Faith nodded.“Okay.That’s good for now.”
They were in a park in Arlington watching parents play with their children in a playground while dog owners tossed sticks and frisbees to their pets in a nearby dog park and older couples walked hand-in-hand enjoying the bright, sunny day.They had the entire afternoon left to them and unless they came up with another lead, they were stuck waiting for Dr.Paulson to get back to them.
Or for another victim to provide them with more evidence.
“I don’t want to just sit around,” Jessica said.“Why don’t we follow up on the dog tags?I know they’re from all over the place, but there must have been a reason why the killer placed them with the victims.”
Faith nodded.“We have the list of names.We can look through them and determine if there’s a common thread.”
“How would the killer obtain these tags anyway?”Jessica asked as they headed for the car.“I assume you can’t just get dog tags anywhere.”
Faith sighed.“Unfortunately, you can.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.Official dog tags have to be issued by the military branch directly to service members, but they’re just stamped sheet metal.You can order official ones as long as you have the service member’s name, rank, and serial number.They get shipped directly to you.Service members do this a lot to replace lost tags, and loved ones will order replicas to memorialize their lost loved ones.Dog tags get lost all the time, or sometimes people choose to bury their loved ones with the originals.Squadmates will order more to—”
“Okay, I get it,” Jessica said.“Literally anyone can get real dog tags with no effort, so trying to find the guy ordering a bunch isn’t going to turn anything up.”
“If the killer’s ordering them, it might give us something, but like I said, they’re just stamped sheet metal.You can buy the tools to make your own for a couple hundred bucks including materials cost.”
Jessica’s shoulders slumped.“Well, phooey.”
“We can still look at the names,” Faith said.“Someone would have to have access to records to get the correct serial numbers.It’s too many people for someone to just know all of that information off the top of their head.”Her eyes widened.“Actually, that’s a good place to look.Head back to the VA.Our killer might be pulling the names of deceased combatants from their records office.”
Jessica’s shoulders perked up.She made a barely legal and probably not safe wide right turn, earning a honk from a minivan that hadn’t anticipated the movement.Turk barked questioningly, and Faith reached back to scratch him behind the ear.“Hold on, boy.We might have something.”
Turk barked again and started wagging his tail.It thumped against the back of Faith’s seat and the back of the rear seats.Faith laughed watching her big dog cope with the tight confines of the Prius.“Next time I’ll bring the Crown Vic, buddy.”
***
The older man at the VA Records office greeted the two of them with a tolerant half-smile.“If we’re going to be seeing so much of each other, we might as well be on a first-name basis.I’m Chief Master Sergeant Arnold Preston.Most people just call me Chief.”
“Staff Sergeant Faith Bold,” Faith replied with a grin.“Special Agent now, but I still have the globe and anchor tattoo.”
“Can’t take the Corps out of the Marine,” Chief agreed.“Pleasure to meet you, Faith.”
“Jessica.Just Special Agent, but I have a cousin in the Space Force.”
“We take Space heads and their families too,” Chief replied, shaking her hand.“So, what can I do for you now?”
“The killer hangs dog tags around the necks of their victims,” Faith said.“Dozens on each victim.The serial numbers are accurate, and the service members named span twenty years and multiple theaters.Whoever’s doing this would need access to records in order to order or replicate these tags.”
Chief’s smile faded.“Ah.Well, I have an alibi for both of the previous mornings.I start here at four a.m.Usually, I’m on my way home by now, but on Mondays, I’ve been covering for one of my subordinates while he undergoes treatment at the veteran’s clinic in Capitol Heights.”
“You weren’t a suspect, Chief, but I appreciate the information,” Faith replied.“My question to you is do you know of anyone in this office who’s been going through old records recently?Perhaps someone who’s expressed bitterness toward chaplains or religion in general.”
Chief’s shoulders slumped a little.Reluctantly, he admitted, “I guess Thomas is a little bit ambivalent toward religion.I’ve tried to get him to come to church with me, but he’s shut me down each time.”
Faith tried to keep her excitement from showing.This was obviously difficult for Chief.“Would Thomas have access to veterans’ records?”
Chief nodded.“Yeah, we all have access.One of the services we provide here is obtaining records of people’s service history.This is usually for surviving loved ones who want to know more about their fallen family, but from time to time it’s useful when people are being falsely denied benefits and need proof that they’ve earned certain relief.It’s unfortunate, but things fall through the cracks.We’re usually the guys who have to come in and seal those cracks.”
“Is Thomas here right now?”Faith asked.
“No, he’s the one receiving treatment in Capitol Heights.I can’t imagine he’s the one you’re looking for, though.He’s never given any indication that he’s violent.”
Faith had seen plenty of incredibly violent people successfully masquerade as harmless.Some of the most violent people she’d ever known had hidden it so well that Faith herself didn’t even realize who they really were until much later.
