Detective Ln; An Adam Ruzek Love Story

I Remember Her Now

Yn's POV

"Multiple contusions, fractures, damage to the skull. The M.E. says some of this might've come from the fall, but not most" I say as the team gathered around an elevator shaft where a girl's body was laying. "She isn't bleeding. She's leaking. We got dual lividity" Al said. "I think she was beaten and died face down. She was probably dumped here after. There's asphalt, dirt in her wounds. No ID yet, doesn't match any missing persons" Jay said. "Clothes are clean. Hair's washed. Doubt she's homeless" Al said. 

"Well, someone should be looking for her" Voight said. "K-9 unit and patrol did a top to bottom search. There's no one here but her" Kenny said. "She can't be more than-" "Fifteen" Kim said and cut Voight off. She then handed him an ID. "It was outside in the dumpster. ID looked like a match. Sam Wells. I ran it through the system. She's a resident at Brady" Kim said. "Currently" Jay asked. "Yeah, and hasn't been reported missing." "Am I the only one who doesn't know what Brady is" Kenny asked. "It's in 21. A home for troubled girls. Wards of the state. It's the kind of place you don't forget responding to" I say. "Yeah, and they're supposed to keep their doors locked 24/7" Jay said.

Back at the district, Voight had Jay take an assignment and pretend to be a new helper at Brady. And later that day, he came back to give us a report. "The way this girl Ellie approached me, this is standard practice. I think they're trading in sexual favors" Jay said. "Trading for what" Kevin asked. "Could be stat drugs" Al said. "Yeah, Sam's tox showed she had benzodiazepine in her system. It's the kind of thing you would find inside of Brady" Kim said. "These girls could also be trading for access out. I mean, we know that Sam was signed in at 7:00 A.M., so somebody is covering for her" Erin said. "All right, let's build a larger profile of every employee. Do financials, online footprints. Okay, where we at with Sam" Voight asked. "I mean, there is this, Sarge. Sam's been picked up three times by patrol at the North Shore station in Grant Park" I say. "Okay, well, Erin and Kevin, check it out" Voight said.

About a day later, Jay contacted us while at Brady. He said that Sam died at Brady, and he had proof. So Voight got the team plus dozens of other cops to go down to Brady to check it out. We then brought Ellie to the station so that she could tell us what she knew. She told us that Tonya killed Sam. Kenny and I then went back to Brady to arrest Tonya.

"Tonya Whitley" Kenny asked. "Yeah" she said. "I'm gonna need you to stand up, turn around, put your hands behind your back." "What? Why" she asked. "Listen up" I say. "I'm not in the mood to deal with your teenage shit. Get up and turn around." "Geez. What was shoved up your ass" Tonya asked. "Alright, that's it" I say and lunge for her. Kenny managed to grab me before I could reach her and shoved me behind her. He then handcuffed Tonya and we headed back to the station.

"Crime lab's been sweeping the entire facility. Olinsky and Burgess just tested with luminol. They found trace evidence of Sam's blood in Ellie's belongings" Kenny said. "So what? That could be planted" Jay said. "There's also footage. Ellie goes into Tonya's room at 7:00 P.M. Doesn't come out until midnight, so she was in there for the time of death" Erin said. Jay then stood up and went back to talk to Ellie.

'I don't know, okay? I'm out. I believed her, and now... Let's get one thing clear: Nothing happened between me and that girl. Are we in agreement on that" Jay asked. "No one here is accusing you" Al said. "It also doesn't sound like anybody's defending me." "That's not true" Erin said. "Stop. It's a pair of 17-year-old girls. They're not gonna play our investigation. One of them is lying. We find out who. It's that simple" Voight said. "Ellie's not on any camera in a four block radius. If she left, there is no proof" I say. 

"What about the scene" Voight asked. "Well, the scene's gonna have DNA from all 3 girls. They lived together. They shared clothes" Kenny said. "What about trace evidence" Erin asked. "We have the car that Sam was driven in. Thing's soaked with blood, but all the girls from Brady have been in that car" Kim said. "It's not just a murder. This was a ring" Al said. "Well, then where's the cash, the phone" Voight asked. "We scoured every dorm room, nothing" Erin said. "I've got an idea. Erin, come with me" Jay said. They both stood up and left the office.

When Jay and Erin came back, they had evidence that Tonya was lying and went to talk to her. Tonya then confessed and the case was closed. "Hey" Kenny said as I was packing up my stuff. "I was going to head out to Molly's. Want to come? You look like you can use it." "Sure" I say. "That sounds great. I could really use a bottle of beer right now."