Midnight Sun (41 page)

Hilde
let
out
a
laugh.
“That is one scary look!
I
’
ll
have
to
give
that
a
try
sometime,
but
to
be
honest,
I
’
ve
never
been
able
to
look
mean,
no
matter
how
hard
I
work at it. That's why I never made it as a field agent.” She paused for a moment as the sound of a loud metallic clang echoed across the yard.  She glanced out the back window toward the source of the sound, but saw nothing. As the stillness returned, she continued the small talk. “
So
what
made
you
join
the
troopers?
”

“
One
of
my
favorite
students,
a
really
good
straight-A girl,
died
from
a
drug
overdose
at
a
rave
party.
That
was
the
final
thing
that
drove
me
to
get
more
proactive.
”

“
Wow,
that
’
s
so
sad.
”

“
Yeah,
well,
since
then
I
saw
a
lot
worse,
sister,
believe
me.
”
Lonnie
stretched
her
lower
back
and
contemplated
getting
out
of
the
car,
but
her
feet
were
swelling
and
she
didn
’
t
want
to
stand.
She
relaxed
as
best
she
could
and
went
on.
“
After
I
graduated
from
the
state
trooper
academy
and
started
on
patrol,
I
began
to
understand
the
connection
Marcus
had
with
the
Marines.
It
was
too
little
too
late,
though.
Just
as
we
were
starting
to
make
up,
Marcus
’
s
whole
unit
was
wiped
out
on
a
peace-keeping
mission
in
Africa.
He
had
been
declared
“
missing
in
action
and
presumed
dead.
”

“
Oh,
my
God,
”
Hilde said.
“T
hat
’
s
awful.
Obviously
he
survived,
though,
so
it
was
okay,
right?
”

“
He
came
out
of
the
jungle
two
months
later,
ready
to
leave
the
Corps
and
marry
me.
”
Lonnie
looked
toward
the
rows
of
warehouse
buildings
across
the
parking
area,
silent
and
contemplative.
The
sound
of
a
large
hammer
repeatedly
pounding
metal
drifted
toward
them
like
the
ringing
of
a
bell.
“
But
I
had
given
him
up
for
dead.
The
chaplain
had
come
like
I
feared,
except
to
his
mother
instead
of
me
since
we
weren
’
t
married.
”

Lonnie
took
a
deep
breath,
then
let
it
out
with
a
resigned
sigh.

“
And
I
went
out
and
got
drunk
and
acted
like
a
whore.
”

Lonnie
glanced
over
at
Hilde,
whose
cheeks
had
reddened,
a
shocked
expression
on
her
face.
Hilde blinked a few times and opened her mouth, but the words didn't seem to form.

“
Sorry
to
burst
your
bubble,
if
you
had
one
about
me,
”
she
said.
“
I
was
a
month
pregnant
and
newly
married
when
I
got
a
letter
Marcus
sent
from
New
Guinea.
I
didn
’
t
even
have
the
guts
to
talk
to
him.
Just
left
his
letters
unanswered
until
someone
else
told
him
what
I
’
d
done.
We
had
no
contact
for
more
than
ten
years
after
that.
”