Tolerance Book I (Chicago PD/Med FF) by Frances51163

Chapter Fifty: New Evidence

Silence greeted the Sergeants' statement as everyone considered the possibilities.

"Doesn't make sense," Will disagreed finally, "even if he got someone with him now how would Jay know?"
"Your old man stay in touch with anyone from the old neighbourhood? From when you and Jay were kids?" Antonio looked across at the other man.
"I don't think so. He never had a lot of friends."
"You told us your fathers' friend, James Mancini, hired him in his store. Is he an old friend?"
"Guess so. But he didn't live in our neighbourhood."
"Adam how about you go have a talk to Jay," Hank instructed decisively.
"He needs his rest," Conor put in.
"I know but he also needs this resolved," Hank pointed out as he watched his Detective leave, "Will did Mancini call to the house a lot?"
"It was so long ago it's hard to remember. Actually I seem to remember him there mostly when I got back from my trips with my friends' family."
"He married? Have kids?" Al asked but looked at Hank.
"No," Will looked at both men, "what am I missing?"
"Not sure yet," Al answered, "but maybe your father wasn't the only one who hurt Jay."
"What?!"
"Look Doc at the moment it's just a theory," Antonio explained as he stood up with Kevin, "we'll do a more thorough background check in the morning."
"I can start on it now," Mouse had retrieved his laptop from the table as the others were talking.
"Where are ye going?" Will watched Antonio and Kevin head for the door.
"No harm in taking a walk outside even if this place is like Fort Knox," Antonio explained.
"Feel like getting some night air ourselves," Lance decided as the three ex-Rangers stood as one.

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Upstairs Adam had not been surprised to find his friend still dressed sitting on the side of his bed in the dark room only lit by shafts of moonlight shining through the nearly closed shutter slats.

"I don't know who my father is working with," Jay offered resignedly before he could be asked as the other man sat down beside him facing the window.
"Okay."
"That all you going to say?"
"Yeah."
"You came all the way up here to say nothing?" Jay voiced his disbelief through a cough.
"Nope. I came up here in case you needed company."
"Voight send you?"
"Yeah he did," Adam turned to look at his friend properly for the first time, "but I was coming up anyway so I figured I'd let him think he's the boss."
"Wise decision," Jay smiled briefly as he appreciated the honesty, "I don't think he's working with anyone. Just not the way he would work."
"So how do you explain Burton et al?"
"I don't know. The way he's been acting since the attack has been totally unpredictable."
"Tell me what you know about James Mancini and your father?" Adam looked at his friend for any reaction but there was none.
"Mancini?"
"Yeah."
"He's the guy he works for."
"They old friends?"
"Yeah."
"Your old man ever do any stuff with him?"
"Yeah," Jay was nonplussed, "why?"
"What kind of stuff did they do?" Adam kept his features neutral.
"He, Mancini, used have an old car they worked on together. Why the sudden interest in him?"
"Jay," Adam hesitated but knew what he had to do, "did Mancini ever hurt you?"
"No man! Where did that come from?"
"We're figuring someone filmed the attack at Med and .....,"
"I know that," the pale man observed cutting in impatiently, "why do ye think it could be Mancini?"
"Well he knows your father from when ye were young and it must be someone he trusts."
"And he doesn't have a lot of other friends," Jay agreed with the reasoning, "but he didn't strike me as the violent type."
"Maybe he prefers to watch," Adam spoke randomly but his friend tensed next to him, "what?"
"He always had videotapes at his house. Figured he was a hoarder there were so many."
"I'd say that doesn't mean anything," Adam rose as he spoke and turned on the bedside lamp so he could see the ill man clearly, "but from your reaction there's something else."
"I ....... I remember one time .. my father .... you know ......," Jay didn't want to say the words, "when I came around I saw him walking away ...... he had a ...... a videotape in his hand."
"Oh damn!" Adam cursed knowing things had just become much harder for his friend.
"You tell Voight and the others. I'll talk tomorrow," Jay got up wearily and shrugged off his jumper after nodding to the door.
"I can stay awhile," Adam offered gently.
"No. Just want to be by myself."
"Okay," Adam headed over to the door as the other man followed and locked it behind him.

Downstairs the others had just returned from their impromptu patrol and were now drinking various hot beverages to restore warmth to their winter chilled bodies.

"He okay?" Will asked.
"He needs some time alone."
"What did he say about Mancini?" Mouse looked up from his monitor.
"The guy never hurt him but when we were talking he remembered something," the Detective rubbed a hand down his face knowing what he had to say would not be easy to hear, "he remembers ....... coming around after a beating and seeing his father walking away with a videotape."
"He's sure Mancini never got physical with him?" Hank wanted verification.
"Yeah."
"I'm going to check on him," Will stated.
"No Doc," Adam insisted quickly, "he really needs to be alone. This has shaken him. Think he had it buried so deep it shocked him."
"Hell," Conor cursed as he placed a restraining hand on the redheads' shoulder, "this time we have to respect his wishes. All of us agreed when he came back to us that he's in charge."
"I know .... it's just ...," Will struggled to find the right words.
"Hard," Hank voiced his opinion as he looked around the room, "in the morning we get a Warrant and hit Mancinis' place."
"With Jay," Adam put in for clarification.
"With Jay," Hank nodded unhappily knowing he had to keep the younger man in the loop.

The following morning the raid went down without any resistance. James Mancinis' house on a quiet suburban tree lined street was easy to access when no one came to the door. Jay had led the way in and therefore was the first to notice the smell emanating from the kitchen. The decomposing body on the kitchen chair didn't interest him once he identified Mancini. His eyes roved the area and his stomach churned as he saw the television/video combo on a countertop. Adam stood at the entrance to the kitchen watching his friend. Hearing the others giving shouts of all clear and approaching from behind he put a hand up with a closed fist to indicate they shouldn't enter. Jay moved slowly over to the counter and without checking if there was a tape in the machine he pressed the play button. The screen flickered for a few moments but eventually the picture became clear. A young boy was being struck with a stick. A gasp from behind startled him and he turned to face Adam and the others after taking out the tape.

"You should leave that ....," Adam began.
"None of ye are seeing that!"
"Jay," Hank moved forward and motioned for Adam to move back, "we're in this with you. You know we need to see the tape."
"No way!" Jay glared at his Superior, he didn't think he could take the humiliation.
"We know you have nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about Kid," Hank held out his hand hoping the younger man would trust him, trust the team, "and deep down you know it too."
"I .... can't ...," Jay shook his head looking at the grime laden floor underfoot rather than at his friends.
"Don't believe you."
"Okay," Jay finally looked up after a long silence and handed over the tape, "but only the Unit, and Tom in Forensics see it."
"If that's what you want Kid," the Sergeant agreed easily as he placed the tape in the evidence bag Antonio passed to him and then handed it to Adam, "you and Jay take this to Tom."
"Sure boss," Adam couldn't hide his relief at getting his friend away from their grim surroundings.

tbc