Keeping It in the Family (Linstead)

Chapter 55

"Deputy Superintendent Miller. I'm looking for Sergeant Lindsay."

Sitting at his desk, on hold on a phone call, Halstead looked at the attractive, older woman who had just walked into Intelligence and addressed Purrazzo. He hadn't even been aware that the CPD had a new Deputy Superintendent. The women's revolution continued, it seemed. With her was another woman, younger than Miller, dressed in a rather scruffy pair of jeans a black hoodie, with pink hair. Halstead had no earthly idea who she was or why she was there. She sure didn't look like anybody special.

"Yes, ma'am. Follow me, please," Purrazzo said in the formal military manner that came so naturally to her. She and Halstead were the only team members currently in the bullpen. The others were out on other duties relating to the unit's current case.

Purrazzo led the way over to Lindsay's office and knocked on the door.

"Yeah," Lindsay called, not looking up from the paperwork that she was working on.

Purrazzo opened the door and stepped inside. "Deputy Superintendent Miller to see you, Sergeant."

Now Lindsay looked up as Miller and the other woman walked in. "Thank you, Purrazzo. Good morning, ma'am." She rose and offered a handshake to her boss. The two women had met before, but this was Miller's first visit to Intelligence, and to the 21st as far as Lindsay knew.

"Sergeant Lindsay," Miller said, shaking her hand as Purrazzo left and closed the door. "Got a job that I figure is suited to your unit."

"Have a seat," Lindsay said. She gave the other visitor, who looked awkward about being there, the once over as they all sat down.

"This is Dakota Crowley," Miller announced. "She's a member of an all female motorcycle gang called..."

"Club," Crowley interrupted. "It's a club, not a gang."

"A motorcycle club," Miller corrected herself, "called The Riot Squad. Dakota here made the particularly stupid mistake of shooting a man in an attempt to murder him, leaving him for dead, only for him to survive and go on to identify her. Along with other evidence, we have enough to put her away for a very long time. That's why she has decided to take a different path. It so happens that The Riot Squad are muling cocaine into Chicago and distributing it. We have a chance to round up The Riot Squad and the Japanese crew they're buying the drugs from. There's a big win on the table here for CPD."

"And this is where Intelligence comes in," Lindsay stated. It didn't need to be a question.

"That's right. As I said, Ms Crowley was able to cut herself a little deal. She gets us an 'in' with the MC and helps to work with the woman we send undercover to bring down The Riot Squad, and whoever the Japanese lot are. Where you come in is to provide us with the person we're going to send in. Maybe the one who showed me in here? Picasso, did you say her name is?"

Lindsay couldn't help laughing. "Picasso? Ma'am, her name is Purrazzo. And no, not her. She's our least experienced team member and hasn't done any undercover work before. Wouldn't dream of starting her out with this job. Fortunately, about a month ago I took on a detective with a lot of talent for undercover work. She has the added bonus of having a passion for motorbikes."

"Excellent. Let's get her in here," Miller said, clearly expecting it to happen immediately.

"Yes, ma'am. She's out on a surveillance op at the moment, but I can call and have her come in."

"Please do so," Miller instructed. "And tell her to be quick about it."

Lindsay picked her phone up off her desk and called Raquel Gonzalez's number. She got an answer after three rings.