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Chapter 15
Later that day, the surveillance on Matthew Carter was in place. As the background investigator, Cooper had done a quick workup, listing pertinent details like home address and locations the clinic director frequented.
Tessa was given the task of setting up the team. She put Hunter Davis in charge, then he selected the crew from a few of the new guys at Stealth. They were recent additions to the security team, but seasoned Navy veterans, capable of handling the assignment.
The crew would follow Matt in his daily activities and video as needed. His contacts would be photographed then a background workup done on each one. The team members would alternate shifts and keep a low profile. All observations would be filed in a report to be reviewed by Hunter then delivered to Gunner.
Gunner was confident that the project was in capable hands, so he focused on possible murder suspects. The police would be doing the same, but Gunner’s methods of investigation weren’t as restricted as law enforcement’s.
First, Gunner dug into the life of Robert Waters. There had to be an enemy that had been overlooked, but the more he looked, the less he was convinced. Any records Gunner could find, including his social media history, were a dead end.
Frustrated, Gunner decided to take a closer look at Matt. He opened the background check on his computer then took it a step further. He hacked into Matt’s emails but didn’t find anything interesting. Whatever the guy was doing, he wasn’t documenting it.
Something had to break loose soon. With the police asking questions, the murderer would feel the pinch. Gunner knew that a criminal backed into a corner would make a mistake. And when he did, Gunner would be there.
An added advantage to having Matt under surveillance was that the crew watched the clinic. With his teammates in place, Gunner didn’t worry about Lori while she was at work. And after work, he took over ensuring her safety.
Gunner continued to stay at Lori’s place, committed to her protection. Each day, he worked relentlessly to come up with a suspect. Rip stayed in touch with his contacts and kept Gunner informed. The police would proceed with interviews, nail down the timeline, and follow up every lead.
After a couple of days of surveillance, Tessa showed Gunner highlights of the videos. Plus, Gunner had received copies of the daily reports. Matt’s life had been uneventful, even boring. He worked, ate lunch, and one night went to a bar for a drink. He hadn’t conversed with anyone but the bartender.
“So far, nothing unusual,” Tessa said. “But give him time. No one’s life is that dull.”
Gunner watched the videos again to be sure he hadn’t overlooked anything—maybe there was a person in the background or a message that had been surreptitiously delivered. He’d watched his share of spy movies and half expected Matt to slip a packet of drugs under a park bench for his buyer to retrieve.
But that didn’t happen. In the video, Sarah and Adam arrived at work. Patients came and went. Each had been checked out by the team. Jess stopped by with a bag of skin care products, as confirmed by Lori later. After lunch on the second day, Sheldon Marino visited the clinic for an hour or so. Lori was used to her uncle dropping by to check in with her.
Another day went by with no results, but Gunner had a hunch that having the team follow Matt would be fruitful. Yet it was difficult to be patient. Then, one morning, Lori had to make a trip to the police station for an interview. Talking to the police was nerve-racking for her, and Lori didn’t want to go alone.
Gunner drove her to the station, intending to sit with her whether the officer liked it or not. She wasn’t a suspect, so there was no reason he couldn’t be present for emotional support. The LAPD was located downtown in a multistoried concrete and glass building.
“Government buildings are intimidating,” Lori said.
“Are you nervous?”
“Yes,” Lori said. “It makes me feel like I’m in trouble for something.”
“It’s supposed to have that effect,” Gunner said. “But in your case, the officer will be sympathetic.”
“I’ll answer any questions, as long as this leads to finding my father’s murderer.”
The interview turned out to be fairly short. The investigating officer asked routine questions, then ended by asking Lori if she had any idea who killed her father. That pretty much wrapped it up, so Gunner escorted Lori out of the suffocating building.
“I’m not sure that was helpful,” Lori said.
Before driving back to the clinic, Gunner took Lori to lunch. It was a sandwich shop a couple of blocks from the police station. She talked about the interview and her reaction to the whole thing. Gunner was glad that part was over. He hoped the police would come up with a lead before long.
While eating, Lori talked about other things, including how nice it was of Jess to deliver her skin care purchase. She seemed relaxed, all things considered. “I have to tell you that it isn’t easy acting normal with Matt around. But I don’t think he suspects.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t,” Gunner said. “He isn’t looking over his shoulder, from what I can see in the videos.”
“It was smart not to tell Adam or any of the others,” Lori said. “That way they can’t slip up. It’s hard enough for me.”
Lori drank her iced tea and Gunner finished his sandwich. It was a pleasure to be with her, even if it was a deli. She brightened his day no matter where they were or what they were doing. It made him wonder how he would deal with moving back to his apartment once this was over.
“I thought you’d want to know that I’ve been in touch with my son.”
“That is good to hear.” Lori smiled brightly. “You should have told me that right away. That’s big.”
