Chapter 20

“RJ, you supervised him for the last few months, you must know his family, his friends, something?”

“Don’t know much about that other than he has an aunt who raised him. Funny thing is I don’t know what to tell him if and when I get a hold of him. He told me he loved me, and then when I questioned him, he made it sound like he was joking around. But I knew he wasn’t.”

The beer bottles served, Chaz handed one to RJ. “Hey, drinks are on me. It looks like you just paid for tail, and threw some money down the drain.” Chaz pulled out his wallet and paid. “So, tell me, what was in the note Pad left?”

“Here, read it.” RJ took the note that he balled up earlier.

Chaz held it up to a light, and read it out loud. “Dear RJ. Had to go. Sorry about last night. You’re a great pilot and you deserve the best. Wish you a long career with the Air Force. Love, Pad.”

RJ sighed.

“This note is all crumpled. What happened?”

“I threw it in the garbage.”