“What investigation?”
The officer finally spoke. “The accident wasn’t as simple as the first report made it sound.”
Olivia covered the phone. “Who are you?”
“Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Mercer. I was Luke’s operations officer.”
“Were you the one who ordered him not to contact me?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Mercer looked at Collins, then back at Olivia. “Our command legal office issued a no-contact directive to unit personnel while the investigation was active. Witnesses were told not to discuss the event with families outside official casualty channels. Your mother was briefed as next of kin.”
Olivia stared at him. “Eight months?”
“The directive was lifted this morning with the release of the final findings.”
“That still doesn’t explain her lie.”
“No,” Mercer said. “It doesn’t.”
Olivia put the phone back to her ear.
Her mother whispered, “That part was me.”
Olivia closed her eyes.
The anger arrived cleanly then, cutting through shock.
“You decided I couldn’t handle knowing how my brother died?”
“I decided I couldn’t lose both of you.”
“What does that mean?”
“Luke had warned them. He wrote reports. He challenged people above him. After he died, I thought if you knew, you would go after everyone involved. You had just started your military career. You were angry at everything. You would have burned yourself down trying to make someone pay.”
“You don’t know what I would have done.”
“I know what I was afraid you would do.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“No.”
For the first time, her mother did not defend herself.
Olivia looked at the envelope.
“Did you know about this letter?”
Her mother’s answer took too long.
“Yes.”
Olivia almost dropped the phone.
