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CHAPTER SEVEN

CHANEL

I nstead of going back to Minnesota, Morgan stayed at my apartment so we could hang out again next weekend. I would’ve preferred her staying at the loft, but she didn’t want to be there in the daytime with Zand while I was at work. There was no danger now that Lonzo was dead, so I agreed.

Knowing my best friend was close by made me feel better. Being away from Minnesota, the place that reminded her of Craig, helped her. She didn’t know what I’d been through, but her presence in my new city was something I needed.

I couldn’t erase my past, and I knew this day would come. My old drama followed me everywhere. I had two visitors at my job on Tuesday afternoon. I wished they would’ve caught me outside the packed pediatrician’s office. Not my luck. They came barging in right when the waiting room area was full of sick kids and nosy parents. All my coworkers were also there with eyes wide and ears open.

Of course I was embarrassed. Of course, I looked like a common criminal. My coworkers weren’t privy to my life outside of work. They didn’t know anything about all the drama I had in Minnesota and how I fled for my own sanity and protection. I came to Chicago for a clean start and all my damn problems jumped on a damn freight train and followed me here.

I made an appointment to see my visitors after I got off of work. I didn’t want my business all over the office. Immediately, I called Zand because I knew I would need him to prep me on my story and be with me for moral support.

Instead of Josh picking me up from work, Zand was waiting for me outside in his old Chevy. Seeing him gave me a sense of comfort, but I knew it would be short-lived. I had been given an address to meet the detectives that were on Lonzo’s case. It took them a while to reach out, but I assumed they knew he was no longer in Minnesota. Whatever ankle monitor or tracking device they had on him may have given it away. Or maybe they were watching him or something. I hoped that wasn’t the case. If they were watching him, they knew he disappeared here in Chicago. I prayed they didn’t know much of anything.

We drove to 26 th and California on the west side of Chicago. Zand knew actually where it was located, and he didn’t need to use navigation. We arrived at the 14 th district and entered the building. I was led into a conference room by a female officer. She didn’t say anything to me. Her job was apparently to follow me down a long hallway that led into an old, bland interrogation room that was painted a neutral color.

My nerves were all over the place. I didn’t want to sit in a conference room at the police station. Conference sounded better than interrogation room. What the Minnesota police were doing in Chicago was the mystery. I probably could come up with many reasons, but Zand told me to be cool. He told me to not let my imagination run away with me. He said to let them do most of the talking. This wasn’t the easiest thing to do, given the extreme circumstances.

Zand told me to not volunteer any information to the police. It was good advice, but I had to make sure I didn’t put my foot in my mouth or start rambling on and on.

I recognized the detectives from Minnesota, the same ones that were at my job earlier in the day. These were the guys handling the case from day one. They were the ones I had the contact with throughout this long arduous process. The one detective Crowley was the guy that was the most passionate about locking Lonzo up forever. He was the one I preferred, even though I didn’t want to be in this situation at all.

“Please Ms. Taylor, take a seat.” I sat in the cold metal chair across the table from Detective Crowley and Jamison.

“We’ve been trying to track you down. You are a hard lady to locate.”

“Oh, I haven’t been to my apartment. I moved in with my boyfriend.”

“You didn’t feel the need to relay the information to us?” Jamison barked.

“I didn’t know I was supposed to.” I played dumb.

“Your boyfriend?” Crowley asked.

“Yeah.”

“The stiff guy sitting outside?” He asked.

“Yeah.” I was using one-word answers. So far, I was doing great.

“You should inform us when you change locations.” Detective Jamison scolded me.

“I didn’t really think about it. I’m staying with him, at his place, but most of my things are back at the apartment. The move wasn’t planned or anything.”

“We’re going to need his address.” Jamison slid a pen and a notepad across the table toward me.

“Okay.” I took the cheap pen. I had to think about the numbers of the address for a few seconds. It came to me, then I scribbled Zand’s loft address on it.

“Does this new boyfriend know anything about your case?” Crowley glared across the table at me as he retrieved the note pad.

“No, I didn’t tell him anything.”

“What’s this boyfriend’s name?”

“Oh. Zand.”

Crowley raised an authoritative eyebrow at me. “Zand, what?”

“Alexander Valentine.” Now I was bringing Zand into my mess.

Crowley jotted Zand’s first and last name down on the notepad. “Huh? That’s his real name?” Crowley asked.

“Yeah.” Did he think I was lying? Well, I was lying about some things that were necessary.

“After what happened last time, do you think it’s wise to date so soon?”

“Ah.” Was it too soon? Crowley was judging me. I didn’t like his tone. Holding my tongue was starting to get more and more difficult. “I didn’t know there was a time limit on how long I could be single.” I smarted. Cause what they not gonna do is make me feel a way about moving on. Cops are always doing too much. They needed to stay focused on the murderer they let escape.

Jamison shot Crowley an odd look before he spoke. “Well, did you at least do a background check on this Alexander guy? You can do that online.”

“No, I didn’t.” I admitted.

“We have bad news.” Jamison tapped his index finger twice on the table.

“Bad news?”

“Alonzo Lopez is no longer in custody.”

“What?” I gasped and pretended to be upset. I clearly already knew that. They were a little late telling me this.

Jamison pressed his lips together and raised his brows until his forehead lines deeply creased. “Mr. Lopez is missing?”

“Missing?” My jaw dropped open in surprise. I tried to appear as shocked as possible without overdoing it. I wasn’t going to win an Oscar, but maybe I was a contender for a Golden Globe.

“Yes. He’s somewhere on the run. The bastard slipped away from us. He somehow escaped his ankle monitor and put it on a relative that resembled him. We had some undercover officers staking out his house, but he managed to evade us.”

“You don’t know where he is?” I asked in my scared voice. I tried to make myself look upset.

“We don’t, but we have a few leads. Have you had any contact with him? Has he reached out to you?”

“No, I haven’t heard from him. I thought he was back in Bloomington on house arrest because that’s what you told me the last time we talked.”

“Anything strange happening, like blocked numbers calling you, strange mail or anything odd or abnormal happening lately?”

“No, everything has been quiet.”

“We need to warn you that there is footage of a man that resembles Alonzo driving through a tollbooth into Wisconsin and then that same man in a vehicle coming into Illinois.”

“When?”

“Well, the footage is two weeks old. He, or the person we believe to be Lopez, was headed toward Chicago. You could be in danger. If he was coming here for you, it seems he hasn’t found you.”

“I’ve been away from my apartment. I’ve been staying at my boyfriend’s place.” I reiterated.

“We believe Lopez could be in the area. If you can stay away from your apartment for a few days, that would be great.”

“I will.”

“Have you had any contact with Alonzo Lopez?”

“No, none.” I already told them that. They were trying to trip me up, and I peeped it.

“Has there been anything suspicious that has happened in the last few days?”

“No, everything is normal.”

“We don’t want to scare you, but you may have to go into protective services. He might come after you.”

“Why would he? I don’t think so.”

“Why do you think that?” Jamison asked.

“Because it would be stupid to come after me. Lonzo isn’t stupid.” I said isn’t, instead of wasn’t. I was good at this. “He has to know that you guys are either watching me or protecting me in some way.”

“But you didn’t have a protection detail.”

“I didn’t before. He doesn’t know that. But now that you know he’s on the loose, I’m sure he thinks you’ll be watching me in order to find him.”

“I’m sure he thinks that, but we can’t leave you unprotected.” Crowley added.

“I understand, but if you send someone here, that will be more people that know my whereabouts. I don’t know how many people know that I’m in Chicago.”

“It’s just us. Me and Crowley.” Jamison said.

“I’m not trying to be difficult, but I would like for it to stay that way. I trust you guys. I don’t want any other people to know my whereabouts.”

“Listen Chanel, we didn’t know he was gone. He has the upper hand. He could be anywhere.”

“He’s Mexican. He’s probably hiding in Mexico.”

“Why would you think that?”

Why would I think? Was he serious? Because he’s a Mexican drug lord. “I know he has family there. He mentioned his abuela to me before.”

“Yes, he has family in Mexico. But there’s no evidence he crossed the border. Without you, there is no case.”

“Without me? I’m here. Without Lonzo there is no case.” I corrected them.

“So you’re not worried he’s coming after you?”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m reasonably worried, but I don’t think he’s going to find me. I live with my boyfriend. My name isn’t on his property. I don’t think he will find me in the vast sea of millions of Chicagoans. I pay for almost everything in cash like you guys told me to.”

“We’re happy to hear that you are taking every precaution. But you have to understand whom we’re dealing with. Alonzo Lopez is very dangerous.” Crowley warned.

“I know he is. I know that better than anyone. I’ll be extra careful.”

“So, you don’t want the protection detail.” Jamison huffed.

“No, I don’t want more people to know my whereabouts. I googled Chanel Taylor and found seven women with the name spelled exactly the way I spell it in Illinois. I didn’t show up in the search. I did like you said. I deleted all my social media accounts.” Even my LinkedIn profile.

“That was the best thing to do until he is back in custody.”

“I’m staying hidden. I really believe Lonzo left the country. It would be easier than coming after me.” I was talking too much. I wasn’t a cop, and I was trying to feed them this false narrative. I needed to shut the hell up before I said too much. Or worse, said something that would incriminate me and Zand.

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe he left the country. We have a warrant to trace some of his relatives’ phones and maybe he’ll try to contact one of them.”

“I hope so. I would sleep better if he was in custody.”

Jamison looked at me straight on. “Chanel, you have to be careful. Remember, there is footage of someone that looks like Alonzo passing a toll booth into this state.”

“I will. If anything suspicious happens, I will call you guys right away.”

“We’re going back to Minnesota soon. If you feel you’re in danger, call the local authorities.”

“I will.”

“Well, it’s good to see that you’re safe. We will give you an update as soon as we have more info on his whereabouts.”

“Thank you so much.” I just wanted this to be over.

“Do you have any questions for us?”

“No, I think I’m good. I’m still a little shocked that he escaped or disappeared or whatever.”

“We are going to do everything we can to find him.” Crowley ensured me.

I didn’t know what to say. “Until then, I’m going to be careful.”

“Okay, Ms. Taylor, that concludes our interview.”