The Enigma
by
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"My name is Captain Leroy Howard. I have been appointed your defense counsel, at least through the arraignment tomorrow. I am assuming you are going to plead innocent. Is that correct?" Evelyn nods. "I didn't kill Angela." Howard purses his lips. "Then that's how you'll plead." Never having dealt with an attorney before, Evenlyn thinks that if she has to have one, Howard looks to be a good choice. He’s black. His starched khakis, brightly polished brass and general air of command impresses her. He stares hard at Evelyn and then clears his throat. "Let's get something straight before we start, Specialist Davis. They appointed me to defend you; they didn't assign me to be your friend or tell me I had to approve of who and what you are. As a matter of fact, I don't approve of who and what you are. As a black man I don't appreciate people like you and your homo-lovers making it harder for the rest of us to hold our heads up. The Army is one of the most integrated institutions in society. It doesn't help the situation when people like you foul up and make the rest of us have to stand up for you. Understand?" Evelyn doesn't understand. She had never thought that race and sexual preference ought to make that much difference. They hadn't so far. “Do you understand,” repeats Captain Howard. Inwardly stunned, she merely says, "Yes sir."
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About the Book
THE ENIGMA is based on true life murder and its resultant court-marshal whose outcome challenges credibility.
When a soldier is found murdered in Texas, two lesbian lovers who were with her on the night of her death are arrested. The one who actually did the crime accepts a plea deal to testify against her lover, an Army Specialist who sees herself as a man trapped in a woman’s body. She now must prove her innocence.
While centering of a crime of passion with secrets, betrayals, and the legal battle, the book tells the story of a unique and complicated individual whose life situation ties into controversial, contemporary social issues.
“The ENIGMA is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside the enigma reference. It’s a murder (riddle) for a curious reason (the mystery) allegedly by an extraordinary complex individual (the enigma). Based on a true story, the real-life participants are painted as vividly as those who inhibit a fictional page-turner. The depth of character exploration, sociological observations, and military ways and means is stellar.”
Optonline.comAbout the Author
GILLES MONIF, M.D. is an internationally recognized leader in infectious diseases. In the course of his work, he met “Bandit” Riley and from him learned a story that needed telling. Evelyn “Bandit” Riley’s story could have never been authenticated were it not for Patrick Bailey, her defense lawyer who supplied his copy of the actual trial as well as other documents. To tell Bandit’s story well, Dr. Monif turned to a gifted friend and asked him to take Bandit’s story to the next level.
JAMES CLEMON is a former senior editorial writer for the Omaha World Herald and published author.