“Imagine that? Lesbians who like flowers. Who ever heard of such a thing?”
“I know when your joking, Rita. The eagle has been circling over me most of the day too.”
“That’s good. It must like you. Unless of course its a lesbian eagle.”
“There’s no such thing.”
Rita tilted her head, smiled. “There might be.”
He laughed. “Maybe.”
She glanced at her watch. “What time will you be home?”
“I already had lunch. Nicki made me a cheeseburger and fries. I guess about five o’clock maybe.”
“Okay. Where’s the Army guy?”
He nodded. “He’s over there. All he does is sit and watch me. He could help me.”
“Then you’d have to pay him.”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t mind his job.”
“No. Its an awful job sitting and watching people all day. Time drags.”
“Do you like the wall?”
She nodded, smiled. “Very much. Have fun, Picasso.”
He looked at her. “A couple of the lesbians were nice looking. Not as nice as you, but still pretty nice looking. They might be someone you could date.”
Rita blurted out a small laugh. “You playing matchmaker? I’m okay, Alex. I don’t want a date.”
“Yes, Ma’am. I just don’t want you lonely.”
She touched his arm. “You keep me company. I’m not lonely.”
He smiled. Nodded. Tried to memorize the shade of green in her eyes.
Rita arrived at the office just as Cathy hung up the telephone. She looked at Rita. “Sergeant Lewis is dead, Major. He was found a short while ago with his head cut off.”
“His head cut off? Where was he found?”
“Near his apartment. He doesn’t live on the base. Some passers by spotted the head in some bushes. The body was found a few feet away.”
“He had to have been involved in this.” Rita thought for a moment. “Who’s in charge of the drugs that were confiscated?”
“I believe he was, Ma’am. Or maybe Lieutenant Sweet. The drugs were due to be destroyed apparently.”
“What if the sergeant didn’t destroy the drugs and someone like Mamoud found out? Maybe the sergeant tried to sell some of the powder and Mamoud heard about it?”
“I don’t know, and Colonel Robinson didn’t mention it.”
“Sergeant Lewis might have told Mamoud the drugs were destroyed. If Mamoud thought he was being conned he would do something like cut off a head.” Rita felt like she was reaching.
“How can we find out?”
“I wish I knew someone at the base. I’m afraid to trust anyone there.”
Rita and Alex had steaks and salad for dinner, Alex eating like he hadn’t eaten in months. The hard day of painting gave him a good appetite.
“You’re hungry?”
He smiled. “I guess I am.”
“How did the painting go?”
“I have two walls left to do.”
“That’s good. You did a lot of painting today.”
“A lesbian in an Army uniform said she really liked the flowers. She said she likes to paint and asked me to have a coffee with her and talk about painting.”
Rita just looked at him. “An Army woman? How old is she?”
“Eighteen or nineteen I think.”
“You’re only sixteen.”
“Sixteen and a half. I wouldn’t mind talking to her about painting. She seems pretty smart.”
“How do you know she’s a lesbian?”
“She was going into Kats Klub when she stopped to talk to me.”
“What’s her name?”
“Amanda.”
Rita thought about this. “Feel like going to the gun range in a while?”
“Do I get to shoot a gun?”
“I’ll show you how to use a gun safely.”
“Okay. What kind of gun?”
“Like the one I wear. A Glock 9 mm. Less kick than a .45.”
He smiled large, didn’t know much about guns, looked at Rita as he finished the last of his steak. Rita wasn’t that hungry and she gave him the rest of her steak, which he finished in two bites practically. Rita was thinking a trip to the grocery store was in order. She didn’t realize teenage boys could eat so much and stay so skinny.
The Army range was busy this evening, as MPs practiced shooting their weapons, both rifle and pistol. While Rita was waiting for an opening to shoot, she showed Alex how to load and cock the pistol. How to handle it safely. Alex took to it like a fish to water. Couldn’t wait to fire off a few rounds at the target shaped like a person.
Rita now stood beside him, told him to aim at the chest of the target and fire three quick rounds then stop. Alex aimed at the target, pulled the trigger, the gun kicked in his hand and he missed the target. His second and third shots were better.
“I didn’t know it would jump in my hand like that.”
“It has a little recoil. You’ll get onto it. Try another three.”
This time Alex didn’t miss. Three shots to the chest of the target.
“Very nice. Try three more; only think about grouping your rounds. Try and place them as close together as you can. Don’t pull the trigger, squeeze it.”
He looked at his finger. “Yes, Ma’am.”
Again he fired three rounds. Two were close together, the third round a little high. Rita thought he was natural. With a little practice he’d be a good shot. She took the gun and put in a fresh magazine.
She looked at Alex. “When you shoot, don’t hold your breath, just breathe.”
Rita fired three quick rounds, all three hitting the target in the head. She fired again, this time putting three into the chest. All in the heart.
