“This is Miss Starrett,” Howard said, sitting again. “She lives across the road there.” He waved vaguely at the curtains. “Sit down, sit down, all of you.” He looked at Leland. “Want a beer?”

“Not while we’re working, thanks.”

“How about some coffee?”

“We came a long way. We’d appreciate it.”

Miss Starrett got up and Howard expanded into the extra room on the seat. He was wearing blue pinstripe pants and an off-yellow sports shirt with a blue knitted tie. “My woman took to bed yesterday when she got the news. She couldn’t have children and that kid was like her own. Her sister’s child. Married again and went to California and that was it, never heard from her again. What are you going to do with a kid? Put him on the poor farm?”

“Can’t do that,” Leland said agreeably. He was sitting on Howard’s left, on a small Gay Nineties chair as soft and comfortable as a medicine ball.

“That’s what I say. Well, he made up for what my wife missed.” He folded his hands across his belly and eyed Leland. “Something the matter with him, wasn’t there?”

“Well, he was murdered,” Leland said.

“No, I mean down in his drawers. He was a faggot.”

“I’m not free to discuss that,” Leland said.

Howard nodded. “Well, he was. I caught him jerkin’ off in the garage one time and I beat his ass. He never did it again, that’s for sure. He did other things, though. I don’t see how I can help you, mister. He left here five years ago and all we ever learned was what he wrote in his letters.”

“We’d like to read them,” Leland said.

“All of them?”

“Every one.”

“Jesus, if you say so. My old lady saved every damned one—” he grinned “—just for you. How do you like that?”

“I like it very much,” Leland said.

Howard didn’t move. “You’re the one who shot down all them planes, aren’t you? I read about you in the paper.”

“I’m the one.”

“Now that’s my idea of doing something. The country ought to set you men up so you never have to work again. I’d help pay for that, I think. You men deserve better than you got. So did the ones in the first war. My cousin got gassed in that one. But he gets checks for it.”

“May we see the letters?” Leland asked.

“Why, sure. They’re upstairs. Wait here.” He stopped at the door. “Hey, if my wife comes down, don’t say anything about Ted being a faggot. She’s not a strong woman.”

The four men sat there, staring at separate sections of the room, waiting for him to return.