Trials, Tribulations and Triangles 2. - Chicago PD/Fire

Mickey Mouse

Tuesday February 5th - Morning

Lexi was out of the car before Jay had pulled to a complete stop behind Hank's pick-up truck. The area around Kelly's car had been taped off by the police on scene, allowing truck 81 to douse the flames. The blue flashing lights were illuminating the neighbourhood and had drawn a crowd from their houses. The Squad 3 truck was parked on the other side of the road.

The car was still smoking as Lexi and Jay passed under the crime scene tape and walked to Al and Hank who were talking to Chief Boden by truck 81.

"What do we know?" Lexi asked as Hank shook the Chief's hand before he walked away.

"It was called in about half hour ago," Al explained "Officer Williams was first on scene and of course nobody saw anything" he pointed around at all the house that looked directly on to the street.

Someone had seen something they just didn't want to talk about it. Burgess and Ruzek were talking to Kelly by Squad 3. Atwater and Antonio talking to an elderly woman on her stoop, Lexi assumed she had been the one to report the burning car.

"I bet they saw something" Lexi nodded toward a group of approximately twelve men and boys stood on the steps of a house about thirty feet from the end of the crime scene tape. A mix of white and black men, young and old, it was clearly their regular hang out.

"I bet they did" Hank agreed beginning to walk toward them.

Lexi grabbed his arm stopping him. "Sarge, let me, I'll appeal to their softer side"

Hank eyed her for a second as she put on her sincerest smile. "Jay go with her"

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Lexi and Jay approached the gang to sniggers and oinks, clearly they were fans of the police. Lexi noticed a younger boy, probably about fifteen years old, sat in the middle of the steps, the adults making a point to conceal him without trying to make it obvious that's what they were doing.

"Here comes trouble" a brutish looking bald white guy announced as Jay and Lexi stepped on to the sidewalk in front of them.

"No trouble" Lexi told them once the group had quieted down. "I'm not even going to flash my badge"

"You can flash me anytime baby" the same guy propositioned, Lexi figured he was the leader. He was fashioning himself on Vin Diesel, bald, a tight white t-shirt to show off the pronounced muscles in his arms. Lexi knew his kind.

"What I will flash you is this" Lexi told him pulling down the collar of her coat to reveal the bruising around her neck. She slowly moved her head from side to side making sure each of them got a good look at it.

The laughs, sniggers and humour disappeared instantly. They may have been gang-bangers or thugs but they didn't agree with hurting women.

"The same guy who stole that car," Lexi pointed to Kelly's smouldering car. "Gave me my new neck accessory after he raped, beat and permanently disfigured a sixteen-year-old girl." Lexi paused allowing the information to sink in.

"I know you good fellas have all got sisters, mothers, girlfriends and I know you know something, or at least he does" Jay continued pointing through their legs to the young boy sat on the steps.

Lexi and Jay had worked this angle before, they wanted to appeal to their human side. They knew the type of people they were talking to would want revenge if it had happened to one of their relatives. Lexi started again staring directly at the leader. "I don't give a shit if he stole the car from someone else cause I know he stole it after the fact, and I really don't give a rats-ass about the dope you've all no doubt got in your pockets. What I do care about is catching this guy and giving him some new wrist accessories"