IMBERADO
CHAPTER XI
“Detective Markel, how can I help you?” Danny Markel’s tone was flat and his inflections were matter-of-fact. A rehearsed greeting that held no real personal quality, purely business.
“Well for starters you could sound just a little more alive. You do have a pulse don’t you?”
“Travis, I didn’t expect to hear from you again so quick. Either you have decided to finally decided make a move back here to the land of oil wells and jack rabbits, or this is about that case again?”
“The case, Danny. Thought I would let you know that I have found out that Sargent Davis was in the San Antone area for at least two weeks around the time of Principal Wilson’s death. I wouldn’t say I have proof you could use in court, but I know he was there on both Friday nights at ten o’clock PM.”
“You’re sure of this?”
“Just as sure as I am that the sun sets in the west every afternoon. I’m also pretty sure that he has probably moved on, by now. But I am planning on trying to draw him out of hiding. Tomorrow evening I am going to set that plan in motion.”
“Be careful Travis, you just might be poking a sleeping bear. What can I do, you didn’t call just to tell me that?”
“I was thinking. Was there anything your men found at the principal’s house that seemed out of place or like it didn’t belong there? Maybe something that looked insignificant at the time?”
“Not that I remember, why?”
“Just thought it was worth asking? If there was, or if you found anything now at the scene, it might be worth doing a DNA test, to see if it is different from Wilson’s. Those kind of tests have started proving worthwhile in the last few years.”
“Yeah, I have read that. Okay, I’ll take a look again at the evidence we took. If nothing’s there, maybe I’ll go back to his house, it’s still locked up, haven’t found a next of kin to release it too yet.”
“Could you let me know if you find anything? I’d appreciate it.”
“You bet, but I wouldn’t count on anything. You keep your six covered now, you hear?”
“Roger on that. Talk to you later.”
“Later, Travis.” The line went dead right after Danny said the two words.
After Travis pushed the exit button, he got up from his desk chair, walked up the stairs to the first floor and walked outside. He spent the next two hours taking a slow walk around his property, re-familiarizing himself with every deadfall, new piles of windblown leaves, and scat from the wildlife that frequently crossed here and there, bedded down or fed on prey.
At seven PM Travis and Andy with Levi, Helen and Sheriff Dexter were having dinner on the back deck at Travis and Andy’s house. Travis had started preparing the steaks, salad, baked potatoes and green beans shortly before Andy returned home. Together they had everything ready by the time her father and friends arrived.
“This looks great Andy, usually the fare is somewhat more casual when Travis invites everyone over on the spur of the moment.”
“It has been a while since we were all sitting down to a balanced dinner, I guess. But my fiancée here decided we should do it up a little tonight. He has something he wants us all to talk about.” Andy said this with a pixyish grim and those gleaming eyes of hers as she leaned her head in Travis’s direction. Everyone chuckled while looking at Travis, and Sheriff Dexter almost spat out a bite of the salad, when he started to laugh.
“Daddy behave yourself.”
“Couldn’t help it Andy, sometimes you sound just like your mother.”
Levi broke the humorous banter when he asked. “Okay, the grub tastes great and the company couldn’t be better old son, but what is up?”
“I had a message and then afterwards talked with John Little Horse today and after that I called Detective Markel in San Antonio.”
“John, who?”
“Little Horse, oh sorry, that is NDN Will’s real name. He found a pattern in the IP address’s messaging back and forth with Donna Gustafson’s alias as Bulldog 1369. Every Friday night at ten o’clock she gets a message, it’s not always the same IP, nor is it from the same area, but at ten every Friday night she gets a message. John and I both think it is Davis messaging her from where ever he is. And what peaked my attention was that the two Fridays on either side of when Principal Wilson died, the messages came from the San Antonio area.”
“That has got to be more than a coincidence.” Sheriff Dexter interrupted.
“I agree, that’s why I called and talked to Danny Markel. I told him what John Little Horse told me, and he is going to look deeper into what they found at Wilson’s house. He said he would go back to the house and look closer now, to see if he could find anything worth investigating deeper. Maybe even a DNA test if he can find anything worthwhile. The house is still taped off, they haven’t found a next of kin for Wilson, yet.”
“That would be good for his case, but how is that going to help us find Davis?”
“Well, that’s why I asked you all to come over tonight, I have an idea. Andy and I talked about it while we were getting dinner ready tonight. At first she wasn’t too keen on it, but now we are in complete agreement.”
“Travis is right, when you hear the whole premise and then let it sink in, it makes a kind of warped logical sense, as the best option we have.”
“I feel very sure that Davis and Donna message back and forth every Friday night at ten. I am pretty sure she hasn’t connected yet that Imberado and I are the same person. So, tomorrow afternoon I am going to post a message to her, that I hope surprises her into telling Davis I am too close to connecting the dots on Jim’s death. That I think will bring him out of the shadows, and looking for me.”
“Whoa there, Kimosabe. This guy is a killer and he’s good at it. Are you sure this is a good idea, you would be taking an awful risk?”
“Levi is right Travis, and Andy do you really agree with this plan.”
“Yes, I do Daddy. At first, I was at the very least, skeptical. But Travis is right, there has been a risk ever since we started investigating Congressman Whiteside’s death. But, at least now we have enough information to prepare for the risk. Now, we have a chance to be a step ahead of him and this Donna Gustafson. Hear Travis out.”
“Well, this had better be one hell of a plan.”
“It’s not fool proof, but I think it will work. Like I said, tomorrow afternoon I am going to post a message to her as Bulldog 1369. In it I am going to ask her for help one more time, before I give the authorities what I have found. Showing that there is sufficient evidence to investigate Jim’s death as a murder by an imposter posing as Jim when the gun was purchased that killed him. Before I send the message NDN Will is going to be monitoring her IP address. When her message comes in from Davis, he will find out at least the general location of where the IP is he’s using tomorrow. That will give us a loose time frame of when he could be here and the danger to escalate.”
“Okay, that sounds plausible at least. But how are you going to locate him before he finds you?”
“I’m counting on him being good enough, with her help, that he will find me. Davis finding me is better than me trying to find him. I’m also counting on the premise that Donna doesn’t figure out that I know who she is.”
“They could link some of us to you, and him come after one of us first. Have you given that any consideration, in this plan of yours?”
“Yes, and that is why, once we have an idea of where he is tomorrow night, the second part of the plan goes into play. Andy is going to take a short leave from work and stay here, this house is safer than any place we know. I am hoping that Levi and Helen can and will do the same. You Sheriff, I need in play though. They will think, I hope, that you haven’t been contacted yet and will try to get to me, before I contact you. I’m pretty sure Donna will agree to help me, as a ruse of course so I will tell her before I go to you with the information. Davis seems to always try to kill his victims in their homes, but he will find that quite a challenge with this house.”
“Only if he doesn’t use a tank or high explosives. And, I agree that has not been his methods so far, he likes to make it look like anything but a murder. I just don’t like the idea of Andy or Levi and Helen being at risk.”
Levi had already looked at Helen and she had nodded agreement, so he interjected before Travis could say anything else to Dexter. “We’re up for this Sheriff, if you agree to me being off a few days, once we know where Davis is tomorrow night. The four of us can do more from this house against Davis, than anywhere I can think of. This house is a veritable fortress, and we have the advantage of knowing he will be trying something before he knows he needs to.”
“Alright then, I am out voted. Now, you tell me what role I can play in this scheme.”
“You get the easiest of roles Sheriff, you just get to be you. Just be ready with the Calvary when we call, not before. One slight whiff of a trap and he will vanish.”
For the next hour and half the five of them discussed the next couple of days. Then Sheriff Dexter left for home, shortly followed by Levi and Helen leaving as well. Andy and Travis went bed after that, Travis cuddling her until she drifted off to sleep.
Friday afternoon Travis sent his message to Bulldog 1369 on Fidonet. As he expected she answered with both a caution of continuing and agreeing to help in any way she could. By seven that evening Andy was home and had already been approved to be on a two week sabbatical from her school. Levi and Helen were there, having brought the luggage they needed for an extended stay, just in case they found out Davis was somewhere, not so far away.
At ten that night, all four were in Travis’s office downstairs, waiting on a call or message from NDN Will. Finally at twenty after ten his mobile phone rang.
“Travis Cody, can I help you?”
“Travis, this is John, sorry for the delay. I had to make sure of what I found. Coyote messaged her right on time at ten. His IP is not in the US, it is originating in Columbia, somewhere near Bogotá. That is as close as I can pinpoint him right now. You should be very careful, there is only one reason why he would be there. I don’t see him as languishing in the tropics as a tourist.”
“I agree, he’s no tourist John. So there are drugs involved somehow, probably either the Medellin or Cali cartel. Unless he is on a new contract, which is another possibility.”
“A possibility yes, but I would not bank my life on it. The question is however, why would either of them be involved in the murder of a US Congressman?”
“Yes and why for such a long time? Once I was sure of the location, I looked at my older data on IP’s the Coyote’s woman has received messages from on Friday nights. Several of them over the last two years have come from near where he is now.”
“Several you say? Then I need to look deeper into what Whiteside was working on, there must be a connection.”
“I will look as well, and let you know if I find anything that might help. I hate drugs, too many of our people have become addicted here. But for now that is all I have. Good luck and watch your six.”
“I will, and thank you again.”
“Via Con Dios Hermano”
“Gracias Amigo.” Travis said just before pushing the disconnect button. Andy, Levi and Helen all had stunned looks on their faces, when Travis turned around to face them.
“He’s in Columbia, and drugs are involved?”
“Looks possible Levi, John said some of the messages Davis has sent to Donna over the last two years at least, have originated close to where he is tonight, someplace close to Bogotá. This just means there is a possibility of drugs being involved. Do any of you have any idea what Jim was working on at Congress?”
“Let me get on your computer a few minutes and I might be able to give us an idea?” Helen said as she waved Travis out of his chair and sat down, first she exited out of Fidonet, and then she went in to a flurry of activity. She turned to Levi. “This may take a few minutes, can you bring me down another beer Baby?”
“You got it, I’ll be right back.” Levi answered and then motioned for Travis and Andy to follow him. Once they were in the kitchen, he turned to Travis and spoke while he pulled a Bud out of the refrigerator. “Might as well relax a moment, I know how Helen is once she gets intent on something. She won’t be looking up until she is done. So you might as well take a couple of minutes, have a Bud and then come back down. I’ll yell if she has something before you do.”
“Sounds good, I could use a couple of minutes out on the deck. Care to join me Andy?”
“Where ever you go, I go, big boy, from now on.”
Once they were sitting on the deck Andy turned to Travis. “Why did you say goodbye to him in Spanish? I thought you said he was northern Cheyenne.”
“He is, but the Spanish introduced much to the western tribes, long before any other whites where here. Mainly in the Southwest, but what they brought, good and bad spread. Many in the West learned some of their language and some words stuck. But most of all three things changed for the tribes. The Elk Dog as they originally called a horse, firearms and betrayal.”
“Okay, I can understand the firearms over bows and spears. I can even guess at the betrayal, of how whites treated them. But why did they call the horse an Elk Dog?”
“No Indian had ever seen a horse, or a man with a beard before. The only thing they could relate to an animal tamed and used by men was a dog, but the horse was the size of an Elk, sooo.”
“That makes sense then, but why would you say goodbye in Spanish to him?”
“Because he did to me, I guess in respect for my Apache heritage. John Little Horse is like that. He is deep in older traditions, which seems a little odd, being that he is so good at being a hacker as well.”
“You, have some strange friends my love, some strange friends indeed.”
“Yep, but you’re the only one wanting to marry me.”
“Touché, my love touché. Let’s get back downstairs.”
When they got there Helen was still clicking keys, reading and clicking keys again. After about half an hour she stopped, turned around and looked at all three of them. “Okay, there very well could be a drug connection.”
“What did you find?”
“Congressman Whiteside was co-author on a bill to increase penalties on drug pushers. And this is not the first bit of legislation he has pushed against both users and sellers. The bill was stalled in committee though because his co-author resigned recently. So Whiteside was trying to parlay another key backer. Also his deceased wife, Felicity, she was also an activist for drug rehabilitation and stricter laws.”
“And she died in an unsolved car crash, by an unknown driver several years ago. And his daughter Susanna was kidnapped by guys of Hispanic descent. I know that only because I’m the one who found her and brought her back.”
“Yes, but the two of them were never caught, so how is it you are so sure they were Hispanic?”
“I found out enough to know they appeared to be Hispanic gang affiliated, before I got Susanna out of there and back to Jim.”
“This is getting way to coincidental for me, Travis. But Felicity’s death was before Davis was reported as dead in Beirut.”
“True Levi, but somehow all of this is starting to look tied together. Right now though we need to focus just on Davis and his killing Jim. We have a day, two at most before he can be close and we spring our trap. Let’s all go up, get some shut eye, and get back to this in the morning. We need to hit the ground running then.”
It was about mid-morning while Levi and Travis were out at the front gate installing a small camera with a field of view on the gate area when Sheriff Dexter pulled into the driveway in his department car. Dexter saw the two men and got out of his vehicle, closed the door and walked toward where they were working. “That’s a good idea, I wondered why I didn’t see any around before now.”
“I’ve had these for a while Dexter, just never saw the immediate need to get them up and running. Now I wish I had done this earlier.”
“I’ll bet you do. Hey, that’s kinda why I came out so early. I was in the Old Towne Grill having breakfast this morning when Elaine told me something odd.”
“By Elaine, do you mean that middle-aged waitress that waited on us a while back?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Anyway she said a guy came earlier this morning and asked about you. Now it wasn’t Davis by her description of him; middle aged, wearing a sport coat and slacks average height and weight. The kind of guy you don’t pay much attention to, except he asked her about you. Said he was an old acquaintance, who just happened to be in the area and wondered if she knew you. Said he’d like to surprise you by just showing up. She said she told him she knew who you were, but had no idea where you lived, except that it was out in the country somewhere. After that she said he paid his bill, left her a good tip and left. She saw him go across the street and get into a drab sedan of some kind, said the car seemed to fit him, neither one much to look at or remember really.”
“Your right, doesn’t sound like Davis at all. But, it does sound like it could be someone we should keep an eye out for, just in case he shows up. Not much of a description to go on though.”
“Naw, that smells.”
“Say what Levi?”
“I said it smells of dead Mackerel. Too coincidental for me. A nondescript guy in a nondescript car, just shows up looking for you, at the same time we’re preparing for Davis to show up. Doesn’t smell right to me, Travis.”
“No, it doesn’t. And I don’t trust in coincidences either. We need to know who this guy is and why he is here supposedly looking for me. But right now our main focus has to be on Davis. I’m sure he will take the bait, and we need to be as ready as we can before he shows up, in his stealth mode.
“I agree, Davis is our main objective. But we don’t need any surprises out of this mystery man either. I’ll get back to the office and quietly tell the deputy’s that there has been an unknown stranger in the county asking too many questions. I’ll also tell them that this only a report to me if they see him, I’ll take it from there. ”
“Sure Dexter, but be careful. I’ve just gotten used to you.”
“Same here.” The Sheriff said as he got back into his car and backed out of the driveway, then left a short skid mark on the road as he headed in the direction of Leesburg.
“I still don’t like it, Travis. This guy could be trouble. It doesn’t sound like some old acquaintance, just stumbled into town trying to reconnect after a few years.”
“Yeah, let’s get done with these cameras and get back to the house, so we can try them out. I want all of us to know how they work. Starting tonight we’ll take turns at the computer, on watch. That way everyone gets plenty of sleep, while we do our best to not be surprised. Davis will think this will be as easy as it was on Jim or the principal in Texas. We need to make sure it’s him who is surprised.”
“Yay baby, let’s make him the fish in a barrel, not us.”
Two hours later Travis and Levi were done with the cameras. When they back to the house all four of them went downstairs to the basement office and checked on how the cameras worked. Two of them didn’t have the right field of view Travis wanted, so he and Levi went back out and adjusted them. Once back in the office, everyone agreed the fields of view were much better. The cameras were motion activated and ran on what Travis called starlight optics, he explained to Andy the difference between this and infra-red. In the daylight motion would just activate a camera, send a signal back to the computer and you could see what tripped the activation hopefully before it moved out of view. At night the same thing happened except the camera used a starlight lamp for lighting the area, which would be unseen in the night’s darkness except, to the computer image in the house. This was triggered by a small solar cell that let the camera know it was dark.
The four of them took a break for dinner shortly after they were done and all were familiar with what to do when a camera came on. As the sun went down in the direction of the Susquehanna River they all returned to the basement, Travis was going to take the first watch, he would be relieved by Levi and so on after that. Now the real waiting started, the next move would be up to Davis.
