1990

"Sounds like they might have been bikers," Chet observed. "Did anyone notice if there were any patches on their jackets or if they had any tattoos?"

Chet watched as Gomez glanced at Delgado and raised an eyebrow. Delgado said, "Good guess. Both men had a tattoo visible on the left side of their necks. It was described as the letter 'z' inside a circle. We have sent a request to the FBI to see if they can identify it for us."

Chet didn't need the FBI to identify the tattoo that Delgado described. He had seen it dozens of times around south-central Missouri. Things were starting to fall into place for him, if not the detectives. Things that Chet didn't like.

Turning to the medical examiner, Chet asked, "Can you tell me about my wife's injuries? Did she suffer much?"

Dr. Menninger didn't wait for approval from the detectives before speaking, "I can assure you with absolute and complete certainty that your wife never felt a thing."

She went on to bluntly explain, "The first bullet entered the back of your wife's neck at point-blank range just below the cerebellum, penetrating the pons section of the brainstem. She was deceased before the next four bullets destroyed what was left of her brain. Even if the subsequent burns to her body weren't as disfiguring as they are, an open casket funeral would not be advised."

Chet wondered if Dr. Menninger was always this direct. She reminded him of some of the no-nonsense Army doctors that served with the Special Forces Operations Group. The picture they painted wasn't always the prettiest, but it left no illusions either.

"Are you prepared to release her body?" Chet asked. Since the doctor had mentioned funeral arrangements, it sounded like he might need to get started on those.

This time, Dr. Menninger did glance at the detectives before answering. With a nod from Delgado, she turned back to Chet and said, "Yes, your wife's was the first autopsy performed so I can sign off on releasing her to the funeral home of your choice."

"Thank you," Chet said. "I'll try to get things arranged later today or tomorrow."

Addressing the detectives again, Chet asked, "Let's talk about the guns used. You mentioned that one of them held a .22 caliber pistol. What about the other guy?"

"They both used .22 caliber pistols," Gomez replied. "All the bullets recovered confirm that."

"Semi-automatics or revolvers?" Chet asked. "Were shell casings found at the scene?"

"The surviving witnesses couldn't confirm during questioning," Delgado explained. "We plan to go back to them with pictures of different types of .22 caliber pistols to see if that helps them recognize the ones used. We do suspect revolvers though because no shell casings were found."

"But they didn't mention seeing the gunmen reloading or anything?" Chet inquired.

Delgado shook his head, and said, "They mentioned that there was never much of a pause in the shooting once it started. Of course, that could mean that one guy was reloading while his partner continued shooting. You have to remember that all the victims were face down on the floor at the time, so their field of vision was very limited."

These detectives weren't the only ones in the conference room skilled at reading the expressions and body language of others. Chet didn't think that Delgado or Gomez had been deceitful, but he sensed that they were holding something back from him. They might be willing to share the information if asked, but at this point, Chet didn't know what questions to ask that would pry it out of them. Instead, he asked, "Do you know where my wife's car is?"

"It's still parked behind the bowling alley," Delgado said. "That's private property and the car is not part of the crime scene, so it still sits where she parked it on Saturday morning."

"What about my wife's personal property?"

"I can have that brought to you right now if you'd like," Dr. Menninger said. She picked up the phone on the conference table and made the request without waiting for Chet's reply.

Detective Reynolds asked, "Would you like a ride to the bowling alley?"

Chet shook his head and said, "No thanks. I should get back to the coffee shop where the chaplain from Fort Bliss is waiting for me. I'll have him drive me to the bowling alley on his way out of town."

Detective Delgado slid one of his business cards across the table to Chet just as a morgue technician carried a large brown paper bag that contained Suzy's purse and a clear plastic bag holding the jewelry she had worn at the time of her death. He placed the bag on the table in front of Chet and presented him with a property release form to sign, which he did.

Delgado spoke, "Feel free to call me any time you want an update on the investigation. Again, we're sorry for the loss of your wife, and promise that we won't rest until this case is closed successfully."

Chet stood and shook the hands of Delgado, Gomez, and Dr. Menninger. He then followed Detective Reynolds back out to her car.

On their trip to the morgue, Reynolds had been quick to start the car and accelerate out of the parking lot, but now, she just started the car and stared out the windshield.

"Is everything okay?" Chet asked.

"I don't fucking believe it," Reynolds said, staring straight ahead.

"You don't believe what?"

Turning to face Chet, she said, "They didn't ask you the question." Seeing the confusion on Chet's face, she tried to explain, "They didn't ask you if you knew of anyone who would want to harm your wife. Anyone who wanted to see her dead."

Still seeing the confused expression remaining on Chet's face, Reynolds said, "The surviving witnesses both stated that when the gunmen first entered the room, they looked at your wife and asked if she was Suzy Ferguson. So, I'll ask the question that they didn't, do you know of anyone who would want to harm your wife?"

Chet turned and stared out the front windshield as he said, "No."

Reynolds didn't push the answer any further and simply drove silently back to the coffee shop a block from the police station. "Thanks for the ride," Chet said as he collected the folders and Suzy's personal belongings before he opened the door.

Reynolds reached over and touched Chet's arm before he got out of her car. She said, "Sorry again for your loss. We'll get these guys though. Count on it."

With a grunt that Reynolds could take anyway that she wanted, Chet rose out of the car and closed the door. He walked quickly into the coffee shop and found a seat at an empty table. The chaplain saw Chet enter and came to join him.

He asked, "How are you doing? Did you learn anything from the police?"

Chet opened the paper bag and stared at the clear plastic bag with Suzy's jewelry. There was the locket she had worn since the day that he had given it to her on her sixteenth birthday. It had always held a picture of him on one side and a picture of her mother on the other side, although Chet now suspected that the picture within it would be of him and Lily. He couldn't resist the urge to verify his suspicion. Opening the bag and removing the locket, he studied the gold, heart-shaped object as his eyes filled with tears. The chaplain remained silent, allowing Chet this personal time to grieve.

Everything was so damned hard now. Chet's world had been blown apart. He was lost; adrift in a sea of misery, rage, and pain. The English language does not contain enough words to even come close to describing the tsunami of pain, anger, and torturous loss that comes with the knowledge that the woman that you loved with all your being no longer exists in this mortal world. Opening the locket caused the tidal wave to crash upon Chet's beach, and left his soul desolate. He felt so hollow; like something had been ripped from his chest.

He had been right. The left panel of the locket still contained a photo of him, although much more up-to-date than the old high school yearbook photo that Suzy had originally had there. The right panel had a photo of Lily, but she was being held in Suzy's arms so that both of their smiling faces were visible. Recognizing his hair was once again cut to Army regulation length, Chet realized that it must have been taken at the El Paso airport soon after they had dropped him off for his flight to Fayetteville, North Carolina, which meant that it was less than a week old.

Chet handed the locket to the chaplain, and asked, "Do you want to see a picture of my two girls?"

The chaplain took the offered locket and smiled at the pictures inside. Few people appreciate the value of memories such as the photo of the mother and daughter held for someone, especially at a time of loss, such as now. He was glad that Chet had this, and knew that their daughter would be just as thankful in the years to come. He handed the locket back to Chet, watched, and waited.

Chet had removed Suzy's wedding band from the bag and was examining it with a sense of purpose. He placed it on the tip of his left pinky finger and quickly recognized that the ring was too small for even his narrowest finger. With a sigh, Chet slid the ring into his pants pocket and the locket into the pocket of his coat. He folded the empty plastic bag and placed his hands on top of it on the table.

Casting his teary eyes at the major, Chet said, "I need to be in two places at the same time right now, and I don't know what I should do. I need to be here to make arrangements for Suzy, but I also need to go find my daughter and make certain that she is all right."

The chaplain nodded and asked, "Do you know where your daughter is?"

Chet shared his discussion with Mrs. Gomez and his belief that the couple that had taken custody of Lily must have been Grant and Carrie Capshaw, and they would likely be on their way back to Lamar, Missouri at this moment.

"Do you feel that your daughter is in any danger being with these people?" the chaplain asked.

Chet considered the question and said, "I think that their objective is to somehow leverage them having custody of Lily to gain control of Suzy's estate and the trust fund that goes along with that. They obviously don't know, or don't care that Suzy and I had gotten married, and that I am named as Lily's father on her birth certificate. I can't imagine a scenario where they would be awarded legal custody of Lily over me."

The chaplain looked at Chet with sympathy and said, "Unfortunately, our legal system, especially in matters of child custody can do the unimaginable. You said that you believe they are headed back to Lamar, Missouri. How far is that from Fort Leonard Wood?"

Chet considered the question and reviewed his knowledge of the two locations before responding, "They're about three hours apart, depending on the route. Why?"

"My brother is one of the chaplains at Fort Leonard Wood. He is also married to the current Provost Marshall for the base. I'm sure that I can get them to find you someone to investigate and keep an eye on the situation in Lamar while you deal with the arrangements for your wife here."

The chaplain turned and spotted the payphone in the back of the coffee shop. He stood and said, "Come on, let's give my brother a call and get the ball rolling."

Checking his pockets, Chet said, "I don't have any change, but I can go break a twenty to get some."

"No need," the chaplain said. "I have an Army-issued calling card. You may have been discharged already, but I am still on active duty and assigned to you. This call is on Uncle Sam."

Monday, February 19, 1990

Leaning against the trunk of Suzy's car, Chet placed the heel of his right foot onto the trailer hitch that Suzy had the U-Haul dealer install before she had fled Lamar.

Chet grinned at the memory of Suzy describing how the technician had nearly cried when his supervisor had instructed him to do the requested installation of the trailer hitch. The technician made no secret of the fact that he thought desecrating a car such as this 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am by using it to tow anything was an abomination. Chet couldn't argue with that thought, but the trailer hitch did make a good footrest for how he was standing at the moment.

After retrieving Suzy's car from the parking area behind the bowling alley, Chet returned to the cottage with his sole purpose being to use the Yellow Pages to identify a funeral home to handle Suzy's final arrangements. Once he had selected one and spoken with them to get the cost for cremation and provide details on where to claim Suzy's body, he then drove to the bank where Suzy had the joint accounts. He withdrew all the money, having all but what he would need for the funeral home converted to American Express Travelers' Cheques. The teller advised Chet to sign all of the travelers' cheques before leaving the bank, but that would have defeated his purpose for getting them. While she was going through the process of closing the accounts, he signed one of the cheques in her presence to appease her.

No spouse, husband or wife, should ever be required to retrieve the cremated remains of their soulmate on Valentine's Day, but that is exactly what Chet had to endure if he was to leave Las Cruces for his mission to retrieve Lily as soon as possible. For eight years, Chet had thought about Suzy with every breath that he took. The thoughts had always been pleasant, inspirational, motivating, and safely cocooned within his love for her. Now, thoughts of Suzy haunted him, bringing nothing but grief, emptiness, and despair.

The chaplain from Fort Bliss had been able to immediately get in contact with his brother, but it had taken fifteen minutes for the brother in Missouri to track down his wife, explain the situation to her, and then get a number where Chet would be able to reach her. Chet had known that the Major at Fort Leonard Wood couldn't utilize military personnel to assist with the private concerns of a now-former Army sergeant, but that didn't prevent her from calling in favors from the numerous retired Army CID and military police personnel in the vicinity of the base, many currently working in law enforcement in one capacity or another. All were honored to be asked to assist in keeping an eye on Lily and her abductors until Chet could come to retrieve his daughter.

Chet didn't yet know the details of what he needed to do to accomplish his mission, but his training told him that he wanted to leave an untraceable trail in doing so. If his suspicions were proven true, involvement by the legal system would need to be avoided. As he had been told by others, there were no guarantees of justice or fair treatment for a single father in the courts. The legal system couldn't be counted on for the justice that Suzy deserved, and Chet would make certain that she received that.

It had taken him three days to make what would normally be only a thirteen-hour drive, but he had made several stops along the way to gather the information that he felt was critical. He had spent almost five hours at a public library in Amarillo, searching newspapers from small cities around the country until he found a news story that met his agenda. He had spent only two hours at a public library in Oklahoma City following the trail from the first library stop. The trail would now lead him to Kennewick, Washington, but he needed to make a change in Joplin first.

As he now waited outside the gates to the storage facility where he had parked his pickup with the camper attached, he mentally chastised himself for not verifying that this business wouldn't be closed today, Presidents Day. The storage operation wasn't government-run, so Chet assumed that they would be maintaining their normal business hours and open the gates at 7 AM. Seeing other cars and trucks starting to fall in line behind the Firebird reassured Chet that his assumption was likely correct.

Chet had always kept the camper primed and prepared for immediate use. His father had taught him that nothing put a drag onto a spur-of-the-moment opportunity to go camping or fishing than having to spend time getting their camper ready for the trip. As an employee of the storage facility unlocked the gate, Chet calculated that he would be driving back out of it in the camper within five minutes or less, with the Firebird holding its spot in the storage yard. He should be able to make his 8 AM meeting with time to spare.

The team that Major Ellington, the provost marshal at Fort Leonard Wood had assembled for Chet was being coordinated by retired CID warrant officer, Shawna Hollister. Hollister had her own consulting business providing criminal and insurance investigative services for various lawyers in the Joplin and southcentral Missouri areas. She had maintained contacts with other former military law enforcement personnel in the area and frequently subcontracted investigative jobs to them. She had taken a personal role in Chet's case, investigating the individuals suspected of involvement and leaving the rest of her team to maintain constant surveillance on whoever had Lily at any given time.

Hollister had reported to Chet when he had called her from Oklahoma City, that Preston Cronk and Charlene Capshaw had relocated Grant and Carrie Capshaw into the Pronk estate, along with Lily. Conversations overheard by Hollister team members indicated that the Capshaws and Cronk believed that Chet was still on active duty and they were unaware that he and Suzy had gotten married. Chet expected to get a more detailed update when he met with Hollister this morning.

~~~

Chet took another drink from his iced tea as he watched Daniel Finch reviewing the documents that he had requested Chet to bring to this meeting; which were the original copies of his and Suzy's marriage license, Lily's birth certificate, his form DD-256, and the will that Suzy had drafted by the attorney in Las Cruces, and bearing the filing number with the Doña Ana County Probate Court.

"Are you gentlemen ready to order yet?" Their waitress was asking. Her voice was soft but also kind of raspy. It almost sounded like she whispered everything that she said.

Daniel Finch looked up from the documents and addressed the waitress, "Why don't you bring us some garlic bread? By the time that's ready, we should know what we want to order for lunch."

The young woman nodded and left to place their order for garlic bread. Finch returned to studying Suzy's will and said, "There are a few things that I would have phrased differently, but the only significant omission that I see is the absence of a named guardian for Lily if both you and Suzy were out of the picture. This is the basis for the Capshaw's argument for them being named legal guardians for Lily and administrators for the trust. Unfortunately for them, they are operating off Suzy's previous will and the copy of the trust that were on file at the probate court in Barton County."

"Will that be an issue with me getting custody?" Chet asked.

"It shouldn't be a consideration since you are Lily's biological father and were married to Suzy at the time of her death," Finch stated, tapping first Suzy's New Mexico will, their marriage license, and then Lily's birth certificate. "It will be hard for any family court judge to ignore your legal standing in that regard."

"Could Grant and Carrie claim that I am unfit to care for Lily?"

Finch shrugged his shoulders and said, "Anyone can claim anything they want. They'll need to back those claims up with proof. Unless they manufacture something, what could they possibly use as proof? We know that they can no longer use your military commitment against you since you've been discharged, honorably, I might add. You are currently unemployed, so we may want to be prepared to address that. You have no criminal record, you are financially stable, and even though it has been brief, you are the only male figure that had been in Lily's life until the Capshaws took her."