Chapter 46

A look of disbelief and disgust grew across Erin's face.

"Charlie had something to do with this?!"

"That's what it sounds like."

"I'll kill him!"

"I'd be happy to join you."

Hank came walking in. "This him?"

"Yes." Adam answered

"Thomas Gibson. I thought I told you to stay out of Illinois?"

"I was a kid when you saw me. How do even remember me?"

"Your face isn't one that someone forgets."

Thomas looked up and recognized Erin. "Ah, little Erin Lindsay. Nice to see you again."

"Don't say my name you disgusting piece of garbage."

"How's your mommy?"

"Can you shut up?"

"You're one of Voight's girls, aren't you?"

"The fact that he took me in as a teenager has nothing to do with that. You try having a drunk for a mother and a drug addict father! Who else was I supposed to turn to?! Hank was there for me."

"How cute." He smirked.

Erin slapped him across the face. "Where is Charlie?!"

"Why should I tell you?"

"WHY should you tell me?! Because of that prick, my daughter is in the hospital with a broken leg and she needs a liver transplant!"

"Let me-"

Kim came in, already fuming with anger about the new detective.

"Because of you, her child needs a liver transplant. Because of you, my child is in the hospital with a damaged spinal cord. Give up where Charlie is!"

"You know the old abandoned car lot over in Skokie?"

"Yeah, we do."

"He lives in the house across the street from there."

Erin said they could take her car. She grabbed her keys off the ring and they took off, They headed up to the Skokie and found the old abandoned car lot. As Thomas had described, Charlie's house was there. His old junky car was parked out front and it looked like the grass hadn't been mowed in years. Erin parked on the side of the road and they both got out. Kim walked ahead of her and banged on the door.

"Charlie Paglizzi, open up!"

There was no answer.

"Charles Paglizzi if you don't open up this door in thirty seconds, I'll kick it down!"

The door opened and there he was. "Can I help you?"

"If you would let us come inside and let us ask you a couple of questions, that would be great."

"I don't think so." He went to shut the door, but Kim put her foot in the way. Instead of leaving like he told her too, she pushed right past him and went into the house.

"Haven't you heard of manners? Or is that something you neglected to learn?"

"What did you just say?"

"Learn what manners are."

"As a matter of fact, I do know what they are. If you think blowing up an elementary school is fun, there is something wrong with you."

"They had to pay the price." He said.

"The price of what?"

"Of being there."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Erin asked.

"The lot the school was built on."

"What about it?"

"That piece of land was supposed to be mine."

"What would you want a large piece of land like that for?"

"I wanted to start up my own bar. You know, make it the biggest one in Chicago."

"So what happened?"

"Whoever built the school? They outbid me and won the lot."

"And you try scaring them away by blowing them up? That wasn't going to get you anything. It's called go find another empty lot to build your bar."

"I wanted that lot and that lot only. It was the biggest one."

"Did you really think that doing something like this would help the factor?"

"They needed to be taught a lesson about taking something. Especially something that wasn't theirs to begin with."

"That's no excuse to blow up a school full of little kids!"

"They needed to learn the lesson of taking something that wasn't there's."

"You sicken me."

"Could you go easy on me? These damn things hurt."

"Good." Erin tightened the cuffs and threw him in the back of the car.

When they arrived back to the district, she threw him to Hank and walked away. Jay was at the hospital, waiting to hear news on Mikayla. Michael came out, blood spattered scrubs.

"Did she make it?"

"They're stitching her up now, but she's not in condition to be seeing anyone right now. We'll let you know when she's stable."

"Thank you."

Kim came walking through the doors of the emergency room and found Jay.

"Hey, how is she?"

"They were able to fix her bone and she received a new liver. They also said it could be a few weeks until she can leave."

"At least she's alive." She rubbed his back.

"I know, but I was scared." He put his face in his hands.

She threw her arms around him in a hug and told him not to worry.

***THE NEXT DAY***

Julie's name was carved into the police memorial, but covered up until the ceremony. Kim took one last look at the picture of her and Julie from her first day, before putting it in the desk. She put on her hat and uniform, checking herself in the mirror to make sure she looked proper. Her hat was leaning towards her left a little, so she adjusted it. Leslie came up behind her.

"I'm not ready for this." Leslie said, biting her lip.

"It's not gonna be the same without her."

"I miss the way she used to spike Sheldon's coffee in the morning just to make us laugh."

"Remember the time we stole Megan's candy? It was Julie's plotting that made us go along with that."

They both laughed and smiled at that memory.

"I'm still thinking it's all a bad dream that I'll wake up from." Kim wiped a tear from her eye.

"I refuse to believe it and can't accept it..."

"I can't begin to imagine what Alec, Emmy and Liam are going through right now."

Hank came out of his office and everyone looked up. "Guys...it's time." He put his hat on.

In progressional order, cars headed to the memorial and everyone lined up. The music started blaring from the bagpipes as Alec, Emmy and and Liam emerged, carrying the American flag. Alec slowly peeled the covering from Julie's name, revealing it. The girls had tears that started streaming down their faces.

"I miss her so much..." Gabby said through tears. Sylvie pulled her into a side hug.

They all watched in sadness as her casket was being lowered into the ground.