Daylight

Chapter 51

“I don’t understand,” said Pine. “How could that be possible?”

She was standing in front of Tom Whitaker, a JAG lawyer at Fort Dix. He was a short man in his fifties, with rounded shoulders and a dour expression.

He said in a pedantic tone, “It’s like I just said, Bill Danforth and Phil Cassidy each took Article 15s; it’s akin to a plea bargain in a civilian court.”

Danforth and Cassidy were the two soldiers whom Tony Vincenzo had been working with on the drug distribution. Puller had arrested them both and had them confined in the stockade under guard of Army MPs. Pine thought they would still be there. But they weren’t.

“I know what an Article 15 is. I want to know how it happened.”

“The concept is pretty straightforward, Agent Pine,” Whitaker said in a bored tone. “It was offered and they took it. Most court-martial trials end up in conviction. They knew that. Then the penalties are a lot worse and they have a criminal record. With Article 15 that doesn’t happen. No criminal record. Just like civilian courts, most cases in the military system don’t actually go to trial. If every one of them did, we’d be clogged up for years.”

Pine said impatiently, “I know that, too. I meant why would they be offered a plea deal in the first place? My understanding was they were caught dead to rights by the CID. They were involved in drug dealing. How does that get them a slap on the wrist? These guys should have been tried, convicted, and sent to Leavenworth.”

The man shrugged. “That wasn’t my call. The CO referred the charge, meaning it was going to trial. And I agree with you, the evidence was very strong. Had they gone to trial they would have almost certainly been convicted. But then the Article 15 popped up and everything got thrown off the rails.”

“The Article 15 offer had to pop from somewhere, right?”

“Right.”

“So where did it pop from?” said Pine, trying to keep her voice calm although she actually wanted to start yelling at the man.

“From their CO. That’s the only place it could have come from. He referred the charges, but then he offered the Article 15.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know. And I had no reason to ask. I wear a uniform. I do what I’m told. When the CO talks, we listen. Pretty simple.”

“When did all this happen?”

“Late yesterday.”

“And who is the CO on this?”

Whitaker shuffled some papers on his desk and then looked at her curiously. “What exactly is your connection to this case again?”

“I was working it with CWO John Puller.”

“Yeah, you told me that. He was the one who collected the evidence.”

“For an overwhelming case that just got dropped,” retorted Pine.

“I heard he got shot in New York.”

“You heard right. Probably by the same gang that Danforth and Cassidy work for.”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that. Is Puller going to be okay? All reports on him are that he’s a first-rate soldier and investigator.”

“Right on both counts. And yeah, he’s going to be fine. So, the name of the CO?” She took out her notebook and pen.

Whitaker deliberately glanced at both and said, “I’m really not at liberty to tell you that.”

Pine put her pad and pen away. “Okay, what punishment did Cassidy and Danforth receive?”

Whitaker glanced at the paper in front of him. “Reduction in rank, lost some pay, and got eight days’ confinement, but the CO suspended that for a year. They were in the stockade for a lot longer than that after they were arrested. He’ll probably just let that ride.”

“So they just walk away with fewer dollars and the loss of a stripe? For being part of a major drug ring inside this facility?”

“I admit it’s unusual.”

“You think? Where are Danforth and Cassidy now?”

“Back at the motor pool, as far as I know. I did hear some scuttlebutt that they’ve put in their discharge papers. Good riddance in my book.”

“This is a clusterfuck, you know that, right?”

Whitaker looked at her wearily. “Ma’am, I’ve been doing this job for twenty years. Nothing surprises me anymore.”

“Might be time for a new job.”

“What my wife keeps telling me.”

“If I were you, I’d listen to your wife. Do you at least have pictures of Danforth and Cassidy?”

“Yes, but why do you ask?”

“I’d like to see them.”

“Again, why? The case is over.”

“Not for me it’s not. Their photos? Please? It’s really important.”

“You really think Puller getting shot was tied to these guys?”

“I think the connection is obvious.”

The man opened his desk drawer, pulled out a bulky case file, and spun it around. The mug shots of Danforth and Cassidy stared up at her.

“Feel free to take their pictures.”

Pine did so with her iPhone. “Surprised you let me do that.”

“Ma’am, this is a clusterfuck, and in an ideal world these two pricks should be doing hard time courtesy of the United States Army. So if you can nail their sorry asses to the wall it’s fine by me.”

“Thanks,” said Pine as she walked out.