“Had you talked to him at all while we were practicing any of the weeks leading up to the exhibition game?” Brand asked, deliberately leading him away from the incident.
“No,” the one-word answer was almost whispered but Monte raised his gaze to meet Brand’s.
“I know Scottie Dugan said he could tall that Reilly didn’t look happy that you were hanging around the arena.”
Monte snorted. “Dugan said I was hanging around. Those were his words? I was doing my job as a security guard, checking on the building, making sure the doors were secure and that the occupants were safe. I wasn’t loitering or hanging around. Give me a freakin’ break man.”
“I don’t think he meant anything bad by his description,” Brand said, calmly. “We all use the wrong words from time to time.”
“Maybe, but that really tells me where I stand with my former partner,” Monte accused.
“On the contrary,” Brand said. “He talked about how you always had his back, and he had yours. He never believed for a minute the accusations that cost you your job.”
The man visibly relaxed. “At least that is something,” he said. “Thanks for letting me know about Flynn. At least I won’t be blind sighted if anyone comes around asking about him. I really need to get back to work.”
“Sure,” Wyatt said. “Thanks for talking.”
They waited for Monte to head in the direction they’d come before turning back that way as well. Once he was far enough away, Wyatt asked, “Do you buy him being off last weekend. Convenient in my opinion.”
Brand shrugged. “He has no control over his schedule.”
“I agree with Dugan,” Wyatt countered. Monte had been hanging around at all of our practices. I felt like he was our very own groupie.”
Brand regarded him solemnly. “You did?”
Wyatt nodded. “He was always there in the background, watching us. Never front and center, but lurking, like a stalker.”
“Huh.” Brand grunted. “That puts a different spin on things in my book. He pulled out his phone and hit a number. “Jett, it’s Brand. I want you and Rookie to get a copy of the pre-game surveillance footage from Commander Burns and go over it with a fine-tooth comb looking for any sign of Monte Adams on the camera. Yea, he’s that security guard that was always hanging around when we were practicing. He gives you the creeps?” He paused and grinned at Wyatt. “Funny, you should say that. Wyatt said he hung around the arena like a stalker watching us.”
Wyatt punched Brand in the arm. “See.”
Brand returned the punch. “Okay, I’ll be waiting for your call. I’ll be interested in finding out what you learn.”
When Brand hung up, he looked at Wyatt. “You might be right. There may be more to Adams hanging around the arena than him doing his job regardless of what he claims he was doing here.”
CHAPTER 6
Liam Donvan leftpolice headquarters and zipped up his North Face Parka and slipped on his gloves before heading out to meet up with army buddy Hunter West who worked for the Lone Wolf Agency. Commander Burns had asked them to team up to search Reilly Flynn’s apartment to see if they couldn’t find anything suspicious at the Brownstone that he shared with his sister Harley.
By the time Liam reached the Chrome Bean on the Grainger Plaza, Hunter was waiting for him. “It’s a gorgeous day, but cold,” he said.
“I know,” Liam agreed. “Harley is expecting us in half an hour. Do you want to walk or take the ‘L’?”
“What do you think?” Hunter said. “I could have just met you there if you’d given me her address.”
“True,” Liam said as they began walking toward the loop station. “I wasn’t thinking. I had wanted Simone to go with us and keep Harley occupied while we search Reilly’s room, but she had a client meeting and couldn’t. I guess I was trying to reconfigure how it would go down.”
Hunter grinned. “That’s always been your problem. You think too much. If you’d told me this I could have arranged forMaggie to come and spend time with her this afternoon before she goes to the club.”
Liam shrugged. “Didn’t cross my mind. That would have been a great solution to the problem.”
“I’m sure we can figure this out on our own,” Hunter said. “After all. I am a lone wolf.”
Liam laughed. “I still think Hank is going to steal you away from Kenneally one of these days. You’ve been working too many cases with us lately.”
“Maybe,” Hunter said. “I’ll admit since I left Brotherhood and went to Lone Wolf I’ve grown and learned to deal with life outside of the military which has given me the ability to work with others in a team setting I lacked that when I first returned to the states.”
Liam nodded. “I hear you, brother. Meeting Maggie wouldn’t have anything to do with that?”
