Chapter 5 #2
Brand met Wyatt at the arena around one thirty that afternoon when they knew Monte Adams would be on shift. “I really appreciate you coming out to help me with Colleen still in the hospital,” Brand said.
“No problem,” Wyatt assured him. “She was glad to have me out of there, especially with the lactation consultant coming to work with her. Nursing is not working out for her like she thought it would. Has Carly decided on bottle or breast yet?”
Brand shook his head. “We haven’t gotten into any of those decisions. Her morning sickness has just subsided to where she is feeling like a human again.”
“I remember those mornings with Colleen,” Wyatt said and gave a little laugh. “The glares she gave me when it was really bad and didn’t like it when I reminded her she was the one who had wanted to get pregnant in the first place.”
“When it comes down to it, it is always our fault, no matter what,” Brand laughed as well.
“Yep. I heard it all during delivery, especially when Christopher wasn’t cooperating with being born and then they finally decided to do the c-section,” Wyatt said. “And when he came out at almost ten pounds, Colleen said the Seals must have genetically altered me or something.”
Brand chuckled. “Heaven forbid if we have a ten pounder too. The two of them will throw that up to us every change they get.”
“Besides, Colleen’s parents are both coming by this afternoon,” Wyatt said. “I love my in-laws, but I can only take them together in small doses at a time and if they show up together to see their first grandchild, I don’t want to be there if they start bickering.”
“Surely, they wouldn’t,” Brand said as they walked down the corridor searching for Adams.
“Want to bet? I’m sure they’d find something to argue over,” Wyatt sighed. “The temperature in the room is too warm. Colleen’s mother doesn’t like what her ex-husband is wearing. His hair needs to be cut. You get the picture?”
Brand nodded.
“And he would be just as bad about her, finding things to criticize. That she’s being too negative about how Colleen is holding the baby or this or that.”
“I’ve met them,” Brand reminded him. “I know what you mean.”
“I don’t see how they stayed married as long as they did, or how they raised a daughter as sweet and kind as Colleen,” Wyatt said. “Individually, the two of them are wonderful, but get them together and it’s like you’ve ignited World War III.”
“Makes you want to move out of state, right?”
“Oh, I’ve thought about it, plenty of times, but we have the task force, and I can’t see breaking up a good thing just because those two can’t get along.
” Wyatt stopped walking and looked him square in the eye.
“And it isn’t like they don’t love one another.
I believe they do. I think they get their jollies off arguing. ”
Brand laughed. “Some people are like that, you know.”
“I do. And their names are Bob and Joan.”
“Have you ever talked to Hank about them?” Brand asked as they began walking again. “He’s a people person.”
Wyatt chuckled. “He told me there was no sane shrink in the profession that would touch their problem.”
“In other words, he wasn’t touching that mess,” Brand said.
“That’s what I figure,” Wyatt said as they turned the corner and still no sign of Adams. He placed his hands on his hips and frowned. “Where can that guy be?”
“Don’t know,” Brand replied. “Have you informed Hank about Christopher’s arrival?”
“Yea, Colleen and I had a video conference with him and Sadie and the kids on Sunday afternoon. Emma was delighted to meet her ‘wee one’ as she calls him. Although she kept asking about Ruby. She’s still crazy about my dog.”
“Ruby is just fine,” Brand said. “I’ve been taking her out for morning walks and afternoon jogs and she’s been curled up with Carly by the fire when I get home in the evenings.”
“Don’t spoil her,” Wyatt pleaded. “It sounds like she’ll be wanting to live with you from now on with a crying child in the condo.”
“She’d defect back to your place as soon as we have our own in a few months. And look there. There’s our boy.”
Monte Adams rounded the corner, and seeing them halted, surprise widening his eyes. They went to stand in front of him and Brand watched the man’s hands fist at his side.
“I thought hockey practice was over for you guys after the exhibition game last weekend,” Monte said.
“It had to be canceled,” Brand said. “We didn’t get to play, or hadn’t you heard?”
“No. I hadn’t,” Monte said, his surprise turning to concern. “What happened?”
“One of our players got hurt before the game during warm up,” Wyatt said. “So you weren’t on duty that night?”
“It was my weekend off believe it or not,” Monte said.
“A big match up like that and it was my night off. I couldn’t believe I was going to miss seeing you guys go at it after I had been watching you practice for weeks.
Looks like I didn’t miss anything after all.
I hope whoever got hurt is okay. Will they reschedule, do you think? ”
“We haven’t heard if they’ll get it back on the books or not, but since it was a fundraiser, I’m sure they’ll do everything they can to make it happen without having to refund the tickets,” Brand said.
“That would be a bummer all around if they had to do that,” Monte agreed, glancing at his watch. “I better get to my rounds. Great seeing you again.”
“Hold up a minute, if you have the time,” Wyatt said. “We won’t keep you long.”
“Just a few,” Monte replied. “I can’t afford my supervisor catching me slacking off.”
“I know you said you were off, but the player that was injured, he didn’t make it,” Wyatt said. “It was Reilly Flynn; given your past history with him, we thought you should know.”
Monte’s eyes widened again, and Brand saw a very real fear there.
“Reilly? Man, that sucks.” He shook his head, looking down at the polished corridor tiles, his feet shuffling restlessly.
“I mean, there was no love lost between us since he helped IA build their case against me and got me booted from the police force, but I can’t imagine what kind of injury he would have that would kill him. What the hell happened?”
“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.”