in this position, then she’ll probably be fine. However, if you don’t, you can expect her to tell you to shove it where the sun don’t shine.”
He nodded. “And I’m sorry about that, but this is well past the time to worry about her feelings. So we will question her regardless. We just have to make it happen and get whatever information she has, whether she likes it or not.”
Berry winced. “Probably better if I came along,” she suggested. “I can’t guarantee that she’d be any kinder or easier to get along with, especially with me there, but it might be a little easier on her afterward.”
He nodded. “In that case, we’ll start with her.”
Day 2, After Dinner
Berry knocked on their door, only to have Cherry snap, “Stay out.”
“I won’t,” Berry said, fatigue in her voice. “I need a good night’s sleep too, and this is my room as well.”
“Go get another one,” Cherry growled.
Instead Berry just opened the door using the key she’d picked up before heading out for her day, just as a precaution. “No, I won’t. This is our room. If you want to change it up somehow, ask Dave for a new room assignment.”
Her sister just glared at her, then turned and threw herself to the other side of her bed.
Berry sighed. “You won’t like the next development because you’ll have to talk to Egan.”
Cherry snorted. “Why would I do that?”
“He’s been tasked with taking a fresh look into Yegorahn’s death,” Berry explained. “And apparently your statement didn’t mention anything about knowing him.”
Cherry stiffened. “It’s none of his business what I know and don’t know,” she stated, with a sneer. “Ted’s running the investigations.”
“So, did you tell Ted the truth?” At that, Cherry didn’t say anything. “Is there a reason you’re avoiding talking to them about it?”
“Of course there’s a reason.” Cherry turned to look at her sister. “You know that perfectly well.”
“How is it that you feel more concerned about looking after your reputation than finding out what happened to Yegorahn?”
Her sister burst into tears at that, but they were angry tears. But rather than screaming and shouting, aware that the walls were damn thin here, her sister pulled the covers over her head and muttered, “Go away.”
Going away tonight was one thing—but still not happening. However, “going away” wouldn’t work in the morning, not when Berry knew that Egan would be here, ready to talk to Cherry. If she didn’t want to talk, that was fine, but it was only fine to a certain point. Then it would just become a bigger problem for Cherry.
Day 3, Morning
When the next morning came though, Cherry got up and left their room very quickly, and Berry warned Egan at breakfast. “She’s not cooperative, and I have no idea why, but I’d say she’s more combative.”
He nodded. “That’s fine. She may not like it, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’ll happen.”
“She says that you have no right to do any investigation and that this is Ted’s thing.”
“Oh, Ted’s a part of it. Believe me, but I’ve been assigned to reopen the investigation from scratch again.” She just looked at him, even more confused, so he had to clarify. “Starting fresh, just in case there has been some bias,” he pointed out, with a shrug.
Berry winced. “Cherry is good friends with Ted.”
“Great,” Egan muttered. “Nice to know that I’ve already got to start with that problem.”
“Sorry.” She nodded. “Cherry won’t cooperate. She tried to keep me out of my own room last night, and I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep. Thankfully I grabbed the key before I left that last time, otherwise …”
“It’s supposed to be your room too. If there are any issues, go see if there’s a spare that you can use. I can’t say I would be against having a room all to myself under your circumstances.”
“Of course not,” she agreed, with a smile. “It really does help to have your own space sometimes, doesn’t it?”
“It does, though it’s not typically how it is on these military bases, so I’ll appreciate it while I can.” He looked down at his watch and frowned. “I’ll keep you out of it as much as I can, and I’ll make it as official as possible for Cherry’s sake, so she doesn’t think she’s been railroaded into something. However, the fact of the matter is, … she’s not getting out of it, regardless of how much she objects.”
That’s what Berry was afraid of.
*
Egan walked out of the colonel’s office with a notebook in hand and headed straight for Ted Nugan. More to the point, his quarters, that he was using as an office as well. But that was part of the problem with doing the work that Ted did. It always had to be in private, so he couldn’t work in communal areas.
As Egan knocked on the door, it opened under his hand. He pushed it farther open and stuck his head around the corner to find Ted glaring at him.
“Yeah, I already heard,” he snapped.
Egan shrugged. “Hey, not trying to step on any toes.”
“Whatever.” Ted raised both hands. “Jerry is around here somewhere too—and of course Magnus,” he said, with an eye roll.
“And Mountain too.”
At that, Ted snorted. “Yeah, it’s getting a little ridiculous, if you ask me.”
“And yet it sounds as if you need help.”
“I don’t need help,” he stated briskly. The older man bristled under the implied suggestion that maybe he wasn’t doing his job. “The problem is very much a case of the shit just doesn’t stop, and nobody’s talking.”
Ted had a point. “I’m here now regardless,” he declared, dismissing Ted’s concerns because, no matter his rank or efforts, so far they hadn’t had any breaks. Sydney, Magnus, Mountain, and Rogan had cracked some of it and had found some other problems, but Ted hadn’t had any luck on the main case so far. Trying to control his thoughts, Egan continued. “Obviously I must talk to everyone on base again, now that we know Yegorahn has been killed. I’ll ask that everyone keep the details to themselves.”
“Ha. In gossip central? That won’t work. You’ll still have to make it somewhat official for anybody to talk to you about it.”
Egan pondered that and then nodded slowly. “I’ll just say that I’ve been directed to collect information.”
Ted snorted at that. “You need to talk to Jerry about it, and I can assure you that he’s pissed.”
“I understand he was hoping to go home.”
“We’re all hoping to go home.” Ted rubbed his face. “It’s never comfortable to be in a situation where we’re the ones investigating everybody else, … but, when we’re not getting answers and when people are dying and when more things are running off the rails, you can bet that we’re getting more than sideways looks.”
“Right, I really hadn’t considered that pushback,” Egan muttered.
“Don’t consider it now either. Go do whatever it is you think you need to do,” Ted stated, then frowned. “What is it you think you need to do?”
“First off, I need to talk to the sister about her relationship with Yegorahn.”
“Berry?” he asked.
“No, the other one, Cherry.”
At that, Ted shook his head. “Oh hell no. I talked to her. She didn’t say a word about any relationship.”
“I now know that she had a relationship with him of some sort, and she’s pretty heartbroken over his death. That’s what I’ve gathered so far.”
“See? That’s the problem with a situation like this,” Ted complained, half standing up. “Everybody lies. Damn it. I am sick and tired of this hellhole.”
“I think it was more a case of, if the question leaves any opportunity, they don’t feel as if they need to volunteer anything more. They don’t even classify it as a lie. Yet, at the same time, they’re clearly withholding evidence or information that might have made a difference earlier.”
“Jesus,” Ted muttered. “Cherry had a relationship with Yegorahn?”
“Her twin, Berry, states that Yegorahn and Cherry spent his last night alive together.”
“I’m pretty damn sure I asked when she’d last seen him.” He backtracked through his notes and brought it up on his laptop. “Yeah, here it is.” He then read through his notes and swore. “I asked her point-blank if she’d seen him that previous day.”
“What do you want to bet she split hairs because she hadn’t seen him during the day but during the night?”
“I wouldn’t be at all surprised.” He swore profusely. “And having found out that much, now I do want to make sure that we aren’t missing anything else.” He sat here, tapping his finger on his desk for a long moment. “And you think you’ll get better answers alone?”
Egan tilted his head. “Yes, let me just tell Cherry and other interviewees how I’ve been asked to go over all the interviews done to date and to follow up with some questions that have come up since then. I’ll point-blank ask Cherry about her night, and, if she continues to lie, then I’ll suggest that I bring her down to talk to you, and I’ll sit in on that.”
He snorted at that. “Be still my beating heart,” he muttered. “Of course she’ll lie.”
“That brings me to my next point. The only reason to lie is if she is hiding something.”
“Seems as if by now everybody is hiding something. Haven’t you figured that out yet? Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Go do your best, and, if she does lie again, you can bet that I want to talk to her myself,” Ted stated, “and we’ll make this beyond official. You go get your answers now. I’ll be waiting to hear them when you return.” And, with that, he waved at Egan to get out.
Egan smiled, stepped out of the small room, and headed where he knew Berry’s and Cherry’s room was. He didn’t know whether Cherry was in or not. When he knocked on the door, he heard a muffled response, but, unsure what response it was, he knocked again. When the door opened, he saw a tear-stained, sniffling, and red-faced Cherry.
As soon as she saw him, the tentative half smile dropped off her face, and she glared at him. Snapping, she asked, “What do you want?”
His eyebrows shot up. “I’ve been assigned the task of going over everybody’s statements regarding one of the deaths at the camp, and I have a few more questions about yours.”
She shook her head. “I ain’t answering nothing.”
“Either you talk to me or you talk to Ted and me. So basically it’s me, or, if you don’t cooperate, a full panel of investigators. Regardless,” Egan stated, staring into her eyes to emphasize his point, “you will talk to us.” With an authority that came naturally to him, he added, “Just in case you think this is not still a military operation, get that out of your mind because you’re on base, still under military law.” Before she retorted, red in the face, he snapped again, “Think again.”
Biting off the sharp retort, she stared at him in shock. “Why are you being so mean?”
He shook his head. “I’m not being mean at all, but I fully expect you to come to attention and to follow through on orders as they’re given.” She glared at him, and he nodded. “So, what is it then? Me or Ted and the full panel? Choose wisely.”
She snorted. “You say that as if Ted is some a threat. He’s not a threat. He’s nothing.”
At that, Egan shook his head. “No matter what you think of Ted, he is a ranking officer, and he deserves respect, particularly from you.”
“Why from me?” she snapped, glaring at him. “This isn’t my fault.”
“No, but you definitely withheld information, and Ted has every right to report you to the colonel, and that can also go on your permanent record.”
“Permanent record? What do you mean I withheld information?”
“Your statement,” Egan replied, pulling it up on his phone, as he repeated it back to her. “You were asked if you’d seen him the previous day.” He paraphrased the question, and she glared at him, as he remained standing at the door.
“That wasn’t the question.”
“Then what was the question?”
“It was whether I’d seen him that day. Nobody asked me about that night.”
“So, you’re splitting hairs when a man’s been murdered. Instead of willingly coming up with information to help solve it. Why would you do that?”
“Because I hadn’t seen him the previous day, and he was out all day.”
“And when does a day end, Cherry?” he asked her immediately, and she again glared at him.
“I don’t know. When is a day over? Four o’clock, five o’clock, six o’clock, nine o’clock?”
