Nowhere to Hide

Uncovering the Truth

Rachel discovers the squad room is back to its typical chaotic mess when she steps through the door. Some officers hustle to and fro. Others listen to the suspects tell their version of the story. A few rookies escort their suspect to a cell. She scans the normal commotion and sighs. I knew our solace wouldn't last long.

"I swear that's what happened, officer," a pimple-faced lad declares as she walks past.

Rachel notices the expression on the rookie's face. She chuckles to herself. When you think you've heard it all, someone comes up with something new. Trudging to her desk, she collapses in her chair.

Jerry glances up from his report. "No theatrics this time?" He snickers, recalling her last bout of rage.

"My last temper fit wore me out." She falls across her desk."I'd give just about anything for a good night's sleep."

"The wonderful joys of parenthood." Jerry chuckles, recalling the struggles he and his wife went through when his daughter was little. She was colicky the first three months of her life.

"It's one joy I could do without."

"You think this is good, just wait until he starts getting into everything." Jerry laughs.

"I've already been warned about the terrible twos."

" I hate to burst your bubble, Sergeant, but the trouble begins the minute they're able to crawl."

"Oh, great."

Jerry chuckles. "Did you find out anything?"

"The lady at the community center talked about Abby like she's a saint. She said she's a big help but doesn't know a lot about her. Claims Abby keeps her personal life to herself. Her neighbors said the same thing. Abby did tell them she was adopted, but it could be apart of her charade."

"She was telling the truth." He picks up a piece of paper and then continues. "According to her records, Elizabeth Wiser, Aka Abby Miller, was left at a firehouse just hours old. She bounces around several group homes, ran away at sixteen. She was married soon after and became a widow a year later."

"She was a widow at seventeen?"

"Her husband was found stabbed to death in their home. She disappeared the same day. The police claim someone last saw her boarding a bus headed north. She settled in Chicago soon after.

Rachel springs up in her seat. "They don't believe she killed him, do they?"

"She was at work at the time but left the state soon after she was notified, which raised a few red flags. Chicago PD tried to bring her in for questioning, but she fled before they could."

"She'd disappear?"

" According to the cops, their cat and mouse game went on for the greater part of a year. They were hoping to question Abby when she was arrested for drugs but didn't get the chance then either."

"I can see why they'd be suspicious, leaving town and then evading the cops." Tapping her finger on her chin, she says, "Maybe she fled because she thought whoever killed him was coming after her next."

"Or she set up the murder."

"He could've been violent, and she thought getting rid of him was the only way she could escape," Rachel remembers her mother's story of how she had to fake her death, so Carlos and his gang would leave them alone. She then recalls the bittersweet reunion between her and her biological mother. There's a lot of childhood trauma that Rachel has yet to forgive her for. Some she doubts she ever can. Jeanie allowed volatile men to sleep with her and her cousin Emma in exchange for drugs. She's in deep thought when the captain steps up beside her.

"I have the file you requested, sergeant." Joe hands her two sheets of paper.

She quickly scans the pages. "This is all Chicago PD has on the case?"

"According to the captain, there was no reason to continue."

"They just automatically assumed the drugs were hers."

"The rent and utilities were in her name."

Rachel points to the statement that Elizabeth gave. "A house she shared with her boyfriend for nearly two years."

Joe points to the next page. "He claims they broke up weeks prior. Said her excessive drug use was more than he could handle."

Something a druggie might claim "So, they take his word over hers?"

"She fled before they had a chance to interview her."

"They could've talked to their friends, coworkers, to find out who's telling the truth." She tosses the paper on the desk. It flutters to the trash. That's exactly where the report belongs, she thinks. "This is just lazy police work if you ask me."

And our little spitfire is back. Jerry chuckles. "I did a little research on the case." Grabbing a report, he continues. "Her boyfriend was arrested with ten kilos of cocaine a few weeks later. I asked the officers to run a comparison, and they discovered his and Elizabeth's drugs were both were cut and packaged the same."

Rachel scoops up the piece of paper and straightens it out. "That can't be a coincidence."

"That's what they thought too, said they'd look into it."

"I'm going to make sure they do." She grabs her phone off her desk.

Jerry shakes his head. "The Chicago PD has no idea what's coming their way." Rachel's berating has made hardened criminals cry.

Joe chuckles. "I almost feel sorry for them."

"Me too, boss, me too."

***

Antonio trudges into his sparsely furnished cabin. Tossing his keys on the coffee table, he collapses on the worn, chocolate-covered couch. After an endless search, he decides to look through Abby's phone, hoping he can get an idea of where she might go.

Antonio starts to click on her contacts when he discovers a life 360 icon at the bottom of the page. My nephew has the same app on his phone. Antonio tries to remember what he'd said the program was for. Of course, Abby owns a smartwatch being a fitness freak and all. Antonia then recalls the lad saying that his mom used its tracking device to locate him when he'd skipped school. I wonder if I can use it to find her.

Antonio anxiously shifts in his seat, waiting for the program to load. After what seems like forever, a map appears on the screen. A small red dot flashes in the far-right corner soon after. You're heading out of state, are you? He then recalls the cops casing her hangouts and how the cruisers were heavy all through the night. With everyone on your ass, I guess you didn't have much choice. He wearily shakes his head and says, "I could've saved myself a lot of grief if I'd checked here first." Scooping his keys off the table, he bolts out the door.