Chapter 10 - The Signature
Back at the naval facility, the hearing resumed under tighter security. Pike had been removed from duty pending an investigation. Thorne sat beside Hayes, freshly shaved, looking almost pleased.
Hayes displayed my signature on the casualty summary.
“Is this yours, Ms. Vance?”
“Yes.”
“Did you certify Owen Park was dead?”
“I signed a summary I was told reflected the rescue report.”
“Then either you're incompetent or you're lying now.”
Judge Ellis cut him off. “Ask a question without insulting the witness.”
Hayes turned a page. “Did you ever see a body?”
“No.”
“Yet you signed.”
“Yes.”
I could have dressed it up. I could have blamed the painkillers, the concussion, the officer who stood by my bed. They were real facts, but none changed the signature.
“I made a mistake,” I told the court. “People trusted that signature. Owen was alive, and my name helped bury him.”
Through the glass in the observation room I saw Nora listening. I wanted to look away. I didn't.
Hayes smiled. “So the woman accusing my client of falsifying records admits she falsified records.”
“Not knowingly,” Ellis said, making a note. “Intent is a separate issue.”
Calder submitted the medical chart showing the medication administered before the signature and the time the summary had been delivered. Tess produced evidence that the report was finalized by someone else two hours before I signed it.
“Who prepared the original?” Ellis asked.
The investigator read the name.
“Captain Adrian Thorne.”
Thorne lifted his chin. “Routine command responsibility.”
“Then perhaps you can explain,” Ellis said, “why the form was dated the day before search operations ended.”
May you like
Hayes whispered urgently to his client.
And behind the glass, Nora stood up, took her daughter's hand, and walked out without looking at me.
