Surveillance

Chapter 9

Three days later Kate went to the hospital to pick up Donnie and take him home.

It was recommended that he stay in bed at the apartment for a week before resuming his job. She wasn't sure if she was going to look forward to waiting on Donnie while he recovered since she also had to deal with the investigation and also Internal Affairs, who still wanted answers to how she allowed Yuss to escape right under her nose.

When she got to his hospital room, she was surprised to see that Donnie already had a guest. It was a female and they had been obviously laughing at some inside joke. The woman was an attractive blonde with hazel eyes.

The two stopped jabbering and turned while Kate felt stupid just standing there.

"Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt you two," she stated, "perhaps I'll leave and come back later."

Donnie's expression showed he was surprised to see her.

"Kate, Kate! I'm glad you're here!" Donnie tried to sound enthused but he was clearly uncomfortable, "come over and meet Larry Stevenson's ex-wife!"

So luckily Kate was mistaken.

Donnie made the introductions, "Kate, this is Mary Stevenson. Mary, this is Kate Moretti."

Kate noticed how he left out the part that she was his fiancé. Now that Kate had a closer look at the other woman, she could see that Mary was probably in her mid 30's, slim and stylish but in a show-off kind of way.

"Oh, hello," Kate relaxed as she showed the appropriate mood, "And my condolences to you, Mrs. Stevenson."

"Thank you. And did you say Kate Moretti? The FBI Agent?" Mary gave her a cool assessment, "So you're the one who let Yuss the killer get away."

Not the nicest of people, Kate surmised. At least not to other females.

"I can not comment on an ongoing investigation," Kate responded with the agency line.

"Hmmm..." the answer obviously didn't satisfy Mary, "I would think in this day and age and with all the advanced technology, it would be fairly easy to find someone. Especially if the person is a maniac killer like Yuss."

Kate was going to respond with something sarcastic until Donnie stepped in.

"Mary, I'm sure Kate has been working extremely hard with the investigation. And come to think of it, she might be able to find him quicker with your help," Donnie diplomatically suggested. He then turned to Kate, "Mary works in the main DA building as the receptionist."

That was news to Kate. So Donnie had known this Mary person for awhile.

Mary turned and gave him her brightest smile, "I'll do whatever I can to help, Donnie." her smiling face faded when she turned towards Kate, "Ask away, Miss Moretti."

"Being the receptionist at the main building, had you ever had a chance to meet Gene Yuss over at Building B?" Kate asked.

Mary pushed her hair back, "No, although I have been over to the adjunct building various times. However, every time I'd passed Yuss' office, his door was shut."

"I find that rather odd," Kate said.

"What is odd; that I never bumped into Yuss?" Mary asked.

"No, that a receptionist would need to go over to the adjunct building," Kate shrewdly responded as she gave a look over to Donnie.

"I offer many skills to many people," she flippantly remarked.

"I'm sure you do," Kate said, her tone sarcastic.

"Okeydokey!" Donnie tried to keep it casual, "Any other questions pertaining to the investigation you'd like to ask?

Kate knew Donnie was right. She must keep focus on the case.

"Had your ex-husband ever mentioned Yuss to you, Mrs. Stevenson?" Kate inquired.

"Just small, unnecessary stories about Yuss," Mary said, now looking bored, "nothing that really stood out."

"It just so happens that I love small, unnecessary stories," Kate said, folding her arms as if she had all the time in the world to wait it out, "go ahead and charm me."

Mary then explained how Larry used to tell her how cheap Yuss was, rarely wanting to pitch in for company gifts, or never wanting to dine out. Yuss never wanted to socialize with them at the bar after work, instead choosing to drink huge quantities of cranberry juice at his desk, which, according to Larry, made him disappear often to the men's room.

For a split second, Kate's mind went off in a tangent. She recalled yesterday when she had been cleaning the cupboards in her kitchen, she had stumbled upon a half-empty bottle of cranberry juice hidden behind two unrefrigerated liter bottles of coke. At the time, she thought nothing of it. This, after all, was her fiancé; the man she was about to marry. Again. But she would ponder the fact about finding the cranberry juice later.

Kate turned back to Mary.

"And you're SURE you've never met Yuss," Kate questioned her, "not in an elevator, in the parking lot or when he had to visit the main building on business?"

"I know what the man looks like because I saw him from a distance at the Christmas party," Mary told her, "but no, I've never met the man in person. No means no."

"For certain people it may mean that," Kate stated sardonically.

There was awkwardness again.

"Well, I should get going," Mary stated at last, putting on a false friendly bravado. She nodded to Kate while giving a secret wink to Donnie, "Get well soon and come back to work. We miss you, Donnie!"

She blew him a kiss and then she was gone.

.

After Mary left, Donnie was the first to speak out.

"Well, someone got on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he commented, clearly insinuating her.

Kate narrowed her eyes, "Surely you're not implying me, are you?"

"Who else?" he rhetorically asked, "Kate, you were treating Mary as though she was a suspect!"

"Like I told her and I'm reminding you, this is an ongoing investigation and anyone who is connected to the case is a person of interest. And speaking of that, you obviously see her as a person of interest, too!"

Donnie knew exactly where Kate was going with this.

"Kate," Donnie stated, "I know what you're thinking..."

"I assure you, Donnie, you have NO idea what I'm thinking," Kate stubbornly told him.

He wasn't in the mood for an argument.

"Kate, what is wrong with us? Why are we arguing over petty things? My friends were brutally murdered and I could have been, too!"

Kate wanted to continue to be mad at him; she knew it was because she once again had that feeling of not trusting him. But what good would it do to bring it up again, just as she was ready to take him back home? He was right. She was being petty.

She backed down, giving him a smile, "Sorry. I've been under a lot of pressure."

"Yeah, I noticed," Donnie wouldn't let her get away with it so easily, "you were downright rude to Mary."

Kate was going to make a snide comment, but she wisely chose to go a different route.

"Well, perhaps I was a bit harsh, Donnie, but seeing a person here with you who I didn't know just reminded me of someone else who may have known a friend," Kate said, saying each word deliberately slow.

Oh no, Donnie thought, he needed to tread lightly if he didn't want to argue again.

"Huh? What the hell does THAT mean?" he questioned, mentally putting up barriers.

Kate didn't blink as she looked directly at Donnie.

"Gene Yuss may have had some outside help."

.

A day later, Daniel was informed that Donnie was back home in Kate's apartment. It was time to do surveillance on him. If Donnie was involved with Yuss somehow, now would be the time he would make a move, when Kate was at work and he no longer had the 24/7 guard at his door.

"Hurry up, Lewicki!" Daniel yelled from the living room into the kitchen, "we don't have much time and I have a lecture this afternoon."

"Okay, okay!" Max said, as he came from the kitchen to the living room, carrying a backpack and two thermos, "I've just finished packing the binoculars and walkie-talkies, chopping the fruits, arranging the cheese and crackers in containers and brewing caffeinated and decaffeinated tea...and what did YOU do the entire time I was busy?"

Daniel held up two items in his hands.

"I was bringing together our entertainment," he told Max, "here's my book of crossword puzzles and here's your sociology textbook. You may not realize this, but sometimes doing a stakeout means sitting around for hours doing nothing."

"Don't worry, Doc, I've seen episodes of Law and Order," he informed Daniel. Then as he looked at the two books in Daniel's hand, he further commented, "...geez, a crossword puzzle book and a sociology textbook. We must be the nerdiest surveillance team ever!"

.

Daniel had been wise enough to get a rental car. Max had imagined himself speeding along in a red hot sportcar convertible, so he was slightly disappointed to be driving a white 1990 reliable Volvo. Even so, they made sure to park it further down the block, facing the opposite way.

After 15 minutes of doing a stakeout in front of Kate's apartment, Max was already bored.

"Doc, why are you so certain that if Donnie was involved, he would make a move today?" Max questioned.

"Human nature," Daniel reasoned, "Donnie has been watched over 24/7 for almost a week now. Kate just left for work and today's his first day of freedom."

"Did you tell Kate we were doing this?" Max inquired.

"I didn't want to say anything to her until we have proof that Donnie is involved," Daniel said, "but I'm hoping he isn't. For Kate's sake."

After an hour, they were about to give up when-

Max grabbed Daniel's arm.

"What is it Lewicki?"

"Doc! I see him! He's leaving the apartment!"

Both of them watched as Donnie walked out of the apartment complex and headed east. His pace was slow and measured, probably because he was still weak from his wounds. Over his right shoulder was a small backpack.

"He's walking away from us!" Max was excited, "So, what do I do? What do I do?"

"I'm not sure! I haven't thought that far ahead yet!" Daniel admitted, sounding panicky but excited.

"Do I follow him in this car?" Max asked.

"No, he's walking too slow and we would be too obvious!" Daniel decided, "why don't you get out and follow him on foot?"

Max looked accusingly at Daniel, "Me? Why me? Your leg broken or something?"

Daniel let out a frustrated moan.

"Alright, Lewicki,I'll follow him!" he opened the passenger side of the door, "but as I tail him, I want you to slowly follow me in the car, keeping a safe distance away," he handed Max the walkie-talkie, "and stay in touch!"

Kate and Donnie's apartment was located in the upscale area of Lincoln Park. Daniel watched as Donnie crossed Southport Street and headed on the westbound stop on Fullerton Street. The cell phone in his backpack must have rang, for Donnie got it out and soon he was talking as he waited at the bus stop.

Daniel immediately got on his walkie-talkie, "He's taking the bus! Lewicki, you need to pick me up! Hurry! Before he boards it and we lose him!"

"Sure thing, I'll be right there," Max responded. And before he let the button off on his walkie-talkie, he added, "This is fun!"

But all Daniel could think about was that Donnie was looking awfully suspicious.

By now, Donnie was off his cell phone. Ten minutes later, the bus arrived. Daniel quickly got back into the passenger side of the Volvo. Pushing aside the snacks and books, he retrieved the binoculars.

"Do you see him, Doc?" Max asked, "What's happening?"

"I see him!" Daniel said, "he's seated three rows from the back. So far all by himself."

The bus then proceeded on its way and Max followed behind, keeping roughly 30 yards away. It continued down on Halstead and made another stop.

"Doc! Doc!" Max was tugging on Daniel's arm.

Daniel lowered the binoculars, "What? What's the excitement? You better be suffering a heart attack!"

"Look who's boarding the bus!"

Daniel didn't need his binoculars. They both watched as the man with the baseball cap, wiry hair and mustache with beard got on board and walked down the main aisle of the bus. And then in a bus only half-filled with passengers, they witnessed the man take a seat right next to Donnie.

"Doc! Did you see that?" Max asked dramatically, "I think Yuss just took a seat next to Donnie!"

.

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(A/N: I saw the series finale. Ugh. Talk about coming in with a bang and going out with a whimper!)

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