Read Online Night Fall by Nelson DeMille - Free Book Online

explained that it was their job to do that in case I was ever called as a witness in a court of law.”
    “That’s right. And how did this interview end?”
    “They said they’d contact me again, and in the meantime they strongly advised me not to make any public statements to the news media, or to anyone. I agreed to this.”
    “Did you see them again?”
    “Yes. A week later. They had a third man with them who they introduced as Mr. Brown from the National Transportation Safety Board, though I never got his card.”
    “What did you guys talk about this time?”
    “The same. We went through my statements for another hour-a long time for an event that took less than two minutes. At this time they informed me that they thought the explosion may have been an accident, caused by a mechanical malfunction.”
    “What kind of mechanical malfunction?”
    “They didn’t say, and I didn’t ask.”
    “Why not?”
    “I know what I saw.”
    “Right. So you’re saying that what you saw-a streak of light and the subsequent explosion of the aircraft-were related.”
    “I never actually said that. How could I?”
    “I appreciate your sticking to the facts. So maybe the streak of light and the aircraft exploding were a coincidence.”
    “Hell of a coincidence.”
    “And yet, it could be. So how’d you leave it with these guys?”
    “I had questions of my own by now. I asked them about radar sightings, about other eyewitnesses, about military maneuvers out on the ocean that night-”
    “What military maneuvers?”
    “It was in all the media. There’s a military zone out on the ocean of several thousand square miles called W-105, which was activated that night for war games.”
    “Yeah, I remember that. So, did these guys answer any of your questions?”
    “No. They said they were not at liberty to discuss anything about the incident while the investigation was in progress.”
    “Were they nice about blowing you off?”
    “They were polite, but firm.” He added, “The fellow called Nash, however, wasn’t as polite. He was…”
    “Condescending?” I offered. “Snotty? A prick?”
    “Something like that.”
    That’s my Ted. Only Ted Nash could try to make an Annapolis graduate and combat veteran fighter pilot feel inadequate. I asked Captain Spruck, “How did they leave it?”
    “They again advised me not to make any public statements, and they said they’d be in touch.”
    “Were they?”
    “No.”
    “I’ll bet if you’d made a public statement, they’d have been on your doorstep real soon.”
    He replied, “They understood that in my position-an officer in the active reserves-I’d do what the government asked.”
    I nodded, then asked him, “So you left it that way? I mean, in your own mind?”
    “Well… I assumed the investigation would move forward and that if they needed me, they’d call. There were so many other eyewitnesses… and then they started to dredge up the aircraft and put it together at Calverton… I figured that they were getting closer… FBI agents were interviewing everyone around here about suspicious characters, people who’d taken boats out of the marinas that night, background checks of the plane’s passengers… I followed all this on the news… it was a massive investigation… so, I waited.” He added, “I’m still waiting.”
    I informed him, “The case is closed. You won’t hear from anyone ever again.”
    He replied, “I’ve heard from your wife. And now you.”
    “No, you haven’t.”
    He nodded, then said to me, “I’ve been tempted over the years to call Nash or Griffith.”
    I replied, “Ted Nash is dead.”
    This took him by surprise, but he didn’t respond.
    I added, “And if I were you, I wouldn’t call Liam Griffith.”
    He nodded.
    I stood and said, “I’m going outside. You can join me or leave.”
    I went out through the screen door and onto the catwalk. I stood at the railing with my back to the door. It’s always a good idea to