“And if we find that spark, we’ll know what we can offer him.”
“Maggie, the only thing we can offer him is a long stretch in Leavenworth. He knows that, and if we try to bullshit him, he’ll get pissed, and if we try to save his soul, he’ll laugh. Either way, he’s not buying what you’re selling.”
“All right, how would you handle this interview with the suspect?”
“First, I’d make it clear that we are here to arrest him. Then I would make him aware that before we were cops, we were real soldiers, like he was, and we saw the same shit, like he did.”
She nodded. “Good.”
“I would then invite him to tell us his story about what happened over there—as little or as much as he wants to tell. Then I might dangle a deal in front of him. Assuming he was involved in Flagstaff, I’d assure him that he would have an opportunity to testify about that in a public venue. This would mitigate his own guilt if, in fact, he killed civilians. I’d also give him a pass on the charge of desecrating enemy bodies. That’s a nonstarter in the court of American public opinion anyway. I would also not mention the name of Robert Crenshaw. That’s a capital offense if he did it, and it’s a hard charge to prove. So we’re down to desertion, which can be reduced to dereliction of duty and some other non-hanging offenses.” He added, “He’s got to pay for his crimes, but the Army defines the crimes and hints at the penalty if the accused agrees to plead guilty, and to pay the price. That saves time and money on a court-martial.” He reminded her, “No one wants this to become a public spectacle.”
She stayed silent awhile, then said, “I think it’s important to him that he tells his story, and tries to find peace—in his heart, mind, and soul. I don’t think he cares about making a deal or getting a reduced sentence.I don’t think he cares if he faces a firing squad, which he’d probably prefer to life behind bars.”
“Maybe you and I can offer him both. Justice and salvation. Like, good cop, good cop.”
“Like honest cops.”
“All right… But more likely this is all moot, because Kyle Mercer is happy where he is. And not happy to see us.”
“It’s worth a try.”
“Right. We’ll talk to him like our lives depend on it.”
She didn’t reply.
“I take the lead.”
“Don’t antagonize him.”
“Captain Mercer will respond well to military authority, and to a call to do his sworn duty as an officer.”
“He resigned his commission.”
“Not accepted.”
“All right… but get a sense of him before you go Army on him. If he’s talking, let him talk.”
“I always do.”
“Except when you get pissed off.”
“That never happens.”
“It happened when I was telling you about Flagstaff. Specifically about Trent.”
“Okay… let me make a confession. I’m a little jealous.”
“I never would have guessed.”
He didn’t respond to that, but said, “We’ll get out of this, Maggie. I promise you.”
She took his hand and squeezed it.
“And remember this—no matter what happens, we are not Captain Mercer’s captives. We are his arresting officers. And he knows that.”
“All right…” She took a long breath and squeezed his hand tighter. “I’ve never been so frightened in my life.”
“Neither have I. And neither has Kyle Mercer. This is the end of the line for him, one way or the other, and he knows that, and he has to decide how this is going to end for him.”
