Dead Soldiers by Bill Crider Page A

took them wanted to leave them near the bodies of his victims. That didn’t mean that the people who had tried to buy the soldiers from Dean Partridge were off the hook, however. They were all well aware of the soldiers’ existence and would have known where to find them, no matter what use they had for them.
    “We live in a funny world, Burns,“ Napier said. “You know that?“
    “I’m not laughing,“ Burns said.
    “I didn’t mean funny like that. I was talking about irony. Being an English teacher, you should know all about irony.“
    “I don’t see any irony in people being killed.“
    “You just aren’t looking at the big picture. If you think about some sniper killing people, you don’t think about a place like Pecan City. You think about those two nut-jobs up in the D.C. area.“
    “I see what you mean. We’re supposed to be living in a safe small-town environment.“
    “Yeah. It’s just like the Homeland Security people keep telling us. Nobody is safe anywhere, not any more .“
    “I don’t think we’re in much danger of terrorist activity around here,“ Burns said. “I just can’t see them targeting Pecan City.“
    “No, not terrorists. But there are nut-jobs everywhere.“
    “And you think that’s what we have here? Some deranged veteran of the war with Iraq, maybe, has come home to keep on killing, leaving the toy soldiers as a clue?“
    “I don’t much believe in those deranged veteran stories,“ Napier said. “But there’s a connection somewhere. Not just between Tomlin and Hart, but between both of them and the soldiers.“
    “Tomlin isn’t a veteran of any war. What about Hart? Did you check?“
    Napier gave him a disgusted look. “I know I don’t sit around reading The Sound and the Fury , but I know how to do my job. Of course I checked. Hart never fought in a war, and he wasn’t even a member of the National Guard. Didn’t take R.O.T.C. in college, either.“
    “I don’t have my list of names with me. The ones Dr. Partridge gave me, I mean. Have you checked all of them out, too?“
    Napier just looked at him.
    “Okay, no harm in asking. What did you learn about them?“
    “Neal Bruce is the only one with military experience. He was in Viet Nam, and don’t give me any Rambo theories. He’s a banker and wears a tie to work every day.“
    “Guys with ties don’t kill people?“
    “Sure they do. I just meant he isn’t any crazed vet with homicidal tendencies.“
    “Neither was Rambo until somebody ticked him off.“
    “Spare me the psychology. You’re an English teacher, remember?“
    “I get the point. So where does that leave us?“
    Napier stood up and stretched. “There has to be a connection between Hart and Tomlin and the killer.“
    There was that between again. Burns let it pass.
    “And there has to be some connection between all of them and the soldiers,“ Napier continued. “We just don’t know what it is. Maybe you can figure it out, sort of like you figure out what all the symbolism means when you read a poem.“
    “Soldiers are symbols of war,“ Burns said. “The only war we’ve had lately is the one in Iraq, where the people are now enjoying the fruits of democracy.“
    “I happen to be one of the people who approved of that war, Burns, so don’t bring any of your wussie pinko politics into this, all right?“
    Burns yawned.
    “Am I boring you, Burns?“ Napier said. “Because I wouldn’t want to bore you.“
    “You’re not boring me. It’s late, and I’m sleepy. And I have an eight o’clock class tomorrow.“
    “Well, you’d better go, then. You need your sleep. You don’t want to bore the students and have them yawning in your face when you’re trying to explain something like why it’s so important to not split an infinitive.“
    Burns gave him a quick look, but Napier’s face showed nothing.
    “You’re going to have a talk with some of the people on that list tomorrow, aren’t you, Burns?“
    “I might, if I have