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“What are you looking for?” Rip said.
“I’m not exactly sure,” Gunner said. “But I’ll know when I find it. There must be a clue that sheds light on the danger that Robert Waters was in.”
While Rip worked on that, Gunner needed to get back to Lori. He hadn’t seen her in a day or so, and that wasn’t good. His workload at Stealth had ramped up, absorbing every spare minute. He had told Travis that he needed a break, then explained what was happening with Lori.
Travis assured him that Stealth Security would be at his disposal. The team would do anything they could to help find a murderer. There was no certainty that it was murder, but that was Gunner’s gut feeling.
Gunner stopped at Tessa’s office to turn over an assignment. She was the office manager and took care of a variety of functions, including coordination of the team’s assignments. She was in her thirties, although she looked younger.
She was a striking blonde, and last year a teammate had asked her to dinner. The date didn’t go as planned, and Hunter Davis had ended up rescuing her from a kidnapper. He had proposed not long afterwards, and she had accepted.
Tessa was feisty, capable of dealing with the team. Not just any woman could run a bunch of former SEALs. Gunner had heard stories about her from the guys, and knew that, in a pinch, she was a teammate to have on your side.
“What’s got your attention?” Tessa said. “Why do I have to reassign this case?”
Gunner sat across from her. Tessa had a habit of getting to the point, so he was used to it. “It’s a woman.”
Tessa’s eyes sparkled. “Ah, I should have known. Who is she?”
Since Tessa was a trusted member of the team, Gunner filled her in. On more than one occasion, she had assisted in breaking a case. Maybe she would have insight into this one. In any case, Gunner wanted her informed.
“Well, get going, then,” Tessa said. “Lori is counting on you. Don’t blow it.”
Gunner went to his desk to check on a couple of things. Then he called Lori, relieved that she agreed to see him. Her safety was Gunner’s top priority, but he couldn’t deny that he liked being with her. He stopped by his apartment to get ready then drove to her house.
When he arrived, Lori invited him in for a drink. “I’d like to chill for a bit before we go out. It’s been a stressful day.”
Lori was gorgeous in white jeans and a short blue jacket. The outfit showed off her slender curves, making her irresistible. She had her hair loose, so it fell around her shoulders—and she was barefoot. Gunner would need to exercise restraint, but she wasn’t making it easy.
“Beer?” Lori said.
“Sure, that would be great.” Gunner paced the living room floor until she returned with the drinks.
Lori sat on the sofa and sipped her wine. Gunner sat next to her, but not too close. He crossed one ankle over the opposite leg then turned to look at her. “I shouldn’t have gone so long without calling. I have been thinking about you.”
Lori stared at her wine. “It seems like so long since we talked…so much has happened.”
Gunner waited for her to continue.
“I left you dangling with the bombshell that my father may have been murdered,” Lori said, then told him about her plan to exhume the body.
Gunner listened, interested in the steps to gain authority for an autopsy. He hated to see her distressed, but then, who wouldn’t be?
“I’m meeting with my attorney later this week,” Lori said. “But he has already begun the process.”
Gunner needed to determine what threat existed, but had very little to go on. If the medical examiner changed the cause of death to murder, he needed to be ready. “Can I ask you something?”
“Yes, I’m open to sharing what I can,” Lori said. “I won’t turn away help. It’s a tough situation.”
“Who found your father’s body?”
“It was the maid,” Lori said. “She comes in once a week. The coroner’s report indicated that he had died the night before.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“I’ve gone over this in my mind many times,” Lori said. “Since I work at the clinic, I saw my father daily. On the Monday before he died, I talked to him in the early morning.”
“And what happened?”
