Remote Miscommunications

Note to readers: This is a story about a married couple grappling with suspicions and truths, appearances and evidence, the inclination to believe the worst versus hoping for the best. There is absolutely NO sex in this story, so save yourself the disappointment right now if that is what you are seeking.

Remote Miscommunications

DATE: May 27, 2021

FROM: Summit Investigations

TO: Blake Chevalier

RE: Surveillance Report -- Chronological with Summary

[Report compiled by T. O'Reilly. Reviewed by L. Benjoli, Chief Investigative Analyst]

Monday, May 14, 07:23

The subject was positively identified upon leaving her place of residence, located at 3785 Ashford-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia. The principal subject was the driver and sole occupant in a white 2020 Honda Civic which matched the description of the subject's personal vehicle as provided by the client.

The subject was followed by Operatives O'Reilly and Herrera without incident until she arrived at 4567 Hammond Drive. The subject used a card key to enter the secured underground parking structure where direct observation of her was temporarily lost. Visual contact was reestablished by Operative Herrera as the subject exited the elevator from the parking structure and entered the lobby of the building. The subject was accompanied on the building elevator by Operative Herrera and subsequently observed entering the sixteenth-floor offices of Purdue Systems at 07:58.

The subject remained within the offices of her employer, Purdue Systems until 17:05 when she took the building elevator to the ground floor and crossed the lobby to the parking elevator. Surveillance was reestablished as the subject drove the same Honda vehicle out of the parking garage. The subject drove directly to her residence without any observed contacts. Upon entering the residence at 17:42, the subject remained inside for the remainder of the evening and had no visitors.

Tuesday, May 15, 07:20

The subject departed the residence in her personal vehicle and proceeded directly to her place of employment, arriving at Purdue Systems at 07:55. At 11:39, the subject exited the lobby elevator accompanied by an unknown male subject (Unknown subject subsequently identified and detailed in the profile included with the summary of this report). Subject and her companion crossed the lobby and entered the parking elevator together.

The subject's personal vehicle exited the parking structure at 11:45, followed immediately by the male subject driving a grey 2019 Ford Explorer, Georgia license plate number PJG 275. The principal subject headed east on Hammond Drive and took the onramp to northbound Highway 400. The male subject vehicle followed. The two vehicles exited the freeway together at Haynes Bridge Road. Turning right, they proceeded east to Northpointe Parkway, where they subsequently entered the parking lot for the Embassy Suites Hotel at 12:28. After both vehicles parked, the male subject joined the principal subject at her vehicle and they proceeded to enter the lobby of the hotel together. Each subject carried an over-the-shoulder computer bag.

Per the specific instructions of the client, operatives made no effort to obtain any information on the transaction from the hotel staff. After obtaining a room key from the front desk, the subjects walked together to the elevators. Operative O'Reilly was able to observe the elevator, with just the two subjects on board, stop at the fifth floor. He was not able to accompany them to ascertain their destination from that point.

Operatives took up positions on the fifth floor which would provide clear lines of sight for the entire fifth-floor hallways. At 17:07, the male subject was observed leaving room 519 and proceeding to the elevators. Operative O'Reilly, positioned in the stairwell was able to beat the male subject to the lobby and observed him entering his personal vehicle and driving out of the parking lot. At 17:13, the principal subject was observed leaving room 519. Operative Herrera was in a position to ride the elevator down to the lobby with the subject.

The principal subject returned the room key to the front desk and obtained a receipt for the room. She then returned to her personal vehicle and proceeded to drive directly to her residence, arriving at 18:07. The subject remained inside the residence for the rest of the evening and had no visitors.

Wednesday, May 16, 07:21

The subject departed the residence and took Highway 400 south towards downtown Atlanta. After transitioning onto Interstate 85, she continued towards the Atlanta International Airport, exiting the freeway at Virginia Avenue. She arrived at the Holiday Inn and Suites at 09:14, where she met the same male subject in the parking lot. Entering the hotel together, he waited as she registered and obtained a room key. Each subject carried an over-the-shoulder computer bag, but the principal subject also carried a small overnight or gym bag and the male subject carried a small cooler. Subjects were assigned a room on the first floor so operatives were able to observe them entering room 139 together.

Operatives could not loiter in the hotel without drawing the attention of hotel security, so surveillance positions were restricted to outside areas with a limited view of the corridors. Operatives are confident that neither subject exited room 139 between the time that they arrived and when the male subject departed alone at 17:05. The principal subject exited the room at 19:19 and subsequently checked out of the hotel. She wore different clothes from the morning and appeared to have recently showered. The subject drove directly to the residence, arriving at 20:56. The subject remained inside for the rest of the evening and had no visitors.

Thursday, May 17, 07:15

The subject departed the residence and proceeded to take the onramp for Interstate 285 east. She transitioned onto Interstate 85 north and continued until taking the Pleasant Hill exit. Turning left, she proceeded back over the freeway to Venture Parkway, where she turned right and drove to the Quality Suites, arriving at 07:45. Once more, the same male subject was waiting for her in the parking lot, however, this time he remained in his vehicle while she entered the lobby alone to register.

After completing the transaction, she walked to his vehicle and they spoke briefly before she returned to her personal vehicle and drove around to the eastern side of the motel with the male subject following. They parked their personal vehicles next to each other in front of room 103. Operatives observed them both entering the room together, carrying the same bags and cooler as the previous day.

At 12;49, a pizza delivery arrived. The male subject stepped outside of the room to pay for the delivery and appeared to be speaking in a hushed voice as he completed the transaction. After he re-entered the room, there was no further activity noticed until 17:07, when the male subject departed the room alone. At 18:38, the principal subject departed the room. The subject drove directly to the residence, arriving at 20:56. The subject remained inside for the rest of the evening and had no visitors.

Friday, May 18, 07:45

The male subject arrived at the principal subject's residence and was granted entry. Neither subject left the residence until the male subject departed at 17:09. There were no visitors or deliveries during this time. The principal subject remained in the residence the rest of the day and had no visitors.

This concludes the contracted surveillance of the subject.

Blake Chevalier set his cell phone onto the bar and took a sip of his cocktail as he considered whether he wanted, or for that matter needed to read the summary from the investigators. Whatever his decision, it would have to wait until after his dinner meeting with the project team from Watson Solutions. He checked the time and saw that they were due to meet him there at the hotel restaurant within ten minutes.

As he nursed his drink, he recalled in his mind the recently completed nightly Skype session with his wife. He had seen the same beautiful, loving expression on Sarah's face that he saw every time that they connected for a video chat while he was traveling for business. He was able to act normal as they discussed his trip and minor events back at home, which was typical for their nightly conversations. Sarah had thrown out a few sexual innuendos, hinting of the carnal adventures that awaited him upon his return, and he had responded to her accordingly, though he currently felt anything but amorous towards his wife at this time.

There had been a few changes to Sarah's routine, if not her behavior, that had prompted Blake to finally contact his old friend, Leo Benjoli at Summit Investigations to discuss his concerns. They had agreed that due to her position as a project manager with Purdue Systems, most of the changes that Blake had observed could be attributed to her work.

Changes like every call to her office phone going immediately to voicemail, as if she was always on the phone whenever he called, or her cell phone frequently being turned off during working hours, which she had never done before. Sure, she had silenced the ringer on a regular basis, but turning the cell phone off was a change that he couldn't wrap his head around. Gone almost entirely were the occasional text messages throughout their workdays that had been the catalyst for them at the beginning of their relationship, and sustained their growing love over the four years that they had been together, three of these as husband and wife.

Working a few minutes late was not a foreign concept with her job, but until recently, whenever Blake was working from his home office, Sarah had always notified him when she knew that she would be even just a few minutes late. This had changed so that she had only been notifying him once she was on her way home, sometimes two to three hours after her normal quitting time.

At home, there had been no changes in Sarah that Blake could identify. Her love, passion, and commitment to their relationship seemed as steadfast and solid as ever. She was just as affectionate and attentive to him as she had always been, and their sex life had remained robust and satisfying for both of them. Were it not for the showers, Blake could have entirely dismissed his other concerns.

It was the showers. He just couldn't explain the showers. Twice, during his last week at home, Sarah had arrived home late from work with obvious signs that she had recently taken a shower. Signs like the hair at the nape of her neck still being damp, what little make-up that she wore to work being washed off, and the scent of strange soap and shampoo still lingering on her. Blake knew that Purdue Systems had an onsite exercise facility for its employees with a shower, but Sarah had never made use of it. She had always preferred to use the exercise facilities at their condo complex. So, what was suddenly motivating her to shower before coming home a couple of times a week? Leo had agreed to discreetly check things out and keep an eye on Sarah during Blake's next business trip.

Blake saw the restaurant hostess leading his dinner companions towards the bar. He slid his cell phone into the inside breast pocket of his jacket before standing to greet them. The sooner that he completed this meeting, the sooner he could get back to the report summary. Hopefully, answers were waiting for him there.

~~~

SUBJECT PROFILE

Name: Norman Lee Washington

Address: 1034 Granger Drive Apt. 54, Jonesboro, GA 30546

DOB: 06/03/1991

Height: 5'10"

Weight: ~185lbs.

Race: Black

Marital Status: Single

Employer: Purdue Systems

Criminal Record: None

FICO Score: 698

Subject, Norm Washington. is a 30-year-old African American male employed by Purdue Systems as a telecommunications analyst. He graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in computer science. Mr. Washington has resided at his current location for the past seven years. He currently has a male roommate, one Devon Livingston. There are no records of Mr. Washington ever being married or paternity claims made against him.

NOTE: Per the client's directions, information on the subject was obtained solely from public records. No interviews or inquiries were conducted which could potentially disclose this investigation to the subject.

"Seems like a pretty vanilla type of guy," Blake thought. He then silently chuckled, wondering if referring to a black man as a 'vanilla type of guy' would be considered racist. His humor abated as he returned to the thought of Sarah spending hours, multiple times a week, in hotel rooms with this Washington guy, not to mention in his and Sarah's own home at least once that Blake knew of.

Reviewing the profile information on Washington once more, Blake was glad that Leo had followed his instructions and kept the investigation discreet. Leo had argued that his team would be able to conduct a far more comprehensive investigation if they were allowed to use all the assets and resources at their disposal, but Blake had been insistent. He didn't want to see any video evidence of Sarah's potential infidelity. He didn't want to hear any conversations between her and a possible lover. No texts, e-mails, or other information easily obtained by Summit Investigations were of interest to Blake. If he became convinced that Sarah was having an affair, that would be bad enough. He didn't want his memory of their time together further tainted by seeing, hearing, or reading about her betrayal.

Blake closed the e-mail from Summit Investigations on his cell phone and set his laptop up on the small desk area in his hotel room. While waiting for it to boot, he fixed himself a drink from the minibar. It was only a little after 8 pm in Irvine, California, but three-thousand miles away, at his home in Georgia, it was nearing 11 pm. Sarah should be in bed, and Blake had every confidence that she was. What he was no longer confident of was who was on her mind as she lay in their marital bed.

Sarah was the most beautiful woman that Blake had ever seen. She had an innocent, unassuming beauty that tended to sneak up on people rather than smack them in the face the first time they saw her. She was not intimidating or manipulative, but she had an innate way of persuading people to accept her point of view on most things. People, men, and women alike, always seemed inclined to find favor with her, though she only rewarded them with her warm, sincere smile.

Sarah worked as a senior project manager at Purdue Systems, coordinating the integration of multiple ERP systems when two or more organizations found a need to share specific information, such as customer data, during a contracted partnership or other business alliance. She and Blake had been married four years after meeting while working on a joint system integration project. He had been working on-site near Spanish Fort, Alabama, while she was managing the project for Alabama Power from her office outside of Atlanta.

Their conference calls and video meetings concerning the project morphed into evening Skype sessions from her apartment and his hotel room. When he returned to his condo in a suburb of Atlanta close to her, they began dating. Married after eleven months, they lived together in his condo while planning and working for their future. They both wanted children but knew that their careers would need to see some changes for that to become a reality that they could both accept. Sarah wanted them to be in a position where she would have the option to return to work after a while, and he wanted the travel requirements of his job to decrease significantly so that he would be able to play a larger role in the raising of their children.

When they were together, it was like an extension of their honeymoon. Unbridled love and passion dominated their every waking moment together. The love that they shared while together had always sustained them during the frequent and often prolonged periods when they were separated due to his business travels. The love that they saw in each other's faces when they held their nightly Skype sessions and the consistencies in their daily routines had been all the reassurance that either had needed to feel confident in the fidelity of the other.

Although Blake still saw the same love on her face when they video chatted, these new inconsistencies in her routine were raising concerns for him. Their love life was as hot and heavy as ever, and there was no change in her demeanor towards him, yet he couldn't dispel his concern that something wasn't quite right. While she used to speak animatedly about her work and specific projects, lately she seldom mentioned anything about her work at all.

Settling into the desk chair, Blake took a long pull on his drink and started reading the report summary.

REPORT SUMMARY:

At the request of Blake Chevalier, covert surveillance of the principal subject, Sarah Elizabeth Chevalier was conducted between 0700 on Monday, May 14, 2010, and 23:30 on Friday, May 18, 2021. The primary operatives assigned to the investigation were Trevor O'Reilly and Lana Herrera.

The operatives were provided a photo of the principal subject, along with details on the make, model, and license number of her personal vehicle, the address for her residence, the name and location of her employer, and other pertinent details related to her established daily routine.

Operatives encountered no issues with maintaining confidence in the location of the principal subject at all times, though direct visual observation of her activities was not possible due to the client's explicit restrictions on available technology to provide more comprehensive surveillance. Operatives felt duty-bound to capture video and photographic details of select activities of the principal subject which were observed in public locations. These images are not included with this report but will be available to the client should he wish to review them at some future time.

No activities or actions of the principal subject provided the operatives with irrefutable evidence of marital infidelity. That being said, it is the opinion of Summit Investigations, through years of experience, that a non-professional relationship exists between Sarah Chevalier and Norm Washington. This opinion is based upon the following factors:

1. While Sarah Chevalier and Norm Washington both work for the same employer, Purdue Systems, a review of the company website revealed that these two employees work in different organizations within Purdue Systems and that their assigned duties and responsibilities are disassociated significantly enough within the organization to make the opportunity for them to be assigned any tasks or projects requiring them to work together highly unlikely.

2. According to our client, there have been no unusual charges on any of the joint credit cards shared between them. This would indicate that all of the hotel charges that Sarah Chevalier was observed to pay with a credit card are on one not visible to her husband. This implies that there is a deliberate attempt by the principal subject to hide these transactions.

3. Physical contact between Sarah Chevalier and Norm Washington observed by the operatives, while not overtly intimate or sexual, appeared to be that of a shared affection at the very least. All observed physical contact was in public locations and the operatives have no means of ascertaining if any physical contact out of the public view was more intimate. Having no prior knowledge of the habits of either subject, the operatives cannot offer any opinion on whether the degree of affection displayed is normal behavior for either individual.