Chapter 10 – Identifying Suspects.
"Okay we got something" Jay announced loudly entering the intelligence floor and walking to the white board. "Meet Billy Evans," he began pointing to the surveillance photo Atwater had pinned up earlier. "17, goes to Southside High with Emily. Billy asked Emily to Homecoming last year, but she politely declined his offer."
"Are you sure it was so polite?" Olinsky questioned interrupting.
"Yes!" Lexi spoke up abruptly, wanting to defend Emily.
"Three different guys asked her, and she said no to all of them, her best friend had just broken up with her boyfriend, so they were going together, making a girls night of it." Jay continued ignoring Lexi's outburst. "However, Emily tore her ACL the week before the dance at a soccer game so couldn't go anyway. She's had a couple other encounters with Billy, was his lab partner for a semester, said he was a nice guy, a bit awkward but she liked him. Didn't have a bad word to say about him actually, nothing that screams he wanted to rape and mutilate her anyway."
"Woo" Burgess said eyes wide as she read from her computer screen. "I checked Billy's social media, he has an older brother, Jordan Evans, graduated from the same college of the same year as our second vic"
Lexi raced to Kim's desk looking at her screen, seeing the photo of Jordan Evans. "That's him!" Lexi confirmed "That's green shorts guy"
"Are you sure?" Dawson asked her.
"I'm sure, I've been dreaming about his face, that's him!" Lexi said tapping the screen excitedly, finally they had a lead, a photo of the potential suspect.
"Okay" Voight's commanding voice bellowed around the office. "I want an address, find them both, bring them in!" Voight demanded as the team swung in to action to get locations of the suspects. "Halstead, Lexi, show Severide and the car thief the photo" Hank demanded striding in to his office. "We need a positive I.D."
"You got it" Lexi nodded her agreement.
Thursday February 7th – Afternoon.
"Ah crap" Lexi groaned walking toward Firehouse 51 seeing Kelly stood by the Squad 3 table talking to his mother, Jennifer.
"What's up?" Jay queried slowing his pace as did Lexi.
"Kelly's Mom" she explained debating whether to go back to the car and come back later. Lexi continued to walk toward them knowing they had already seen her. She spoke to the floor as she walked. "Look, whatever happens, just go with it"
"What's going to happen?"
Lexi stopped to give her a second to update Jay before they walked in to the unpredictable situation. "I'll explain everything later" she promised beginning to walk again "If she slaps me or you" she shrugged nonchalantly "just let it go"
"Wait why is she going to slap me?" Jay asked innocent confusion furrowing his brow as he followed.
"Hi" Kelly greeted Lexi as she approached him a few steps ahead of Jay. The smile he wore was a little too big for Lexi's liking and she was sure Jay would pick up on it too.
"Hey" Lexi's smile was forced and awkward as she made eye contact with Kelly and Jennifer to include the two of them in her greeting.
"Detective's" Jennifer acknowledged with a tight-lipped smile, her tone flat and cold. "Come to gloat?"
"Mom" Kelly chided her.
Lexi's nostrils flared and she chewed her lip to stop from biting back at her. "We're here on official police business actually"
Jennifer scoffed a look of disgust on her face as she gave Jay a dirty look. "And they couldn't send someone else?"
"What am I missing here?" Jay asked narrowing his eyes sceptically.
"Nothing" Lexi answered swiftly. "You have a minute" she stated guiding Kelly by the arm away from the confrontation before Jennifer could say anything further. Jay followed as Lexi and Kelly walked to the front of the Squad 3 engine, accessing the photo on her phone as she walked.
Kelly took the phone from her and studied the photo, asking "This him?"
"You don't recognise him?" Jay quizzed.
"I mean, it could be, I didn't really look at the guy"
Lexi ground her teeth clenching her jaw, frustrated at having wasted a trip. She couldn't hide her disappointment, she had really wanted Kelly to confirm Jordan was the man they had seen in the green shorts. There was still a chance that Craig, the kid that had stolen Kelly's car from outside the drug store could positively identify Jordan and Billy as the people he stole the car from.
"Sorry" Kelly apologised "I only got a quick glance at him" he explained handing her phone back to her. "I'm sorry about my Mom too" Kelly expressed
"It's fine" Lexi assured him. "Don't sweat it" She began walking away.
"Okay" Jay started speaking quietly stepping in stride beside Lexi heading toward the car. "you have got to tell me what I've done to Kelly's Mom" he pleaded. "I swear I'm kinda worried she's about the jump me from behind and give me a beating" he jokingly glanced quickly over his shoulder. Lexi belly laughed, she wouldn't have put it past Jennifer to hit Jay in defence of her son.
"You pissed at me?" Lexi asked scrunching up her face in question after she had explained the whole pretending to still be engaged to Kelly for Jennifer's sake then falsely confessing to cheating with Jay when Jennifer had figured out something was off.
"No" Jay said positively shaking his head. "I'm kind of in awe actually" he confessed stopping the car at the curb. Lexi cocked her head needing further explanation. "You're kinda amazing, you know that?" he asked staring at her affectionately.
Lexi looked away from his loving stare, tucking some hair behind her ear shyly. He wouldn't think she was so amazing if he knew she had slept with Kelly last night. "I don't follow"
"After everything Kelly put you through you've still got his back" he explained his reason for thinking she was amazing. "You're still protecting him. You don't want his Mom to think any less of him. It takes a strong person to do something like that"
"Or a slightly unhinged person" Lexi proclaimed her broad jesting smile sparkling in her eyes.
Craig, Mike and their friends were standing on and by the same stoop they had been at the first time Lexi and Jay had met them. Illuminated under the street light that had flickered on as dusk set in. They were all eyeing Jay and Lexi sat in the vehicle, none of them being discreet about it.
"Hey fellas" Lexi addressed the intimidating group of men stopping in front of them.
"Detective's" Mike greeted respectively shaking Lexi's then Jay's hand as Craig pushed through the crowd knowing they were there to see him. "What can we do for you?"
"I need Craig to take a look at a couple photos" Lexi explained handing over her phone to Craig showing the picture of Billy Evans.
"That's the passenger" Craig confirmed nodding at the picture of Billy Evans before swiping to look at the next photo of Jordan Evans. "And that's the driver" There wasn't a hint of doubt in Craig's voice.
"Thank you" Jay said as Craig gave Lexi her phone.
"Appreciate the help" Lexi confirmed as Jay stepped aside to answer his ringing phone.
"Happy to help" Craig told her smiling. "If I can do anything else, let me know"
"Lexi we gotta go" Jay called walking backward toward the car, his eyes told Lexi it was bad news. Lexi thanked them again before following Jay. "They just found another body. East side, ear missing"
Thursday February 7th – Night.
Blue lights flashed around the desolate car park of the abandoned office building. Crime technicians were doing their jobs, taking photos, collecting evidence from the body that had been found by a group of eight teenagers looking for somewhere to drink and make out. The third yet unidentified victim had been raped, had her ear cut off but also had a bullet in her back. She had fought back, she had tried to run and got a bullet to the back for her efforts.
Burgess, Ruzek, Voight, Halstead, Lexi and Olinsky were taking statements, talking to the crime techs and the responding police officers.
Dawson and Atwater were sitting on Jordan Evan's apartment, waiting for him to return home. Billy Evans and his parents had abruptly left town that morning, asking a neighbour to look after their dog stating they had to attend a family emergency. Jordan hadn't been home when Dawson and Atwater had arrived this afternoon to question him, but there was no evidence he had accompanied his family on their last minute get away.
Lexi and Jay stood by Jay's car speaking to two of the female teenagers who had identified themselves as Tracey and Joanne. Joanne was visibly shaken by what she had seen, Tracey seemed stronger and was managing to keep it together for the moment. "We come here a lot" Tracey explained "it's quiet, no one bothers us, most of the windows are still intact so it's not too cold"
"When was the last time you were here?" Jay questioned.
"Two nights ago." Tracey confirmed as Lexi excused herself to answer a call on her cell phone from an unrecognised number.
"Detective Shay"
"Detective it's Craig" he spoke quietly and quickly. "I'm outside the drug store and that guy just walked in"
Lexi held the phone away from her mouth shouting for Voight before speaking to Craig. "Okay, are you sure it's him?"
"Positive" Craig confirmed. "Want me to follow him, he didn't drive here?"
"Give me a second" Lexi told him before explaining the situation to Hank. "Do you want him to follow him?"
Hank shook his head his voice conveying his answer was definite "No"
"Sarge, this could be our shot" Lexi challenged her eyes pleading.
"No, we don't know what this guy's capable of! We can't have a kid following him in to god knows what" Lexi began to speak again Voight's raised voice cut her off. "I said no Detective"
"Craig" Lexi spoke in to the phone keeping eye contact with Hank. "Back off." She spat heatedly. "We're heading over there now" Craig confirmed he understood before Lexi hung up.
"Go! Get over there" Hank told her before walking away. "Ruzek, Burgess, go with them!" he demanded.
Lexi sent a message to Craig as she ran to the car instructing him to follow Jordan but to keep his distance and to keep her updated on their location.
"Please tell me you didn't do what I think you just did" Jay implored getting in to the driver seat of his car.
"Just drive" Lexi commanded pulling on her seatbelt.