She nodded again. "Let's skip to the day of the accident, can you tell me if you remember anything out of the ordinary happening at any time that day?"

"You mean with Alex?"

"Yes."

His brow furrowed in concentration. "Everything was fine. We practiced our routines for the air show. Talked, cracked jokes, you know, normal stuff. Until it came time to suit up for the fly over at Fenway."

"What happened then?"

"We were walking out to the Hornets when she told me she forgot something and had to go back in." I didn't think anything of it until she came back out. I was already in the cockpit, and when I saw her climb in I noticed something in her hand. I tried to call her over the radio, but she didn't respond to me. I tried to get her attention in other ways, but she never looked in my direction. In fact, now that I think about it, it seems like she was trying to avoid me."

"Why would she do that?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. We've had our share of fights over the years, but not that day we didn't."

"When you say there was something in her hand. What did it look like?"

"I only got a brief look at it. All I remember is that she was holding it to her side, and it was black."

"How big was it?"

He shrugged. "Obviously bigger than her hand, but that's all I could see."

Mac nodded. "Is there anything else?"

"Yeah. She missed the send off."

"Send off?"

"Yeah, every time we'd flown together. Right before take off, she'd radio me, and say 'If we get these birds back on the ground, I promise I'll marry you. I'll even give you my last name.' Then we'd laugh, and I'd say 'William Williams, that has a nice ring to it.'"

Mac chuckled. "She did that every time?"

"Every time but this one. She didn't contact me at all. I tried several times throughout the flight to the park to contact her, but no joy."

"Why do you think she wasn't responding."

"I really have no idea." He shrugged. "I assumed at the time it was just a radio malfunction."

Mac pursed her lips. "I have to ask you about the crash. Can you tell me what happened from your vantage point?"

"Ma'am it wasn't a crash. That bird exploded midair, and then fell into the park."

Mac's eyebrows rose. "What happened before it exploded?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I remember sensing something was wrong, I looked over just in time to get out of the way as she wavered into my flight path. She nearly clipped my wing. The bird exploded before I had time to try to hail her to see what was wrong." He paused, and swallowed hard. "I thought my guts were going to come out. I felt myself trying to scream for her, but it wasn't working. It was all I could do to get out of the way of the debris." He looked down and studied the ground. "I don't even remember landing back at the base."

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely. "Can you think of any reason that Lt. Williams would want to take her own life? Or can you think of anyone who may have had a grudge against her?" At his shocked look, she added. "I just have to cover all of the bases."

He nodded, even as his brow creased in thought. "No, Alex was a great person. If a little shy. Everyone loved her. I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt her in any way, let alone…" He couldn't finish his sentence.

Mac gave him a moment to regain his composure. "Can you think of anything at all that I might need to know?"

He shook his head. "No Ma'am." He looked Mac in the eye. "Alex didn't have any family at all. She had friends, but never anyone close."

"No one but you."

"No one but me." He agreed. Then his eyes filled again, and the look of utter grief on his face made Mac's heart tighten in her chest. "Ma'am, will they give me anything that I can bury? Is there anything left?"

Mac felt the unbidden sting of tears in her eyes, and had to will them back before she spoke. "I doubt it Lt. But I'll let you know if I find out anything else."

"Thank you." He whispered.

TBC…