The silence in the car was heavy, filled only with the hum of the tires on the asphalt.

My mind kept going back to Gregory’s words.

*Take a look at the dates.*

What did he mean?

We reached the main gate of the military installation.

The guard on duty saw my uniform and the officer decal on the windshield.

He saluted, and I nodded as we passed through the barrier.

I parked outside my quarters, a small brick duplex near the officer housing loop.

We walked inside.

The air in the living room was cool and smelled of stale coffee.

I locked the door behind us and closed the blinds.

Eleanor sat on the small sofa, pulling her coat tight around herself.

I took off my service cap and set it on the dining table.

Then I unzipped my jacket and pulled out Daniel Hayes’s journal.

The leather was scuffed and worn at the edges.

I sat down at the table under the single overhead light.

I opened the book to the first page.

The handwriting was neat, precise, the script of an engineer.