Keeping It in the Family (Linstead)

Chapter 138

Although they had travelled in two vehicles, Lindsay, Halstead and Gonzalez arrived at Rodrigo Alvarez's address at the same time. The driveway was taped off, so they had to park in the street, which was separately taped off to prevent civilians accessing it.

"It's going to make me very happy if we can make Martinez for this," Lindsay said as she and Halstead got out of his car. She quickly put her beanie and gloves on against the horribly cold Chicago weather.

"Me too, but let's not go into it with preconceptions," he cautioned her.

"You're right, of course," she acknowledged.

Having parked up just behind them, Gonzalez got out of her Mustang. "What are the FBI doing here?" she demanded.

"What?" Lindsay asked.

"I saw a guy in an FBI coat. What are they doing here?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure going to find out. Follow me."

Halstead and Gonzalez followed her as she marched into the crime scene. Burgess and Ruzek were there of course, along with a couple of uniforms, a crime lab team, and two FBI agents. One of them was over with the crime lab guys, presumably sticking his nose into what they were doing. The other one was standing and observing. Without bothering with Burgess or Ruzek, Lindsay walked straight up to him.

"Sergeant Lindsay, Intelligence. This is my crime scene. What are you doing here?"

The FBI agent was about six feet tall, well-built, and had a buzz cut. His sunglasses said FBI as much as the back of his coat did. "Ah, Lindsay. I was told you would show up. No, it's not your crime scene. We have reason to believe..."

During the exchange, Burgess and Ruzek had come over to join the group. Meanwhile, Gonzalez walked off, going straight over to where the body of Rodrigo Alvarez was lying. It was near the driver's side of his car, suggesting that he had been shot in the back of the head as he had been about to get into it. He had likely never even known his killer was there.

"Uh, excuse me. Where do you think you're going?" the FBI agent demanded if Gonzalez, going after her. She ignored him, so he caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm. "Hey!"

Gonzalez turned around and looked him right in the eyes, giving him a fearsome glare. "I don't care who you work for. Touch me again, I'll kill you."

"Raquel," Lindsay said, trying to lower the temperature a bit.

Whether it was the warning from Gonzalez or the intervention from Lindsay, the agent let go of Gonzalez's arm.

"Why are you protective of this crime scene? Why didn't you want us to see the body?" Halstead asked suspiciously.

"Look, we've gotten off on the wrong foot," the agent said diplomatically. "I'm Special Agent Waters. We have reason to believe this is a Mexican cartel hit, and therefore this is an FBI investigation. Chicago PD have no jurisdiction over this case, so I do need to ask you to leave the crime scene."

"Bullshit," Gonzalez said. From where they were standing they could see Alvarez, and the method of execution was obvious. She pointed at the body. "That's not cartel work."

"And you would know, I suppose," Waters said, in what was possibly some kind of thinly-veiled racist comment.

"Yes, I would," she replied deadpan.

"Well, that's for us to investigate," Waters said. "Sergeant Lindsay, I want you and your people off my crime scene now, before I have you removed."

The look on Lindsay's face made it perfectly clear how angry she was at the situation, but she knew that there was nothing she could do about it. The FBI had this case under lock and key, and causing a scene would only come back on her and her people, while doing nothing to change the situation.