Ashley accompanied Antonio up the stairs to the apartment of Peyton, Henry, and Debby Hall's parents, with the intention of investigating the parents to ascertain if they had any knowledge of potential harm that could befall their children.
However, they were aware that due to the ongoing killings of other families, the parents may not have any information. Nevertheless, Ashley and Antonio felt compelled to ask their questions regardless.
Upon reaching the Hall's apartment, Antonio gently knocked on the door, to which a grief-stricken female voice responded, 'Hold on a minute.' Observing the door opening slightly, Ashley witnessed a woman in her late forties, eyes filled with tears, peering out of the door.
The woman inquired, 'May I help you?' while opening the door wider to get a better look at the two detectives.
Antonio calmly addressed the woman as Mrs. Hall, conveying, 'Good evening. I'm Detective Antonio Dawson and this is my partner Detective Ashley Devussa.' He proceeded to inform her that they were from the Chicago PD and were there to discuss the unfortunate demise of her three children, expressing their intent to ask a few questions. Antonio made a conscious effort to maintain a calm demeanor so as not to further distress the grieving woman.
Mrs. Hall inquired, crossing her arms over her chest and maintaining her gaze on the two detectives."May we come in? This process may take some time," Ashley asked, expressing sympathy towards the grieving mother.
Despite her own personal experience of losing her brother in a shooting, Ashley quickly put aside her emotions to fully focus on the case. Ashley and Antonio followed Mrs. Hall into the apartment and seated themselves on the couch. Glancing around the room, Ashley noticed some pictures of Peyton, Henry, and Debby, prompting a smile.
However, she diverted her attention to Mrs. Hall, who had lifted a small toddler into her arms. In a whisper accompanied by a smile, Ashley remarked, "Mrs. Hall, you have beautiful children." This comment elicited a small smile from the older woman.
Mrs. Hall clutched her lost child to her chest and murmured, "Thank you. They were exceptional children who should not have met such a tragic end. They were bright and intelligent. Regrettably, Leo is the only child I have left, as their father Ray has been absent for the past two years."
Upon witnessing Ashley's subtle nod, she proceeded to extend her condolences to the grieving woman. Ashley whispered, 'I apologize for your loss.' Both Ashley and Antonio, who held a folder in his possession, expressed their remorse through their gestures.
'Mrs. Hall, may we inquire about certain matters?' Mrs. Hall redirected her attention toward the two detectives occupying the couch.
'Is it relevant to discuss if anyone may pose a threat to your children? Are there any individuals harbouring ill-will towards any member of your family?' Antonio asked, intently searching the depths of the woman's eyes.
Mrs. Hall, shaking her head, replied, 'No, to my knowledge, there is no such individual. Peyton and Henry are commendable children with outstanding academic and athletic achievements. Although they occasionally engage in mischievous activities, it is characteristic of teenagers.' She whispered, her gaze now fixed upon the floor.
'Additionally, Debby, an exceptionally delightful and content young girl, was about to embark upon her first day of kindergarten.' Mrs. Hall let out a deep sigh.
Ashley jotted down the information, suspecting a plausible motive behind the potential harm that may befall this family. 'May I also inquire, does Ray have any personal conflicts that could potentially cause someone to seek retribution against him?' Antonio asked.
"No, as far as I am aware, I have not had any contact with him in several years, except on holidays when he only sends gifts for the children. However, he is a good man, so I do not believe he would be involved." Mrs. Hall murmured as she glanced at the detectives. "May I pose a question to you?" She inquired.
"Certainly," Ashley replied, leaning forward attentively to hear Mrs. Hall's query. "Is this case connected to the killings of other families, such as the Jacksons who happen to be close friends of mine?" Mrs. Hall asked, locking eyes with both Ashley and Antonio, causing the two young detectives to exchange glances with each other.
"I apologize, but we cannot provide you with any information regarding the case," Ashley softly whispered. "Although it is a possibility, we cannot be certain." She glanced at her phone to check for any messages, but there were none. "In any case, we must depart and inform our sergeant about the new information," Antonio declared, rising from the couch and helping Ashley to her feet.
Prior to accompanying Antonio out of the apartment, Ashley approached Mrs. Hall and gently placed her hand atop the elder woman's shoulder. 'If you require any assistance, whether through a phone call or text message, I am more than willing to help,' Ashley whispered.
She then redirected her gaze towards Leo, who returned her gaze with his large, blue eyes. Unable to resist, Ashley smiled at the baby before turning her attention back to Mrs. Hall. 'Thank you, Dec-,' Mrs. Hall began, but Ashley interrupted, 'You may simply refer to me as Ash.' The brunette smiled.
" 'Alright, Ash. Thank you.' Mrs. Hall smiled and locked eyes with Ashley. 'Not an issue,' she replied, handing Mrs. Hall her contact information. 'I must depart now, but I will pay you a visit once the case has concluded.' With that, Ashley exited the apartment. 'Hey Ash, when you acquire any information on the Jacksons, please share it with me after the case,' Mrs. Hall whispered.
" 'I'm afraid I cannot promise that, but I will do my best to keep you informed,' Ashley responded before leaving the apartment and making her way to the awaiting truck where Antonio was stationed.
Atwater and Jay's P.O.V*
Jay and Atwater were discussing their conversation with the family members of the Jackson's family regarding Millie and Gary Jackson and their son Max Jackson. However, they could not gather much information about the family since there were no relatives residing in Chicago.
Therefore, they approached the Jackson's friends who informed them that the family did not harbor any grudges or engage in any kind of trouble. "So, it seems that we have hit a dead end," Jay commented as he walked towards the truck with Atwater.
"Yes, I hope the others have fared better than we have," the younger man whispered softly as he entered the passenger side. "Indeed, let us hope so," Jay responded. He then proceeded to take the driver's seat and drive to the headquarters to meet up with the rest of the team.
Soifon and Erin's P.O.V*
Soifon entered the bullpen with Erin following closely behind. She noticed that Antonio, Ashley, Atwater, and Jay had already returned from their mission. She wondered if they had obtained any valuable information. While they only had a suspects name and picture, Soifon had a hunch that there were others involved in the killing.
Soifon walked towards the whiteboard while Erin went to sit at her desk to rest. Soifon didn't want her pregnant lover to overexert herself or risk any harm to herself or the baby.
"Anything you have?" Voight asked as he approached the board to observe. Soifon placed Xavier's picture on the board and replied, "Yes, but not much. We have one suspect name: Xavier Mark." She began writing the name on the board as everyone else shifted their attention towards it.
Antonio inquired, leaning forward in his seat, "Have you obtained an address?" Erin stood up from her desk and approached the board, responding, "No, we inquired about his address, but the lady we spoke to at his workplace refused to provide any information aside from the fact that he quit a few weeks ago."
Voight tapped the board and remarked, "Nevertheless, we will continue to investigate. He must have an address. Let's gather information on Xavier and determine if he is receiving assistance from anyone else." He proceeded to his office, allowing his team to commence their work.
Soifon looked at Erin and asked, "Are you prepared to gather more information on this individual?" Both women made their way to their desks.
Soifon replied, "Yes, I hope we can locate him before the night is over." Erin sat down at her desk and began searching for information on Xavier. Erin also kept an eye on the worker, as she had an uneasy feeling about the woman they had spoken to.