He wrote that the intelligence investigation had forced him to examine every excuse he had made in his life.
At work, he had seen people disguise cowardice as procedure.
He recognized the habit because he had done something similar at home.
Then came the part that made my hands shake.
The children are not to be treated as an embarrassment at my funeral.
If military honors are authorized, they belong to the next of kin designated under the final casualty instructions.
I have listed my children equally.
I looked at the folded flag under Bradley’s arm.
Not mine.
Not Scarlett’s.
Theirs.
Bradley nodded once.
“Under Garrett’s final instructions, the ceremonial flag is to be presented on behalf of his children.
Because they are minors, you may receive it as their legal guardian.”
Beatrice shook her head violently.
“No.
Scarlett is carrying his child.”
“And, as I said, that child’s rights will be protected through the appropriate process,” Bradley replied.
“But Mr.
Cole completed these instructions before anyone had legally established that relationship.”
Scarlett looked down at her belly.
Her anger suddenly seemed smaller than her fear.
I understood that too.
Garrett had lied to both of us in different ways.
I had years to learn how to live with that knowledge.
She was receiving hers beside his grave.
I closed the letter.
“General, may I ask Scarlett something?”
Bradley stepped aside.
I faced her.
“Did you know he never visited the triplets?”
She swallowed.
“He told me you wouldn’t allow it.”
“Did you ever see a court order?”
“No.”
“A message from me refusing him?”
“No.”
“Did you ever ask?”
Scarlett’s eyes filled again, but the tears looked different now.
“No.”
Beatrice grabbed her arm.
“You don’t have to answer her.”
Scarlett pulled free.
That was the first visible crack in the alliance that had occupied the front row.
“Did you know?” Scarlett asked Beatrice.
“I knew Alex made him miserable.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Beatrice said nothing.
Scarlett stepped backward.
General Bradley then told me there was one final matter.
Garrett’s cooperation agreement had included compensation payable to his estate for the completed intelligence recovery operation.
Separately, months before deployment, he had changed the beneficiary designation on a military-linked life insurance policy.
I braced myself.
“Who?”
“His children.”
“All three?”
