Between the Lines
Harm felt like kicking himself. The feeling wasn't new, but when you had a lot of time to youself to think you tended to revisit old memories. Harm had a lot of time to think these days. Mac had come to save his six (once again) and he had been a beligerant ass (once again). What was it about her that brought out the worst in him? Why couldn't he be humble, appreciative and lay things on the line for her? One thing was for certain, if he didn't get out of here her would have the rest of his life to contemplte the 'would have beens' and 'could have beens'. The whole Singer business was a mess. He had gone so overboard protecting Serei he had put him self on the block. Now all of that circumstantial evidence was going to get him axed. Unlike a civilian court where he was presumed innocent he was going against bias of guilt from the begining. It was going to take a miracle to get him out of here. 'Or a force of nature',he chuckled. If, no, when Mac got him out of here he vowed things were going to be a lot different.
As Mac entered the conference room all conversation ceased. The occupants; Bud and Harriet looked at her expectantly. "Good afternoon, Mac. Did your visit with Harm go well?" Bud asked.
Mac rubbed a hand over her tired face. "Let's just say that Harm is true to form."
Harriet cast a concerned look at her friend. "Ma'am, if you would like I'll send Gunny after some take out. I know we will are be more productive on a full stomach." She knew Mac had probably neglected herself in her concern for Harm. At least they should be able to see what is right in front of them after this, she thought to her self.
"Good idea, Harriet. Lots of coffee,too" Mac took out her notes as Harriet sent Gunny the request. As soon as Harriet was seated again she began. 'First of all, Bud I want you to put together a list of the usual suspects. Anyone who threatened revenge against the Commander and myself."
"You, ma'am?" Bud asked.
Mac ignored the question. "Check everyone for alibis and prioritize them. And Bud..."
Bud looked up from his notes. "Ma'am?"
Mac sighed, "Make sure Mic Brumby's name is on the list." Mac looked at the stunned faces around her. "I want no stone unturned."
Gunny came in with the food after putting it around the table he started to leave.
"Gunny, stick around, have a seat. You may have something to contribute. You worked homicide on the outside, right?" "Yes ma'am" he said taking a seat at the far end of the table.
Mac took a sandwich, unwrapped it and set it to the side. "I'd like to go over the evidence now.Sae up a separate folder for each," She waited until everyone had returned to thier notes. "First, PO Coates testimony that she had seen Harm and Singer arguing in a bar. We need to find witnesses that saw them leave seperately and someont who can confirm Harm's whereabouts afterward."
Bud looked up. "Colonel, that's going to be next to immpossible. It was three months ago."
"Reinterview Coates and see if she remembers anyone. Next, Harm's fingerprints in her car; I'll ask Harm about that," She made a note on the pad in front of her. Gunny, find out if anyother prints were found." She passed a note pad to Gunny. On top of it was the note she had found in her car encased in a plastic evidence bag. "Also see if the lab can pull any prints off of that."
"Aye aye, ma'am."
Mac looked thoughtful for a minute. "Harriet, can you set up a phone interview for me with Sergei Zukhov? You'll find his number in the commander's rolodex." Mac sighed, now for the most damning piece of evidence. "There was a commander's cover found on scene. I would like to know if any DNA was obtained from it, any identifiers on it or anything distinctive. Also Harriet, check to see if there have been any orders placed for commnaders covers. Who ever lost that one will need a new one. Even the fact that Harm didn't place the order may help out case." Harriet looked up to see a thoughtful expression on Harriet's face. "Something on your mind, Harriet.?"
Startled out of thoughfulness Harriet stammered, "Yes ma'am,...I mean no, ma'am....I mean, well I'm sure someone has already been there."
Mac was interested. "Speak up, Harriet. If you have a thought I want to hear it, that's why we're here."
"Well, ma'am. If someone did switch covers with the Commander and if they left the Commander's cover at the crime scene, wouldn't it stand to reason that the Commander's cover, I mean the cover the Commander has been using.....Has anyone looked at it?" Harriet looked that the stunned faces around the table, but came back to Mac's. There was a fire in her eyes where clouds of despair had been before.
"Gunny?" Mac barely got the word out before he jumped out of his seat.
"I'm on it, ma'am" he came to attention and left the room.
Mac shut her eyes and prayed this was the break they needed.
Harm tossed in his bunk. After mentally reviewing the case he didn't like tha odds against him. Circumstantial or not the evidence all pointed in his direction. his mind kept coming back to the cover found on scene. So, the killer was a commander or perhaps just wanted it to seem he was. He made a list of Commanders that might have a grudge against him. Something, a small fact, part of a memory was tugging at his consciousness.He hadn't lost a cover .He had been carefully framed. He knew he was innocent and he was reasonably certain Sergei was. No, he knew his brother wouldn't stoop to murder. Especilaly the murder of his unborn child. It hit Harm then, then unborn child was his neice. A solitary tear trickle doen his cheek.
To be continued
Harm felt like kicking himself. The feeling wasn't new, but when you had a lot of time to youself to think you tended to revisit old memories. Harm had a lot of time to think these days. Mac had come to save his six (once again) and he had been a beligerant ass (once again). What was it about her that brought out the worst in him? Why couldn't he be humble, appreciative and lay things on the line for her? One thing was for certain, if he didn't get out of here her would have the rest of his life to contemplte the 'would have beens' and 'could have beens'. The whole Singer business was a mess. He had gone so overboard protecting Serei he had put him self on the block. Now all of that circumstantial evidence was going to get him axed. Unlike a civilian court where he was presumed innocent he was going against bias of guilt from the begining. It was going to take a miracle to get him out of here. 'Or a force of nature',he chuckled. If, no, when Mac got him out of here he vowed things were going to be a lot different.
As Mac entered the conference room all conversation ceased. The occupants; Bud and Harriet looked at her expectantly. "Good afternoon, Mac. Did your visit with Harm go well?" Bud asked.
Mac rubbed a hand over her tired face. "Let's just say that Harm is true to form."
Harriet cast a concerned look at her friend. "Ma'am, if you would like I'll send Gunny after some take out. I know we will are be more productive on a full stomach." She knew Mac had probably neglected herself in her concern for Harm. At least they should be able to see what is right in front of them after this, she thought to her self.
"Good idea, Harriet. Lots of coffee,too" Mac took out her notes as Harriet sent Gunny the request. As soon as Harriet was seated again she began. 'First of all, Bud I want you to put together a list of the usual suspects. Anyone who threatened revenge against the Commander and myself."
"You, ma'am?" Bud asked.
Mac ignored the question. "Check everyone for alibis and prioritize them. And Bud..."
Bud looked up from his notes. "Ma'am?"
Mac sighed, "Make sure Mic Brumby's name is on the list." Mac looked at the stunned faces around her. "I want no stone unturned."
Gunny came in with the food after putting it around the table he started to leave.
"Gunny, stick around, have a seat. You may have something to contribute. You worked homicide on the outside, right?" "Yes ma'am" he said taking a seat at the far end of the table.
Mac took a sandwich, unwrapped it and set it to the side. "I'd like to go over the evidence now.Sae up a separate folder for each," She waited until everyone had returned to thier notes. "First, PO Coates testimony that she had seen Harm and Singer arguing in a bar. We need to find witnesses that saw them leave seperately and someont who can confirm Harm's whereabouts afterward."
Bud looked up. "Colonel, that's going to be next to immpossible. It was three months ago."
"Reinterview Coates and see if she remembers anyone. Next, Harm's fingerprints in her car; I'll ask Harm about that," She made a note on the pad in front of her. Gunny, find out if anyother prints were found." She passed a note pad to Gunny. On top of it was the note she had found in her car encased in a plastic evidence bag. "Also see if the lab can pull any prints off of that."
"Aye aye, ma'am."
Mac looked thoughtful for a minute. "Harriet, can you set up a phone interview for me with Sergei Zukhov? You'll find his number in the commander's rolodex." Mac sighed, now for the most damning piece of evidence. "There was a commander's cover found on scene. I would like to know if any DNA was obtained from it, any identifiers on it or anything distinctive. Also Harriet, check to see if there have been any orders placed for commnaders covers. Who ever lost that one will need a new one. Even the fact that Harm didn't place the order may help out case." Harriet looked up to see a thoughtful expression on Harriet's face. "Something on your mind, Harriet.?"
Startled out of thoughfulness Harriet stammered, "Yes ma'am,...I mean no, ma'am....I mean, well I'm sure someone has already been there."
Mac was interested. "Speak up, Harriet. If you have a thought I want to hear it, that's why we're here."
"Well, ma'am. If someone did switch covers with the Commander and if they left the Commander's cover at the crime scene, wouldn't it stand to reason that the Commander's cover, I mean the cover the Commander has been using.....Has anyone looked at it?" Harriet looked that the stunned faces around the table, but came back to Mac's. There was a fire in her eyes where clouds of despair had been before.
"Gunny?" Mac barely got the word out before he jumped out of his seat.
"I'm on it, ma'am" he came to attention and left the room.
Mac shut her eyes and prayed this was the break they needed.
Harm tossed in his bunk. After mentally reviewing the case he didn't like tha odds against him. Circumstantial or not the evidence all pointed in his direction. his mind kept coming back to the cover found on scene. So, the killer was a commander or perhaps just wanted it to seem he was. He made a list of Commanders that might have a grudge against him. Something, a small fact, part of a memory was tugging at his consciousness.He hadn't lost a cover .He had been carefully framed. He knew he was innocent and he was reasonably certain Sergei was. No, he knew his brother wouldn't stoop to murder. Especilaly the murder of his unborn child. It hit Harm then, then unborn child was his neice. A solitary tear trickle doen his cheek.
To be continued