Chapter 13: Right Above Me

Public Parking Garage
Parker Square
30 Minutes Later

Detectives Julius Dobbs and Nick Brooks arrived at what looked to be a very frenzied scene on a busy Parker Square street right near a large public parking garage. Fire engines and an ambulance from the Chicago Fire Department were on hand, as well as several patrol cars from CPD's District 31. Dobbs parked their own unmarked car just behind one of the patrol cars, at which point the two detectives exited the vehicle and were immediately met by uniformed Officer James DeYoung.

"How you guys doing?" DeYoung said to them, extending a hand, "James DeYoung with the Thirty-First."

"Detective Julius Dobbs, Thirty-Fourth District Homicide", Dobbs said as he shook the officer's hand, "Nice to meet you, Patrolman."

Brooks then reciprocated the same gesture with DeYoung. "Detective Nick Brooks", he said, "How you doing?"

"Good thanks", DeYoung said, "When I called your captain, I kind of expected Detective Harrison to show up. I met him and that lady detective, Asher, at that stadium thing the other night."

"He and his partner are chasing down leads for another case on the West Side today", Dobbs said, "So Captain Broussard put us on this. How can we help you?"

DeYoung motioned to a very badly wrecked white 1995 BMW 325i sedan, the smoldering engine of which was being extinguished by a hose-carrying firefighter. "CFD responded to a call about a bad car accident about ten minutes ago", DeYoung began to explain, "They found this Beamer smashed up pretty bad. I responded as well and ran the plates. It's registered to a forty-one-year-old man named Frank Janson. He's a small business owner with an address a couple blocks from here."

"Why'd you feel the need to call our district to help?" Brooks asked.

"It seems that Mister Janson had business connections to people in The Wards", DeYoung replied, "So I figured you guys would want a heads-up in case this turned into anything major."

Just then, a pair of paramedics wheeled a gurney holding a very battered man clad in a dark business suit from within the adjacent parking garage. The two detectives and the officer moved aside slightly so they could load their patient into the back of the ambulance.

"Is that our Beamer driver?" Dobbs asked.

DeYoung nodded. "Apparently, yeah", he said, "The paramedics found him on the ground level of the parking garage pretty banged up."

Brooks looked toward the wrecked BMW once again. "Okay", he said, "So Mister Janson loses control of his car there. He bangs his head on the steering wheel at the point of impact. When the car comes to rest, he's dazed and disoriented, so he stumbles his way out of the car and somehow makes it into the parking garage before passing out."

"Except for one thing", DeYoung said, "the firemen told me they noticed damage on the rear of the car as well as the front. The rear damage isn't consistent with the accident's impact."

Dobbs nodded. "So, our boy was purposefully rear-ended", he said, "And the subsequent force of the blow caused the accident. Which hospital are they taking him to?"

"Chicago Med", DeYoung replied, "It looks like he has a broken right arm and a concussion."

"DeYoung!" a male voice called from the direction of the parking garage.

DeYoung momentarily glanced over and waved to whomever was calling him before turning back to the detectives. "Excuse me, fellas", he said, "My sergeant wants to see me. I'll be back in a minute."

A few minutes later, DeYoung returned to the detectives with a plastic evidence bag in his hand. Inside the sealed bag was a cell phone that was still on.

"Sergeant Fincher found this inside the garage next to where Mister Janson was laying", he said as he held the bag up for them to see, "The call history includes about a dozen or so calls to one Nicole Pearce. She's a thirty-four-year-old event planner who lives in the High Grove community in Parker Square. She's a single mom with one son, and she's in the CPD database for having reported several harassing phone calls over the last few weeks."

"High Grove is a secure community with its own gate, right?" Brooks asked.

"Yep", Dobbs replied.

Brooks sighed for a second. "Okay", he said, "I've got an idea. Dobbs, why don't we follow up with Miss Pearce and her son?"

"You're thinking our accident victim is her phone harasser", Dobbs replied as he filled in the blanks.

"Yeah I do", Brooks said, "I also think that Mister Janson is a little too uninjured for having just been in a major car accident. Would you mind holding down the scene here for us, Officer DeYoung?"

DeYoung nodded, smiling confidently. "You got it", he said.

As the two detectives headed back to their car, Brooks took his portable radio from his pocket and keyed the mic.

"Thirty-Four-Henry-David to Squad", Brooks said into the radio.

"Go ahead Thirty-Four-Henry-David", a female dispatcher's voice replied from the radio.

"Squad", Brooks said into the radio, "I need a home address for a Miss Nicole Pearce. It's reportedly in the High Grove Community, over."

"Copy", the dispatcher replied back through the radio. "Thirty-Four-Henry-David", she continued a few seconds later, "Be advised, the address you're looking for is Two-Forty-One High Grove Street, over."

"Ten-Four, Squad", Brooks replied, "Be advised, Thirty-Four-Henry-Charlie and myself are on the way to that address. I will radio again when we arrive at the gate for the gate code, over. Thirty-Four-Henry-David out."

CPD District 34
1 Hour Later

Detectives Harrison and Tran returned from investigating the abandoned library in East Garfield Park. While Tran headed upstairs to the Homicide squad room, Harrison approached Desk Sergeant Debbie Mahoney, who was working at the district's front desk.

"Afternoon, Sarge", Harrison greeted warmly.

"Hey Detective", Mahoney replied politely, "How'd things go on the West Side?"

"The Crime Lab techs picked up the rest of Maurice Vega's personal effects from his cot at the old library", Harrison said, "Nothing but a bunch of old clothes and some loose cash. They just logged everything into our evidence room. Have you seen Abby or Ernie today by any chance?"

Sergeant Mahoney nodded. "They went to serve a drug warrant with the SWAT team", she said, "They should be back in a couple hours. Do you want me to tell them you're looking for them?"

"Sure", he said, "But there's no rush. I just wanted to update them on the Vega leads."

"No problem", Mahoney said, "I'll have them come find you as soon as they get back."

"Thanks, Sarge", Harrison replied before heading up the stairs to the Homicide squad room.

Harrison entered the squad room to find his desk phone ringing. He picked up the receiver quickly without even fully sitting down at his desk.

"Homicide", Harrison said into the phone, "Detective Harrison."

"Hi Detective", a female voice greeted from the other end of the line, "This is Officer Erin Lindsay from the Thirteenth District. You guys met me and my partner in East Garfield Park earlier today."

Harrison sat down in his desk chair while still holding the receiver on his shoulder. "Oh yes", he said, "Hi Erin. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I showed a sequential photo array to Becca, that young girl we found in the library", Lindsay explained, "She was able to identify your murder suspect, Maurice Vega, as the person who slept on the cot next to her and her parents."

Harrison smiled. "I see", he said, "That's very good work, Erin. Were the Patrol officers able to find her parents?"

"Yeah", Lindsay replied, "An officer found her mom trying to trade shirts with a clothing peddler three blocks away. She was placed under arrest for shoplifting. Another patrolman found her dad and his buddy eating lunch at a Quinkie's."

Harrison sighed. "The mom being busted is going to be tough for Becca", he said with a discouraged tone in his voice.

"Yeah well", Lindsay began to explain, "I happen to know the Assistant State Attorney assigned to her case. She said she's willing to give the mom a Desk Appearance ticket since she's not listed as a repeat offender. She just has to show up for court on her assigned date."

"That's good", Harrison said, "At least the family can stay together."

"Yeah", Lindsay replied.

"Anyway", Harrison said, "Good work, Officer."

"Thanks", Lindsay said, "If you ever need our help again, don't hesitate to give me a call, okay?"

"Will do", Harrison said, "Thanks again for your help."

"Anytime", Lindsay said, "Bye."

Harrison bid the officer goodbye and hung up the receiver.

"Erin from the Thirteenth, huh?" Tran asked.

"Yeah", Harrison replied, "Becca's mom is going to get a Desk Appearance Ticket for shoplifting and her dad wasn't charged with anything. Becca picked Maurice Vega's picture out of a sequential photo array. Apparently, he was the guy sleeping in the next cot at the old library."

Tran nodded as Detectives Dobbs and Brooks entered the squad room. "Hey guys", she greeted.

"Hey", Dobbs replied.

"You fellas all finished helping out the Thirty-First?" Harrison asked.

"For now," Brooks said as he sat down at his desk, "Your buddy Officer DeYoung sends his regards."

"I heard over the Citywide that it was some sort of car accident", Tran said, "Why would they ask for detectives from another district for that?"

"Well", Dobbs began to explain, "Turns out it may be more than just a car accident. We just got back from the ER at Chicago Med. Our accident victim Frank Janson had a fairly minimal amount of injuries, save for a right arm that was fractured in only two places and a single blow to the back of the head."

Taking in the information, Harrison leaned back in his desk chair and put a hand under his chin contemplatively. "I hate to state the obvious, guys", he said, "But that doesn't seem very consistent with any car accident I've ever heard of."

"Don't get us wrong", Brooks said, "Mister Janson was indeed involved in a pretty bad car accident today, but it seems someone also assaulted him in addition to that. Not only that, but it seems that he had been placing several harassing phone calls to a Nicole Pearce. She's a thirty-four-year-old single mom who lives in the High Grove community with her son, Jackson."

"We went and talked with Miss Pearce and her boy after we finished up at Chicago Med", Dobbs chimed in, "She told us she'd been receiving several harassing phone calls from a male over the past few weeks threatening her life and the safety of her son. The call log on Janson's phone matches up with the calls in question."

Just then, a light bulb went off in Harrison's head. "Wait a minute", Harrison said, "Is their anyone listed as the immediate next of kin for Nicole Pearce?"

Dobbs flipped through his memo book for a moment. "Yeah", he said, "She has one brother, Aiden Pearce."

Harrison's face went pale with realization. "Guys", he said, "Aiden Pierce lives at the Owl Motel in Parker Square. As a matter of fact, he's my neighbor. He lives right above me."

"Wait", Tran said, "You're saying that your upstairs neighbor is a possible suspect in Dobbs and Brooks' assault case from this morning?"

"If not", Harrison said, "I'd say that's one hell of a coincidence."

"We should get over to that motel", Brooks said as he started to get up.

"Hold up, Nick", Harrison said, "I think our potential case against Aiden Pearce is pretty thin. I have to work at the CtOS task force later on tonight. Let them do a deep dive on his background and if there's anything of any substance, I'll fill out the warrant affidavit myself and we can head to my motel first thing tomorrow."

"You're comfortable with letting a suspect possibly get away?" Brooks asked.

"If it means that by us not doing that for now", Harrison said, "Our case against him can fall apart later, yes."