Back at 15, Traci popped in the Guns and Gangs office to find Juliet typing on her computer. Traci sat down at the desk across form Juliet and said, "We picked up Nate Keller. He bolted on us but didn't make it far. He's being prepped for interview now. I thought you might like to join me."
Juliet sighed and looked up from her computer. She grabbed a folder from the other side of her desk and handed it across to Traci. "This is the file I had on Tammy. At least that's what she said her name was, I guess we'll find out soon when the lab results get back."
Traci opened it up and fanned through it. It had limited information inside, it seemed Tammy was not comfortable enough to come completely forward with Juliet. Numerous mentions of her brother, Liam. She was convinced that he was in trouble, being forced into things she knew he wouldn't want to do. But no specific details to go on.
"Not much here," Traci remarked before handing it back to her.
"Yeah, I know. I was just starting to build a connection with her, someone she felt she could trust. Now she's dead, and I can't help but feel it's my fault somehow."
"C'mon, don't do that."
"I pushed her," Juliet continued. "I kept trying to push for a little more information. On her, on her brother. And what do I have to show for it? A couple of pages in a file." She threw the slim folder down on her desk. "I probably don't even have their right names."
Traci had no idea how much Juliet was beating herself up over this. "Don't be so sure. We might have a lead. Nate Keller's mom told me that he hangs around with a guy named Liam McQuinn who has always been a bit of a trouble maker. Not serious stuff, but still…" Traci entered the name into her computer as Juliet got up and walked around the desk, so she could see the screen as well. "What do ya know? Liam's got a record. Petty theft in 2014, no current address."
They both looked at the mugshot. Both of them recognized him as the driver from the CCTV stills from Eaton Centre, and Juliet thought he resembled Tammy to a degree. "Any listed relatives?", Juliet asked.
Traci scanned through his file and saw two parents listed. She copied down their names and ran a search for them in the system to get their address. "I don't see a sister mentioned, we can check with the parents." She picked up her desk phone and called the duty sergeant. "Hey, it's Nash. I have a Nathan Keller in interview. Has his consul showed up yet?" … "Alright, I'm heading out for a bit, call me on my cell if the lawyer shows. Put him back in holding for now."
Traci stood back up and grabbed the address, "Let's go talk to Liam's parents. Another benefit of an overworked public defender, they won't be here for a while."
Traci and Juliet pulled up kitty-corner to the listed Keller residence in Corktown. Juliet had called on the way and the Keller's were expecting them. They asked what it was about and were not surprised when Juliet said it had to do with their son. They crossed the street and climbed up the short porch to the front door. Apparently, the McQuinn's were watching out the front window because the door was opening before they cleared the last step. A gentleman, maybe in his fifties, met them and they could see a lady of the same age behind home and to the right, a bit.
"Mr. McQuinn? I'm Officer Ward. This is my partner, Detective Nash."
"What'd Liam do now?", Mr. McQuinn asked, not really acknowledging the introduction.
"Well, at this point we're still trying to piece that together, if he did anything wrong at all. May we come in?" Juliet asked.
He stepped aside and motioned them in. As he shut the door behind them he said his name was William, and his wife was Susan. "Come into the living room, we can talk in there." Traci and Juliet were invited to sit on an aged but still well-cushioned couch, while William and Susan McQuinn each sat in a leather chair across from them.
"When was the last time you spoke to or saw your son?", Traci asked.
The McQuinn's shared a look of their own before Susan sighed and said, "We don't see him anymore."
"He left when he hit eighteen," William said. We didn't always see eye-to-eye with each other but he was our son, you know? We tried to work things out. But when he walked out, we made it clear that he was burning the last remains of a bridge between us. And he just kept walking."
"I'm sorry to hear that. That can't be easy to live with."
William nodded, "It wasn't, for a while. Then he got picked up for theft and I bailed him out, told him this was his last chance. What did he do? He threw it away and went back to the same crowd. So, I we," he said indicating Susan and himself, "cut him off. It's been hard on Fi, but I think not having his influence around will help her in the long run."
"I'm sorry. Who's Fi?", Juliet asked.
"Fiona, our daughter. She's four years younger than Liam," Susan said.
"Do you think she might know how to get in touch with Liam?", Juliet followed up.
"No." William quickly said, sternly. "She hasn't spoken to him or seen him since we last did. When we cut him off, we did so completely. Now, officers, what is all of this about? I don't know what you think he did, but we have no way to contact him. Believe me, we'd help if we could. But don't go bringing Fiona into this. She doesn't need that."
"Well," Traci began, "If you've heard the news today I'm sure you're aware there was an incident at the Eaton Centre today and we have reason to believe that Liam may have been there."
"You mean were that person was killed?", Mr. McQuinn asked. "Look, for what ever Liam is, he's not a killer. He doesn't have that in him. Even if he was there, I can't see him being involved in that."
"Well, we don't know that it was him. But we have enough circumstantial evidence indicating he was there that we would really just like to talk to him." Juliet said. "It could very well be that it is like you say, and he was just there and not involved."
"I may know of a way," Susan said.
"What?!" William blared.
"Bill, if I can help the police, and maybe help Liam out in the process, I have to."
"I'm not disputing that, Susan. But what do you mean you might have a way to reach him."
"It's actually not me," Susan conceded. "It's Fi. She has a burner account on Facebook where she's friends with Liam."
"Are you kidding me? How long have you known about this? And when were you going to tell me?", Mr. McQuinn was clearly getting upset.
"Not for too long. I think she just created the account fairly recently."
"Look Mr. and Mrs. McQuinn," Traci said, "We don't want to step all over any family situation but it's very important that we talk with Liam and if Fiona can help us, then it's our best bet."
"Well, go ahead," William said. "we might as well help them if Fiona got herself messed up with him. I just can't believe it."
"If you come with me, I'll get my phone and get you her contact information. She led them to her office down the hall where her phone was charging next to her laptop. She unlocked it and pulled up her contacts. Then she scrolled through and tapped on one. She handed the phone to Juliet who held it while Traci pulled out her notebook to scribble down the number. As she did, the two officers noticed the picture that Susan had with the contact. It was Tammy. Neither one of them betrayed anything but they both knew. Fiona and Tammy were one and the same. The realization hit Juliet in the stomach, but she kept a straight face. Before they informed the two parents of the tragedy, Traci wanted to confirm the identity and she had an idea on how to do that right now.
"Ward, can you take Mrs. McQuinn back to the living room while I step out and take a call quickly?"
"Sure."
"Thanks, it shouldn't be too long." Traci walked out to the porch and dialed up the evidence room at 15. The tech on duty picked up and Traci asked her if there was a phone found on Tammy. The tech grabbed the evidence box and then relayed that there was indeed a phone found.
"It's an iPhone. Locked, but with plenty of juice left."
"Okay, I'm going to hang up and call a number. I think the phone your holding will be the other end of that call. Write down the number that called it and then I'll call you back and if I'm right you'll have my number written down." Traci hung up and dialed the number. It rang through to voicemail and she hung up again and called back the evidence tech. Sure enough, Traci had just called "Tammy's" phone. "Thanks, Traci said. You've been a great help. We just identified the victim."
Traci went back inside the house and returned to her previous seat on the sofa and nodded at Juliet.
"When's the last time you talked to Fiona?", Traci asked.
"Yesterday afternoon," Mrs. McQuinn said. "We try to talk every day if we can."
"She should be checking any time now actually," Mr. McQuinn added.
Traci prepped herself to deliver the worst news a police officer could ever have to give. At least everybody was already sitting.
"Mr. and Mrs. McQuinn, Traci said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news…"
Back in the car and heading back to 15 Juliet called the morgue to let them know the McQuinn's were coming down to identify the body they previously knew as Tammy. Almost as soon as she got off the phone, Traci's phone mounted on the dash went off. It was the desk at 15. Juliet tapped accept and put it on speaker phone.
"Nash," Traci answered.
"Hey Seargent. Keller's advocate is here, and she wants to know what charges her client is being held on."
"Tell her I'm on my way back. Have her and her client set up in interview. I'll be back in about ten."
"Will do," the desk officer said, and Juliet sensing the conversation was over clicked the phone off. The rest of the ride back went by in silence.
The sun had completely set when they walked back into 15. A whole new platoon had taken over the station, Traci didn't know many of them that well, but they all seemed to know who she was. After all, she was in charge of a major unit within the Service.
They made their way to holding to talk with the holding officer about what interview room to go to. They wound up outside room four. But before going in, they stepped in the observation room and watched Nate Keller and his lawyer discussing something. He wasn't really looking at her and seemed to be mostly nodding and saying little. She was directing the conversation. To Traci, that usually meant the lawyer would try to answer everything for her client. Prepared for that Traci and Juliet moved from the observation room in the interview room, disrupting the defender in the middle of a thought.
"I'm sorry, did we interrupt? We can come back in a few minutes if that's better," Traci said, even though she had no intention of doing that. She knew the defender wouldn't bite on that.
"No, it fine. Detective Nash, I presume."
"Yes, and this is Officer Ward.
"Macey Nichols, public defenders office." They all acknowledged each other. "Look it's late," so let's cut to the chase, "Ms. Nichols offered. "Why are we here?"
"Well," Traci said, "we're here because you client refused to answer some rather simple question earlier and asked for a lawyer."
"Fair enough, but why do you want to talk to my client. From what I can see you haven't charged him with anything."
"I could if I wanted to. Start with the fleeing and evading. Maybe see what we turn up if we search the car you admit to driving or your room."
"You can't possibly-", Ms. Nichols began before Traci cut her off.
"But, I don't care about any of that if your client just talks about what he knows about Liam McQuinn and his whereabouts and actions today. Specifically, in relation to the shooting at the Eaton Centre."
"If Mr. Keller is to tell you what he knows about This Liam McQuinn and his potential involvement, then he leaves tonight, and you won't press any charges against him," Ms. Nichols said, clarifying for the record.
"Look, I'll be honest with you," Traci said. We have nothing to even remotely implicate Mr. Keller in the incident today. We only came to him because of the car being caught on camera at the scene and we know he wasn't driving it. If he had just answered the questions when I asked him earlier, none of us would be here wasting more time going through all of these hoops. I just want information your client has, Ms. Nichols. I have no desire to charge him with anything I could, and I don't care to pursue any investigation further into Mr. Keller to find anything else. So, if he cooperates and tells us what he knows then he can walk out of here tonight, just like us. But, like you said, it's late. We'd like to get this moving."
The defender turned to her client, "Tell them what they want to know."