⋆° დ ༄ RISKY BUSINESS
chapter forty. natural born storyteller.
Maverick steps into the shower and places his hands on the girls waist in front of him and kisses her neck. Maxine turns around and smiles, wrapping her arms around his neck, "well, good morning"
"Morning"
"So I take it, you forgive me?"
"Of course I do" He said, brushing her wet hair behind her ears, "you made a mistake, life happens. I know you wouldn't do it to hurt me. And I understand why you pushed me away. I'm sorry that I couldn't do more to help"
"I'm sorry, I'm such a horrible girlfriend" Maxine said, looking down. Maverick lifts up her chin, "hey, you are the absolute best girlfriend...and you're perfect...and you're mine" he leans in for a kiss.
Maxine deepens the kids, "I love you"
"I love you too, princess"
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"Offender apparently got a new piece, went popping off at a cook out" Roman tells Dawson and Olinsky as he guides them towards the crime scene in a backyard, "got to love a heat wave in chicago"
"So, we chased him in here. Subdued him using the minimal force necessary to effect an arrest" Burgess adds.
"Jagoff tried to ditch the hardware. Threw it in a yard four houses south" Roman says, taking a sip of water.
"I spotted the blood. Opened the refrigerator...never saw anything quite like it"
"We'll, I sincerely doubt your shooter wanted us to find this" Al says, walking over to Hank, "these are unrelated acts"
"This is a black neighborhood, always has been" Erin said, going to stand next to Jay and Maxine, "we're gonna find out somebody moved that kid here"
Jay crosses his arms over each other, "That call that was on the zone this morning? Kid went missing from Rogers park. I think this is him"
Hank stands up from looking at their victim, who was stuffed inside a refrigerator and says, "we're gonna solve this. Whatever it was"
"I know we will" Dawson says.
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"We owe this kid our best. So what do we know?" Dawson asks, as everyone is gathered back on the unit talking about their new case.
"Alright. Tender age, white child found dead in a black neighborhood. We're still waiting on the M.E, but the responding EMTs indicate that, um, the kid's neck was snapped. Stabbed in the abdomen three times" Adam says, sitting on the windowsill behind Erin's desk.
"And his wrists and ankles were bound with sailors' knots. For what that's worth" Al adds.
Jay walks onto the bullpen with a file in his hand saying, "his name was Jeremy Dolan. He was reported missing 36 hours ago from Rogers Park. He was eight years old. His parents are Richard and Rochelle. They're waiting at the morgue to ID the body" then hands the file to Voight.
"Rogers park. That's three miles north of that house" Atwater says.
"Or he was probably killed elsewhere and transported to the scene" Ruzek suggests, "we got no eyeball witnesses of the body being placed, though"
"Do we know who owns the house?" Max questions. Kevin hands the brunette a paper and says, "yep. Local real estate investors. That's one of 150 properties that they're buying and fixing up in that area"
"I'll see if there's anything there" Erin says.
"Alright, we start in Rogers park. I want all service calls the last 48 hours" Voight says, "Where was he abducted? I mean, somebody heard a scream, saw a car they didn't recognize, a strange face, something"
"The boys family is on their way to the morgue. I want to be there when they ID him" Dawson says, looking at Al to go with him.
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"The night of the disappearance, yes ma'am" Adam says to the lady that he and Kevin were talking to in the neighborhood of the victim.
"No, we didn't hear anything" she says.
"No screaming, sound of slamming doors?" Kevin asks.
"I would've gone and checked. We watched each other's kids. These were good people"
"I understand. Um, were your windows open? This would have been 630, 7, Saturday night" Adam asks.
"They were opened, it was warm and my hearing is perfect"
"anybody little too nice? Maybe extra candy on Halloween kind of thing?" Kevin asks, placing his hands on his hips.
"There's no one here that's too friendly. They'd get dealt with. We didn't hear anything" the husband of the woman says.
"So uh, how well did you know the Dolans, Mr..." Jay says, hooking his sunglasses on his shirt.
"Boyd. Uh, Damien Boyd. I've known Richie my whole life. We grew up down the block here. I don't live here anymore though, so...I wish I could help you, my friends are grieving and I got to get these inside"
"Sorry. Our condolences" Maxine said before Damien and his son walk away.
"So, no one saw or heard anything"
"Nothing they feel like sharing anyway"
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Jay walks through the lobby of the district as Voight walks down the stairs and says, "hey, I've been looking for you"
"You got a way of saying that word where it never sounds like good news"
Voight just stares at him for a second, "regarding you and bishop. I don't know what your relationship status is, and I don't care, but I need to know someone's got her back 24 hours a day"
"Yeah. I uh...always" Jay said and Hank walked away.
~~~
"Special investigations unit sent over the files of every registered sex offender in the vicinity of Rogers park" Atwater says, looking through boxes they were sent.
"The M.E found tissue under Jeremy's fingernails. Little guy went down fighting" Max says, looking through some papers, "he said no signs of sexual assault but that doesn't mean he couldn't have been made to..you know"
"I don't know, this block he was snatched from, they're pretty tight knit" Adam says, looking at this computer, "seems like an odd pool to pick your victims from"
"But if it was about sex, there's no logic it's just impulse" Erin states.
"Hey, this guy moved into the block last year, he's in from Salt Lake City. His P.O logged a complaint, he never registered in Chicago" Adam says.
"What's his name?" Maxine asks. Adam hands the brunette a paper and says, "Darren Woodhull"
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"So, this is what corporate money buys, huh?. You want to take the lead in this?" Maxine says as she and Antonio walk onto a rooftop restaurant.
"I do, in fact" Dawson says, as the two detectives walk over to Darren Woodhull, then he flashes his shield and asks, "Darren Woodhull?"
Woodhull looked up from his paper and said, "officers. You must be here about the boy"
Antonio and Maxine give each other a look and sit down across from Woodhull.
"two child murders equidistant from my condominium in Salt Lake. This was 2012. I was detained for nine hours by the PD and told in no uncertain terms that a confession was the only card I had to play. It's tiresome, being the usual suspect" Woodhull says.
"I imagine your victims grew tired of your abuse, back in Utah" Dawson says.
"I made mistakes. I sought treatment"
"Court ordered" Max states.
"I know my rights, officers. I don't need a lawyer, I have nothing to hide"
"Expect for the fact that you didn't register as a sex offender when you moved to Chicago. Why not?" Maxine asks. Woodhull looked around and said, "I-I did. Your city's computer system created an erroneous problem report and I have an alibi for 6:45, Saturday night. I was here, stuck in a client presentation"
Dawson sighed, shrugging and asks, "you have a car?"
"I do. It's been in the shop all week"
Max looks at the big bandage on Darren woodhull's neck and asks, "what happened to your neck? Did you, maybe, get attacked?"
"No more questions for today. I have a meeting to get to" Woodhull says, standing up.
"This isn't Salt Lake, Darren. Sit down" Antonio says with anger laced in his voice, "we got a kid down the street from you, dead, and you're on the verge of pissing me off" as Woodhull sits back in his seat.
"Your injury. What happened?" Max asks.
"I was sailing. I rented a sunfish, capsized on some rocks yesterday"
"We're gonna need the contact information of everyone that you were working with over the weekend and you should stay in town" Max says as Dawson hands him a pad and pen.
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Maxine, Hank, Al, and Jay arrive at Darren Woodhull's home, guns drawn, as they approach the front door. Voight knocks and yells, "Chicago Police!"
"Guy lied right to my face and violated his parole by not registering in Chicago. In case you need a reason" Max says. Hank nods and looks at Jay, who then smashes in the front door.
The four head inside, guns still drawn and search the house. Voight and Al head up stairs, while Maxine and Jay search downstairs.
As Maxine and Jay clear out the downstairs of the house, Max goes to clear the last room when a door opens and a man is standing there with a loaded shotgun pointed at her, which makes her gasp, holding in a breath.
"Drop the weapon" Jay shouts, pointing his gun at the armed man.
"Who are you?"
"We're the police" Max states, "Who are you?"
"I'm Darren's Woodhull's protector"
"You want to die in a closet? Drop the gun now!" Jay yells.
"Show me a badge" the man says. Maxine points to her vest and says, "it's right here"
The man lowers the shotgun and Max snatches it from him.
"Don't hurt me please"
Jay grabs the man and pushes him against the wall, and handcuffs him.
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Adam walks into the locker room to see his best friend sitting on the bench by her locker, "hey, you okay? Heard you had a shotgun pointed at you"
Maxine sighs, "I'm fine, Adam"
"Are you mad at me or something?"
Maxine looks up at the officer, "why didn't you tell me you were proposing to Burgess?"
"I tried too...a couple months ago but you wouldn't listen to me" Adam says, going to sit next to the detective.
"I'm so sorry, Adam" she said, laying here head on his shoulder, "I've been a pretty shitty person lately"
Adam wraps his arm around her, "no you haven't, maxie. You've just been going through a lot"
"I wish everyone would stop forgiving me so easily. I don't deserve it"
Adam kisses the top of her head, "Stop it. Everyone deserves a chance"
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"Kurt Hollister" Jay says as he, Kevin, Al and Maxine walk into an auto body shop. The bald man turns around and says, "that's me. Can I help you?"
"We're the police" Max says, showing her badge that was hooked on her belt.
"Looking for a car that belongs to Darren Woodhull" Kevin says.
"Yeah, it's out there, blue sedan" Hollister says and Kevin walks away, "you looking for a murderer? Guy always gave me the creeps, to be honest"
"Oh yeah, how's that?" Al asks.
"I don't know, you ever just get that feeling?"
"All the time. But then again, I work with this guy, so.." Maxine jokes, referring to Al, who was standing next to her giving her the look.
"How well do you know Darren Woodhull?" Al asks.
"Ah, keeps to himself. Freak like that got no right drawing breath. Thinks he knows it. No secrets here in Rogers park" Hollister states.
"Hey Jay! max!" Kevin calls out. Jay and Maxine walk out of the shop towards Kevin, who was searching the car, "I searched the interior. It's clean enough. Pop this trunk. It gets real" he then pops the trunk, "blood stains under the mat"
"It's Woodhull" Jay says.
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The team rush into an abandoned warehouse, their guns drawn to stop whatever Damien Boyd and the victims father were doing to Woodhull.
"Chicago Police!" Dawson yells, as they enter the room.
"Hands in the air!" Jay shouts as Max goes to push the victims father up against the wall.
Hank grabs the bloody bat from Boyd and says, "give me that. What's the matter with you?"
Adam kneels down to feel Woodhulls pulse and says, "we're gonna need an ambulance"
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Maxine stands in front of her partners desk, looking at a file while Jay hangs up the phone as Atwater, Dawson and Voight walk onto the unit.
"Lab results got back. The blood in Woodhulls trunk is a match for Jeremy Dolan" jay says.
"Blood is how old?" Antonio asks, as Max hands him the file.
"It's two days old. He was transported in that car"
"But the cars been in the shop for six days" Kevin states.
"Huh. Well, who has access to the vehicle?" Hank questions. Maxine scoffs, "is the mechanic"
"We're still missing the big picture here. We need to know why"
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Jay and Maxine get out of the car and walk into the shop to see someone working on a car. "Hey, we're looking for Kurt Hollister" Jay says.
"He went out. Couple hours ago"
"He say where?" Max asks, looking around.
"No"
"We're checking the office. Got a key?"
The man shrugs, "nope"
Jay kicks in the door and the two walk in to search the room then they walk out the back door to see a shed with a lock on it. As Jay was about to kick in the door, Maxine stops him, "I got it this time" then she kicks in the door and jay playfully rolls his eyes.
They walk in to see a freezer with a lock on it. "We got to get in there" Jay states.
Maxine finds a hammer on the ground and grabs it to smash in the lock. They lift up up the lid to see a body inside.
"Who do you think this is?"
Maxine shrugs, "your guess is as good as mine"
Jay gets on the phone then says, "it's Hollister. He's on the run"
"And he's got a second kid with him"
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"Our main suspect is Kurt Hollister. Last known location was his mechanic shop, four hours ago" Dawson explains back on the unit, as he stands in front of the whiteboard, "we got tac guys sitting on his residence and an amber alert out on the vehicle and the kid"
"The body in the freezer" Mouse says, showing the team a picture, then handing it to Dawson to tape on the board, "Belonged to Ray Malone. He was 38 years old. Died a block from where he was born"
"Malone was a knock around guy, misdemeanor priors. Somehow he's the nexus" Adam says, taping his picture onto the board, "he went to high school with the father of the victim and the father of the missing kid"
"So, what's the motive?" Al asks, "why brutally murder a kid, take off with a second and leave an unrelated male body behind?"
"He's out there and he's holding a seven year old boy. He's not some mastermind. We should have him in custody" Dawson says.
"We were right there, we talked to him" Jay says looking at his partner, with anger laced in his voice and max nods her head.
"We all missed it" Antonio says, "lets connect the dots. Who was Ray Malone to this guy? How does he end up in his freezer"
~~~
"All call message went out on Hollister 30 minutes ago" Voight says, leaving his office as jay and Maxine get up from their desks, "I want to be apprised of any sightings."
"Sarg" Adam says, leaning back in his chair with the phone to his ear, "Boyd's son Connor, most likely snatched on his way home from school. Got a team canvassing the route home right now. We've just got nothing useable so far"
"And I flagged a plate on his car, troopers are shutting down the ramps" Mouse says, sitting at his new desk, which was Nadia's. Kevin walks onto the unit and says, "we got to move. Just got a hit on the plate. Patrols already down there. We got to go"
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The intelligence team race to the scene at the Marina where Hollister had taken Damien Boyd's son. As they get out of their cars they hear gunshots and they run right towards the action as the civilians are running away from it.
"Hollister! Hollister! Stop!" Voight yells as Hollister picks up the young boy and points a gun at him, "take it easy! Everybody, fall back. I said, fall back!" And with obvious hesitation they step back, but still with their weapons drawn.
"Let's clear the park out. He's looking to die today" Erin comments.
"Let me talk to him" Dawson says.
"SORT and the negotiator are two minutes out. It's safer that way"
"No, no, no. I can talk sense into him. I'll bring that boy back"
"Go ahead" Voight says. As Maxine takes out her radio, Dawson starts to walk forward, "Kirby 5021 emergency. This is detective Maxine Bishop with intelligence. I need that chopper out of the sky now"
"I'm detective Dawson. Why don't you drop that weapon me Hollister and let's talk"
"You ain't the man I need to talk to" Hollister states.
"I know. You want to talk to Damien Boyd. But I can't allow that"
"You know what he did"
"I know what you think he did. But you're making a mistake. He wasn't there. You got an innocent man's child in your hands"
Hollister shakes his head, "no, no. Either he's lying or you are"
"It's the truth. And look, I got two dozen officers here that would love to take you out. Let's not give them a reason"
"They let him die! Left him under a house like he wasn't a person. He bled out all night" Hollister cries out, "a little kid. They took away the only beautiful thing I ever had in my life"
"I know" Antonio says, holstering his gun, "nothing you do is gonna bring your boy back but you can end this story today. Or you could use that gun in your hand and drag another family into tragedy. It's up to you" and Hollister slowly sets the boy onto the ground, "Connor. He's gonna let you go. Can you run to me?"
"You can't let him win"
"There aren't any winners here. It's over. He doesn't deserve this. Toss the piece. Come on, Kurt. Let him go"
Hollister let's the boy go, who runs over to Antontio. Dawson then turns them around as Hollister lifts his gun up to shoot.
"Antonio!" Maxine shouts. Jay then shoots his sniper rifle, killing Hollister.
Maxine runs over to Antonio and the boy while Adam and Kevin run over to Hollister.
"You two okay?"
Antonio nods his head, "yeah"
Erin takes out her radio and says, "Lincoln 5021. Shots fired by the police. Offender down. Tender age child in custody. Notify the coroner."
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"So, Maxines back?" Will asks, taking a sip of his beer, sitting across from his baby brother at Mollys.
"Yup. It's a good thing. Just don't know where it leaves things with us" Jay said as Charlotte walks over to her big brothers. "Hello boys"
"Hey Charlie, you want a beer?"
"Yeah, thanks" Charlotte says, as Jay waves the bartender over.
"Hey Charlie" Will says. Charlotte rolls her eyes, "Will"
"Guys, enough. You two need to finally talk things out" Jay says, getting up from his seat and walks away.
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Maverick walks into his apartment to see his girlfriend setting plates on the table and putting the food from the takeout containers on them.
"Maxine?" He said, taking his coat off and setting it on the back of the couch. Maxine turns around and smiles, "Hi pretty boy" then she walks over to her boyfriend and brings him into a long deserving kiss.
Maverick cups her cheeks and smiles, "hi pretty girl. You bought dinner?"
"Yup" she smiled brightly, "I even got extra fortune cookies"
Maverick peppers kisses all over her face, making her laugh, "god, you're perfect"