Condley cleared his throat, somewhat nervous under the doctor’s steady stare. “The matter is still under investigation, sir. It shames me to say it, but it appears he was killed by an American deserter while both of them were in a remote area with the Viet Cong. From what I can personally tell, I think the guy wanted Larkin’s passport as a way to leave the country.”

The old man shook his head sadly from side to side, as if the incident had happened only yesterday. “I knew something like this would happen to him. Something violent and unpredictable. He was so wild and yet so wide-eyed. So trusting in his own odd little way.”

Professor Muir took several pages from the folder, including photographs of the remains and his own detailed drawings of the key areas that had provided him evidence. He scanned them as he spoke. “Doctor, we strongly suspect that the remains we recovered were those of Mathew Larkin, but obviously we need to clarify that. From my examination I can confirm that this was a man in his early twenties, about five foot nine inches tall, with brown hair.” He looked over at the doctor, looking for any refutation and finding none. “We don’t have much to go on other than that. I did find evidence of repeated trauma to the joint area of his right shoulder—right here—and also several areas in the neck and upper vertebrae that indicate an unusual amount of trauma in that skeletal region for a man so young. Look at this area here.”

Muir handed the pages to Doctor Hasler. The old man stared at them for several minutes before handing them back, as if he was looking for secret answers of his own.

“It’s Mathew.” The old man’s face was filled with grief and yet seemed softened by the knowledge of discovery. “Of course it is. I can’t tell you how many times I set the boy’s shoulder. And the teeth. Odd, but I remember his fillings.Very good teeth. And the neck trauma. Yes. He was a fighter, you know. Inside and outside the ring. An absolute terror.” Hasler smiled softly now, remembering. “I loved to watch him fight. He never knew that.”

“So you feel positive about this identification?”

“I have no doubt.”

“You can write a letter of certification for us?”