Faith didn’t answer.The second reporter, now miffed, asked, “Special Agent Bold, don’t you believe the public has the right to know why these murders are happening?”
“No.”
That stunned all three of them.The male reporter, sensing that Faith wasn’t going to play along, asked Jessica, “Do you believe your partner’s grief will impact her ability to work this case?”
“No,” Jessica replied just as bluntly as Faith had a moment ago.
“Agents, please,” the first reporter snapped.“The public has a right to know—”
“They do not,” Faith interrupted.“A man was murdered this morning in cold blood.His death is a tragedy, not a sensation.This case is a serious investigation, not a crime drama.When we have comments to make, we will make them.Until that time, you may assume that our priority is to solve this case, not to boost your ratings.Now move your vehicles, or I’ll have them moved for you.”
The reporters glared at Faith for a long moment.The second female reporter tossed her hair saucily and turned to her camera.“As you can see, emotions are running high as FBI darling Faith Bold grapples with a case that just might be her most personal to date.”
Faith resisted the urge to roll her eyes as all three reporters offered barely disguised opinions that Faith was too compromised to work this case and the public would remain in mortal danger as long as the FBI allowed her to irresponsibly investigate this murder.She pulled her phone from her pocket and made sure her voice was loud enough to be heard on camera as she pretended to dial nine-one-on.“Hello, yes?My friend and I are being prevented from leaving the side of the road by news crews from Channels Six, Nine, and Thirteen.They’ve parked their vans in such a way that we are unable to move our own vehicle and—”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” the male reporter grumbled.“Greg, move the van.”He flashed Faith a reproachful look.“We’re just trying to do our jobs.”
“So are we,” Faith replied.
The news crews reluctantly moved their vehicles out of the way.The three FBI agents entered Jessica’s Prius, and the younger agent drove them away from the scene, chuckling at the rearview mirror as the cameramen tracked their movements.“Well, that was fun.”
“It’s going to get a lot more fun before the end of it,” Faith warned.
As Jessica accelerated away from the eager news crews, Faith looked Hayes up in the Veterans’ Association database.Hayes had retired from the Navy Chaplain Corps ten years ago, but he remained active with the VA, serving as Chaplain Emeritus for the Washington West VA Office, which, conveniently, was located at Joint Base Meyer-Henderson Hall directly adjacent to the cemetery.Business hours for the office ended two hours earlier, but most VA offices had twenty-four-hour chaplain services available for veterans in crisis.
She called the number, and after working her way through a long menu, found herself speaking with Chaplain Veronica Kessler, the Chaplain-in-Chief for the office. After introducing herself, Faith asked if she could stop by briefly to interview the chaplains who knew Hayes.
“I’m the only one still in the office,” Kessler replied, “but you can talk to me.I’ll call someone to cover the phone lines for me, and then we can talk.What did you say your name was, by the way?”
“Faith Bold.”
“Hmm… That sounds familiar.”
“I served briefly with Chaplain Hayes,” Faith replied.She didn’t share the story of Hayes comforting her after her first battle.
“Ah.He must have mentioned you.He had an excellent memory.He recalled much about the people he served with.Were you a member of the Navy Chaplain Corps?”
“No, ma’am,” Faith said.“I was just a grunt.”
“There’s no such thing as just a grunt, Miss Bold,” Kessler said.“Not to Robert, and not to me.”
A lump formed in Faith’s throat.She reallywasemotional.She swallowed it and said, “I appreciate that, ma’am.I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon.Go with God, Special Agent.”
Faith hung up and kept her reply to herself.I’ll sure try.
***
The VA office at Myer-Henderson Hall was quiet when they arrived but not empty.While business hours ended early, in practice, the VA offices were accessible at all times to veterans in need.A few people waited in the VA clinic’s lobby for urgent care visits.A few others walked through the memorial hall, reading names on plaques dedicated to those fallen in combat or looking at statues or pictures of past military leaders.To most, their expressions would have been unreadable, but Faith recognized the deep pain in their eyes, the haunted dreams from which they never fully woke.
Turk padded softly down the hall to Chaplain Kessler’s office, gazing with empathy on the visitors.A few met his eyes and smiled.He dipped his head in acknowledgment and from time to time gave Faith a proud but weary look.Faith wondered how much he remembered of his own service.She’d met him when they were both in the middle of their FBI careers, but Turk was a former Marine working dog too.
Just like Sierra.
That unwelcome insertion reminded Faith of David, back at home with his bodyguards preparing for a night without Faith.She pushed the thought away before it could pull her too far from the case and knocked on Chaplain Kessler’s door, two solid raps before standing at attention without thinking.
“Enter,” Kessler replied in the appropriate way, probably also not thinking.The military ingrained itself into a person’s psyche at the deepest levels.
