"Luisa Herrera?" Antonio asked.
The woman opened the door a little wider at the sound of her name. Her house was small, but seemed well organized and kept together, unlike the other homes in the neighborhood.
"How can I help you?"
"Detectives Dawson and Lindsay from the Chicago PD. Do you mind if we come inside?" Antonio asked, flashing his badge.
The woman opened the door wide enough for Lindsay and Antonio to enter. They stood in the doorway, and the old woman started walking toward the back of the house. The two detectives followed.
"What can I help you with?" Luisa asked, her expression confused, "what do you want from an old woman like myself?"
"There's a car that was purchased in your name that we believe is being used in a drug ring. Do you know anything about that?" Lindsay asked.
"I…I bought the car for my grandsons. I never drive it. Last I heard they were going to Nashville to find work. They were done with the city. They told me they wanted a fresh start somewhere else." She explained, "they had a rough life you know. Mom overdosed when they were kids, their dad is God knows where. I was the one who raised them. And I was glad when they decided to get out of here."
Lindsay and Dawson exchanged glances. "When was the last time you saw them?"
"At least two months ago. I told you they left. They call every once and a while to check in. You have the wrong guys."
Lindsay and Dawson exchanged glances. Lindsay pulled up a picture of LaMarcus Roland. "Do you know him?"
"No, why would I? I'm an old women that lives alone." She said, walking towards the kitchen.
Lindsay and Dawson exchanged glances before decided it was best to leave the house and head back to the district. "I hope you find what you're looking for detectives," the grandmother said before slamming the door shut.
"What are you thinking here?" Dawson asked.
"I don't know…It could be—" just then a black SUV turned onto the street, "Dawson is that" the SUV made an abrupt U-Turn, driving up on the front lawn of a house and nearly hitting two children in the process. It sped away in the other direction, before Lindsay or Dawson could make it back to the car to chase them.
Lindsay turned around and banged on the door of the woman's house. When she opened the door a crack this time, Lindsay forced it open wider and let herself in with Dawson trailing closely behind her.
"We just saw that black SUV we were just talking about. The one registered in YOUR name, nearly kill two children on the sidewalk right now. And I know it's because they saw us on your front porch. Now, you're gonna tell us what you know, or I'll have you arrested for—"
"Carlos comes by a few times a week! He leaves me money and buys me some groceries when I need them. He doesn't tell me what he's involved in! He says it's to keep me safe!" the woman said, shouting frantically and nearly bursting into tears.
"What about your other grandson?" Dawson asked.
"I don't know. I don't see him." Luisa said.
"You better be telling the truth this time. When people lie to us it doesn't have a happy ending."
Back at the district, Atwater tried texting Demetrius to get him to meet with him at the district after class, with no response. Atwater sent Lindsay and Dawson a text and asked them to make a stop at the school to see if he was in class.
The two pulled up in front of the school and Dawson stared at Lindsay. Erin gave him a funny look and sassily asked, "What?"
"Go on," Dawson said, gesturing to the door.
"Why aren't you coming with?" Erin said confused.
"Because you are fully capable of going in there and ask about attendance alone," Dawson said, "and…if you find something interesting you can go ask Jason Callaghan about a permanent record or something." Antonio said with a smirk and a wink. Lindsay gave him a light punch on the shoulder and went out towards the building, "Thanks bro."
"Just call me cupid." Antonio said to himself as Lindsay slammed the door.
Lindsay entered the old school and was redirected to the administration office. She approached the secretary at the desk and asked for attendance information on the day.
"Hi, would you be able to tell us if Demetrius Thompson was accounted for this morning?" Lindsay said, flashing his badge and taking a seat.
"Yes, one moment please." the secretary began typing on her computer and looked up at the screen, "looks like he was here for his first hour class, but he was marked absent for the rest of the day so far."
"Would I be able to talk to Jason Callaghan? I need to see Mr. Thompson's behavioral records. He's the dean right?" Erin said.
"Oh…uh yes of course," the secretary said nervously, "his office is down the hallway, first door on the left."
Lindsay's heart rate increased as she walked down the hallway and reached his office door. She knocked twice before Jay Halstead came to the door.
"Erin?" he said, his voice low with confusion. He couldn't help but give a small smile, and let her in before closing the door once again.
Erin's eyes filled with tears and Jay noticed it quickly. "Hey babe, come here. What's wrong?" he said, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head.
"I miss you, and what I came here for is a bit worrying." Erin said while releasing Jay from the embrace.
"Oh yeah?" Jay asked.
"Yeah. Demetrius went missing after his first hour class today. I know kids ditch school all the time, but this doesn't feel right. I'm worried about you," Erin said.
"I saw the kid this morning. He looked a bit…off. He was arguing with his friends. I've been keeping an eye on his little clique since I got here. Don't seem to be up to much." Jay said.
"Please promise me you'll be careful, Jay. I wish you could come with Dawson and I to the district right now." Erin said.
Jay held Erin's hand, "I know, Erin. I just have to finish what I started here. I'm going to keep an eye out on Demetrius's friends and that SUV that keeps peeking around."
Erin nodded before Jay leaned in and pressed his lips firmly to hers. He missed her; he missed his apartment and work, he even missed Voight. "I'll be home soon. Go back to the district. I love you, Erin."
"I love you too, Jay."
Lindsay and Dawson got back to the district and informed the unit of what they know. Voight decided that it was best to pull the plug on Halstead's undercover stint; it was starting to get risky leaving him out there on his own given the circumstances. Jay was to return to the district after the conclusion of the school day.
Lindsay was nervous the unit waited for Jay's arrival out in the back garages at the district. Ruzek took notice to her bouncing knee as she was sitting and asked, "what's wrong, Linds?"
"Something doesn't feel right." Erin responded as she twirled a piece of her hair.
"What do you—" Ruzek started saying before a dark van pulled up across the street from the district and threw a body out of the back door while a masked man fired at the garage.
Ruzek and Dawson sprinted after the van, firing their weapons, and stopped after a block or so of running. Erin ran towards the body to discover young Demetrius lying there, coughing up blood.
"Someone call an ambo! Multiple gunshot wounds to the chest!" Erin said as she applied pressure to the wounds.
"Demetrius can you tell us who shot you?" Voight asked.
"He…next. He next," Demetrius said with another cough.
"Who's next?" Voight shouted.
Demetrius looked at him, his eyes just slits at this point, he could barely breathe and his words came out barely a whisper, but were a screaming message to the ears that heard, "Your detective."