Dog Tags

CHAPTER 93

KATHY BRYANT IS GOING TO BE RICHER THAN BILLY ZIMMERMAN. I instruct her to tell her civil attorney to be very aggressive with their lawsuit, that I know for a fact the government will never allow it to go to trial, and will settle for major dollars.

So she’ll be rich, but it will be a long time before she’ll be anything close to happy.

At the very least, though, she’ll be happier than Jonathan Chaplin. He’s confessed, and is fully cooperating with the Justice Department, helping them to understand the financial intricacies behind the scheme.

Most of it has been made public, and there is a general clamoring in Congress for regulations to provide more financial transparency so that something like this will never be attempted again.

Yeah, right.

Mickelson’s fate is being handled within the military system of justice, but it’s safe to say that he will never be heard from again. A real shame is the bad light this is putting the army in. It sounds like a cliché, but the many thousands of brave soldiers who have gone halfway around the world to fight, and die, and lose a limb like Billy, don’t get nearly the attention they deserve.

It’s the few bad ones that the media focus on, and everything else gets drowned out. I went on Larry King last night to make that point, but I don’t really think anyone heard it.

Laurie and I miss having Milo around, and Tara misses him even more.

I’m not sure I’ve ever met a more charming thief.

Also by David Rosenfelt

Open and Shut

First Degree

Bury the Lead

Sudden Death

Dead Center

Play Dead

New Tricks