After shoving the envelope into her desk, Erin grabbed the car keys and took off down the stairs, not even waiting for Jay to catch up.
Seeing Platt at her desk, Erin immediately ran up to her and tapped on the desk to signal she was standing there.
"Hey Platt, you don't happen to remember who dropped off that huge packet do you", she asked.
Platt looked up from her work and immediately shook her head, "Sorry, Erin. It was just some young kid. He dropped it said your name and then took off", she explained.
Erin sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, "Okay, well if the kid stops by again, just keep him here. Make up something if you need too", she requested.
"Okay", Platt answered giving the young detective a quizzical look. Erin gave her a reassuring smile as she turned around and spotted Jay waiting at the stairs for her.
"God, you and those stairs today", he stated as they left the district.
Erin laughed weakly at his comment as she got in the car and started the engine. "Where are we going", she asked.
"You know the usual place that Buzz hangs out", Jay asked.
Erin nodded her head. Buzz was one of Jay's best CI's, next to Mouse of course. He hung out in a supermarket parking lot and the strange request he had for when Erin and Jay made their visit. A pint of ice cream and cigarettes. In exchange, the detectives got the information they needed.
Just as Erin pulled up to the parking lot, Jay turned to her needing to ask the question he had been holding onto since they got to the district and Erin got the package.
"So, what was in the envelope Platt gave you", he asked.
Jay watched as she turned to him giving him a skeptical look, "Just insurance paperwork", she easily answered before getting out of the car.
Letting out a sigh, Jay followed Erin out of the car and towards the store his CI hung out next to. He knew she was lying to him. But, getting Erin Lindsay to open up proved to not be the easiest thing in the world.
"Ahh, Detectives Lindsay and Halstead. Always nice of you to grace me with your presence", Buzz greeted Jay and Erin as they approached him.
"Nice to see you too, Buzz", Erin answered as she gave him a slight smile. As much as Erin trusted Jay and the information he got from Buzz, it didn't make Erin any less nervous around this guy. He was still a natural creep.
"Do you have my usual requests", he asked. Jay stuck out the pharmacy store bag with the strange 'payment' for Buzz's information. Buzz quickly took it from him and inspected, just to look back up at the detectives with a large grin on his face.
"What do you know about Jason Clark", Jay wasted no time in asking.
"This guys ridiculous. Ever since he got paroled, he has a gang of people lined up at his front door 24/7. And you know what kind of people I am talking about", Buzz hinted at.
Both Erin and Jay simultaneously raised an eyebrow. "You know, real sketchy people with white vans one day and then a brand new car the next", he explained as he lit one of his new cigarettes.
"But, there is one day out of the week. It's usually a Thursday. You look out your window and you see Clark and a few of his normal looking buddies all dressed up and filthy rich families coming to their door", Buzz finished.
"No kids", Erin asked.
"No, never any kids", Buzz said.
"So, basically what you are giving me here Buzz is a load of crap", Jay protested.
"Let me finish", Buzz said stopping Jay almost mid-sentence. "There are no kids with the families. But, late at night on Fridays, a van comes drops off some kids and then the next day families come and pick them up", he explained.
"It's usually a bunch of babies. I've heard the crying before", Buzz added.
"Where is this", Jay asked.
"Right across the street from my house. Clark and I are neighbors", Buzz answered.
Erin looked at him with wide eyes, "Why didn't we just meet you there", she asked.
"Cause then he would know I am a snitch", Buzz spat.
Jay watched as Erin rolled her eyes and took a couple steps back from where they were standing, "I need the address", he demanded.
Buzz ripped off a piece of newspaper and scribbled on Clark's home address. Jay took it from him and gave him a smile as he turned to Erin who was more than ready to leave.
"If it's worth anything, he has bitched to me about the DA that you guys are looking into", Buzz added.
Erin and Jay immediately turned around as he spoke, "I met he would do something as crazy as steal their kid. Alot more money in a toddler than a baby I bet", he added.
"Thanks Buzz", Jay said as they walked away.
As Erin got into the car, she turned to Jay who got in not long after her, "It's Thursday", she stated.
"Wanna do a drive by to see if what Buzz is explaining really is true", Jay asked her as she pulled out of the parking lot.
"Nah, let's get back to Voight", Erin said as she made the familiar drive back to the district.
xxx
"So, this guy is just going around selling babies to families in need", Ruzek speculated as the unit all gathered together after a long day.
"That's what it looks like", Erin added as she continued to scribble something down in her paperwork.
"And why haven't we arrested him", Ruzek asked.
"Because what Lindsay and Halstead got from the CI is that there Clark is selling babies. He may not even have our kid", Voight announced.
"But, he could", Erin stated.
Voight turned to her, raising her eyebrow at her statement, "He may charge twice as much for a grown child than a baby. I mean it's not typical but it can happen", she explained.
Voight nodded at her speculation, "Alright, here's what we will do. Tomorrow we will take some more statements on Clark's behavior and then we will bust his place when the delivery is happening", he explained.
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, "For now, everyone head home. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow", Voight demanded before turning back into his office.
Erin immediately began to pack up her things, quickly shoving the manilla folder she received today into her jacket pocket.
"Hey, you wanna watch the game at my place tonight", Jay asked as he approached her desk.
Erin looked up and gave him a weak smile, the one that told Jay her answer was most likely no. "I think I am going to head home, but tomorrow, what about Molly's", Erin asked.
Jay gave her a hopeful smile which she kindly returned, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay", she said standing from her desk.
"Yeah", Jay returned as he backed away from her desk so she could leave. "See you tomorrow", Jay said as he watched her leave.
xxx
What if the picture wasn't even recent? What if the person who had delivered it simply photoshopped Mia's picture into the picture of all the children.
Erin shook her head at her constant questioning as she set the picture down and took a sip of her beer.
Maybe she shouldn't have blown Jay off like that. It wasn't like she wasn't going to drink. Here she was sitting alone in her apartment with a bottle of beer looking at the picture. He would've understood the picture - or helped her understand the picture. Because he cared about Mia.
He cares about Mia.
A quick and sharp knock suddenly came from Erin's door. Erin got up and quickly walked to the door. Maybe it was Jay, he always did come back.
As the door swung open, Erin found no one behind it. Just a crisp white envelope laying on the floor. Erin quickly bent down to pick it up and then closed the door behind her.
Her name was printed in almost a chicken scratch writing. Ripping open the envelope, a messily folded white piece of paper fell from the envelope. Reaching in, Erin unfolded it and almost dropped it.
It was a hand drawn picture. There was what looked to be a little girl and a mom. The message written across the top was what made Erin almost burst into tears.
I miss you Mommy - Love Mia
A/N: Oh my gosh! Sorry for the really long wait for this update. Kind of like a mini hiatus in the fan fiction world I guess. But, I am back now and I have a plan for the rest of this story after really bad writer's block. Hopefully, you all enjoyed this chapter and I will see you soon. Please review so I can know what you thought. Until next time :)