An Unlawful Order (The Chase Anderson Series) by Carver Greene Page B
Authors: Carver Greene
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tags belonging to Kitty’s husband.
“You’re welcome,” Chase managed to mutter. “And—I’m so sorry about your loss.” She was a Public Affairs officer, and this was the best she could offer?
The woman’s eyes, rimmed with the longest lashes Chase had ever seen, fluttered quickly until tears trickled over the rims and down her cheeks. “Oh no,” Kitty said,reaching inside her purse for a tissue. “The dam is breaking. I promised myself I wasn’t going to do this, not here—”
“I’m sorry to say I know what you’re going through.”
“Of course you do,” Kitty said. “Tony and Stone flew a lot of missions together. All this time, and this is how we finally meet. Hysterical, isn’t it?”
Chase sensed the reprimand, the insinuation that it was her fault she remained outside the circle of wives’ club activities that included teas and bridge and emotional support. But Chase’s identity wasn’t wrapped up in being an officer’s wife. “I suppose we’re all a little guilty of taking too much for granted.” And then, remembering Major White’s mistress, immediately regretted thecomeback.
A woman who was holding a hand of each of Kitty’s two children approached and stopped short of interrupting. Kitty turned from Chase to her children.
To reach Paul Shapiro, who was still chatting away under the banyan tree, Chase decided she’d have to sidestep the crowd as far right as she could to keep from being noticed by Hickman, who seemed, for once, to be doing all the listening in the conversation with Farris and Colonel Figueredo. Oddly, Figueredo appeared to be doing all the talking. From the way Hickman continued to glance out toward the ocean instead of directly at Figueredo, and from the way Hickman would begin to place his hands on his hips, then cross and uncross them overhis chest, Chase had the impression the conversation was much terser than any of the three men was willing to give away in public. At any rate, Hickman was too preoccupied to notice Chase.
She was twenty yards or so away from Paul Shapiro and still couldn’t make out the conversation he was having, thanks to the uncooperative direction of the breeze. He was practically head-to-head with a woman in a black-and-white bold print dress and wide black hat that the woman was forced to clutch to her head from time to time. At least she wasn’t a Marine he’d be quoting on tomorrow’s front page.
“Paul!” Chase shouted, unable to hide her irritation.
When he turned, Chase saw that PaulShapiro had been talking to Major White’s other woman.
As Chase approached the two, the woman bolted to Shapiro’s left, but he grabbed her wrist. “Captain Anderson should hear this.” The woman looked nervous enough to jump off the cliff. During their assignment to Okinawa, Chase and Stone had visited the cliffs from which women had jumped to save themselves from what they believed would be humiliation of rape and torture by U.S. Marines. Those too afraid to jump had been shoved over by fathers, brothers, and uncles. Major White’s mistress looked as if she could make the leap on her own.
“You know the rules, Paul. I need you to rejoin the group.”
Shapiro was still gripping the woman’s wrist, as if he, too, thought she might be frightened enough to jump. “If you don’t tell her, I will. Someone’s got to know.”
The woman shook her head. She looked as if she might cry.
Chase saw North and Cruise herding their media teams across the parking lot toward the vehicles. Hickman was thankfully climbing into his sedan. The black limousine bearing Mrs. White and her children pulled away from the chapel.
“Time to go.”
Shapiro looked back at the woman. She was shaking her head. “Not yet,” she whispered.
He ignored her. “We think—” he glanced at the woman and back at Chase,“Melanie—Dr. Appleton—and I have reasons to believe Major White’s accident was no accident.”
“Really—” Chase said, staring
“You’re welcome,” Chase managed to mutter. “And—I’m so sorry about your loss.” She was a Public Affairs officer, and this was the best she could offer?
The woman’s eyes, rimmed with the longest lashes Chase had ever seen, fluttered quickly until tears trickled over the rims and down her cheeks. “Oh no,” Kitty said,reaching inside her purse for a tissue. “The dam is breaking. I promised myself I wasn’t going to do this, not here—”
“I’m sorry to say I know what you’re going through.”
“Of course you do,” Kitty said. “Tony and Stone flew a lot of missions together. All this time, and this is how we finally meet. Hysterical, isn’t it?”
Chase sensed the reprimand, the insinuation that it was her fault she remained outside the circle of wives’ club activities that included teas and bridge and emotional support. But Chase’s identity wasn’t wrapped up in being an officer’s wife. “I suppose we’re all a little guilty of taking too much for granted.” And then, remembering Major White’s mistress, immediately regretted thecomeback.
A woman who was holding a hand of each of Kitty’s two children approached and stopped short of interrupting. Kitty turned from Chase to her children.
To reach Paul Shapiro, who was still chatting away under the banyan tree, Chase decided she’d have to sidestep the crowd as far right as she could to keep from being noticed by Hickman, who seemed, for once, to be doing all the listening in the conversation with Farris and Colonel Figueredo. Oddly, Figueredo appeared to be doing all the talking. From the way Hickman continued to glance out toward the ocean instead of directly at Figueredo, and from the way Hickman would begin to place his hands on his hips, then cross and uncross them overhis chest, Chase had the impression the conversation was much terser than any of the three men was willing to give away in public. At any rate, Hickman was too preoccupied to notice Chase.
She was twenty yards or so away from Paul Shapiro and still couldn’t make out the conversation he was having, thanks to the uncooperative direction of the breeze. He was practically head-to-head with a woman in a black-and-white bold print dress and wide black hat that the woman was forced to clutch to her head from time to time. At least she wasn’t a Marine he’d be quoting on tomorrow’s front page.
“Paul!” Chase shouted, unable to hide her irritation.
When he turned, Chase saw that PaulShapiro had been talking to Major White’s other woman.
As Chase approached the two, the woman bolted to Shapiro’s left, but he grabbed her wrist. “Captain Anderson should hear this.” The woman looked nervous enough to jump off the cliff. During their assignment to Okinawa, Chase and Stone had visited the cliffs from which women had jumped to save themselves from what they believed would be humiliation of rape and torture by U.S. Marines. Those too afraid to jump had been shoved over by fathers, brothers, and uncles. Major White’s mistress looked as if she could make the leap on her own.
“You know the rules, Paul. I need you to rejoin the group.”
Shapiro was still gripping the woman’s wrist, as if he, too, thought she might be frightened enough to jump. “If you don’t tell her, I will. Someone’s got to know.”
The woman shook her head. She looked as if she might cry.
Chase saw North and Cruise herding their media teams across the parking lot toward the vehicles. Hickman was thankfully climbing into his sedan. The black limousine bearing Mrs. White and her children pulled away from the chapel.
“Time to go.”
Shapiro looked back at the woman. She was shaking her head. “Not yet,” she whispered.
He ignored her. “We think—” he glanced at the woman and back at Chase,“Melanie—Dr. Appleton—and I have reasons to believe Major White’s accident was no accident.”
“Really—” Chase said, staring
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