Keeping It in the Family (Linstead)

Chapter 67

Halstead hadn't been able to make a lot of use of himself at the mall. So many paramedics and cops had been on the scene that those who needed attention were getting it. After helping a few walking wounded out of the building to ambulances, he had stopped to drink a bottle of water, and while doing so he had checked his phone. There had been a text from Lindsay asking him to meet her at the 21st when he could.

Noticing a cop who hadn't seemed to be doing much, Halstead had enlisted the man to give him a ride to the 21st. Now, while they were en route, he made a call to Ruzek, wanting to find out how Burgess was. The call was answered after a couple of rings. It was immediately apparent from the background noise that the call had been answered on speaker in a moving car.

"Hi, Jay," Ruzek said.

"Ruze. How's Kim?"

"Kim's here in the car. You're on speaker. We're heading home now."

Burgess spoke then, sounding a bit vague and drowsy. "I'm okay, Jay. In shock according to Will. He doped me up with something, so all I feel is tired and numb right now. I guess it'll all hit me tomorrow or something."

Halstead didn't really know how to put what he felt into words. He just had to do the best he could in the moment. "Kim, I'm so, so glad you're okay. And I couldn't be prouder or more in awe of you for doing what you did tonight. I can't speak for Erin of course, but I'm sure she'll make sure you get whatever help you need to get through this mentally. And of course, as always, anything you need, I'm only ever a call or a message away."

"Thank you, Jay," Burgess said. It sounded like it was all she was capable of. Just how heroic she had been probably hadn't dawned on her yet. And knowing her as well as he did, Halstead felt sure she wouldn't be seeking the limelight about it either. She probably felt like she had done what a police officer needed to do in the situation in which she had found herself. The truth was different of course. Halstead had personally never known an act of selfless courage like it. No one could tell how many lives had been saved by her quick and decisive actions.

"Yes, thanks, Jay," Ruzek said. "Where are you? At the mall?"

"I was. Er and I went over there. We split up to help people, then I got a message from her to meet her back at the 21st. Not sure why. Just heading back there now. I'm sure she'll call you later to check in, Kim."

"Okay," Burgess said tiredly.

They said their goodbyes, then Halstead ended the call. The timing was good. He was nearly back at the 21st.

Five minutes later, he was walking into Intelligence. There he found Lindsay, who was talking to Sergeant Platt. There was also a young girl wearing a Cubs baseball cap sitting at Kim Burgess's desk. She was looking blankly down at the desk. It didn't take much to piece together that Erin must have found her somewhere at the mall and brought her back to the station. It was also therefore likely that the parents were victims, either dead or in hospital.

Lindsay said something to Platt, then gestured with her head for Halstead to join her in her office. Meanwhile, Platt went over to the girl and started trying to talk her into going to get a soda. On the way past, he tried to make eye contact with the girl, but she didn't look up at him.

"Shut the door, Jay," Erin said when he followed her into the office.

He did so, then noticed that her eyes were full of tears. She was trying to hold herself together and just about managing it. He went to her and took her in his arms, recognising that this was a personal exchange, not a professional one. "What's happened, Er? You find her at the mall?"

"Yes," Erin sniffed, stepping back from him. "Her name is Clementine. She's eleven. I found her in that toy store where I left you. Her parents were behind the counter, both full of bullets and long dead. Clementine had been shoved into the space under the counter and told to stay there by her dad. That's how she managed not to be killed. The sick fuck didn't know she was there."