Chapter Five

The front of the 21st District headquarters looked the same as it had the last time she'd walked down those pale concrete steps five years before. Uniforms moved in and out in pairs or by themselves, no one paying her much attention. But she watched them. She took in every officer, every police dog, everyone in and out as if maybe they would become someone she recognized.

The tray of smoothies in a bag at her right hand weighed down the longer she watched and waited. She'd decided to be responsible and use the sling for her left. Maybe it would earn her some good will. Could help with reinstatement to full duty.

Imogen took a deep breath of fresh air. She had to go inside. The uniformed cops moving in and around the front entrance began to pay more attention to her loitering. So she put one foot in front of the other and ascended the steps.

District 21 kept as busy as ever. A handful of officers stood at the top left of the stairs, two women and a man, all with coffee cups in hand. They only spared her a glance as Imogen walked up the stairs. Her heart raced. Imogen knew she was the ghost here, but her memories of a place that had long since moved on from her haunted her every step.

Imogen paused a couple of feet from the top of the inside stairs. Every bruise and battered inch of her body hurt, from exertion or from her stress she didn't know. Everything here was so familiar and yet alien.

"When Hank said you were coming in today, I laughed in his face."

Sergeant Trudy Platt still stood behind the desk, as commanding as ever with her grey hair, stern expression, and pristine uniform. At her voice, Imogen felt transported back half a decade to the end of her days detailed to Organized Crime.

"Good to see you, Sergeant," Imogen said. She forced a smile, willing herself to hide the stress, and moved towards the desk. "I come bearing gifts. One Sunrise Sunset smoothie, as requested."

Platt pulled the smoothie towards herself across the desk, still inspecting every inch of her as Imogen stood below. "Me and you, we're going to have a long talk later."

Imogen gave a small laugh. "I would expect nothing less. But right now I have seven more smoothies to deliver up in Intelligence."

"You're all set to let yourself upstairs. I got you back in the system."

"Thanks, Sergeant."

With a last little smile, Imogen turned away from the front desk, acutely aware of Platt's gaze on her back as she walked up and over to the scanner at the chain-link gate up to Intelligence. Imogen shifted the bag's plastic handles onto her right forearm to free up her palm. She took a deep breath.

The cool metal on her somewhat sweaty palm didn't help her nerves. Even as the door buzzed and unlocked, Imogen tried to focus on her surroundings and not the fear climbing up her body. She went over everything on her person.

Flowing teal blouse, polyester and satin material that tightened back up around each wrist. Dark grey jeans. Black combat boots that slightly pinched her left ankle. Ceramic dagger. Concealed Glock 19 at her hip. The annoying navy blue tight mesh sling for her left arm.

Laughter carried down to her as she started to turn the corner on the steps. Jay was there. She could make out his laugh a mile away. The others sounded male. Imogen put one foot in front of the other until at last she stood at the top of the stairs.

Gathered around a desk on the left hand side were Jay, Adam Ruzek, and another man she'd yet to meet, tall and broad shouldered with dark skin and black hair neatly cut. Ruzek sat in the main desk chair. Apparently pulled over from one of the other nearby desks, Jay also swiveled comfortably in a chair as he and the other officer watched whatever video Ruzek had up on the screen.

Imogen didn't see anyone else. The other desks sat empty, as did the two offices at the far end of the room, at least as far as she could tell. Intelligence had a comfortable aesthetic. Wood and windows, with an empty white board beyond the desks near the office doors that she guessed they used for briefings. There were also numerous shelves with police paraphernalia around the room. She liked it.

They hadn't noticed her yet. Imogen leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs and watched them. She enjoyed seeing Jay look so at ease. She held too many memories where one or both of them had spent hours in each other's company while in pain both physically and emotionally. Jay led with his heart. Sometimes that hurt him. She'd been the same until she'd had to shut out her heart undercover.

"I believe you ordered some smoothies?" she said.

The guys looked over instantly. Jay's grin widened. He stood up and joined her, taking the bag with the smoothie tray.

Ruzek leaned back in his chair. "Well, well, if it isn't the prodigal detective. Bearing gifts too."

"Kevin Atwater, Detective Imogen Adler," Jay said. He ignored Ruzek, merely shaking his head at the man's comment, and began placing smoothies on desks. Jay turned to her. "Of those two, Kev's the one to listen to. Ruzek's Canary through and through."

"Uh oh." Imogen's smile widened as she moved over and shook Atwater's hand. "Good to meet you."

"My pleasure, ma'am. Jay's been talking you up all morning."

"Has he?" she said.

Jay scoffed. After taking a long drink of his smoothie he just waved her off. "Listen, you really gonna deny that we were the best damn team up in Organized Crime? Cause you'd be lying."

"Wait, so did you two really grow up in Canaryville together?" Ruzek said.

Imogen turned away from Jay after flashing him a pointed smirk. She should've pegged Ruzek as a Canaryville native. He had the bravado to be one. "We did. I lived a couple doors down."

"Yeah, she used to spend Saturday mornings watching me and Will fighting over street hockey."

"I knew you were a good one," said Ruzek.

Imogen let out a small laugh. Reaching up to the chain around her neck, she ran her thumb and finger over the small sterling silver celtic cross pendant. A good one. Good at her job, maybe. Her smile faltered. Not a good person though. Not according to all the men and women she'd befriended through lies and deceit.

"Got any good stories about Jay we can use as leverage?" Atwater said.

"Hey, don't answer that."

Imogen leaned against a desk, sipping at her smoothie. As the mango and pineapple chilled her mouth, she thought about it. Good stories. "There was that one time he speared Will with a hockey stick and blamed it on me."

As Jay just groaned and hid his face behind his drink, Ruzek and Atwater cracked up. She glanced over at her friend. The fake fury on his face just made her smile.

"Listen, I'd have gotten away with it if Will hadn't been crushing on you for a year. He didn't think you could do wrong!"

"Ah, Jay, you can take the boy outta Canaryville but not the Canaryville out of the boy," Ruzek said, laughing. He got up and patted him on the arm on his way towards the trash can.

Jay rounded back on her. "And to think I'm letting you use my apartment. This is how you treat me? I'm offended!"

Imogen burst out laughing, and it didn't take long for Atwater and Ruzek to join her. For the first time in as long as she could remember, Imogen felt like she belonged. Her cheeks stung from grinning so much.

A woman's voice interrupted them from the stairs. "There's too much fun going on in here. Aren't you boys supposed to be working?" She stepped up into the room and smiled. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.

"Detective Hailey Upton, Detective Imogen Adler," Jay quickly said.

"Hi," Imogen said. She shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Upton nodded. "Same to you. You're Jay's old partner?"

"That's me."

"So, when are you coming to work up here?" said Upton. "I assume that's the plan? Someone needs to help keep him in line."

"Hey!"

Imogen sighed. She shook her head, gesturing with her sling. "If it was just a matter of this GSW healing, I could get back to work soon. But apparently Dr. Charles at Med has reservations about signing off on my return to duty after so long undercover. And I don't know if I'll be detailed to Intelligence."

"I talked to Voight this morning," Jay said. "Job's yours, if you want it."

"Really?"

"Can't Will pull some strings at Med? Get you cleared faster?" Ruzek asked.

Imogen glanced at Jay. He didn't seem any happier at the reminder of what had gone down than she felt. But as the room quieted, she cleared her throat and glanced at the floor for a moment. "That's not an option at this time."

"Why? What's up?" Ruzek said.

Again, she glanced at Jay. He shrugged, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the front of his desk. So she turned back to the others. "The circumstances of how I was placed undercover were... unfortunate."

The room stayed silent. Imogen felt her chest tighten as they each glanced amongst themselves and then at Jay. She could see his jaw clenching, but he returned her stare. With a flick of her wrist, she told him he could elaborate.

"They faked her death." His voice had an edge as he almost snapped out the explanation. When Atwater asked who, he just shook his head. "CPD and the FBI."

"No one knew, outside of the CPD brass that detailed me to the feds. My reappearance after five years... shocked a lot of people," Imogen said.

A gravely, deep voice interrupted her thoughts and the surprised murmurings of the others. "What's done is done."

"Sergeant Voight," Imogen said.

He nodded back at her, moving with purpose up the last few steps. "Adler, my office."

The room fell mostly silent at the firm directive and Voight's striding through the office to his own private room in the back. Imogen just glanced sideways at Jay. But he just raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"Open or closed, sir?" Imogen said. She moved into his office moments later behind him.

"Close it."

She did as asked. Sergeant Voight invited her to sit down as he did the same behind the desk. With a tight smile, she settled into the surprisingly comfortable chair.

"Jay speaks very highly of you, Detective," Voight said. Leaning back a bit, he didn't even try to hide the fact that he was studying every inch of her presentation. "So do Antonio and half a dozen of my superiors."

Imogen didn't let herself appear anxious in that desk chair. Though thoughts of every trip to the Principal's office or teacher conference filled her mind, sending that cold shiver down her spine from grade school days, she maintained eye contact and sat comfortably. There was nothing to worry about.

"Thank you, sir."

Voight nodded. He let silence drag on for a few moments before continuing. "Knowing what I know, which is probably more than I should, I am prepared to offer you a spot on Intelligence. Your skills aren't in question. Whether you can operate as part of a team after so many years solo, however."

She'd expected that. Any leader worth his salt should be asking that question. So she just nodded. Let him go on.

"You've already made an impression on my team." Voight gestured over her shoulder back into the main office. "No doubt in my mind you'll pair well with Jay. But I want you riding with Ruzek."

A tiny knot formed in her stomach from disappointment. But she just swallowed her pride and her longing for the old days. Imogen flashed him a tight smile. "Whatever you need."

"In the meantime," Voight said, "I pulled some strings. You can start up here on Monday as a civilian employee. Monitor calls and type up reports until you're cleared to return to police work."

Imogen couldn't stop herself from grinning. She stood from the desk, reaching across to shake his hand. His strong grip didn't surprise her. She matched it best she could as he stood up as well.

"I appreciate that, Sergeant. I'll have a typed up debrief for you on your desk at the start of my first shift."

"Sounds good."

Imogen flashed Jay a smile as she walked back out into the main office. Ruzek, Atwater, and Upton had disappeared somewhere. Relief flooded her senses. Too many people all at once had started to make her hand shake before Voight had called her away. Before she could say anything though, he checked his buzzing phone and then shot up from his desk.

"Hey, Sarge. Antonio and Burgess picked something up at the Back of the Yards." He grabbed his coat from his desk chair. "We gotta go."

Voight nodded. He pulled his leather jacket on even as he moved past her towards the stairs. "Adler, make sure to get the paperwork signed. Platt's got it down stairs."

"Yes sir."

Jay patted her gently on the back as he ran past. "I'll see you later."

"Yep!"

Rooted to the spot in the middle of the now empty Intelligence office, Imogen took a deep breath. What a whirlwind. Too much of a whirlwind. Abdominal pain started creeping in as the silence replaced the chaos. Empty chairs and empty desks brought back too much trauma.

Imogen hurried down the stairs. The 21st District's lobby stood as busy as ever. A pair of patrolmen grabbed keys from Platt. To their right, six other patrolmen stood in a circle like a clique on a school playground. More people, more noise, less time to think.

"Sergeant Voight said you had my temporary assignment paperwork?" Imogen said to Platt. She pulled one of the pens out of a police mug on the counter. "I have to go, but I can sign."

Platt didn't look particularly happy but didn't protest at how fast Imogen wanted to leave. Imogen just hoped her mounting anxiety didn't appear too obvious. She just wanted to be done. She just wanted to nap or take an ice cold shower. Anything to offer some distraction. With a quick apology to Platt, three signatures, and two initials, Imogen soon found herself hailing an Uber home.

Home. Funny how Jay's apartment so quickly had earned that moniker. Must've been the 72 inch flat screen TV.