The Nine-Tailed Fox (A Sergeants Sueño and Bascom Novel) by Martin Limon

Author:Martin Limon [Limon, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime Fiction
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2017-10-03T05:00:00+00:00

-13-

Later that morning, Riley received the SOFA complaint records he’d requested from Smitty. I was going over them when Katie Allsworthy stormed into the office. Her tiny frame hovered over my desk.

“You!” she said, pointing a manicured forefinger at me. “You told Mrs. Frankenton that you took the refrigerator back to the Women’s Power Coalition.”

The idea that I’d have the occasion to communicate with someone as high up in 8th Army as Mrs. Frankenton, President of the Officers’ Wives Club and wife of the Chief of Staff, was so ridiculous that I didn’t bother to answer. Instead, I sat dumbfounded with my hands over the SOFA report.

“And the other bozo who went out there with you. What’s his name?”

Again, I didn’t answer.

Mrs. Allsworthy continued, “That witch Frankenton had our power shut off. Apparently, she mentioned the refrigerator to one of the officers in the ROK Army Liaison committee, who mentioned it to an official in the Ministry of Energy, who mentioned it to the lowlifes who actually control the switch. And they turned off our section on the grid. Because of you.” She was pointing at me again. “So you’re going to fix it. Do you understand me? I want the electricity at the Women’s Power Coalition back on today, before close of business, and I’m holding you personally responsible. What’s your name? Sween-o? My husband will have you up on charges so fast—insubordination to the wife of a superior officer. Malingering. Spreading rumors detrimental to good order and discipline. You name it, you’ll be charged with it. Do you understand me, soldier?”

Colonel Brace had to be hearing this from his office down the hall. But no sound came from that direction. Staff Sergeant Riley, however, felt some responsibility to protect one of his troops.

“Ma’am,” he said, stepping out from behind his desk. “Maybe if we talked this over . . .”

Without even looking at him, Katie Allsworthy said, “You keep out of this. I want an affirmative from this man, and I want it now.”

Miss Kim was practically cowering behind her hangul typewriter. She was the sole earner for herself and her mother, and the thought of being caught up in anything that would cost her this admin job terrified her. There was no social safety net in South Korea, unless you counted standing in the street and begging.

Ernie had quietly placed himself five paces behind Mrs. Allsworthy. I could almost read his mind. If she pulled a weapon or made a move to strike me, he’d be on her. But her attack wasn’t physical. She was quickly losing precious resources for the WPC, so in her desperation to protect the women there and their cause, she’d chosen to resort to threats. I wondered whether she might actually take these accusations to her husband or someone even higher up in the 8th Army hierarchy.

Katie Allsworthy was still waiting for her answer. My irritation with the situation had slowly graduated into fury; I’d wanted neither of the assignments with the

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