“No.”
“Why not?”
“It was sealed. I’m assuming because of the issues involved.”
“National security,” she said, and Puller could imagine her head nodding and her perhaps frowning at this. He had found that Shireen Kirk did not like secrets on either end of a case. They were a lot alike in that regard.
“Right. But why do you need to know about his case?”
“I’m trying to find him. If I knew what he went to DB for it might generate some leads for me.”
He hoped the late hour had reduced the efficiency of her bullshit meter.
“O-kay,” she said slowly, skepticism oozing from both syllables.
“I think you’d agree that breaking out of DB is pretty remarkable.”
“I think we can agree on that.”
“And maybe he had help to do it.”
“So you think whoever he was involved with before helped him escape?”
“It’s a theory.”
“He’s been at DB for how long?”
“Over two years.”
“Long time to wait to bust somebody out.”
“Not really. Not if you have to acquire the tools with which to do so.”
“Inside help, you mean?”
“That wouldn’t come easily or cheaply. At least I hope it wouldn’t, since it might implicate folks in uniform.”
“Well, if the file is sealed, I’m not sure there’s much I can do. And if you’ve been authorized to investigate this case you should be able to get it unsealed going through appropriate channels.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But right now I prefer not to employ proper channels. And I was thinking that you might know people who could unseal it.”
“That would take a court order, Puller,” she said sharply. “Because it would have taken a court order to seal it.”
“Well, I remember from high school science class that for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.”
“Yeah, and I remember from law school that a fool and her license to practice are soon parted.”
“I’m not asking you to do anything unethical, Shireen, because I know you wouldn’t. All I’m asking is for you to just see if there’s any way I can find out about the case. Something I can read. Someone I can talk to. Anything is more than I have right now. The military never throws anything away. There has to be some record of it somewhere.”
There was another pause and Puller started to wonder if she had hung up.
“Shireen?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m still here. I’m just taking a minute to pull my head out of my ass for even contemplating helping you.”
“But you are contemplating?” noted Puller hopefully.
“I’ll make some calls. Anything comes of it, you’ll hear from me. If nothing comes of it, you won’t. Good enough?”
“Good enough. Thanks, Shireen.”
“Don’t thank me. This shit stinks so bad it’s a wonder you’re still breathing.”
“I know it’s out of the ordinary.”
“It’s not just out of the ordinary, it’s unthinkable. Letting you work on this case violates every rule the Army has. And you better get your head out of your ass and wonder why they’re really letting you do it. Because I can’t think of a single reason that would benefit you, three-star and NSC approvals notwithstanding.”
She clicked off and Puller put his phone back in his pocket.
He wasn’t a lawyer, but he had spent enough time around them to know that they could smell a problem and potential downside from the other side of the world. They definitely looked at the glass half-empty. And right now, maybe he should too.
Why do they really want me on this case?
Schindler, Daughtrey, and Rinehart had given him reasons for it. They seemed sound and plausible. But after what Shireen had just said they didn’t seem that sound or that plausible. And now Daughtrey was dead.
He was still thinking about this when he heard the woman scream.
CHAPTER
“You’re investigating Robert Puller’s escape from prison. You hope to bring him back, alive rather than dead.”
Puller kept his mouth shut.
“I want to know what you’ve found out so far. Do you know where he is?”
“No.”
“Do you have any promising leads?”