⋆° დ ༄ UNTIL THERE WAS FOREVER
chapter seven. 300,000 likes.

As the horn of the school bus is heard from inside the Halstead residence. Sam follows after Denise and Wyatt who walk to the door to get their backpacks. Sam kisses both of them on their foreheads and says, "have a good day at school. Be safe"

"Always" Wyatt and Denise say in unison, as they walk out the door to the yellow bus.

Sam walks back into the kitchen to see her daughter eating her Cheerios, who then says, "Mama" with her arms straight up in the air.

Sam takes her 1 year old out of her high chair and goes over to set her in her playpen.

"Morning" Jay says, walking into the kitchen, putting his badge on his belt then going over to Sam to give her a kiss then over to Gracie in her playpen and picks her up to give her a kiss on her cheek, "Morning princess"

Gracie smiles and claps her hands together and says, "Daddy"

"Stop growing so fast"

"Ooh, that reminds me. Will said that she started to stand up by herself with no help" Sam smiles.

"Really?" Jay says, kissing his daughter's cheek again and Sam nods her head, "That's awesome"

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"Tariq has been here 10 years. Originally from Sudan, married, kid on the way. Employed as a supervisor in an office cleaning company. He was working on his degree at UIC" Voight says, as he stands by the white board with the team surrounding it as he explains who the victim was.

"Wasn't he in protective custody for the trial?" Kevin asks.

"He was. Head of the detail is on his way in now"

"You know, the original case file indicates that Tuxhorn and Ariel left the tiki on rush at 10:45. Now, tuxhorn says that they went to his apartment, they had consensual B&D sex, and then she walked out on her own. Tariq's statement says that he saw tuxhorn dragging ariel's body towards the locks where he dumped her and he drove off." Jay says, reading from a file, "He called 911, he went in after her, she was already dead. And the M.E's toxicology report determined she was loaded up with ketamine."

"Four other girls have made rape allegations against Tuxhorn. He skated in each case, combo of his daddy's money and his high powered attorney, Dominick Cooke. He's the worst" Erin states.

"Tariq's phone records?" Al asks.

"I'm into it with the service provider. Subpoenas been drafted, signed off on and dropped. So, we should have it in a few hours." Ruzek says.

"Well, we got one really big question to answer first. Tariq Bolads identity was supposed to be sealed. Check into the grand jury, court reporters, ASA's office, whoever had access to his name or a motive to leak it, cause somebody figured it out." Voight says.

Atwater takes the phone away from his ear and says, "Ken Amis, the head of Tariq's security detail, is on his way up."

"Al, you and me"

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After court, Sam and Erin head to the prison where Tuxhorn just got released on bail.

"That's a good way to make 600 bucks give or take" Sam says.

"You have an interesting eye on this case, detectives?" Cooke says.

"We want to talk to your client" Erin says.

"And I want to play first base for the cubs."

"He doesn't want to clear his name?"

"I'll be in contact. Now, will you excuse us, or do I need to call one of the cook county sheriffs over"

Erin chuckles as the detectives move out of the way to let them by.

"I saw you two in court. Thank you for your support" Oliver says. Sam scoffs and Erin says, "enjoy your freedom, douchebag. You're not gonna have it for long."

"Oliver, lets go" Cooke says.

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"I don't think I've ever disliked someone so quickly or so intensely." Erin says, as she and Sam walked onto the unit and over to their desks.

"So tell me, heading down to the courthouse, what did that accomplish?" Voight says, looking at Sam then at Erin.

"We got to look in his eyes. Isn't that what you always say, 'I look in people's eyes for a living'?" Erin says.

"Fair enough. What'd you guys see?"

"He is responsible for Tariq's murder, no question."

"Sam?"

"I feel the same way, Sarg. There's no way he didn't do it" Sam says.

"Okay. Just make sure you don't let this guy get in your heads."

"Hey, Sarg" Adam says, "Tariq's cell phone dump came back. He got a call an hour before his murder. Conversation lasted a minute and a half"

"From a guy named Amir Dafallah. Tariq's widow said that Amir came over here with Tariq from Sudan. They were best friends, but Amir never really got his act together, always looking to borrow money." Kevin says.

"Amir have priors?" Dawson asks.

"Drunk and disorderly and resisting arrest." Adam says.

"Hit it" Voight says.

~~~

When Adam and Kevin bring in Amir to the district, Sam and Hank bring him into interrogation to talk with him.

"Tell us what happened last night, Amir" Sam says, sitting down on the bench behind the dark skinned man.

"I-I lost my job as a dishwasher because they found out...I lied about my criminal record" Amir starts to say, when Hank stands up and groans in frustration, "when I got home, I got a call from INS, saying that I was a risk of being deported back to Sudan. So I called Tariq, told him that I was thinking crazy thoughts."

"You were going to kill yourself"

"I admit, yes, I was feeling that way. Tariq came to meet me by the water. He made me feel better, told me I could stay with him and Lila. And then he left, and I took the bus to my apartment."

"Were you gonna kill yourself with the gun we found stashed in your couch?"

"No, that is not my gun!"

"Then whose is it?"

"I-I do not know!"

"Do you understand how crazy that might seem to us?"

"I do understand, but it is the truth."

"So you're happy for Tariq, his success?" Hank says

"Yes"

"Cause, man, he got here, he landed on his feet. And you...well you struggled. Is that a fair assessment?"

"Yes but I had never given up hope. Until last night"

"You called Tariq. You have him that sob story. He went to see you. You asked him for a lot of money. When he turned you down, you used that gun to shoot him."

"No!"

"Okay, did somebody else paid you a lot of money to draw Tariq out!"

"Draw him from where? No!"

"You know the gun is at the crime lab, being tested for your prints right now, Amir." Sam says.

"and you will not find anything"

"Alright" Sam says, standing up and going next to hank, "You admit to calling him. You admit to being in an agitated state last night. We find the same caliber gun in your house. Come on, man. Just tell us the truth!"

Amir starts crying and says, "After what Tariq and I survived together, we were like brothers. I would never hurt him."

~~~

Jay stands behind his fiancé at her desk and Erin rolls her chair over to the couple when Hank walks onto the unit and Sam says, "ballistics came back. The gun found at Amir's is a 100% match. That gun shot Tariq."

"But?" Voight says.

"But Amir said that he got on the bus after meeting Tariq. So we checked the bus pass that he swiped. He got on the westbound grand avenue at 10:25 p.m" Jay says.

"Shotspotter had shots fired at 10:34 p.m." Erin saying showing Voight a picture of Amir on the bus, "Amir has already been on this bus for nine minutes, and he was 15 blocks away. Amir couldn't have shot Tariq. He was set up"

~~~

Antonio stands at the whiteboard and says, "Okay, follow me on this. Tariq's wife says they were being followed. Let's assume they were. Let's assume somebody in Tuxhorn's camp found out Tariq's name. Once they knew that, they knew everything about him, including his best friend Amir. First day of the trial, Amir gets fired from his job, and he gets a threatening call from INS. That sends him in a tailspin. He calls Tariq for help. Now, that's either one hell of a coincidence or someone set Amir up. I called the restaurant where he worked at. They said they got an 'anonymous tip' that Amir had a record. Then I checked his phone for that call from INS. didn't come from INS. Came from a pay phone downtown. I know that's a lot of dominoes to fall, but never underestimate what someone with a 100 million in the bank can pull off"

"We got some information on Tuxhorns older brother, Leo" Kevin says as he and Adam walk onto the unit, "Five major priors for possession. My guy in narcotics told me he's been an addict since prep school."

"Yeah and the data just came back from Financial crimes. Leo just finished a two month rehab stint. Serenity wellness retreat. Prescott, Arizona." Adam says giving the file to Hank, "got out two weeks ago"

"Put a tail on Leo."

"Got it"

"Matter of fact. Put a tail on every member of Tuxhorns family."

Erin stands up from her desk, hanging up the phone and says, "Hey, that was Cookes office. Oliver Tuxhorn just became available to talk"

"Alright, you and Halstead"

~~~

Olinsky walks out of Voights office and grabs his coat from the back of his chair and says to Sam, "Come on, kid. We're going on a little trip"

"Cool" Sam says, grabbing her coat and following after the older detective.

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Sam and Al arrive at the office of an ex cop turned PI Jim Radovick. Al knocks on the door and walks in and Jim says, "I don't believe it"

"What's up, Jim?"

"So, you're still on the job or are you looking for one?" Jim laughs as he gets up from his desk and shakes hands with Al.

"Well, still on the job. This is detective Sam Miller"

"Jim Radovick" the man says, shaking hands with Sam.

"Nice to meet you" Sam says. Jim looks back at Al and says, "Of all the coppers I thought, you know, would've washed out somehow, and here you are still chugging away. And me? I'm the one to get tossed out on his ass."

"Sometimes I surprise myself" Al says as he and Sam sit down in the chairs in front of Radovicks desk.

"Not to bad huh?" Jim says and Sam looks around the office, where files are everywhere and coffee cups and 3 boxes of donuts on the table, "I'm not a millionaire, but at least I don't have to deal with bosses, politicians and civilian review boards."

"Yeah, there's always that"

"So what brings you?"

"So, you work for Dominick Cooke"

"As much as he'll let me."

"You work with him on the Oliver Tuxhorn case?" Sam asks.

"You two seem to know I am."

"Doing what?" Al asks.

"Usual stuff, background checks, poking holes in the states case."

"You looking into the eyewitness against Tuxhorn?"

"Why are you guys here?"

"Well, that witness was killed yesterday" Sam says. Jim looks down at his hands and says, "oh, okay"

"You know anything about that?" Al asks.

"Look, um...this family, the Tuxhorn's? They got what I call a..a plantation mentality. Everybody is a servant. Me? As long as the checks clear, I can deal with any kind of huge personalities, but...they wanted to know who the witness was."

"Who's they?"

"The dad and the brother, Uh, Leo"

"The junkie"

"Yeah. He's on the outs with the family, black sheep type deal. I got the sense that he wanted to swoop in and act the hero, you know? He even asked me in private if I could get next to the witness, and I said that's the first and last time you get to ask me that question. He waved me off like I was a homeless bum, but he was dead serious."

"Him?" Sam asks, showing him a picture of Leo.

"Yeah, that's him" Jim confirms.

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"Hey boss we got something here" Adam says walking onto the unit with a suited up guy named Chris. Adam walks over to his desk and and unfolds a paper with pictures and at the top the header states Tuxhorn financial forensics, as everyone gathers around them.

"So each and every Tuxhorn property has its own profit and loss statement and its own manager." Chris states.

"With access to all associated accounts right?" Adam says.

"Mm, money comes in, money goes out regular, except this one property in Dubai. Place isn't even open yet, but it's showing profits of a 100,000 dollars a year, going back 4 years."

"Yeah, so it's clearly a shell. They've been dumping money"

"But a week ago, there's one large cash withdrawal, 300,000 dollars and only one person could have pulled it out. The manager."

"Who's that?" Jay asks.

"Sloane Tuxhorn. Oliver's sister." Adam answers.

"Well, that still doesn't help us, not if we can't link her and the money back to Oliver." Al says.

"She's not on the visitor or call logs to the jail. She never emailed him. There's no proof they communicated." Dawson says.

"Well, maybe there is. That number, 300,000, that rang a bell, right? So I went back through Oliver's Facebook posts that he made while he was still in prison. He commented on a post that his sister sloane made and his release and I quote, 'wouldn't 300,000 likes be Rad if that happened?'"

"300,000, Rad. Jim Radovick" Al says.

"Okay. When was this?" Hank asks.

"Two days before the murder." Adam answers.

"It's not enough to charge her" Erin says.

"It's enough to bluff her, though. We got eyes on her?" Hank says.

"We do" Jay answers.

"Get her ass in here"

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After getting Sloane Tuxhorn to confess her part in all this she said Jim Radovick is the killer and Oliver is the one that started everything, Sam and Al head over to Jim's office.

"Hey, Al. Sam"

"Jim" Al says.

"So what's the latest? You get the brother?"

"You know, driving over here, I remembered one of the things that, um, that got you fired from the job. Making false arrests"

"You seriously gonna take Leo's word over mine?"

"Not his. His sisters." Sam says.

"She laid it all out. Put your hands up, Jim" Al says.

"I got kids, Al" Jim says.

"Yeah, well, so did Tariq. He had a baby on the way and now that child will never know how brave his father was because you took that away" Sam says.

"Put your hands up, come on" Al says.

"Listen to me," Jim says, as Al pats him down, "I went to talk to Tariq, offer him some money. Okay? He reached into his pocket. I thought it was a gun. So I drew" Al then takes Jim's gun from his waistband and hands it to Sam, "I saw it was a phone when he went down, okay but him getting shot, that's not premeditated. Okay, you're gonna put that into your report right? It wasn't premeditated"

"What about the part where you break into a man's home, plant a weapon, and get paid 300 grand?" Al asks, cuffing the older man, "was that premeditated?"

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Jay steps into the steamy, hot shower and wraps his arms around Sam's waist, leaving kisses along her shoulder then says, "I can't wait to marry you, Ms Miller"

"Yeah?" Sam smirks, turning around and wrapping her arms around Jays neck, "well, I can't wait to be Mrs Halstead"

Jay traces the water droplets along his fiancé's cheek with his thumb and says, "you're amazing, you know that? After everything you've been through, knowing you're still fighting through it, makes you the strongest person I know"

Sam smiles and says, "Yeah, I guess. I don't feel strong"

"To me you are"

"Thanks, baby. I don't know how I got so lucky with you" Sam says, leaning in for a kiss, which Jay immediately deepens.

"I'm just glad you came back to Chicago"

"Me too"

a/n:

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