A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you're staying safe and well during this wild time. Being home for the next few weeks writing has really past the time for me so I'm sharing! I've decided to head back to my usual murder mystery love story! I'm writing this on a new program that isn't' that great to don't judge the format or typos please. Anyways I think we can all use a distraction. The story is rated M for usual reasons and DISCLAIMER I own nothing but the creepy weirdo I create.

Enjoy! :)

Summary: They're both looking for the same thing in the wrong place. Two cases intertwined that introduce two people who never would have met other wise.

Introductions

Chicago, Illinois

"Another one." The thick Irish accent drawled over the hot Chicago night.

"Yup." Another man with a Chicago accent agreed kneeling in front of the body before them.

Down a dark dimly lit alley in the heart of Chicago night life laid a young woman, no older than 40, dead. The heat was bringing on the flies and other elements so time was crucial.

"Who called special investigation unit?" One man asked walking down the alleyway that was being taped off. "This is a homicide, Brooks and Balor. There was no sex crime committed."

"Because there wasn't enough time. This is our perp we've been tracking for six months. Same amo." Finn told the two homicide detectives.

"How can you be so sure?" one of the homicide Detectives questioned.

"Our guy has been carving a star into the back of our victims necks." Punk reminded them and knelt down to push the fresh victims hair out of the way to show them the fresh scar. "So this our case boys." he said smugly.

"Are you ever going to catch this guy?" The homicide detective questioned. "Or are you going to steal everyone's cases and leave them unsolved."

"Detective!" A uniformed officer yelled out to halt Punk's response. "I got something!"
Punk and Finn walked over and the officer held up a locket and placed it into a bag.

"It has blood and fingerprints. Maybe your guy ripped it off her in a struggle." The officer told Punk.

"This might be the break we've been waiting for." Finn said looking at Punk.

"Get that to lab ASAP and make sure we put a rush on it. I don't want another victim." Punk told the officer who nodded.

"Do you want us to stick around and help you solve your case?" One of the homicide detectives smirked.

"No you can go fuck yourself." Punk said with a smile in the same happy tone.

The next night Punk was at his desk in his shared office with Finn waiting on the DNA results. They were special investigator detectives which meant they worked the worst crimes Chicago, sex crimes. It wasn't Punk's first choice of working in this particular division but after getting to rough with a criminal working in homicide and blowing the case this was where he was placed. Phil Brooks always gave his all to his cases and some would say he let it consume him. That's why he wasn't fired, he was put in a place where people needed his passion the most. Finn Balor was a new Detective, Punk was still training technically but he also took his job seriously like his trainer and the two of them were an unstoppable force. Everything came second in their lives as compared to their work. They lived and breathed their jobs.

"DNA results." a uniformed announced walking into their office. "No male DNA. DNA belonged to your victim from last night."

"You said there were two prints." Punk growled snapping the paperwork from him.

"That's where it gets interesting." The officer began to explain. "There was a hair stuck in the chain and it matched a missing persons case from New Jersey Daria Mendez."

"Never heard of that case." Finn frowned taking the paperwork from Punk to overlook himself.

"It happened in a small town, Mrs. Mendez went missing eight months ago. Her car was found in the parking lot of her job with her keys in in the ignition, one of her shoes and small traces of blood. Cops hit a dead end." The officer explained.

"So, was she in our alley? Or is she just another victim?" Finn asked Punk.

"Witness only placed one female in the alley and that was our victim." Punk reminded him.

"According to Daria's missing persons report she was wearing this necklace the night she went missing, picture in the locket is her and her daughter." The officer informed them.

"Can you get me me the Detective who was working the Mendez case?" Punk requested.

"Already did." The young eager officer grinned handing him the paper. "Detective Dean Ambrose."

"I'll give him a call." Finn offered and Punk passed him the paperwork.

"So, what happens now? Another dead end?" The officer questioned.

"Actually this might help us. Another victim from a small town means there's more evidence." Punk explained to the young officer. "So you looked into the case? They had no suspects at all?"

"Nope. Her ex-husband was suspect but he was out of town and his story checked out. It's a small town so it was probably someone passing through. But she fits your guys type, Mrs. Mendez was the right age and very pretty." He told Punk as he looked at a photo in the file.

"That's her and the daughter." The officer pointed out to Punk. "Had her young, 15 I think the paperwork said."

"Daughter still lives in town?" Punk asked.

"As far as I can tell." The officer shrugged.

"How do you feel about taking a road trip?" Finn asked Punk.

"New Jersey." Punk forced out with a groan. "Great." He added sarcastically.

Hillsborugh, New Jersey

At 7am in New Jersey April Mendez was sitting behind the counter at the diner she worked at. The diner could fit maybe 20 guests at once and this morning there were only eight people. It was a two man operation most days. A cook an a waitress most days. Hillsborough New Jersey had a small population just under five thousand residents. Most people knew everyone in town, most people lived there their entire lives. April Mendez was born and raised in Hillsborough and she was comfortable there. She knew every shortcut, every place to shop, every face that walked into the local diner.

"Do you get paid to sit and do your other job or do you actually do your job?" The cook asked from the kitchen window.

"I get paid to serve guests and all guests are served. Now I do my other job." AJ remarked sipping her coffee and watching her laptop.

"Cheating husband? What an exciting PI life." The cook scoffed.

"I'm just getting my feet wet with this." AJ shrugged.

April got her private investigator license one year ago. She was always computer savvy and sneaky. She had a trustworthy place and she enjoyed how exciting the job could be without it being labeled dangerous.

"Who are you looking into?" The cook asked curiously.

"Don't worry Russ, your wife hasn't hired me. Yet." AJ smirked to herself and the cook rolled his eyes and went back to work.

The door chimed and AJ looked up expecting a new guest but it was just Detective Ambrose and she grabbed a coffee mug and poured a cup for him.

"Busy today." Dean teased sitting across from her on the counter.

"Oh, yea I might make a whole five dollars in tips today." AJ snorted a laugh.

Dean Ambrose and April Mendez were best friends their entire lives. They were the same age and grew up next door to each other. But really Dean lived in AJ's house with her and her mother and father. His dad bailed before he was born and his mom was a drinker and Daria took pity on Dean and he spent every holiday with them, every weekend and eventually just never went back home for most of his teen years. His mother passed away when he was 18 and that's when he moved back into his home. But Daria Mendez filled his food pantries, did his laundry and checked in on him constantly like a mother would do. Her case haunted Dean like no other. And AJ was his sister in every sense of the word.

"Don't spend it all in one place." Dean teased sipping the coffee. "I'm here on business."

"Uh oh." AJ mocked closing her laptop to give him her full attention.

"I got a call from a Chicago Detective today." Dean began to explain. "Your mom's necklace turned up on a crime scene last night."

"In Chicago?" She asked surprised. "How can that be?"

"That's what the Detective wants to know and what I'd like to know." Dean said to her.

"What would she be doing in Chicago?" AJ asked aloud and Dean sighed and looked down at his coffee. AJ never suspected her mother died even though the evidence was there, the reality that her mother was killed was too horrible for her to accept.

"They have witnesses and it wasn't a woman who had that it was a man." Dean told her.

"Oh." AJ said then opened her laptop back up.

"AJ, two Detectives from Chicago are flying in today and want to look at your mom's case and see if it's connected to their case." Dean told her.

"What does that have to do with me?" AJ asked looking back up at him.

"I'm sure they'd want to speak with you." Dean said to her. "They want you to positively ID the necklace for them."

"Well I'll be working." AJ told him. "I have to do surveillance tonight."

"Why do you do this? You graduated top of your class and you spend your nights in seedy motels taking pictures of horny married men banging a hooker." Dean argued. "Just be a cop."

"You know how I feel about guns." She smiled. "Plus I like being my own boss."

"You make me nervous." Dean groaned running his hand over his face.

"You know I can take care of myself." AJ smiled proudly.

"I know that I just don't want you to have to." Dean said to her.

"Hear from your dad?" Dean asked.

"Nope." AJ said to him simply.

"I'll send the Detectives to your place tonight." Dean told her and she rolled her eyes.

"I have to be where I have to be at ten sharp so they better be there early enough." AJ warned.

"Just hear them out this can be a huge break in your moms case." Dean insisted.

"I've heard that before." AJ retorted. "I would like the necklace back."

"All the more reason to talk to the Detectives on the case." Dean said to her. "I spoke to one of them and they seem really invested and thorough."

"Sure they are." AJ said to him sarcastically.

Hours later Punk and Finn were at the station comparing notes with Ambrose at the police station.

"This is a small station." Punk remarked looking around the station from the office they were in. There was a small desk up front, a few cop desks and a couple of offices. It wasn't even the size of the bathroom of their Chicago station.

"Small town small station." Dean shrugged.

"So, you never suspected someone from out of town." Finn said to Dean.

"We did after we exhausted all options. But whoever did it knew the town. They knew the places to avoid they knew where Daria worked, they knew where to avoid crowds." Dean explained.

"Two am in this town how crowded can it be?" Punk asked him.

"It was our town anniversary." Dean told them casually and both looked at him. "It's a celebration every year for the founding of our town or some shit." Dean explained. "It's really an excuse to close everything up early and celebrate until the early morning. Everyone in town goes it's like a parade and drinking."

"And not one person saw Mrs. Mendez's abduction?" Punk asked stunned.

"It's across town. Daria was closing up the diner she worked at." Dean told them. "Everyone was in one place and she was far away and whoever did it had to have known."

"And she was alone at the diner, no other employees?" Finn asked.

"Her daughter AJ was there earlier and Daria sent her home early so she could celebrate." Dean told them. "AJ left at midnight and Daria went missing between midnight and two."

"Where can we find her daughter?" Punk asked him.

"Now she's working at the diner." Dean told him. "Tonight she'll be in some motel parking lot looking for a pervert." He said and both stared at him. "She's a private investigator."

"Oh."" Finn laughed.

"You can catch her at home after she gets off at the diner. I told her you'd be around." Dean told them and Punk just nodded oddly. "She lives at 32 redwood lane and will be home at around 3pm."

"You're the lead Detective on this case and you date the victims kid, isn't that a conflict?" Punk asked bluntly and Dean let out a laugh.

"Work on your Detective skills, Detective." Dean remarked mockingly. "April is my family not my girlfriend. I grew up next door to her still live next door to her. Also there are only four Detectives in this town so chances are conflicts are in every case." he added.

"Right." Punk said with a grin. "So you were close to Daria Mendez?"

"I was. She was my mom in every sense of the word." Dean told him honestly.

"Must be hard to work this case." Finn noted.

"I didn't trust anyone else to work it." Dean admitted. "Daria was the sweetest most selfless woman I've ever met. No one had a problem with her. Everyone in town knew and loved her. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense someone would hurt her and it doesn't make sense that we never found her."

"Do you think she could still be alive?" Finn asked him curiously.

"No. Daria would never willingly go away and not get in touch with AJ and I can't imagine if she was still alive she wouldn't have fought her way back home." Dean said to him. "The blood in the car, the hair pulled from the roots, one shoe left behind. There were claw marks on her car seat as if she was dragged." Dean said passing Finn crime scene photos. "Your guy gets them at their cars?"

"Yea." Punk said walking over and looking at the pictures. "Wow. She really put up a fight." He said holding up the picture of the clawed car seat and smiled a bit. "Good for her."

"I like to think she got a few good hits in." Dean said with a faint smile. "She was a tough lady."

"It's almost three." Punk said looking at his watch. "I'll go meet with her daughter.

"Look, AJ is in a bit of denial when it comes to this stuff so don't take offense when she insults you." Dean offered and Punk smirked.

"I already like her." Finn teased.

"She thinks her mother is alive?" Punk questioned.

"Nope. Not until we find a body." Dean told him. "Her and her mother were very close. AJ was supposed to leave town before her mother went missing and now she won't leave until she finds her."

"Where was she going?" Punk asked.

"New York City. Her mother saved to help her rent out a building for her business. She would make better money as a PI in a busy city rather than here but like I said she wouldn't leave." Dean told him.

"Was Daria robbed of anything else besides the necklace?" Finn asked.

"No. The money she saved for AJ was in the house under the bed. AJ took the money and donated for a reward for information. It's all gone." Dean explained. "Like I said it doesn't matter, AJ won't leave without her mother."

"She's loyal." Punk noted nodding fondly.

Punk was parked outside AJ's house and saw a pretty brunette with her hair tied and braided to one side. The braid was so long it went past her chest. She was wearing jean shorts and a white tank top and a messenger bag slung across her body. Dark sunglasses and a baseball cap topped off the modern look and Punk tried to not eye her toned legs and looked at the case file in his hands as he waited for his witness. Punk sipped his coffee and nearly spit it out when he saw the attractive woman walking to the front door on the house he was waiting for.

Punk jumped out of his car and AJ stopped short of putting her key in the door when she saw him. He watched as he reached for her purse and he held his hands up.

"I'm Detective Brooks from Chicago. Detective Ambrose mentioned I'd be stopping by." Punk stated holding up his badge.

"Oh, right." AJ said slipping her mace back into her bag and folded her arms. "You don't look much like a Detective." she said eyeing his tattooed arms and hands.

"I assure you." He said placing his badge back in his pocket.

"Can I have my mom's necklace back?" AJ asked before he could say anything else. "I bought it for her and it's not yours to keep."

"Once we're finished with it." Punk assured her.

"Alright." AJ said to him.

"Can we talk for a few minutes?" Punk asked her. "I won't be long."

"I guess. But I'm holding my mace." She warned him unlocking her door.

"No problem." Punk said following her into the samll but lovely home.

Punk instantly felt good vibes as soon as he stepped inside. It was warm and inviting. Photos of AJ with her mother were featured around the door area and the house was clean and well kept from what he could tell.

"Can I interest you in water?" She asked walking into the kitchen removing her purse in the process and laying it on the kitchen island. "I'd offer you coffee but I serve coffee all day and I don't serve off the clock to help stay sane."

"I respect that." Punk had to smile. "I'll take you up on the water." he said feeling the sweat drip over his forehead.

It was 98 degrees and AJ clearly didn't have AC in the house. She opened the refrigerator and handed him a bottle of water he quickly opened and AJ took a cold bottle and placed it on the side of her neck and closed her eyes and grinned at the cool touch. Punk was eyeing her then shook his head.

"I want to start off by saying I'm sorry your mom is missing." He said to her and she froze and looked him in the face.

"You are the only person in this town who has ever said that to me." AJ said to him in awe. She was actually in aw of him for not writing her mother off as dead. "Most people give me their condolences."

"I'm a believer." Punk told her honestly.

"You don't think my mom was in Chicago though." She noted.

"I don't know." Punk told her truthfully. "All I do know is that your mom is connected to my case and it bought me here for a reason."

"So this guy you've been looking for does the same thing to people? Gets women at their cars?" She asked.

"Yea." Punk said to her.

"But he's only been in Chicago." She noted opening the refrigerator and resting her back against the cool air.

"That I know of." He added trying to not stare at the young woman. "Do you mind just going over what happened that night with me?"

"Didn't Dean tell you everything?" AJ questioned and he looked confused. "Ambrose." She corrected.

"Yea but I want your perspective." Punk said to her. "I hear you're a decent private investigator so I'm sure you have your own file on your moms case."

"Dean tell you that?" AJ asked.

"No. I'm just assuming." Punk said to her. "Am I wrong?"

"I don't have anything." She said closing the door. "I've looked. But there were no cameras there were not witnesses and my mom didn't' have any enemies."

"Was she seeing anyone?" Punk asked her.

"She was. His name is Cameron and he was with me the night she went missing. We were waiting for her at the parade." AJ told him. "They got along very well. Only ever bickered over who got to pick the movie for movie night."

"You were working that night." Punk noted.

"I was." AJ admitting. "Had I waited she would still be here."

"Or you both would be gone." Punk reasoned. "You were a PI during that time, have any angry customers?"

"I had one customer at that point and it was my old high school principal hired me to look for his dog." AJ said to him and he smirked.

"I didn't realize PI's were dog hunters." Punk teased lightly.

"I can find anything. I found the dog." She informed him smugly. "I just can't seem to find my mom."

"I'm hoping to help with that." He said to her.

"You're looking for a body." AJ pointed out. "Maybe the reason the police haven't found her is because they're not looking for her alive."

"Maybe." Punk agreed.

"I left that night and headed over to the parade when she didn't show up I went back to the diner and found her car and called the police." She told Punk. "I didn't think she would be gone forever. I thought she cut her hand and that's why there was blood. She was prepping for the next day and always cut her hand when chopping. I wasn't even worried."

"No one expects this to happen to them or their family." Punk said to her.

"I love my mom. I'm going to either find her and bring her home or find her and bring her justice." AJ told him.

"I respect that." Punk said to her. "And there's no one who has crossed your mind as a suspect in all of this time?" he asked and she looked away. "Who?"

"Someone who crossed my mind was my boyfriend at the time." AJ told him and he narrowed his eyes. "Elliot Daniels."

"Why did you think him?" Punk asked.

"My mom didn't like him." AJ told him. "She didn't think he was good enough for me. She made that very clear. The day before she went missing they got into an argument."

"Why isn't that in the file?" Punk asked her.

"Because Elliot Daniels is the Mayors son." AJ told him. "He was questioned and had an alibi." she shrugged.

"And you didn't buy it? You must not have since you clearly aren't still dating him." Punk noted.

"My mom was right. He wasn't good enough for me." AJ told him and he frowned. "I asked him to help me raise money for a reward and he declined. He said it was pointless and she was gone. He didn't believe she'd ever come back."

"He clearly had the money to help you but instead you took your savings and put it up." Punk noted.

"Money is replaceable. My mom isn't." AJ said to him. "It wasn't about the money. I had already put my own money up but we got tip after tip and I wanted more money to hold over everyone's head." s

"Did he mention seeing your mom that day?" Punk asked.

"He picked me up from work." AJ told Punk. "They saw each other that night but didn't speak. Elliot had to go to his dad's place and dropped me off on the way. I didn't see him until later that night."

"Ok. I'm going to talk to him." Punk told her and she laughed.

"Good luck." AJ said amused.

"What?" Punk asked.

"You'll figure it out." AJ said to him. "Maybe take Dean with you."

"I appreciate you taking the time out to talk to me." Punk said to her.

"I just want to find my mom. I'm also naturally chatty and will talk to anyone so don't be flattered." She teased.

"I'm going to be in town another day. I'll be talking to Elliot and checking out the crime scene if you remember anything please call me." He said passed her his card and she accepted it.

"Will do." She promised quietly.