Patterson, James - Alex Cross 8 - Four Blind Mice

Another case for your consideration, Detective. An Army barber, known by his friends as “Bangs', was convicted of murdering three prostitutes -outside Fort Campbell in Kentucky. Santo Marinacci had no criminal record before the killings. His pregnant wife testified that he was home with her on the night of the murders. Marinacci was convicted because of fingerprints and DNA found at the murder scene, and also because the murder weapon, a survival knife, was discovered in his garage. Marinacci swore the knife was planted there. ”For God's sake, he's a barber," his wife called out during the eventual execution of her husband. Santo Marinacci claimed he was innocent and had been framed up to the moment that he died.

Foot Soldier

I read Foot Soldier's e-mail over again, then I called Sampson at home. I read him the message. He didn't know what to make of it either. He said he'd contact Ellis Cooper as soon as he hung up with me. We both wondered if Cooper might be behind the strange note.

For the rest of the day, I couldn't get the disturbing message out of my head. Information had been passed to me that someone thought was important. No conclusions were reached. Foot Soldier had left that up to me. What was I supposed to make of the murders at Fort Drum and Fort Campbell? The possible frame-up?

That night I took a break for a few hours. I watched

Damon's basketball team play a league game at St. Anthony's. Damon scored sixteen points, and he was as smooth an outside shooter as some high school kids. I think he knew it, but he wanted to hear my opinion of his play.

“You had a real good game, Damon,” I told him. “Scored points, but didn't forget about the rest of your team. Played tough ”d“ on Number Eleven.”

Damon grinned, even though he tried to hold it back. I had given the right answer. “Yeah, he's the high scorer in the league. But not tonight.”

After we talked, Damon took off with some of his team-mates, Ramon, Ervin, Kenyon. That was a new one, but I knew I better get used to it.

When I got home, I couldn't stop thinking about Ellis Cooper and the e-mail that had come for me about other murders by Army personnel. According to Sampson, Cooper swore he didn't have anything to do with it. Who then? Someone at Fort Bragg? A friend of Cooper's?

That night in bed I couldn't stop thinking about the damn note.

Innocent men might have been executed.

Sergeant Cooper wasn't the first.

This has happened before.

Who the hell was Foot Soldier?

Alex Cross 8 - Four Blind Mice

Chapter Twenty- Eight

I desperately needed to see someone at the Army Court of Criminal Appeals, and the FBI helped me get an appointment with the right person.

The court and its administrative offices were located in a bland-looking commercial building in Arlington. It was considerably nicer inside the building, kind of like a dignified and reserved corporate legal office. Other than the fact that most of the men and women wore uniforms, the normal touches of military culture weren't much in evidence.

Sampson and I were there to see Lt. General Shelly Borislow, and we were brought to her office by an aide. It was a lengthy walk lots of long hallways, typical of government buildings all over the Washington area.

General Borislow was waiting for us when we finally arrived. She stood ramrod straight, and was obviously physically fit. A handsome woman, probably in her late forties.

“Thanks for seeing us,” Sampson said, and shook

General Borislow's hand. I had the feeling that he wanted to handle the meeting, maybe because he had more experience with the Army than I did, but possibly because Ellis Cooper's time was running out.

“I read the transcript of the trial last night,” General Borislow said as we sat around a glass-topped coffee table. “I also went through the CID notes from Captain Jacobs. And Sergeant Cooper's records. I'm pretty much up to speed. Now, what can I do for you, gentlemen?” I was pleased that the general was the one to bring up gender.

“I have some questions. If you don't mind, General?” Sampson said. He leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his thighs. His eyes were steady on General Borislow, who was just as focused on Sampson.

Ask any questions you wish. I don't have another meeting until ten. That gives us about twenty minutes to talk, but you can have more time if you need it. The Army has nothing to hide in this matter, I can tell you that much."

Sampson still held Borislow's eyes. “Detective Cross and I have worked hundreds of homicide scenes, General. Some things about this one bother us a lot.”

“What, specifically?”

Sampson hesitated, then he went on. “Before I get into what bothers us, I was wondering if anything about the trial or the investigation bothered you?”

General Shelly Borislow stayed in perfect control. A few things, actually. I suppose it could' be construed as a little too pat that Sergeant Cooper held on to the murder weapon. It was a valuable souvenir, though, from his years in Vietnam. And a souvenir from the murders themselves."

“You're aware that Sergeant Cooper's apartment was broken into a day or two before the murders? We saw signs of the break-in and Cooper confirmed it. The knife could have been taken then,” Sampson said.

Borislow nodded. “That's certainly possible, Detective. But isn't it also possible that the sergeant created the impression that there had been a break-in at his apartment? That's what CID concluded.”

“A boy from the neighborhood saw three men in Tanya Jackson's yard around the time of the murders.”

“The boy could have seen men in the yard. That's true. He also may have seen shadows from trees. It was a dark night, and windy. The boy is ten years old. He gave conflicting accounts of the night to police officers. As I said, Detective, I studied the case thoroughly.”

“Blood that didn't match the murdered women's, or Sergeant Cooper's, was found at the homicide scene.”

General Borislow's demeanor didn't change. “The judge in the case made the call not to allow that into evidence. If I had been the judge, I would have permitted the jury to hear about the blood. We'll never know about it now.”

“Sergeant Cooper's military record before the murders was nearly perfect,” said Sampson.

“He had an excellent record. The Army is well aware of that. It's one of the things that makes this such a tragedy.”

Sampson sighed. He sensed he wasn't getting anywhere. I did too. “General, one more question and then we'll leave. We won't even take our allotted time.”

Borislow didn't blink. “Go ahead with your question.”

“It puzzles me that the Army made no real effort to come to Sergeant Cooper's defense. Not before or during the trial. Obviously, the Army isn't going to try and help him now. Why is that?”

General Borislow nodded at the question, and pursed her lips before she answered it. “Detective Sampson, we appreciate the fact that Ellis Cooper is your friend, and that you've remained loyal to him. We admire that, actually. But your question is easy to answer. The Army, from top to bottom, believes that Sergeant Cooper is guilty of three horrific, cold-blooded murders. We have no intention of helping a murderer go free. I'm afraid that I'm convinced Cooper is a murderer too. I won't be supporting an appeal. I'm sorry that I don't have better news for you.”

After our meeting, Sampson and I were escorted back through the labyrinth of hallways by General Borislow's aide. We were both silent as we walked the long walk to the main lobby.

Once we had left the building and gone outside, he turned to me. “What do you think?”

“I think the Army is hiding something,” I said. “And we don't have much time to find out what it is.”