Read 1981 - Hand Me a Fig Leaf for Free Online Page B

us."
    "I'll tell him. Then I want to know what happened to Syd Watkins. I'm told he was discharged from the army, but after that he dropped out of sight. He hasn't been back to Searle. I think it’s important we get a trace on him."
    "We'll check him out through the Army's records and the FBI if necessary and see what we come up with."
    "I want to know if Mitch Jackson married, when and to whom."
    "We should be able to dig into that."
    "You told me, sir, that Jackson was the best soldier you had under your command. According to the gossip in Searle, he was no-good, vicious, dangerous and a thug."
    Parnell frowned. His face hardened and he looked the Army veteran colonel that he was.
    "That's nonsense! Mitch was my best staff. I never had complaints about his behaviour. I was told he was popular with his men. He had guts and great courage. No one wins the Medal of Honor without earning it!"
    "Okay, sir. Maybe the citizens of Searle are prejudiced. Men can change."
    "Yes. War changes men," Parnell said. "In my opinion, Mitch was a fine soldier."
    I decided it would be wiser to keep my opinion of Mitch Jackson to myself. Maybe the citizens of Searle knew what they were saying and the colonel was the one who was prejudiced. A Staff sergeant who knew his way around could snow his commanding officer, but that was a fact I wasn't going to mention.
    "That's all I can think of for the moment, sir," I said. "I'll return to Searle and put up at the local hotel. My job is to find the grandson, but if I get a lead to Jackson's murder I'll report to you."
    "That's it, Dirk. Remember, we don't touch murder cases." He stared thoughtfully at me. "Until you get definite proof that Jackson was murdered, you keep digging."
    "Yes, sir."
    "You will be on an expense account. I'll talk to Glenda. I want the grandson found."
    "Yes, sir."
    He nodded, then got to his feet.
    "I've missed a round of golf. You play golf, Dirk?"
    "I used to, but it got too expensive."
    "What did you play to?"
    "Well, on my best day, I've shot sixty-eight."
    "You did?" He grinned. "We'll have a game together. That's some shooting."
    I returned to my office to find Chick Barley clearing his desk.
    "How's it going?" he asked. "Let's go and wet our tonsils."
    At a near-by bar, I gave him the story I had given the colonel. He listened while he punished a bottle of Scotch.
    "Nice going, Dirk. So you have a real job in your lap."
    "It could be in your lap, Chick, if I don't get results."
    Chick grinned. "You will. I'd hate to hell to get marooned in a dump like Searle."
    "I'm bothered about Mitch Jackson. The colonel's nuts about him, but, from what I hear, Jackson was a real baddie. I'd like to check that out."
    Chick regarded me with mild surprise.
    "Let me tell you, Dirk, Mitch was the greatest. A guy who did what he did . . ."
    "Look, let's skip the hero worship," I broke "Jackson may have been the white-headed hero to you officers, but I want to check him out by talking to the men who served under him. The rank-and-file. If they say he was the greatest, then he was the greatest. I've served in the army. I know a Staff sergeant can suck up to officers and be a brute to his men. It's odd to me that the general opinion of the citizens of Searle is they were glad to see the last of him. Okay, I admit war conditions change a man, but, from what I'm hearing, Jackson was a vicious thug. I want to check him out."
    Chick poured himself another drink, then he nodded.
    "I'll bet my last buck that Mitch was a real man, but you have a point. He was fine with us. Every order we gave him he carried out to perfection. We really could rely on him."
    "Did you officers ever talk to the men to find out if they were as happy with Jackson as you were?"
    "There was no need to. Damn it, we were a happy regiment. Mitch handled the men, we gave the orders, the whole thing worked."
    "I want to check him out. I would like to talk to one of the men who served under him. Know anyone within reaching