The Betrayal

Fifteen

October 6 1996

Jerry

"How is it going?" I asked Susan, our expert drawer. She and Pam were working on the composite sketch of one of the perps.

"Pam's doing great, she's quite observant. We"re almost done with first sketch." Susan smiled .

Pam smiled sadly, fear still showing in her eyes.  I took a look at the sketch,  it didn't ring a bell.

"Hadn't seen this guy before." I admitted taking a close look at the sketch. "Will take it to the forensic team in case they can find out who the hell he is.  Pam, I will need you to testify again, this time it will be another Detective who will depose you. I'll call Porter okay? The one who was with me before."

"Okay." Pam just said "Oh, here you are." She handed me the a small piece of paper " That's the plate of the car ."

"Yeah, I hadn't  forgotten about it. Thanks Pam...if you want to call home just feel free to ask it, or for any other thing you could need."

"No, I'm fine thanks. But...I need ..." She shamefully asked.

"Second door on the left. Go, take your time." Susan said with a kind smile.

"Thanks, will be right back." Pam replied shyly.

"Hey, Wyatt told me about Kerstin's involvement in the kidnapping of your boys.it's been a real surprise for all of us, she seemed to be a committed detective."

"I still can't believe it, we've been partners for more than ten years. I still think there has to be another explanation for this."

"You mean she's double crossing those perps? Hope you're right, honestly."

"So do I...well, I'll better take the number to the traffic department, let's see if they can find out whose car it is."

"Good luck Henderson."

"Thanks, tell Pam to wait for me when you're done, I want to drive her home."

Most of the members of traffic department were busy controlling the complicated circulation in town, and I had to wait for a while until Larry Mitchell got up searching for a coffee.

"Hey, hadn't seen you Henderson. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to verify whose is this car, it's urgent." 

"Okay, give me a sec. "Larry typed the numbers in his computer and after a while the results were shown in the display "Here it is, it belongs to a Muriel Connors, 43. The car was reported as stolen yesterday." 

"Should have guessed it. Thanks anyway, Larry."

"Sorry I couldn't help you, man."

I went to the forensic lab, hoping the team were already back from the scene. As expected, Nichols was examining some newly received samples but she stopped the moment she saw me 

"I've got news, good ones. We managed to identify the remaining fingerprints in Konrad's restaurant, they belong to a Vittorio Buono, he's a petty thief from New York." She continued reading Buono's file "He was briefly transferred to Indiana Prison, he probably met Baldoni there. And the best of all, he has a sister living in Joliet. This is the address, 250 Emerald Drive."

"Thanks Nichols, I owe you a big one."

"Nonsense. Go rescue your kids."

When I went up to the main floor, Pam was waiting for me, sitting on a bench. Her eyes were terribly sad, and seemed to be looking at nowhere.

"Hey." I sat by her "I can't tell you much, but we have a promising clue about Scott and Billy, we know where they can be. I'm sorry but won't be able to drive you home as I had promised."

"You know where they are?" Her expression went back to life "Really? Can I wait here until you bring them?"

"I wish you could, Pam, honestly. But it's better if you go home and try to rest for a while. "

She seemed to be disappointed "Oh, all right then.  Thanks Mr Henderson." Taking small steps, she went out of the precinct and I walked to the First Intervention Unit. They were a bunch of five or six men, specialized in checking the conditions of the scene before the Detectives examined it.

"I'm going to need your help." I told Captain Wayne, the leader of the unit. As far as I knew him, he hated beating around the bush when they had a job to do. "We have to go to Joliet, it's an urgent thing. My sons might be kept there as hostages."

"Okay.  Meet us at the parking lot in ten, we'll be ready."

I had barely time to prevent Porter to come with us too, it was likely I would need some back up. And two more patrol cars would go as well, just in case. Porter and I would go in the team's van, preparing the intervention. Wayne and Molina would open the way for the rest of the squad, and they would cover the whole house.

I couldn't almost hold my breath, and all my thoughts were for Scott and Billy and I prayed they were unharmed.

Wayne stopped the car not far from the house, but far enough as to keep it out of sight. We approached the house silent as wolves, watching every step we took.

"To my lead." Wayne whispered "Three...two...one..." 

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

Every time I heard that word, my heart grew smaller. 

Once Wayne's squad had verified there was no one in the house, it was our time to inspection it. 

I stayed in the low floor and took a look at the kitchen. There was a pot there, still hot. Whoever had been there had just left, in a hurry. An unfolded map was over the table, with two circles drawn on it. I took at the marked places, which were two border crossings to Canada.

" Henderson, you should see this". Porter was at the kitchen door, and told me to follow him to one of the rooms. It looked as if there had been a struggle there. Scott and Billy had been there, that was all I knew... Only ten or fifteen minutes before, and I would have arrived on time to rescue them.

I felt as if my legs didn't answer me no more.

There, lying on the floor, with a knife by her side, it was Carla.  I kneeled by her and took her pulse and it was feeble, almost inexistent. There was a huge bloodshed by her. 

"Jerry..."

"It's okay, don't talk." I held her hand. "Porter, call 911!" I yelled.

"The boys...Canada..." She almost couldn't speak. Carla had an unstable breathing and was terribly pale. 

"Help's on the way, hold on Carla." I knew she wouldn't do it, and possibly she did too but I pretended everything would be fine.

"No..." She made a grimace of pain and tried to hold my hand but had no strength. "I'm sorry Jerry, please find the boys." Her eyes were locked in mine, but it was a lifeless look. Her hand loosened the grip on mine. I looked at her again and she had a relaxed expression, with no trace of hurt.

All in a sudden, I got up, rushed to the kitchen and examined the map once more. Two border crossings...

"Porter, we have to go back to town. I gotta talk to the Commissioner."