IMBERADO
CHAPTER X
Levi had woken from his nap as well and heard the conversation that Travis was having on his mobile phone. As usual when hearing only one side of a conversation, its full meaning was only speculative. So Levi stood, stretched his arms, arched his back and flexed on each leg, before walking into Travis’s room through the open connecting door.
“I am guessing that was the call from your contact. He got back with you pretty quick. I didn’t catch all of what you said, but I guess you got enough from him, for it to have been worthwhile in sending him Gustafson’s phone numbers?”
“Very worthwhile, Levi. You better sit down.”
“Okay, but I just got off the couch.”
“You remember that other contact I was emailing on FIDONET?”
“Sure uh, Bulldog something. Wait, it was Bulldog 1369, that old grunt joke, from Nam.”
“That’s it. Well, Bulldog 1369 is really Donna Gustafson. And it all makes sense now. I should have suspected it long ago, all those answers that were warning me about pursuing the investigation. She wasn’t warning me out of consideration, she was trying to scare me off.”
“Holy crap! Do you think she knows who you are?”
“No, I might be wrong but I don’t think she’s made that connection yet. If she had, we would probably have had more serious contact from Davis by now.”
“Yeah, maybe. So what’s your plan? We need to be real cagey now.”
“Agreed, and that’s what NDN Will said too.”
“Did you find out any more about him?”
“Just that he’s Teton Cheyenne, is all. I should hear from him again, maybe in a day or two. He’ll be looking further into the other numbers she contacts regularly, to see if they might give us a lead on Davis. Maybe a schedule or location.”
“We couldn’t be that lucky, this guy is good.”
“So was Donna. But they didn’t expect anyone to be looking for her though, and we did. So if we’re lucky again, maybe they weren’t as smart in their contacting each other as well.”
The next morning, Sunday morning, Travis and Levi walked into the chapel of Blessed Sacrament Parish just before Mass. They had waited in the Land Rover until most of the congregation was inside. Billy Ray and his family were some of the first ones there. Donna Gustafson and Maria had just been inside long enough to be seated by now. Travis and Levi took seats in a pew near the back and in the two seats nearest the main aisle, they planned to leave mixed in with the first parishioners who left when Mass was over.
Donna Gustafson and her daughter Maria were the model of Catholics attending Sunday mass. Freshly pressed modest, but pretty dresses, polished shoes and wearing white gloves. Even little Maria held a dainty purse. Maria had left with the other children and then returned at the appropriate interval. Donna glanced around and spoke to those near her, but did not look as if she searched for strangers. When the procession ended, Levi and Travis blended into the throng of leaving people effortlessly. Once back in the Land Rover they watched as people left the parking lot or from street parking and joined in with the large amount of cars doing the same thing. Travis drove to the New Hampshire Mall and parked again, waiting what felt like long enough, before he drove to Billy Ray’s house.
Once there, they joined Billy Ray and Marie with their boys in Sunday dinner. Afterwards they told everyone they were leaving to drive back to Virginia that afternoon. They thanked both Billy Ray and Marie for their help and George for his help at getting Travis into the college to use the computer.
“You two let us know how it goes. And don’t let it be so long until we hear from you again.”
“We won’t, I’m sure Andy and I will be sending you an invitation to our wedding before long. I hope you will consider coming down and being with us.”
“We would not miss it for the world, Travis. Even if I have to tie up Billy Ray, throw him into the car and drive there myself.” Marie said with an infectious smile on her face, as she looked at her husband of many years.
“You won’t need to tie me up, sweetheart. I can’t wait to meet the woman who corralled Travis’s heart. How about you, Levi?”
“Don’t rush me, I just got Helen to let me be in her life like that. I don’t want to scare her off now.”
“Wait too long and she might come to her senses, or she may just drag you there, you’ve made her wait so long already.” Billy Ray added as he gave his old friend a manly hug goodbye.
With that Travis and Levi walked down the driveway, got into the Land Rover and waved goodbye one last time, as they pulled away from the curb. It would be the wee hours of the morning when they got back to Travis’s house. Helen had told Levi last night that she would be there with Andy, waiting.
At a roadside stop just outside New York City, the two men stopped for dinner and gas. Before they hit the road again, Travis called Andy and let her know their progress. She asked him to call again when they got more gas, regardless of the time and he had agreed.
It was one in the morning when they parked the Land Rover in the garage at Travis’s house and were met by both Andy and Helen with sleepy, but anxious looks as the two men entered the house.
“I am glad you’re home, honey. Let’s get you a shower and into bed. Welcome back to you too, Levi.”
“Hey, glad to be back, Andy.” Levi answered as he was hugging Helen and just before giving her a warm kiss.
“See you two in the morning.” Travis said as he put his arm around Andy’s waist and started heading for their bedroom. “I thought you two would be asleep, by now” he said as he and Andy entered the bedroom and closed the door.
“We were. But when I heard the garage door I was wide awake.”
Andy’s alarm clock went off just like any other Monday morning. She bounced out of bed and went to take her shower and by the time she was dressed for work, Travis had breakfast ready for the four of them. Andy, Helen and Levi all took off at the same time. Andy headed for Winchester, Helen went by her house first so Levi could get his car and head to the Sheriff’s Department in Leesburg, she kissed him goodbye there and headed to the Pentagon.
Travis was downstairs in his office for an hour after they left, then he got back in the Land Rover and drove to the Sheriff’s Office to meet Levi and hopefully Sheriff Dexter. By the time he pulled into the parking lot, he could see both Levi’s car and Dexter’s Sheriff’s car. So, he got out and walked in the front entry without delay.
“Good Morning Mr. Cody, I thought I would see you early today, when Sgt. Mueller and the Sheriff both showed up early. They’re in his office now, go ahead and go on up.”
“Thanks Julie, how’s that cute little girl of yours?”
“Just as sweet as an eight year old, going on thirteen can be, when she’s being spoiled by both Jim and me.”
“Good, that wedding is going to be soon, I think.”
“It is. How about you and Andy?”
“She’s working on a date, as we speak. I better get up there, you have a good day.”
“You do the same, Mr. Cody.”
Travis knocked on Sheriff Dexter’s door and heard the answer to come on in. Once inside he saw Levi sitting in a chair facing Dexter and took the one next to him.
“Sounds to me like the trip panned out even better than you thought it would?”
“We were lucky, is an understatement, and we had plenty of help.”
“So you’re sure she is still connected to Davis and that he is the little girl’s father. Levi says she’s also been feeding you warnings, as some hacker on that network you use. Are you sure she doesn’t know it’s you on that network?”
“I am sure she is still Davis’s girlfriend if not more. And yes, I am also certain that she is Bulldog1369 on FIDONET. My other contact there found proof of that, and he is digging around more to see if he can add to what we know now. As to, does she know that I am the one on the network, I can’t say for sure. I don’t think so, yet. But even if she does, I think I can use the knowledge of who she is to smoke Davis out of the shadows.”
“How are you going to do that, without risking your life?”
“I didn’t say that there wouldn’t be a risk. However, I think it’s worth it, if we can apprehend Davis.”
“Okay, so what’s on your mind? You’ve got a plan I’m guessing.”
“Still putting ideas into one. First I want to wait, maybe a day or so, to see if NDN Will finds any more information that we can use. Then I’ll send her a message, or should I say send Bulldog1369 a message. One with bogus information. Maybe something like I have found evidence that Davis killed Congressman Whiteside, rather than it being a suicide. That I am getting the last pieces together, before I go to the police. That being your department, of course.”
“That could bring him out of hiding, I agree. But it would probably put him into seek and destroy mode as well, with you being the target. If not some of us as well, you willing to risk that?”
“I don’t want any of you in his crosshairs, no. That’s why I said, I’m still putting pieces together, while I wait. Just a little longer, to see if NDN Will finds out more that I can use. Then all of us can formalize and agree on a plan. We have to get this guy, but even more than that, I want to know why he did it, or more surely, who he did it for. I have no doubt that Davis killed Jim for someone else, and I want that person, just as much as I want Davis.”
“On that we both agree. How about you Levi, you haven’t said anything since Travis got here?”
“I agree with Travis, Sheriff. And even if I have misgivings, I learned to trust his instincts a long time ago, and I still do on this.”
“Okay, I am going to say this to you especially Levi. I have seen more of your investigative skills on this than I ever have, in all the time you’ve been a deputy for me. You’re as good as any detective in the department. Why haven’t you applied to be one for the department before?”
“I’m a good patrol Sargent, Sheriff, and I like being one. I’m good now maybe, by association, with Travis, I mean. He always brings qualities out in me that I don’t know I have sometimes. But I know I’m a good Sargent and I am good at it, because I’m comfortable in doing it. I would never tell you no, no more than I would tell Travis no, but I know I’m good at what I do now.”
“Well, no one’s asking me, but I agree with the Sheriff, except I know you would be a good detective. With or without me or the Sheriff. You just have never been one to accept how effective you are at things beyond your comfort zone. That’s not a criticism my old friend, it’s also one of your best qualities.”
“I think I agree with you on all of that Travis, and you and I, Levi can talk about this another time. Just know this, I will not force you to be something you’re not comfortable with, but at the same time I want you to go as far as you can. And I have seen what I have already said, you are as good a detective as anyone here.”
“I do appreciate that from both of you. Okay, we can talk about that at a future time. Right now, I think I’ll get out on patrol, if we’re done here until Travis either hears from his contact or decides on a plan for us all to consider.”
“Yeah, sounds good. You get out of here, I have official work to get done.”
Travis and Levi left the office and closed the door behind them. They walked out into the parking lot, said goodbye and both got into their cars and drove off. Levi on patrol and Travis headed into Winchester, not home. Travis drove down Highway Seven to Winchester, then straight to Andy’s school. It had been quite a while since he had went to meet her there, without them planning a lunch together.
When Andy saw Travis in the hallway outside her class, just as it was letting out, and it being her last class before her lunch hour, she beamed with warm surprise. Travis was a man who planned everything and she loved his tendency for preparations. But this sudden show of spontaneity at what was apparently a lunch date gave her heart a burst of love for him.
“And to what do I owe this surprise, my love?”
“Just that, love. We haven’t had Chinese food from that little place you like for quite a while, and I have been gone enough days that I wanted to have lunch with you today.”
“Ooh, I am so glad you did. Me too. So I get Kung Pao Chicken?”
“Whatever your heart desires, pleases me pink.”
Their lunch was delightful, the food just as Andy liked it, and their conversation light and enjoyable. Not a word was spoken by either of them about the case, or anything distracting from their enjoying each other’s company. After Andy was back at school, then Travis drove to the house and went down to his office, logging onto FIDONET.
There was a message from NDN Will and Travis opened it immediately;
My brother we should sing together again, our voices lifted into the wind. Our voices lifted in solitude, only for our ancestors to hear. We can meet when you have prepared yourself for the ritual.
Travis replied quickly that he was prepared even now, and then worked on while being sure to pay attention for a ring on his mobile phone. He didn’t have long to wait, within thirty minutes his phone rang.
“Cody, how can I help you?”
“Imberado, it is I, NDN Will. I should get used to calling you Cody, but habits die hard. I have found something rather interesting, looking into the coyote woman’s IP message history.”
“Good, did you find another IP address that she is in contact with often?”
“Not as you might expect, you are right in your assessment of her abilities. As I researched, there was no IP she contacted regularly that was suspicious. And none with a true pattern. However, sometimes if you really look there are patterns within, where no pattern is obvious. What I found is she receives a message every Friday night at exactly ten PM. But it is never from the same IP any time. There are times when the message will be from different IP’s that are in the same area though and then others they are from not only different areas, but from other countries. What I think is your Coyote is very smart. He uses hookups from different locations, maybe even different computers. I can surmise though that it very well could be him messaging her, but from where ever he is at that time each week. The pattern goes back as far as I can check, at least two years.”
“That is astonishing Will, anyone else might have easily missed this entirely. What area was the last message from?”
“The last two were in Texas, looks like the San Antonio area, but in the south-central part of Texas for sure.”
“That’s even better, it confirms something else I thought he was responsible for. You have these in hard copy form, if I ever need them?”
“Yes, what do you suspect him of there?”
“Another murder, his old high school principal. That’s within the time it happened. It was made to look like an accidental but natural death.”
“He is good, this Coyote. I will continue looking, but that is all I have found so far.”
“I am forever grateful Will, if I can ever do anything for you, you just have to ask. You can always call me on this mobile number, anytime, any day, for anything.”
“I will try to remember to call you Cody in the future, when we are not on FIDONET. You can call me John instead of Will, it is my Christian name.”
“Thank you John, and you should call me Travis, Cody is my surname. I appreciate the confidence.”
“Well Travis, my surname is Little Horse. Maybe, I’ll just call you Robin Hood, for laughs between us.”
“I see the humor, I’ll return the favor Little John.”
Both men laughed for a few moments. Then John said. “I will email you if I find anything more. Unless I think it is vital, then I will call. Talk to you later Travis.”
“Later, and thanks again John.”
Then they both hung up the connection. Travis smiled to himself as he pushed the button on his Motorola 8500X, this new found connection with John Little Horse was unexpected. The information though was even better, with this he could formulate a plan, one that just might bring Davis out of the shadows. He needed to talk with Dexter and Levi again, and probably include Andy and Helen. A dinner is in order, here at the house, tomorrow would be best by then it would be only a day until Friday.
