⋆° დ ༄ RISKY BUSINESS
chapter forty three. climbing into bed.

Maxine stirs around in her sheets when she hears her phone ringing. She turns the lamp on and sees Adam's contact and looks at the time on the alarm clock and she sighs, 315 am.

"A, I love you but what the hell?"

"Hey, I'm sorry. Look, you remember that CI Conway I was telling you about?"

"Vaguely"

"Jesse Conway. I uh, busted him on aiding and abetting? Told him I'd look the other way if he could bring in the bigger fish"

"Okay"

"He calls me tonight, he says this guy, Frank, who uh, might be planning a robbery, who's looking for a wheelman"

"That's you" she says, sitting up in bed, while Maverick turns on his other side.

"That's me. We're at an after hours bar on the corner of winchester and Chicago. I called Voight but uh, he didn't pick up"

"When's the robbery?"

"Uh, Frank has not got specific just yet"

"You call the on off book so the department knows you're working?"

"No, not yet. We're just having beers, so.."

"Well, do it soon, Adam. It's important , okay? And be safe and walk away if—"

"I gotta go. I gotta go"

Maxine looks at her phone for a second then sets it on her night side table. She then looks over at her boyfriend sleeping form and smiles.

🪩🪩🪩

Maxine is standing in front of the crime scene at a restaurant called, 'Sansone's' and a jewelry store next door, waiting for Voight with a cup of coffee gripped in her right hand.

A couple minutes later, Voight walks under the crime scene tape and Max turns towards her sergeant, "I'm letting you know up front, Ruzek contacted me before this whole thing went down"

"And you told him what?"

"That's where it gets fuzzy"

"Hey, what's up Bascom?" Voight says to the detective, making him and max stop walking, "Intelligence has got this now"

"Your boy had no back up, liquor on his breath and the UCV truck was signed out in his name and I hear he didn't call it in"

"We got this" Voight says, as Bascom walks away, "Ruzek wasn't on the on-off book?"

"No" Max says, as the two walk into the restaurant to see three dead bodies and Ruzek standing up from a chair.

"You okay?" Voight questions.

"Yeah. Boss, I had no idea something like this was gonna jump"

"Just don't talk to anymore cops. You understand?"

"I understand"

"Only me"

"Yes, sir"

"So, three bodies? Two offenders, on civilian" Voight says.

"Yeah, the only thing that makes any sense is there's a robbery going down. Frank was in on it somehow, ambushes this crew, takes the score for himself. Cause he knew the exact moment that they were gonna roll out here" Adam answers.

"So, who'd you drop?"

"Uh, offender" Adam says, pointing to the guy in all black, dead in the doorway, "Came in hauling ass from the back of the restaurant or alley, I don't know, but Frank stepped over him, hopped in a waiting car"

"This Frank took shots at you?" Voight asks. Adam nods his head and says, "Yes, sir"

"See, Frank brought in Ruzek to be the wheelman, but it looks like he just wanted a body and a vehicle with no relation to the rest of the crew" Maxine explains, "and cops spin their wheels for weeks wondering how he's connected"

"Hmm. What they'd take?" Hank asks Al, who is standing with Atwater, looking at a big hole through the wall that's right next to the jewelry store.

"Well, the crew was real careful breaking into the back door of this restaurant. Jimmied the lock, minimal force, no prints. Then they cut this hole in the wall and made their way into the jewelry store next door"

"And her?" Voight asks, pointing to the yellow tarp with a deceased woman underneath.

"Owner of the restaurant. One of 'em" Kevin states, "Husband's been notified. He's on his way up here now with the son"

"Yeah, I'm thinking something this well planned would've accounted for her"

"She comes in early on a whim, crew ties her up because they're not killers and Ruzek's Frank didn't subscribe to that line of thinking" Al says.

"Owner's of the jewelry store?" Voight asks.

"They're arriving now. Halstead and Lindsay are with 'em now" Anotnio says, then leaves followed by Hank, Al and Atwater, leaving Adam and Maxine alone.

Adam sighs, folding his arms over his chest and says, "I'm so screwed"

"Hey, stop saying that. We're gonna figure this out, okay? I got your back" Maxine says, pulling her best friend into a hug.

"Thanks Maxie"

"and don't forget to get your head checked out, please. You might have a concussion"

"Yes, ma'am"

Maxine rolls her eyes and says, "You want the rest of my coffee?"

"You never share your coffee or twizzlers" Adam asks.

"Adam, just take it. You need it more than me"

"Okay" Adam smiles, "Seriously, though. I don't know what I'd do without you"

"I'm sure you'd figure it out, but I mean, it's a good thing you don't have too" Maxine says, making the two laugh, as they head outside.

Meanwhile next door in the jewelry store, Erin and Jay talk with the owners.

"Do you know how much we paid for this security system? And they got everything" Mark Klosterman, the owner of the jewelry store says.

"How much is missing?" Erin questions.

"Over two million. Unbelievable. This is absolutely unbelievable"

"Door wasn't touched?" Jay asks.

"No. They cut a hole right through the wall, and then a hole right through the back of the safe"

Jay walks over to where the hole is by the safe and picks up an empty beer can by the bottom and says, "they must've used the beer to cool the blade"

Erin stands in front of the office door looking around and asks, "what about your alarm system?"

"Which one? We got everything. Cameras. Motion sensors. We got the whole store covered" Mark says.

"Except if they came through your office" Jay says.

"Yeah. Except for the office"

"You sure it's Kate next door?" Mark's wife, Donna, asks, "that's her who's dead?"

Erin nods her head and says, "I'm afraid so, ma'am"

Once Maxine and Adam head outside, Voight asks, "Hey. What's the name of this CI?"

"Uh, Conway. Jesse Conway"

"Where is he?"

Ruzek sighed and said, "I can't get him on the phone. I left like 15 messages. Mouse is trying to get a location off it"

"I'll find him" Al says before walking away.

"Looking to ID the DOA's in there. Once we do, we'll chase down records and any known associates" Antonio says.

"Again, I am so sorry, Maxie" Ruzek says. "Adam, it's okay. Let's just solve the case, that's what we need to worry about right now"

"Hey, are you the detectives?" A man asks, walking underneath the crime scene tape with another man and towards, Adam, Maxine, Antonio, Hank and Atwater.

"Hey, take it easy" Voight says.

"I want some answers!"

"Mr. Sansone, he's the owner of the restaurant and his son, Jordan" Atwater says.

"Why did they do this? Why did they kill my...my..." Mr. Sansone sniffles, "She didn't do anything to anyone, she was.."

"Mr. Sansone, we're gonna do everything we can to get those answers, but right now..." Voight says trying to calm down the grieving man, when his son, Jordan interrupts, saying, "the cops never do anything. Look at everyone standing around like this is just nothing"

"Right now, we need your help and officer Atwater, he'd like to ask you some questions whenever you're ready, alright?" Hank says, as Mr. Sansone nods his head and they follow after Atwater.

"I'm really sorry" Adam says, turning around and goes to lean on the truck and Max puts her hand on his shoulder to comfort him and says. "It's gonna okay, Adam"

🪩🪩🪩

Jay puts the coffee pot down on the burner back in the break room at the district when Maxine asks, "Hey, you got a couch guy?"

Jay looks at his partner confused and says, "I don't know what that means"

Maxine chuckles, walking over to Jay and says, "you have a guy for everything. A construction guy, a car guy. I need a couch guy"

"Huh"

"I uh, I'm moving and I just want a fresh start, you know. And I want to contribute to making my new place amazing instead of just my boyfriend. Please don't make me ask Atwater."

"You and your boyfriend are moving in together?"

Maxine looks down, "yeah"

"It's getting pretty serious then"

"Yeah. I love him, Jay"

"I'll see what I can do" he says, taking a sip of his coffee and before max could say thanks, he walks away.

~~~

"DOA's are Roxy Richards and Danny Spilatro" Antonio points to the two dead suspects pictures that are taped to the whiteboard, "Both have multiple runs at stateville for armed robbery, burglary and trafficking in stolen goods"

"The mystery man?" Voight questions. Atwater sits on the corner of his desk and says, "Zero so far, but now that we've identified Richards and Spilatro, we can start to flesh out the crew they ran with"

"What about the father and son that own the restaurant?"

"Records are pretty clean. I got a list of their employees. I can start running those"

"And uh, Ruzek's CI, Conway?"

"Uh, nothing yet" Al says, leaning back in his chair, "We subpoenaed his call logs before his phone went dead"

"And speaking of, the most common call made was to an Amanda Derkos. That is greek, right?" Mouse says, looking up and sees everyone staring at him, "Not that it makes any difference. The address is on the southside"

"Conway mentioned a girlfriend, so.." Adam says, leaning forward in his chair.

"Great. Jay and I will take it" Maxine says, getting up from her chair. Ruzek stands up as well and says, "I'll go with"

"Uh, no, you won't" Voight says, as Max grabs her jacket so she and Jay could head out, "I spoke with Commander Fischer. He wants you to type up an IPR. Full timeline of last nights events"

"Alright, and that's it right, boss?" Adam asks, already stressed out.

"He said that should cover it"

🪩🪩🪩

Jay knocks at the apartment of Amanda Derkos, when the door opens to find an older woman.

"Amanda Derkos?" Jay questions, raising an eyebrow.

"No, that's...what's this about?" The woman asks.

"Mom, who is it?"

Maxine and Jay look at each other and walk inside the apartment to see a girl with strawberry blonde hair and a suitcase in her hand.

"Moving day?" Jay asks.

"What do you want?" She asks.

"I think you know what we want"

"You're looking for Jesse Conway?" Amanda asks. Maxine folds her arms over her chest and says, "Yep"

"Well, I can tell you two things. Don't know where he is and I don't care"

"Amanda!" The woman says.

"Mom, please"

"He's wanted in a double homicide" Jay says.

"What?" Amanda's mom says in shock.

"Yeah, so a little less attitude and a little more information would be really appreciated before we get pissed off"

"Look, if I knew where he was, I would tell you, but I don't and that's the truth" Amanda says.

"See, I don't think it is. Turn around you're under arrest" Maxine says, turning Amanda's mother around and taking out her handcuffs.

"Wait, for what?" Amanda asks, all freaked out.

"Obstruction and impeding an ongoing investigation"

"No, you can't do that"

"She can" Jay says.

"Amanda, tell them. Tell 'em what they want for god's sakes! He's a loser" Amanda's mom states.

"Look, I'm really not messing around here" Max says, holding up her cuffs.

"Okay! Okay. I'm supposed to meet Jesse in a half hour. Laramie motel" Amanda says, then the two detectives leave to go pick up Conway.

🪩🪩🪩

Jay kicks in the door of Conways motel door and shouts, "on your feet, Conway! Get up!"

Conway gets up on his feet with his hands raised as Jay goes to pat him down, "you got me?"

"Mhmm" Maxine hums, holding her gun at the Curly headed man.

"Turn around" Jay says, going to cuff him. Max takes the man's duffel bag and they leave for the district.

🪩🪩🪩

Once Max and Jay get Conway from the motel, they head back to the district and put him in the cage. Adam comes walking down the stairs and Conway says, "Hey, hey. I didn't set you up!"

"Yeah? Then why'd you run, you son of a bitch" Adam says, trying to get the keys from Jay, who just locked the cage up.

"Yeah, cause me and the cops have always been so friendly. You're all gentleman" Conway says sarcastically, "and lady"

"Adam, don't!" Maxine shouts, as she and Voight push him away from Conway.

"Gimme the keys" Voight says, and Ruzek does as told.

"I know how you guys spin this, okay? I made the introduction, so I go down the same as Frank"

"Alright good. So we don't have to go over the specifics" Jay says.

"Look, Frank said he needed a truck for a job. You're the one that told me I was working my case off, man. Keep my eyes and ears open. You really think I knew he was gonna shoot people? Come on, man! You know me. I'm a lot of things, but I got no blood on my hands"

"Alright, now, just tell us what you know about Frank" Voight questions. Conway sighs and says, "Frank Hancock. We met in statesville. He was in my cell block"

"Cell phone number?"

"I dumped my phone, man. I don't know his number anyways. He texted me where to be and he needed a driver. Unknown number"

"Conway. Can you find him again?" Adam questions.

"Yeah. Yeah, it would take some leg work but, yeah man. I could do that for you"

"Boss" Adam whispers and the four head into the stairwell to talk, "put a gps on him. We kick him, he sets up a meet, we bust Frank"

"Or he bolts" Jay says.

"We put a gps on him. We tell him we'll lock up his old lady and her mom if he runs. I mean, Conways harmless. He's not looking for any trouble and we got dick right now" Adam says.

"After you get a written and recorded statement as to his involvement last night. You're gonna need that either way"

"Alright, yes sir" Adam says, as Hank hands the keys to Maxine and leaves.

🪩🪩🪩

Back on the bullpen, the team is gathered around the white board and files in their hands. Jay tapes up a picture of Frank Hancock to the board and says, "Alright, Frank Hancock was moved to Conways cell block a month before he got out. Hancock and Spilatro went to high school together in wisconsin"

"Armed robbery, multiple aggravated batteries to public servants, stole a police car, shot a police officer. That's all before 17" Al reads from a file.

"At 23, he killed two people in an armed robbery" Atwater states.

"How do you kill two people and get to walk?" Erin questions. Kevin sighed and said, "They were ex gang bangers. Ruled mutual combatants, so he only got two years for discharging a weapon"

"Of all the people to get a good public defender" Dawson says.

"Alright, what I don't get is, if Hancock and Spilatro have been friends all this time, then why did he turn on him?" Jay asks.

"Well, Hancock's parole officer's listed as Bart Lewis. Maybe he can shed a little light" Maxine says.

"Alright, you and Halstead" Hank says.
Max stands up from her desk, grabbing her coat and says, "Hey, how's Ruzek?"

"Go talk to the parole officer" Hank says, walking into his office.

"Okayyy" Max sighs, as she and Jay leave the unit.

🪩🪩🪩

"Are you mad at me or something?" Maxine asks, looking up from a furniture magazine as Jay paces back and forth.

"Nope"

"So you are"

"I'm not"

"Keep telling yourself that"

"Afternoon" Bart Lewis says, walking up to the detectives, "Heard you had some questions about a parolee of mine?"

"Yeah, Frank Hancock" Maxine says, standing up from the chair.

"Yeah, I've been expecting this one" Lewis says, as they all walk to his office. Bart Lewis hands Jay a file and he starts reading it, "Antisocial personality disorder. They got him on lithium carbonate, Dilantin and clozapine"

"Well, now we know who'd be crazy enough to drive a truck into a restaurant" max says.

"How's a guy like this ever get released from prison?" Jay asks. Lewis shrugs and says, "I just take the cases that are handed to me. When Hancock got out, he needed a job. I hooked him up with an actual graveyard shift at a cemetery. Here's the number"

Lewis hands Max a piece of paper as the two detectives stand up, "Thank you"

🪩🪩🪩

After Al and Kevin talk with a worker from the cemetery and getting a location on Conway's car. Maxine and Jay head to the location.

As the detectives get out with their guns drawn they spot the 93' Ford Bronco and check it out.

"Cars empty" Max states, then they walk past the car and more through the empty lot.

"Maybe he's up in one of these buildings" Jay says, then takes out his walkie to see a voice message from Mouse, "what's up, Mouse?"

"Hey, I just pinged Conways GPS. He's 100 feet in front of you. Just before the tracks"

Jay and Maxine slowly walk down the gravel path with their guns still drawn trying to find Conway. Jay turns his walkie on and asks, "where is he, Mouse?"

"You should be right on top of him"

Jay notices something in the brush and says, "hey, hey, hey" Max backs up towards her partner who sees a body and says, "you got me?"

"Always"

Jay holsters his gun and looks at the body and identifies him as Conway with one of his eyes missing.

🪩🪩🪩

"He ran around doing some chores, cooling off, I guess" Burgess tells Voight back on the unit.

"He blew himself out, yelling at us, you ask me" Roman says.

"Or he spotted our patrol car tailing him and decided against going all death wish"

"Johnson and Benioff are watching him in an unmarked car now, just in case"

"Alright, thanks. Hey, anything on those jewelry store owners?" Hank asks, as the patrol officers walk away.

"Mm, nothing. Only married 30 years. No financial issues. 800 credit score and no criminal record, not even a moving violation" Mouse says.

"Bring 'em in anyways" Hank tells Antonio.

"And I got the subpoena phone records on the dump phone found on DOA Roxy Richards. He had a few calls to the other DOA Spilatro and then a bunch of calls to a store called Pullman Pets"

"Pullman pets?" Kim says, walking back over to the group, "Jordan Sansone was in there today"

"Inside man?" Al asks.

"Hey, wasn't his mom killed though" Roman asks.

"Or maybe something went sideways"

"Well, get Jordan in here. Let's find out and run the priors on this pet store owner. Let's make a connection" Hank says.

"On it" Mouse says, going to his desk.

"Al, you take Atwater and head down there. We learn anything on our end, we'll call"

~~~

After Antonio, Jay and Max find Frank and Jordan at a motel, they head back to the district where Maxine is questioning Jordan in interrogation.

"I owed money to this dealer. He made threats. I had to come up with the money. Period" Jordan says.

"You didn't know what kind of people you were getting into bed with?" Max asks.

"No one was supposed to be there and they said no one was gonna get hurt. But I didn't know my mom landed a catering job and went in early. I didn't know" Jordan sobs, "I swear I didn't know"

"How long will he be looking at?" Mr Sansone asks Antonio as they watch the interview through the viewing room. Antonio sighs and says, "his sentence has already started, believe me"

Mr Sansone starts sobbing and Antonio puts a hand on his shoulder.

~~~

Maxine walks into the locker room and sees Adam sitting on a bench, leaning against the wall.

"Hey"

"Hi" Adam whispers. Max sits in front of Ruzek and says, "Platt is tight with a Lieutenant in the chief's office. He says that hopefully you're looking at a written reprimand and maybe a day suspension. Adam, you're going to be okay"

Adam looks down at the ground and Max continues, "Adam, look at me. We're best friends, right? Brother and sister"

"Right"

"I got your back. You're gonna be fine and plus you have the unit and Kim behind you"

"Yeah, I guess"

"Listen to me, if you need to talk to someone I'm here for you, no matter what. Don't bottle it up, trust me. Got it?"

"Yeah" Adam says, pulling Maxine into a hug and laying his head on her shoulder. Max rubs his back and says, "It's gonna be okay, A"

Atwater walks into the locker room and says, "Yo, Boss wants to see you and the street deputy's with him"

Adam lifts his head up and says, "Thanks, Kev"

"Don't forget I stand behind you 100%, always" Max says, as Ruzek gets up and leaves. "And forever"

🪩🪩🪩

Maxine walks into Mollys and looks around and sees her green eyes she was looking for. She walks over to jay, who was sitting with Will and Charlotte. "Hey" Will smiles.

"Hey Red. Hey Charlie. You guys mind if I talk to Jay alone?"

Will and Charlotte look at each other then immediately get up and walk away. Jay takes a sip of his beer and says, "what's going on?"

"You wanna tell me what the hell is going on with you lately?"

"What do you mean?"

Maxine sits across from her partner, "what do I—?" She scoffs, "ever since you were kidnapped, you've been acting different towards me"

"I don't know what you want me to say, max"

"I want you to talk to me. I'm your partner, Jay"

"I can't tell you"

"Why not?"

"Just leave it alone, Maxine" Jay said before getting up and walking away. Maxine sighed, jays never called her by her full name before. Something was most definitely wrong.

🪩🪩🪩

Maverick walks into his and Maxine's room to see her painting the walls, her music blaring and he leans against the doorframe and smiles. Maxine steps off the ladder and starts dancing and when she turns around she jumps back, her hand covering her heart, while Maverick laughs.

"Jeez Mav. You scared me. Why didn't you tell me you were there?" She asked, putting the paintbrush back in the pallet.

Maverick shrugged, "you looked so cute dancing. I didn't wanna ruin it"

Maxine rolls her eyes, "I'm almost done in here then I'm moving on to the guest room"

"Are you sure you don't want me to help? I'm more than happy to"

Maxine walks over to her boyfriend and stands on her tippy toes to give him a kiss, "I'm fine. Swear"

"Okay. The new couch came. Wanna test it out?" He winked.

"Oh you know I do" she smiled, grabbing his hand and they head downstairs.