WCM Epilogue: Better Days Ahead

The 48 hours following the debacle at the Merlaut Hotel seemed to be never ending. Detective Troy Harrison found himself being investigated by CPD Internal Affairs for a second time, this time for possible involvement in the death of sadistic crime boss Dermot "Lucky" Quinn. Meanwhile, a turbulently violent cemetery shootout between Aiden Pearce and a gang of henchmen resulted in Clara Lille being tragically shot and killed in the crossfire. Though Pearce had certainly gotten his long-awaited closure, Harrison's tribulation caused him to entirely question and reconsider his choices pertaining to everything he had done since being in Chicago.

Chicago Police Headquarters
9:30 AM

Harrison had found himself once again seated at the wrap-around conference table, appearing before Superintendent Daniels and a departmental review board at the Ivory Tower, and was again dressed in his CPD dress uniform. What was different this time were the other members of the review board.

Since the exposure of the Ivory Tower corruption scandal, Lieutenant Carol Whitman had been appointed as Daniels' new executive officer. Whitman was a short tan-skinned blonde woman in her mid-fifties who had previously spent 5 years as the head of Patrol at CPD's District 13 before receiving a very well-deserved, albeit expeditious, reassignment to the Ivory Tower.

Likewise, the Superintendent had appointed Commander Albert Villalobos to be CPD's Acting First Deputy Superintendent. Standing at a lofty 6'2 tall, Villalobos was a gray-haired Hispanic man in his late fifties who had previously spent 16 years serving as Commander of CPD's District 31.

"Detective Harrison", Superintendent Daniels began, "In regards to the matter we are here to discuss this morning, you are currently under administrative review with respect to the death of Mister Dermot Quinn, also known as 'Lucky'. I'm going to let the record show that you have been made well aware of your administrative rights and have declined the presence of a police union attorney or associated union representative for this hearing. Is that correct?"

"Yes sir", Harrison replied.

Lieutenant Whitman then took a moment to skim through the case file that sat before her. "In regards to what happened at the Merlaut Hotel two days ago", she said to Harrison, "You stated in your report that you were summoned there by your informant. Correct?"

Harrison nodded. "Yes, ma'am" he replied, "Aiden Pearce. He had called me and had asked me to look into the Rose Washington's disappearance. He said he had some viable information that he thought we would find valuable."

"Of course," Villalobos chimed in, "We know now that Miss Washington was unfortunately murdered at the hands of Mayor Donovan Rushmore. Would you please summarize, in your own words, how you personally came to have knowledge of this information?"

"By the time I reached the upstairs office area", Harrison began, "Mister Quinn was already locked in his secure panic room lying on the floor and protected by a large Plexiglass partition. I had called out to him loudly through the glass a few times but he didn't respond. A loud flatline alarm coming from the pacemaker he had been wearing indicated to me that he was no longer alive. A very incriminating video showing the events of the Rose Washington murder was playing on a large computer monitor on the visible far wall of the panic room."

"Your report also states that you were the only person present in the office area when Mister Quinn was found dead", Whitman said, "That's also what you told the responding CPD officers and building security personnel who arrived on scene shortly afterward. Is that right, Detective?"

"Again", Harrison stated, "That's correct."

Villalobos scoffed, knowing that the detective could be covering for someone. "Come on, Detective" he said, "I realize that Lieutenant Whitman and I are new to the Ivory Tower, but neither of us were born yesterday, and neither was Superintendent Daniels. The CPD Crime Lab techs found Aiden Pearce's fingerprints all over that office area, including on the panic room's glass partition. You mean to tell us he was nowhere near that room by the time you showed up?"

"With all due respect to both you and the people at the lab, First Deputy", Harrison said in a very matter-of-fact tone, "Their report states what it states and proves what it proves. Aiden Pearce did indeed kill several suspects that night, but as their report also states, all of them were heavily armed and that Aiden killed them all in self-defense. I was in the process of coming upstairs toward the roof when all of that occurred, so I didn't see nor do I have any concrete knowledge of anything that says otherwise."

"So, you're saying that Mister Pearce was not there at all when you entered that office area?" Whitman asked.

"Respectfully Lieutenant", Harrison replied, "Yes, ma'am. That's exactly what I'm telling you."

Superintendent Daniels and his two review board members then engaged in some brief whispering chatter between the three of them before they all turned their collective attention back to Harrison. "Detective Harrison", Daniels began, "While we admire your straightforward manner and personal conviction in this case, this review board has some considerable doubts about what really did happen. We're going to recommend that you be faced with some disciplinary action."

Harrison reached into the side pocket of his uniform coat, removed a folded piece of paper, and placed it on the table. "Actually Superintendent", he said, "I respectfully have to insist that, in lieu of any disciplinary action, the review board accepts this letter I wrote in which I hereby tender my resignation from the Chicago Police Department. Effective immediately."

Daniels unfolded the piece of paper and took a moment to thoroughly read the letter before passing it around to Whitman and Villalobos. "Detective", he said, "Are you absolutely sure that you want to take this drastic of a step?"

Tears started to roll down Harrison's face. "Yes sir", he replied, "Earlier this year, I left behind a ten-year career as an FBI agent to join the CPD, thinking that a new job title and a change of scenery would do me some good. And while, in some ways, it has done that for me, it seems that the prices that I, as well as other people, have had to pay are just way too heavy for me to comfortably bear."

North Avenue Beach
Later That Day

Harrison had called a meeting between his Homicide squad mates, Detectives Voight and Olinsky, both John and Kathy Broussard Commander Brooks, Sergeant Mahoney, and all the members of the CtOS Task Force. They all happily obliged, meeting him on the shores of Lake Michigan at North Avenue Beach. Harrison stood in front of everyone to address them.

"Thank you, guys, so much for meeting me here", he began, "I just wish it was for the purposes of giving better news. I wanted you all to be the first outside the Ivory Tower to know that I've officially resigned from the Chicago PD and will be leaving town shortly."

Hank Voight's mouth dropped in a very uncharacteristic show of shock. "Seriously?" he said, "This is for real?"

Harrison nodded. "Yeah, Hank", he replied, "This is real. I'm going to be taking a position with a police department on the West Coast. Their Homicide squad needs a new Senior Detective, so I put my hat in the ring for it a while ago and I got a call from their Police Chief yesterday saying that I've been accepted for the job."

Sunny Tran stepped forward and wrapped Harrison in a hug. "Why didn't you tell me you were thinking of moving on?" she asked.

"I didn't really realize that I was, Sunny", he replied as he broke the embrace, "But what with what happened with Abby Asher and the Ivory Tower scandal, I figured it was time for yet another change in my life."

"Even given the circumstances", Captain Broussard chimed in, "You've done some exemplary work, Troy. Be proud of that."

"Thank you for that, Captain", Harrison said, "And I need all of you to know that my decision is not at all a reflection on you guys. I really value the time and work I've done with all of you. You're all awesome cops and investigators. You're what's needed to get the Windy City back on track."

"I take it you're leaving the task force, too, then?" Dr. Neal Bartholomew asked.

"Yes Doc", Harrison said, "I gave another resignation letter to Charlotte Gardner at Blume early this morning."

"That's actually okay", Bartholomew replied, "As much as I'd hate to pile worse news on top of bad news, the Chicago CtOS task force is being relocated at the end of the month."

"No kidding", Harrison said with a surprised tone in his voice, "What prompted that?"

"The flaws that Rose Washington had discovered within the CtOS system before she was killed had somewhat of a domino effect", Bartholomew explained, "The Governor's Office in Springfield felt they needed to do some damage control, so they ordered us to clear out while they try to correct the flaws. The task force will be relocating to San Francisco this summer. Care to join us?"

Harrison grinned. "San Francisco", he parroted, "Thanks but no thanks. But I will be nearby if any of you want to catch a football game or something in the future."

The now former CPD Detective took a few moments to hug and handshake everybody goodbye. "You're headed out West then, huh?" Lieutenant Broussard asked.

"I am", Harrison replied, "But I have one more stop to make before I head off."

The Elinor House Women's Treatment Center
East Moline, Illinois
The Next Day

"You're leaving?" Abby Asher asked. The suspended cop was dressed in a very plain gray sweatshirt, matching sweatpants, and white sneakers

The two friends were walking side by side in the lush outdoor courtyard area of the Elinor House Women's Treatment Center. As luck and good timing would have it, Harrison had chosen to drop by the center on a Saturday afternoon, which was one of the two allotted days that the center's patients could have any visitor of their choice come visit.

"Yeah, sweetie", Harrison replied, "I am. I'm headed to the West Coast to work with their Homicide Squad. Sun, sand, beaches…what's not to love?"

"Right on", Asher said, "Sounds nice. I got word yesterday that the Ivory Tower accepted my application for reinstatement. That was really sweet of you to stick up for me in your resignation letter."

"No problem, Abby", Harrison replied, "I don't care what anybody says. You're a good cop. You lost your head for a bit, but you had the guts to admit that. I guess you'll get a nice second chance after all."

"No shit", Asher said, "They even accepted my application to take the Sergeant's exam once I get back."

"Wow", Harrison replied, "That's awesome, kid! I'm so proud of you!"

Asher wrapped Harrison in a hug as tears streamed down her face. "I love you, Troy!" she said, "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I love you and will miss you too", Harrison replied, "To better days ahead. For all of us."

[Final Author's Note: Wow! Almost a whole year! Sorry this whole thing took so long. I would've had it done long before now, but what with the surgery I had back in May and some other issues, here we are now. Anyway, Harrison's headed to Los Santos next! My next story: "Sunshine, Crime and the Almighty Dollar" is going to detail Harrison's time on the West Coast and is set against the backdrop and storyline of Grand Theft Auto 5. So, please keep an eye out for it! I plan to start it in a few weeks. But for right now, I'm going to take some time to chill and enjoy the New Year. Happy New Year to you and yours, and thanks so much to all of you that have read and enjoyed this story!]