At His Command (11 page)

“I’m up to my eyeballs, in eyes, so make it fast.”

“I’m not going to ask.”

“It’s best you don’t.”

“I need you to fly out here and look over a fighter jet for me. I need a report fast.”

Math sighed. “Let me guess, twenty-four hours.”

“You got it in one.”

“Vargas, I can’t promise anything until I see the wreck.”

“I don’t care what anyone else says, Math, you’re the best.”

“Ha ha. Bye, lovely lady.”

“He’s very good at his job, so if anyone can get us some answers, Math can.”

“I pulled Lieutenant Washington’s record and I found something interesting.”

“What?”

“Looks like there was a reason Lieutenant Cotes was a bit jumpy.”

“Why?”

“She filed a sexual harassment complaint against Lieutenant Washington.”

“When?”

“Two weeks ago.”

“Nothing against Saunders?”

Sia pulled up the pilot’s file. “No, nothing here I see.”

“That doesn’t mean he wasn’t harassing her. Maybe she didn’t get a chance to file a complaint.”

“It’s possible, but from what I heard from his wingman, he didn’t seem the type and I didn’t find any notes in his rack when I searched.”

“We’ll search again.”

Sia bristled. “Do you think I’m inept? That I can’t do a competent search?”

“No, that’s not what I was implying. It’s possible something got missed. Especially when you’re not sure what you’re looking for. Now we know what we’re looking for.”

“In the meantime, let’s get Susan Cotes in here for some more questioning.”

Chris and Sia were seated when Susan Cotes entered Legal. She was still in her bright yellow tunic as she took a seat at the table across from them.

“I don’t know what I can add to what I’ve already told you,” she said, to break the thick tension in the air.

“Oh, I think you do,” Sia said. “You neglected to mention you had filed a sexual harassment charge against Lieutenant Washington.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I wasn’t trying to hide it from you,” she said quickly. “I didn’t want to blurt it out in front of my coworkers.”

“Well, we’re alone here. Tell us the details now. Did he assault you?”

“No, nothing like that. He was sending me notes. They would be tucked into my uniform or slipped under my door. Once he cornered me in the wardroom and said we should explore the relationship I’d described in a note to him. I had no idea what he was talking about. I wasn’t participating in this fantasy note-writing that he was sure was me. I suggested he had me mixed up with someone else. He insisted it was me, and he seemed quite confused by my response. That’s when I lodged the complaint. I barely knew him.”

“So he’d never initiated direct contact with you before the incident in the wardroom?”

“No. I thought maybe he was shy or something—not that he seemed that way. I’m not about to get involved with a pilot. I’m interested in making the Navy a career. I didn’t want to derail it. Lieutenant Washington was a very handsome man, but I just wasn’t interested. When I told him so, he seemed completely baffled and said I was a crazy bitch sending him mixed messages.”

“Do you have any of these notes?”

“I gave them to the captain when I filed the grievance.”

“You submitted your complaint only two days before Washington crashed his plane.”

“Yes, it started up about four days before the crash. I didn’t want it to get out of hand, so I made the complaint and hoped the captain would reprimand him and it would stop.”

“But Washington crashed before the captain had a chance to speak to him?”

“Yes. I’m sorry he’s dead. I just wanted him to leave me alone.”

“That’s all for now, Cotes. We might have more questions for you later.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She stood and left the cabin.

“How about we split up,” Chris suggested. “You go and talk to the captain and I’ll question Washington’s wingman. He might have some information about Susan Cotes.”

Chris shook his head. “I thought we were going to stick together.”

“Don’t be silly. I just fell. It’s nothing to be concerned about. Besides, we need to split up the workload. It’s more efficient.”

Chris looked skeptical, but nodded. “All right. If you’re sure.”

Chris headed toward the wardroom and found Lieutenant Monroe drinking coffee at a table. “Hello, Monroe,” Chris said, showing the lieutenant his badge. “I wanted to talk to you about Lieutenant Washington’s crash.”

“Have a seat.”

Chris sat down and leaned back in his chair. “What were the conditions like when you both went to land?”

“It was windy, and that’s always a tricky landing.”

“Thank God for the meatball.”

“Amen to that. It got me in safely with no wave-off my first pass, but when Eli went to land, it was a different story. His flying had been somewhat erratic about a half an hour out, but that’s understandable as he reported a problem with his radar. So he reported it and we were recalled. Most of the chatter on the radio was about Eli’s condition.”

“Did he answer?”

“He did, but as the approach got closer, he got more incoherent. Once I landed and taxied off, I no longer was on the radio. I watched as the LSO waved him off, but Eli came in too low and hit the ship. He skidded right past me. I could see him in the cockpit, but he made no attempt to eject. I didn’t even realize I was screaming for him to eject. Of course, he couldn’t hear me.”

“Did he appear to be unconscious to you?”

“He appeared aware, but I only saw him for a split second. If he had ejected, he would have made it.”

“Do you know anything about Washington harassing Lieutenant Susan Cotes?”

Monroe sighed. “Eli was shocked when he discovered the woman wasn’t interested and it wasn’t because of his good looks. Eli never had a problem with the ladies. He said she was into him, but he didn’t say why.”

“And that’s why he was shocked when she filed the sexual harassment charge?”

“Yes, when she told him, he was floored. He called her crazy and accused her of giving him mixed signals.”

“He didn’t elaborate on what the mixed signals were, though?”

“No. He didn’t say. He might have been a ladies man, but he was closemouthed about his exploits.”

“A true gentleman, huh?”

“Yeah.” Monroe paused. “The scuttlebutt floating around is pilot error. I hope that’s not the case. With Saunders’s crash and now Eli, there’s going to be some serious consequences for us if this is pilot error. A lot of scrutiny.”

“Our investigation isn’t complete. Let me know if you can think of anything else that might be important.”

“Will do.”

* * *

Sia navigated her way to the captain’s quarters and knocked on the door. He answered and she stepped inside. “I have a few questions regarding a sexual harassment charge Lieutenant Susan Cotes filed against Washington.”

“You think this is relevant in Washington’s death?”

“We still don’t have enough evidence he was murdered and we’re following the leads we find. Cotes had a beef with Washington.”

“She did. She was pretty upset when she came to me about it. It seems she was confused with the way he was harassing her.”

“The notes?”

“Yes.”

“Could I see them?”

The captain went to his desk and pulled a file.

Sia opened the file and found the notes were typewritten, with lascivious messages printed on them. They were signed simply “Eli.”

“These are not handwritten. If you’re wooing a woman, seems like you’d pull out all the stops.”

“I’m not sure. I didn’t get an opportunity to talk to him before he died.”

“Could I have permission to search his rack?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

When she turned to leave, the captain’s voice stopped her.

“Before you go, Commander, footage of both crashes your partner wanted to review are on this flash drive. I’ve had some pushback from Senator Washington. He wants answers about his son’s death. Unless you want the senator touching down on this carrier, you’d better wrap this up.” She reached for the flash drive, but he didn’t immediately let go of it. She looked into his piercing blue eyes and realized why he was in command of an aircraft carrier. “He’s not alone, Commander. I want them, too.”

He let go of the flash drive and Sia tucked it into her briefcase.

“With all due respect, sir, rushing an investigation is counterproductive.”

“Noted. Do it right, Commander, and do it fast.”

“Yes, sir.”

Sia left and headed right to Washington’s rack. Donning gloves, she began to search. It wasn’t long before she came across folded papers tucked under his mattress. After she opened them and read them, Sia realized they shed a whole new light on Susan Cotes and her sexual harassment story.

In lieu of the evidence she had in her hand, she had a couple more questions for the captain. But once she got to his quarters, she found he wasn’t there. When she bumped into the XO on the way to the bridge, he told her the captain had been called to the bridge.

She headed there, and as she was going to ascend the ladder she heard the sound of a helo. It was a large one and it hovered over the deck for only a few seconds before touching down.

She saw that the captain was on the flight deck waiting for the helo to land and she changed directions, making her way down to the flight deck. Her stomach dropped when she saw the official government emblem on the side of the helo.

When she reached the small knot of men hovering around a tall, distinguished man, Sia felt a jolt.

Senator Washington had landed on the deck of the
U.S.S. James McCloud
, and from the determined look on his face, she could tell he wanted answers.

And he wanted them now.

Chapter 7

S
he approached the captain, and the steely brown eyes of the senator turned her way. “Is this the JAG handling the case?” he demanded.

“Sir,” Sia said, reaching out a hand to him, but he just eyed her, the grief of his son’s death plain in his eyes.

“I’m not here for a social visit, Commander. I’m here for who is responsible for my son’s death. I’ve heard that it may not have been an accident.”

“We do have some leads, sir. But our investigation is still ongoing and I don’t—”

“You will brief me in fifteen minutes, Commander, in the captain’s conference room.”

“Sir.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, sir.”

He indicated for the captain to show him the way, and with a knowing look, he left with his entourage and the captain.

Scowling, Sia turned back to the interior of the ship. She needed to get back to Legal and talk to Chris before he was blindsided by the senator. He wouldn’t be pleased to find out that she’d already had a run-in with him without Chris present. As the lead investigator, it was a responsibility he would consider his. If there was one thing she knew about Chris, it was that he wouldn’t shirk this responsibility. She’d better get a move on and find him right away.

Sia headed back to the legal office. As she got to the top of the ladder, she felt two hands in the middle of her back. Before she could react, she was shoved violently. Losing her footing, she tumbled down the first three ladder steps before grabbing on to the handrail to stop herself from falling farther. Looking up, she caught a glimpse of something yellow ducking around the corner of the bulkhead.

“Ma’am. Are you all right?”

A seaman helped her to stand. Feeling shaky, Sia held on to the handrail until she felt more solid. “Can I escort you to sick bay, ma’am?”

“No, that won’t be necessary, but thank you for your help.” When she faced the young man, she recognized him from yesterday. “Oh, Ensign Brant. We talked yesterday in the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center.”

“Yes, ma’am, I remember. I know how easy it is to fall. Takes some time to get used to the movement of a ship. When Lieutenant Cotes was training me…”

She grabbed his arm. The information he’d so innocently given her made her forget about her pain from the fall. “You replaced Lieutenant Cotes?”

Her reaction made his voice hesitate. “Yes, she went on to handling and I filled her vacancy.”

Sia’s hand tightened on his arm. “She’s knowledgeable in radar systems?”

He looked down at her hand and up to her face. He nodded. “I’d say. She’s a whiz.”

“Thank you, Ensign. I appreciate your help.”

This time she was sure she had been pushed and she was now sure she had herself a prime suspect, but that would have to wait until after she spoke to the senator. At least they had something solid to move the investigation forward. She was sure they would soon have a person in custody. Back at the legal office, she initiated contact with her legalman.

“McBride, how are you coming with that search for me on Master Chief Walker?”

His look was apologetic. “I got pulled off it, ma’am, by the captain, but I can get back to it tomorrow,” he promised.

“Tomorrow?”

“It’s almost closing time here. Remember, a six-hour difference.”

“Of course. It’s only morning here. If the captain tries to commandeer you again, tell him this is for the Washington case. He’ll understand.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sia couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice. “I want you to extend that search for me. In fact, make it a priority over the master chief. Search previous billets for Lieutenant Susan Cotes, and I want to know about any pilot deaths, no matter what they are.”

“Yes, ma’am. First thing tomorrow morning.”

“You found something on Cotes?”

She turned to find Chris standing behind her and he sounded peeved. “Yes, when I searched Washington’s rack, I discovered these.”

Chris rifled through the pages and his head popped up, his eyes gleaming. “Typewritten notes from Cotes?”

“Yes, which means she was participating in this game they were playing and if the captain had talked to Washington, then he would have discovered her sexual harassment charge was bogus.” The more evidence she gathered on this woman, the clearer it looked that she was the one they were looking for.