The timeline, that was the key, that's what he needed to solve this case, Jesse thought.
Jonathan Pike was missing for two whole weeks, no phone calls, no sightings. Everyone just assumed he had gone under ground, maybe digging up something, he was afterall a C.I. From how the case had gone so far, the possibility that Jonathan had been under ground for two weeks didn't seem very plausible anymore. He was running away from something, the test that the coroner ran on his body proved that at least.
Missing for two weeks, then suddenly found dead with bruises and signs of torture. Pike was digging alright; his last known text said so:Meeting at the Black facility. If i don't come out, you know where to look.
Pike was supposed to meet someone, he was kidnapped and somehow he escaped and someone killed him.
Lieutenant Kennedy walked to Jesse's desk, "Surveillance video just came in from that warehouse"
Jesse was surprised,"How? I thought there were no cameras in the facility". Kennedy shrugged.
"This came in anonymously and I had it checked for authenticity first, turns out there are hidden cameras in the facility and someone has access to it"
That was enough for Jesse, hopefully there would be something on it that would blow the case wide open. "Have you seen what's on it?"
"I haven't". Kennedy plugged the drive into Jesse's laptop and played the only video on the drive. The video played, it was the warehouse alright, Pike ran in from the back, he was so out of breath. He was just running until he got to a much brighter part of the facility, there was someone there, he stopped as he walked into the light. It was the janitor at the warehouse, Elias Trent.
"That's the janitor!". Jesse exclaimed "He said he didn't work that day". Kennedy indicated for him to calm down and finish the video.
The video had no audio so the conversation that happened couldn't be heard but it could be seen that Pike said something that triggered Elias and Elias looked further into the darkness, Pike turned too and ran out of the warehouse, Elias followed him and the video ended.
"Son of a..." Jesse didn't complete the statement, Kennedy interrrupted.
"He must have bought his alibi". Kennedy was calm and dished out orders to get Elias' alibi to the station and for Elias' apartment to be visited and searched and Elias also be brought in for more questioning. Things moved fast.
After a little more drilling, his alibi flipped. Elias wasn't at home playing with his neighbour that night, he didn't come home at all till morning.
He wasn't at his apartment. He was gone! Somehow he knew his game was up and he fled, but his janitor's uniform was found and taken for examination. Blood was found on the uniform, it was tested and it matched Jonathan's blood.
Jesse tracked Elias through the city's underbelly, every nook and cranny- cheap motels, downtown low-life bars. The man was slippery, he tried his best to cover his tracks as he ran but he wan't smart enough, a man who left a body at a crime scene never was. Jesse found a bar where the waitress recognised him and confirmed that he had just left and he was seen going towards the abandoned train yard and he looked like he was waiting for someone and was in a hurry, she added.
Jesse made for the train yard. He caught a glimpse of movement, Elias saw him coming and bolted, darting between rusted and dented freight cars. Jesse gave chase, his boots pounding against the gravel, his breath sharp. The ground had turned slick due to the rain earlier but Elias stumbled first, Jesse tackled him and dragged him down.
"Get off me!" Elias snarled, thrashing but he couldn't break free from Jesse's unyielding grip.
"You killed him. Why?" Jesse barked. Elias gave no response, instead he continued to fight back. His energy drained quickly, his face crumpled with guilt.
"I didn't mean to," he gasped, out of breath. "He came out of nowhere- battered and bloody- said they were after him and i tried to help, i really did. But he...he refused to calm down, he had started to draw too much attention. If the dealers knew i was helping a snitch, they'd come for me next. I wasn't thinking, i just swung the wrench to shut him up but i swung too hard". His voice cracked. "He just dropped, and ..i..i panicked".
Jesse tightened his grip on the cuffs. "So you killed a man because you were scared"
Elias' eyes welled, Jesse didn't know if it was tears of regret, remorse or fear for his doomed future, he didn't care. Jesse hauled Elias to his feet. "You don't understand. nobody survives this city if they stand in the way." He was sobbing at this point.
"Pike did and you made sure it didn't matter. Elias Trent, you are under arrest for the murder of Jonathan Pike"
The confession went into record, airtight. Case closed, atleast on paper but to Jesse, it didn't feel like complete victory.
Later that night, Jesse found himself back at the gates of the Black estate. The rain was steadily pouring, drenching his coat as he pressed the intercom.
Deuce was the one who answered the door, Jesse was surprised. The expression on Deuce's face was calm as ever, a lingering question in his eyes. He let Jesse in and offered him a seat, Jesse declined.
Jesse hesitated, he looked around slightly before he spoke. "You were right, i was barking up the wrong tree here. Pike escaped the gang and a whiny selfish man finished what they started. Wrong place, wrong time and wrong name i guess". He exhaled, exhausted. "I accused you without any proof and that is on me"
Deuce said nothing, studied Jesse for about thirty seconds before he gave a slight nod. His expression was unchanging. "You were doing your job and you were only following the trail". Deuce said with a quiet demeanour. "The truth has a way of surfacing, Detective and that is what you were after. That is all that matters."
And for the first time, Jesse thought he caught something in Deuce's eyes. Not disdain, not coldness, not an absent gloom. Respect, it lasted only a second or two before Deuce led Jesse out and turned back inside.
Jesse stood in the rain for a while, he looked up to the sky wondering which was heavier- his badge, or the shadows it couldn't seem to reach.