Rosaria can tell the lieutenant colonel’s executive officer is very good at his job, being the quiet intermediary, the one who calms the lieutenant colonel, who supplies information, excuses, and anything to make the office run smoothly and cleanly. Like the good mom, trying to smooth things over among squabbling siblings, although Rosaria has never known a real mom or dad in her life. Although she’s only just met the executive officer, she’s sure he’s popular among the personnel at this intelligence battalion.

“Colonel Denton…is that true?”

“If Major Wenner says it, then it must be true.”

“I see, sir.”

“You should consider yourself lucky that you’ve just wasted a morning drive,” he says sourly. “Three years ago, we were at Fort Gordon, in Georgia. It was a nice posting, until some bureaucrats and a congressman moved us here to Virginia in some high-class shuffle.”

Rosaria says, “I’ll certainly keep that in mind, sir.”

He abruptly closes the manila folder. “I suggest you come back tomorrow.”

Rosaria slowly picks up her leather bag. “At oh-eight hundred, sir?”

Lieutenant Colonel Denton stares at her. “My XO will advise you later today.”

“Very well, sir.”

She stands up and Denton says, “Call me old-fashioned and cranky, Special Agent Vasquez, but I don’t like seeing on-duty Army personnel wearing civilian clothes on my post.”

Rosaria says, “Then I won’t do it, sir.”

“What?”

She starts out of the office. “I won’t call you old-fashioned or cranky. Sir.”

CHAPTER 16

LESS THAN twenty minutes later, Rosaria Vasquez is parked in the driveway of Captain Cornwall’s home in Kingstowne, Virginia. She steps out of her government-issued white GMC sedan, notes a light-blue Honda CR-V with Virginia license plates in the driveway. She checks paperwork in her folder. Registered to Captain Cornwall and her husband, Tom, a former reporter for the AP, the New York Times, and other news outlets. They have a young girl, named Denise. Ten years old. They’ve been together for eleven years, got married when they were in their early twenties. Lots of moving around in the States due to their respective careers, and Rosaria wonders how somebody could be so much in love with someone else to put up with so many disruptions.

She finds she’s envious of Tom and Amy Cornwall, despite the trouble Amy is in. Rosaria is sure that however this is resolved, Amy’s husband will be right at her side, backing her up no matter what.

To be so fortunate.

She goes back to the paperwork. There’s a Jeep Wrangler, also registered in Captain Cornwall’s name, that’s not in the driveway. She walks up to the garage, peers in.

Empty.

She digs out her Galaxy cell phone, dials the numbers for Captain Cornwall. Home and mobile.

Both go to voice mail, the home voice belonging to her husband, the cell belonging to the captain. Her voice is clear, clean, with a hint of a New England accent.

She backs away from the garage, goes to the front door, rings the doorbell three times, and then hammers on the door with her fist.