From Maine To The Pentagon - 4. The Major's Perspective

Tuesday

There was a knock at my office door. Two taps followed by two more meant it was my left hand; the right being my dominant.

“Come, Lieutenant.”

“Good morning, Major Greiss. I just got the most curious email.”

“Curious good, or curious bad?”

“Not enough information yet to determine that.”

“Okay, give me the summary.”

“Kind of short, here.”

She handed me her tablet.

‘Dear Lieutenant Cynthia Collins,

My name is Kurtis West. I got your name from the Anthony Greiss in personnel, who said you were the assistant to another. Do you know if your Anthony Greiss lived in Pownal, Maine before he attended West Point?

Thanks in advance.’

I handed back her phone.

“Definitely straddles the fence between good and bad. I don’t think I ever knew a Kurtis West, but as you know, I did grow up in Pownal. Give me an hour or so to consider before you should answer.”

“Roger that. Should I come back in two hours if you don’t call me by then?”

“Yes, but hopefully I won’t take that long, my report is due to Colonel Gulden in two hours. I can’t push that window.”

“I understand, sir.”

“Dismissed, Lieutenant.”

She nodded and left my office.

I finished my report to the Colonel in a little over an hour, then wracked my brain trying to remember Kurtis West. I finally decided I didn’t know anyone by that name. I called the Lieutenant back in.

She gave her special knock, “Come, Lieutenant.”

After she entered, I told her I was sure I didn’t know a Kurtis West, and to try to get more information from him. She knocked again a couple minutes later, holding out her tablet. I took it and looked at the email she had showing.

‘I apologize for the subterfuge, but I need to tread lightly. A Major, wow. Did Major Greiss know a Loretta Myers before he went to West Point?

Kurtis’

“That’s a name I remember. We need to move this along. Ask him why he’s so secretive, even threaten him with contacting the authorities.”

She wrote her response while still in my office. After she showed it to me, I agreed it would be sufficient to get to the point of his contract. He replied quickly.

‘Lieutenant, I have recently been informed by my mother that my father’s name is Anthony Greiss and he left for the army the summer before I was born. I turned fourteen in April and have been “evicted” by the man I thought, until Sunday, was my father. I have reason to believe, therefore, that the Major is my father.

Kurtis’

“Wow. That is not what I expected. I was thinking it was going to be some kind of scam. I need to think about this some more.”

“Is what he’s saying possible?”

“The timing is definitely right. So, yeah.”

“Then it’s safe to assume you had sex with this Loretta Myers?”

“Quite often, yes.”

“I’m also guessing you didn’t know she was pregnant when you left.”

“Also correct.”

“What do you want me to do now?”

“I think actually talking to the boy might be more fruitful. If he’s really serious, we can probably get more out of him.”

Lieutenant Collins sent a note stating email would no longer be sufficient and asked for his phone number. A moment later she had it.

“Put him on speaker, but I’ll stay quiet.”

“Yes, sir.”

I listened quietly to the conversation.

“Hello?”

“Kurtis West?”

“Yes. Lieutenant Collins?”

“Yes. How are you doing, young man?”

“As good as I can be, I suppose. Do you think the Major is indeed my father?”

“The evidence seems to point in that direction. But as you said, we need to tread lightly. The Major cannot afford any sort of scandal. Hearing your voice, I believe you are being truthful and have no ulterior motives, but I have to be sure.”

“I understand. Obviously, a Major has a significant responsibility. I don’t really have any more information that I can share.”

“That’s fine. If this progresses far enough, we’d like to get DNA so we can be completely sure.”

“That would be fine.”

“Can you send a picture of yourself?”

“Sure.”

“Send it to this number.”

She gave Kurtis her private number. When the photo came back, she began closing the conversation.

“Thank you, Kurtis. I’ll get back to you later today.”

“Okay, talk to you again later.”

“Bye.”

When she disconnected, she showed me the picture.

“Oh my God.”

“What is it, sir?”

“Let me find a photo on my phone.”

It took a long moment to find my eighth-grade school photo. When I showed it to the Lieutenant, she exclaimed, “Wow. You could be twins.”

“Yeah. Feel like taking a trip to Portland?”

“To bring him here?”

“Well, to my house, but yes. I need to talk to Colonel Gulden, but since we don’t have an active case, I see no problem with you taking a couple days.”

“I’ll be waiting, just let me know.”

“Will do.”

I dialed Colonel Gulden’s number, “Hello Lieutenant Alcott, is the Colonel available?”

“Yes, he’s free, Major Greiss. What do you need to see him about?”

“Is a personal matter.”

“I’ll tell him you’re on your way.”

“Thanks. I’ll be there in three.”

The pentagon is a maze and unless you’re going to somewhere in your own section, it takes a while to get there. It would normally take me two minutes, but I needed to think how to phrase the request on the way.

Three minutes later I arrived at the Colonel’s outer office.

“Go right in sir, he’s expecting you.”

“Thanks, Grace.”

I entered the Colonel’s office with a salute.

“Major Greiss. How can I help you?”

“May I sit, sir?”

“Of course. Grace told me you had something personal to discuss.”

“That is correct. I’d like to request a two-day leave for Lieutenant Collins. I apparently fathered a son before I left for West Point. The boy has been kicked out of his house. Even if it turns out he isn’t my son, I really can’t see making a fourteen-year-old boy spend Christmas alone in a motel room.”

“What do you think the chances are that he is your son?”

“Confidence is high. A photo he sent could easily be me at that age. I’d say ninety percent or better.”

“And you’d like Lieutenant Collins to go and retrieve him?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where is he now?”

“In Brunswick, Maine.”

“Not too far from your hometown of I’m not mistaken.”

“Yes, sir. Less than a half hour.”

“Permission granted. Feel free to bring the boy, what is his name?”

“Kurtis West, sir.”

“Yes, feel free to bring Kurtis in for a tour. If he’s anything like you, he’d be a fine addition to the army.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll do that.”

“Good luck. Is there anything more?”

“Not at this time.”

“Dismissed.”

I returned to Lieutenant Collins’ office.

“Well?”

“I doubt we can swing an armed forces flight for tomorrow, so use my card and book a flight to Portland. Better make it one-way, just in case there’s any reason he can’t fly.”

“Okay. Is there any reason?”

“Let’s just say I have a hunch there is a roadblock to his flying back.”

“As you wish, sir.”

A short while later she came back, “I’m booked on the 2:40 flight, arriving at 4:24. Do you want me to call him back and let him know?”

“No, I’ll do that, I think I should talk to him a bit.”

“As you wish, sir.”

She gave me the phone number and I dialed. I hoped he wasn’t already eating dinner some place. He answered timidly.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Kurtis.”

He hesitated, probably expecting to hear Lieutenant Collins.

“Ya-yes?”

“This is Major Greiss. How are you?”

“Nervous?”

I laughed, “I can understand that. Your number indicates you’re in Maine. Where exactly are you?”

“I’m at the Rodeway Inn in Brunswick.”

“Oh, that won’t do. What were you expecting to do for Christmas?”

“I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

“Three days is not that far.”

“Really? It’s just three days away? I’ve kind of lost track of the days.”

“I can understand that, too. So, while we’re not yet sure you’re my son, I can’t see a fourteen-year-old boy spending Christmas alone. I’m sending my assistant up there tomorrow, you’ll check out of that place and spend the night at a better place, then come here the next day.”

“Can I ask where ‘here’ is, sir?”

“Yes, I suppose that may interest you. Right now, I’m at the Pentagon in Alexandria, Virginia, but I live in a suburb, Green Valley.”

“And the better place needs to be pet friendly, I have my dog, Dusty, with me.”

“Interesting. We’ll make sure that happens. What room are you in at the Rodeway?”

“108.”

“Great. Lieutenant Collins will call you when she gets close so you’re not surprised by a knock on the door.”

“Thank you. That would be awesome.”

“So, your stepfather, for want of a better term, kicked you out with your dog.”

“Not exactly. He threatened to kill Dusty, so mom brought him to the motel.”

“I’ll withhold my opinion of the man out of respect of your fourteen good years with him.”

“Don’t bother, he’s an asshole.”

I chuckled, “Okay. Well, I’ve got to get going, but I’ll see you in two days and you’ll see Lieutenant Collins probably around this time tomorrow.”

“Thank you. Goodbye, sir.”

“Goodbye, Kurtis.”

I told Lieutenant Collins where he was staying, and that he had his dog with him.

“Your hunch was right.”

“Indeed.”

“I’ll book a room for tonight at an airport hotel.”

“Yes. I’m sure he’d appreciate something better than the Rodeway Inn.”

I called the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Brunswick, to arrange a ride for her. They would meet her at the airport to deliver the vehicle.

Everything was set. I’ll make dinner for the three of us, something simple, like chicken parmigiana and spaghetti. I think the ham will be enough to feed one more for Christmas dinner.

Thursday

When they pulled into the driveway two days later, I was actually nervous. Meeting my son for the first time wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

They stepped onto the porch. So, I sucked it up and opened the door.

“Hello Lieutenant. Welcome to Virginia, Kurtis. And hello to you too, Dusty. Come on in.”

“Hello and thank you, sir.”

Next up - "Merry Christmas”