Free Wig Betrayed by Charles Courtley Page B

can’t do this, surely? I’ll speak to Norma this instance. She’s in the shop this afternoon. Her husband is the senior civilian doctor on camp so
she
won’t be swayed by this threat!”
    When I returned home that evening, Andrea was gulping a glass of wine and looking thoroughly upset.
    â€œNorma’s reaction wasn’t what I expected at all, Charlie. She told me that she’d been notified officially that I was no longer allowed to work in the shop and that there was nothing whatsoever that she could do. I countered by saying that I just couldn’t understand how she was prepared to put up with being given orders in that way. After all, she isn’t in the army nor is her husband but her reaction was there was no choice: the General’s word is law in the garrison.
    â€œI’m afraid I lost my temper then. I told her what I thought of the General and the way everybody seemed to worship him as some sort of god. I suppose I hoped to get a rise out of her but it had precisely the opposite effect. She simply looked at me in a sorrowful way and said the army took precedence over everything here in Germany as the rest of us were either support staff or dependents. Like it or not, I would just have to get used to it.
    â€œWell, damn the army then, I said, and burst into tears. I was so embarrassed that I just fled and almost knocked a German customer over in the process! After I apologized to the customer, I realized who it was – Frau Gafford, no less.”
    â€œThe lady who sold us Boz, you mean?”
    â€œExactly, and do you know she was
so
kind, telling me that she couldn’t help overhearing what I had said and moreover knew just how I felt!”
    â€œSuddenly I recalled what you’d suspected all along, that her husband had been in the army and recalled the strange business over the medal. So I asked her straight out – did that have something to do with her husband? Well, she looked away at this point, obviously recalling a painful memory, and then suggested we have coffee in the garrison cafè. Then she told me the whole story. She hadn’t set foot inside Brockendorf Garrison in all these years but today, when her curiosity finally got the better of her, she actually bumped into
me
!”
    This was becoming intriguing. I recalled Gafford’s reaction when I spoke to him on the phone.
    â€œDid she tell you anything about her husband?”
    â€œShe did. In part, at least. Apparently, he’d been thrown out of the army by a court martial without any cause years ago and has never really got over it.”
    â€œDid she go into any further details?”
    â€œNo, she didn’t feel she could tell me more herself. However, when I told her what you do as a
job
, she had an idea. If you confronted her husband, he might just open up a bit and, at least, get the whole thing off his chest.”
    I shook my head.
    â€œJudging by his reaction when I spoke to him about the medal, I think that’s unlikely. The chances are that he’ll be furious at me for interfering.”
    â€œThat was my reaction too, Charlie, when you first told me. But I think we’re both wrong. You see, Frau Gafford went quiet for a bit at first but then remembered one thing her husband had always maintained: that
had
there been a judge advocate present at his court martial, things could have been different. He might have received a fair trial.”

Ten
    Gafford opened the door at a time when, by prior arrangement, I knew his wife wouldn’t be in. I was determined to say my piece before he had a chance to speak.
    â€œNo wonder you wanted to get rid of this,” I said, dangling the medal in front of him. “Who wouldn’t, in your situation? Your wife has told me that you were kicked out of the army by a court martial and there wasn’t even a judge advocate officiating!”
    About to slam the door in my face, Gafford’s look of fury