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And if I wasn’t the world’s champion dumb fuck, that’s what I should have done, married the Squirt the day after I graduated.

The Squirt was one of Ginger’s bridesmaids, but I didn’t pay any attention to her. I wanted to—and did—jump the bones of another bridesmaid, a blond from Hobbs whose name I can’t even remember now. Probably couldn’t remember the next day.

And look where I am now!

“I don’t think my seeing Ginger—or Ginger seeing me—right now is a good idea, Bonehead.”

“She knows I went to the airport to meet some big shot,” Moriarty said. “She’ll ask me how that went. And I don’t lie to Ginger.”

“Can she keep her mouth shut?”

“Fuck you!”

“Bonehead, what we’re doing here is classified Top Secret–Presidential,” Cronley said.

Moriarty looked at him for a long five seconds.

“So what do I tell my wife, Captain Cronley, sir?”

“Jim, I suggest you go see Mrs. Moriarty and play that by ear,” Dunwiddie said.

“You work for him, Captain? I thought it was the other way around,” Moriarty said to Dunwiddie.

“I work for him, Lieutenant.”

“Why don’t we all go make our manners to Mrs. Moriarty?” Cronley asked.

[FOUR]

Officer Dependent Quarters 0-112

11th Constabulary Regiment

U.S. Air Force Base, Fritzlar, Hesse

American Zone of Occupation, Germany

1725 18 January 1946

Mrs. Virginia “Ginger” Adams Moriarty was red-headed, freckled, twenty-two years old, and conspicuously pregnant.

“Well, I’ll be!” she greeted Cronley. “Look what the cat

dragged in! I guess you’re with the big shot Bruce met. Hey! What’s with the captain’s bars?”

A moment later, having seen the look on Cronley’s face, she said, “Why don’t we all pretend I didn’t say what I just said. Let me start all over.” She then did so: “Jim, what a pleasant surprise.”

“Hey, Ginger.”

“I think you know how devastated Bruce and I were when we heard about Marjie.”

“Thank you. Ginger, this is Chauncey Dunwiddie, who is both my executive officer and my best friend.”

“My friends, for reasons I can’t imagine, Mrs. Moriarty, call me ‘Tiny.’ I hope you will.”

“Welcome to our humble abode, Captain Tiny.”

“Thank you. Mrs. Moriarty, I’d like to show—”