IMBERADO

                                                Chapter VIII

Travis and Levi were just getting back on the Ninety-Five in Stratford, Connecticut headed north again. They had just finished lunch at the Harborside Restaurant off exit 33 overlooking the Housatonic River after gassing up the Land Rover.  The restaurant had a good view of the river and they had enjoyed it after four hours on the road.

“That was pretty good fish. How long do you think we have left?”

“Well it’s about an hour or hour and half into Boston, then around the outer loop and then maybe an hour and half north into Manchester. If we stay lucky and don’t hit any traffic jams on either one. Once we’re past the outer loop I wouldn’t expect any at that time of day. But you never know.”

“Yeah that’s what I would guess too. What was that you were trying to ask me, before that guy almost cut you off when we were coming off the on ramp?”

“I said, it’s too bad you don’t know anybody in the Manchester Police Department, maybe from some cop’s group, or advanced training you took. It might help if we had a local we could talk to, about the city, or the area of town Gustafson lives in, rather than doing a lot of preliminary footwork and wasting time.”

“Well, we don’t know another cop, but we do have a contact who’s lived there for twenty-some years.”

“Who, I don’t remember anybody there?”

“Billy Ray.”

“Billy Ray? Billy Ray who, wait a minute you not talking about Stephens are you?”

“Yeah, that be him. Long tall curly headed Billy Ray Stephens.”

“Hell, I didn’t know he was from New Hampshire. Shoot, I thought he was from somewhere in the deep South with that drawl of his. He was from your unit, I only knew him from when we were together coming down out of the Doc Kien Pass.”

“He wasn’t, his wife Marie is. They got married about two years before we were in the Nam. Her Mom and Dad were first generation immigrants from the Three Rivers area of Quebec. Hell, Billy Ray was originally from Thomasville, North Carolina, where they make a lot of furniture. Billy Ray and Marie met on some spring break on the Carolina beaches. Guess it was love at first sight, right after they graduated high school they got married in New Hampshire.”

“Most I remember about him, is when he saved Johnson’s life and took a bullet doing it. Johnson was too slow ducking and covering when that fire fight started. Billy Ray jumped over, shoved him down and caught the bullet in his shoulder doing it. That round would have taken Johnson out.”

“Yep it would. But Billy Ray, he didn’t want any fuss made.”

“So what does he do in Manchester?”

“Well, they have two pretty grown boys and here it comes, get ready. Billy Ray is a Mortician.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope, it’s what he always wanted to be. That’s why he enlisted. So he could have the G. I. Bill to pay for the school. So even though he isn’t a cop, he still should have plenty of knowledge about Manchester and the people living in different parts of it, don’t you think.”

“Could be, like a cop or a doctor, they see everyone eventually and know how they got there. Do you know how to get in touch with him?”

“Sure do. I thought about him last night and put his address, phone number and where he works on a piece of paper in my wallet, just in case. He and I exchange Christmas and Easter cards every year.”

At six-thirty Travis and Levi were checking into the Radisson hotel on Elm Street. Their rooms were adjoining as Travis had requested and had a common door they could unlock if they wanted to talk or compare notes. Once their bags were unpacked they left to check out where Donna Gustafson lives.

They drove down Blodget Street and found 260 between Maple and Oak. It was a small comfortable looking house, and they drove slowly on the residential street. There was nowhere to park and observe without looking out-of-place with an out-of-state license plate. The house was several blocks in both directions from any main highway, so it had not been purchased with an easy escape route in mind. The house probably had a basement they thought, most of its kind here in New England did. They parked the car in the parking lot of Derryfield Park nearby and Levi called Billy Ray on Travis’s mobile phone.

“Hello, Stephens household. How may I help you?” a young male voice answered.

“Hello, this is Levi Mueller. Is your father at home?”

At this he heard the boy yell for his father. “Hey, you old leatherneck how are you doing? It ain’t Christmas yet.”

“Hi, Billy Ray. I know but you won’t believe this but, Travis Cody and I just got into Manchester about an hour ago. Thought I would see when you might have time to meet with a couple of old pals while we’re here.”

“Shoot, let me tell Marie you two are in town. I’m pretty sure she’ll want you to come over tonight if you have the time. We’re all just playing Uno anyway.” Billy Ray turned his face away from the phone and talked to his wife. “She say’s to get your butt over here, right now if you can. She’s been wanting to meet you guys for a long time.”

“As long as we’re not interrupting anything, we’ll head that way.”

“Heck no, head on over.” Billy Ray gave Levi directions on the fastest way to find his house. Then they said goodbye and Travis backed out of the parking lot and headed for Billy Ray’s house.

Billy Ray still looked the same, older for sure, but still as tall, with a full crop of his red curly hair (longer now than when they were in Nam). “My God Levi, where did your hair go, man?”

“Hey, let’s not start off throwing stones. You look good, Billy Ray. Marriage agrees with you.”

“Travis Cody, man I could still pick you out in a line-up.”

“How are you doing, Billy Ray. I could say the same.”

“Come on in you two. Get in here and meet everyone.” Billy stepped aside and ushered his two old friends in. By the time Billy shut the door his wife Marie was standing in the living room with her arms spread wide in welcome to them both.

“My husband may need to joke and shake hands, but I want a hug from both of you. I’ve waited a long time to actually meet you both.” Marie did just that hugging Levi first and the Travis. Afterwards she took one step back, took hold of both men’s hands, looked them both tenderly in the eyes and said.” Thank you both, you got him home to me.”

“Nice to meet you Marie, but he did just as much getting us home, as we did him.”

“Poppy-cock. Come on in the dining room and meet our boys.”

Travis and Levi followed her through the living room and into the dining room where two tall young men were seated at the table, both of them flanked by attractive female companions.

Marie pointed first to the apparent older one, who could easily be mistaken for Billy Ray when they were all in Viet Nam. Then she pointed to her other son who more resembled his mother, dark hair and somewhat more solidly built. “This is our oldest George, he is in college at the University of New Hampshire here in Manchester. And that is Arthur, a senior at Manchester Central High School. This is Lauren, George’s girlfriend and that is Dana, Arthur’s girlfriend next to him. Boys this is Mr. Levi Mueller and Mr. Travis Cody, I know you have heard of them both, they are close friends of your fathers.”

Both boys proffered their hands in greeting and said hello to the two men. In turn Travis and Levi shook the boys’ hands, said hello and said the same to their respective girlfriends. Then everyone took a seat at the table.

“Levi, can I get you or Travis something to drink? Maybe some sweet iced tea? Sorry but that is how Billy Ray likes it. Or some coffee maybe?”

Both told her the iced tea sounded great, and then thanked her for offering.

“You’re sure we’re not interrupting your game?”

George spoke first. “No sir, we play Uno every week. I’m sure Arthur and I would much rather hear about both of you gentlemen. Dad has mentioned both of you several times while we were growing up, but he’s been a little short on the details. If I am not being too forward in saying that?”

Marie had just walked back into the room with two iced teas. “George, Travis and Levi just got here. You might let them relax just a few minutes before you start asking them too many questions.”

“That’s no problem Marie.  I’m glad he feels comfortable enough to ask questions of two old guys he never met before, shows interest in his father.” Then Travis turned to look at Billy Ray. “This is more your call Billy Ray, than either one of ours. I can believe you left a lot out, I knew you long ago and you always were modest.”

“He still is, Travis.” Marie said before Billy Ray could.

“Okay, you guys. I’ve just never been one to blow my own horn. I just did my job there, the same as I do now. But it doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t you two. We could talk about old times. These young ladies might not want to be bored with it though.”

Both girls spoke right up, saying they would love to hear stories about when Mr. Stephens was in the service. They knew he is considered the best mortician in Manchester and they liked coming over to play Uno every week, and for sure he was a great dad to their boyfriends. They just hoped the gorier details could be left out, if that was okay.

At that Billy Ray, Travis and Levi all laughed, and then apologized saying there would be no gory details. Both boys sighed quietly at this consideration though.

 So Levi spoke first. “Well, to start off, I was your dad’s platoon sargent in Viet Nam. And we met Travis on one of our patrols in the mountains between Viet Nam and Laos. It was during the TET offensive of 1968.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Mueller. But dad did tell us that much, he showed us on the picture he has framed hanging up downstairs in the den. There are all three of you in it and a bunch of other guys with you.”

“Go down and get that picture George, if your father doesn’t mind.”

“No, that’s okay with me. Might be kind of fun for Travis and Levi to see that old picture of all of us.”

“You mean that picture that was taken when we got back to Charlie Seventh?”

“That’s the one.” While Billy was answering Levi, George got up and went through a door to the left of the dining room. He came back in less than two minutes with the framed photograph.

“You see Mr. Mueller, there’s Dad, you and Mr. Cody with your arms around each-other’s shoulders in the middle of everyone. Then there is this guy who looks Vietnamese and all these other guys behind and beside you.”

“Yep, well that Vietnamese guy was Lan, he was our groups ARVN interpreter. Now all the guys in the uniforms looking like your dad’s and mine were all Marines from our platoon. These other men in the uniforms like Travis’s were all Army guys from his unit. Travis was their sargent.”

“Yeah, I can see the difference now that you say that. So the Marines and Army didn’t have exactly the same uniforms, but you worked together.”

“A lot of guys had slightly different uniforms, sometimes even in the same branch of service. I know it doesn’t make sense, but that’s how it was sometimes. And usually the Army and Marines worked separately, but this time we ended up together after we were already out in the field. Both our units met up kind of by accident.”

“By accident how? Dad never said it was by accident.”

“No he didn’t George, not to me either exactly. I’ll bet you that is where the story really starts.”

“Uh, yeah kind of, Honey. Go ahead Levi tell them from the start.”

For the next hour Travis, Levi and at times Billy Ray told the story to everyone. They started at when Travis’s men heard a firefight going on a click from where they were on patrol. After hearing the gunfire Travis told them he headed his men in that direction and flanking around to the higher group expecting it to be an American unit.

“How did you know which ones were Americans” George interrupted.

“Well when you’re there you begin to tell the difference between the sounds of M-sixteens and AK-forty-sevens or SKS’s.”

But Travis then continued with telling of his men getting there and firing in the direction of the VC. The VC became surprised and it gave both sets of Americans to group up better. Then Levi and Billy Ray added in the next parts with Travis. Saying they were there as spotters for Whiskey Battery and MAWs to shell parts of the Ho Chi Minh trail. Telling about the next two days of running fire fights as they tried to make their way to Doc Kien Pass.

“Did your Dad ever tell you how he got wounded?” Levi asked the boys and Marie.

“Not really. He just said he got hit by a VC round in the shoulder.”

“Well that’s correct, but he got it while he was saving one of Mr. Cody’s men’s life a soldier named Johnson. Now what makes this kind of funny is, Johnson was Mr. Cody’s team’s medic. So the guy he saved was the guy who had to bandage him up. That is when your dad let him, he said he was too busy firing back at the VC to stop right then.”

Travis noted that Marie got an almost teary look in her eyes when Levi finished telling that part. She saw him see her look, and she leaned over close to him and said. “I always called him my hero, but now I know he really is one.” Travis patted her shoulder and nodded his head.

They told them the rest of the story. The running firefights, finally getting past the pass, then down to the old abandoned French fort and finally to Charlie Seventh near Cam Dow bridge, where Travis and his men were from.

Billy Ray ended the story by saying, they all just did what they were supposed to be doing. That was when Levi reminded Billy Ray that you don’t get a Bronze Star for just doing your job, and Billy Ray had one for his part in that running fight. Billy Ray just waved off his old friend’s comment.

Just as the stories were ended and the conversation quieted some, the boys borrowed their dad’s car keys, said their goodbyes and took their girlfriends home.

Once they were gone Billy Ray got to ask why Travis and Levi were in Manchester, he knew they weren’t there just to visit an old friend.

“We’re checking into a lead on a case we are both working on from Virginia, Billy Ray. We may be here a couple of days, we’re not really sure how long it will take. Levi talked about you being here and we thought you would know more about the area. So if we might talk a little, it might just save us a little leg work.”

“Shoot, you bet ask away. What is the case and how can we help?”

“It’s a murder, one that was set up to look like a suicide. The victim was a friend of both mine and Levi’s.”

“And you think this murderer is here in Manchester?”

“No, not the murderer, but someone who was at least very close to him and we think may have given him information by hacking some computer system.”

“How could we help? Who is this person you are trying to find information about? We’ll do what we can, but I can’t let it put us or the boys in any danger, I think you can understand that.”

“We do, and we wouldn’t think of letting any of you be put in any danger either. Her name is Donna Gustafson and she has a little daughter. We know her address and have driven by the house. She works for Digital Computers. She was an old girlfriend of the man we are pretty sure is involved in the murder. Both of them were in the Marines several years ago and that is where they met. Her daughter’s name is Maria Antonia Gustafson. That’s the important facts we know about her.”

Marie spoke before Billy Ray could ask another question. “Are you sure she is involved?”

“Well, not completely sure. But I feel pretty strongly that she probably is. This Donna’s daughter’s birthdate and name lead us to believe our suspect is the father. And what we have found about some of financial dealings seems to look as if she has income that doesn’t show up in her official records. That makes us think she is getting money from him, that she is not reporting to anyone. Why do you ask if we are sure?”

“Because I know who she is. I wouldn’t say I know her personally, but I have met her a few times in the past two or three years. Her daughter is a second grader at Mount Saint Mary’s Academy, where I teach elementary school. Maria has been going there since she was in nursery school and she is a pretty and smart little girl. She’s not in my classes, but she is in one of my friend’s class.”

“We had no idea Marie, I am sorry. If you would rather we not ask you any more, we won’t.”

“No, that’s not it at all. The daughter is not the one you’re looking into. I just hope Maria will be come out of this okay, like I said she is a good kid. I could show a picture of Maria, there will be some in our school yearbooks.”

“Please do. We have no idea what her or her mother look like.”

Marie stood up and went downstairs to the den. She came back to the table and showed Travis and Levi the picture of Maria Antonia Gustafson’s class photo in the previous year’s yearbook. Billy Ray got up and looked at the picture as well.

“You’re right she is a pretty girl.” Travis said as he looked at the open page.

“I remember this little girl. She and her mother have been to Sunday Mass several times together.”

“That’s right they belong to Blessed Sacrament Parish, just like us, Honey. That’s how she got enrolled in the preschool, they’re Catholic”

“So if they’re parishioners, they might be in the parish member’s directory we have. A lot of them have photos in there as well.”

“I’ll go look, the directory is in a drawer in the kitchen.” As soon as Marie answered her husband, she went to the kitchen to find the directory. She returned with it in her hand. “Here it is and you were right Billy, they’re in here. Take a look.”

All four of them looked at the page with a picture of Donna Gustafson with her daughter on it, as well as their address and phone number.

“Hey, is this right? It says here she volunteers on the Parish newsletter.”

“I didn’t remember that, but I guess she does. Could someone who does this kind of thing with her church be associated with a man who murdered your friend?”

“I’m sorry to say this Marie, but I have heard of far stranger things before.”

Then Billy Ray asked a question. “Travis, I know Levi is a deputy with the Sheriff’s Department there in Virginia. But I thought you were a private Investigator? When do cops and P.I.’s work together.”

“Usually they don’t, and as far as anyone is concerned right now, there is no investigation. We have all thought that best for now, so no one can know we are.”

“Okay, I see I guess. If there seems to be no investigation, then no one can get nervous about it, either.”

“Right. Okay, I think I have an idea, since Levi and I have gotten more tonight than we ever thought. Tonight is Thursday, so I think he and I will stay until at least Sunday. Tomorrow and Saturday Levi and I have plenty we can look into without you guys being involved. Then Sunday don’t look surprised is we both show up separately at your Mass; make sure your boys know we might be there to let’s say, here the sermon. I just want to observe Donna Gustafson from a distance acting naturally, doing her normal routine. We’re not going to try and talk to her yet.”

“That sounds good, how about we all meet again for dinner on Saturday night. Let’s say at the Chili’s on Willow. It’s close to The Mall of New Hampshire at about eight. I’m pretty sure the boys will be on dates.”

“That sounds great. We’ll get out of your hair now and see you two then. We need to get back to our hotel anyway. We both have a couple of calls to make. And by the way, thanks for all the help you have already been, it means a lot”

“We are happy to help you two and can’t wait to see you Saturday night.”

Travis and Levi shook hands with Billy Ray and hugged Marie, then left in the Land Rover. Twenty minutes later they were walking down the hall in the hotel and entering their separate rooms. Once inside both men called home to Andy and Helen. Both women were glad they had called. Andy told Travis she was going to call Helen and ask her over to spend the weekend, Travis said that was a good idea for both of them and he would tell Levi her plan. They both told each other good night and they loved each other. Almost the same was happening on Levi’s call.

After Levi hung up his call, he knocked lightly on the adjoining door to Travis’s room. Travis opened the door and they called Sheriff Dexter together. Dexter answered on the second ring. “Kind of thought I’d hear from you two tonight. How’d it go today?”

They filled Dexter in.