Read The Chicago Way for Free Online Page B

at me and back to Nicole. We all stepped back down the hallway and into the living room.
    “This is?”
    “Michael Kelly. An old friend and former cop.”
    I held out a hand.
    “Nice to meet you.”
    Vince reflexively stuck out a gloved hand. I figured he would.
    “Vince Rodriguez.”
    “Michael is just along to observe. He has a strong interest in the program.”
    “I’m sure he has a lot of interest, Nicole, but this is a crime scene.”
    My friend reached out and brushed the sleeve of Vince’s suit. I could see him flinch, then relent. Nicole caught my eye and then the two moved a few feet away. I waited as they whispered, tried not to watch, and made a mental note to ask Nicole about her personal relationship with one Vince the Cop. A few minutes later, both came back happy. Or at least relatively so. Vince took the lead.
    “You can come on in. But just observe. No talking, no touching, nothing. And if the victim has a problem…”
    “I’m gone.”
    “Right. Okay, Nicole, let me catch you up real quick. Point of entry was the kitchen. Victim’s name is Miriam Hope. Had a brother visiting from Indiana. They were watching TV in the living room, didn’t hear a thing. Guy used a knife to subdue. Tied the brother up and threw him in the second bedroom. Then our guy went into the kitchen and got some dishes.”
    “Dishes?”
    “He puts the brother on the floor and lays the dishes on his legs and body. Says if he hears the dishes move, the sister is dead. Brother is next.”
    “That’s a new one.”
    “Yeah. Then he goes back into the living room where he has Miriam tied up. Rapes her repeatedly.”
    “How long?”
    “Maybe a half hour in the living room. Then he took her into the laundry room. Made her jump up on the washer.”
    “Raped her there?”
    “Yep. Vaginal in the living room, anal and oral in the laundry room. Then back to the living room. Kept running the knife up and down her body. Then he cut her throat. ‘Just enough to scare her,’ he said.”
    “That’s it?” Nicole said.
    “Yeah, she says he wore a mask and gloves the entire time.”
    Vince’s PDA beeped. He stepped away to make a call as Nicole opened up her laptop and began to tap away. After a minute or so, Vince returned. Nicole spoke without looking up from her screen.
    “Did he use a condom?”
    “She says he did.”
    “We’ll find out pretty quick when we do the kit. Did she struggle with him when he cut her?”
    “A little,” Vince said. “You’re thinking he might have cut himself?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I already asked her. She doesn’t think so.”
    “Where’s the brother?”
    “Sent him downtown. He never moved a muscle until the police showed up. Dishes still in place. They got him medicated.”
    “Who’s handling the rape kit?”
    “Christine Sullivan is your nurse.”
    “She here?”
    “Just arrived. She wants to do the examination back at the hospital.”
    “I’ll need a few minutes with the victim first.”
    “That’s fine. I was just finishing up her statement.”
    Vince led us back into the room. The woman from the refrigerator was half sitting on the bed, talking quietly to a counselor who was holding the woman’s hand. I could see red and purple welts on the woman’s wrists where the rope had cut her skin. She was wearing a long nightshirt that said NORTH SIDE CHICAGO GIRL on the front. It was ripped up the side and stained with blood. She had fuzzy slippers on. One foot was tucked up under her. The other dangled and shook lightly. A bandage covered her neck. The wound didn’t seem serious. Then again, it wasn’t my neck. Vince crouched down so he was eye-level with the victim before he spoke.
    “Miriam, these people need to collect some forensic evidence. I’m not going to introduce you because I don’t want you talking to them. As I explained before, I want you only to talk to me or the counselor here. Makes it a lot easier when we catch this guy. Okay?”
    I could see why Vince was