Chapter 37
The cold hit them like a slap in the face—Chicago’s winter showed no mercy.
Finn and Capes had been going around taking testimonies from folks who had submitted complaints about Jack Dunham.
They were collecting affidavits to be extra prepared for the trial, but they were confident their findings only confirmed what the team already knew.
But Finn and Capes weren’t done. They had one more name.
One more door. That door belonged to Jack Dunham.
“We need to do a stakeout at Jack’s house and watch for his wife, Corrine, to come out,” said Capes firmly.
Finn nodded. “If anyone knows the truth about Jack, it’s his wife.”
They hopped in their car and headed toward the Dunham household.
They pulled up to a modest but well-kept two-story home nestled on the edge of a quiet neighborhood.
After an hour or so of waiting, a small white SUV pulled into the driveway driven by a middle-aged woman who seemed to be wearing life’s struggles on her shoulder.
Finn and Capes approached her before she got to the front door.
“Mrs. Dunham, I’m Officer Finn Doyle, and this is Investigator Brent Capers. We just have a few questions—it won’t take long.”
Corrine hesitated, then turned to face them. As she did, she told the children to go on into the house. Then she waited on the porch as Finn and Capes joined her.
The conversation that followed was layered with hesitation, grief, and hints of buried truth. Corrine was careful—too careful—like someone who’d spent years learning how to speak without really saying anything.
Finn began, “We know that officer-involved shootings can be traumatic for everybody. This one is impacting my fellow police officers and law enforcement agencies throughout the region. As you may have seen on the news, Hollis Montrose was also a police officer.” He paused here to see if she would have any kind of response or reaction.
When she remained quiet, he continued. “We’re speaking with Officer Montrose’s family, along with the families of the other officers involved.
That’s why we’ve come to speak with you today.
Have you noticed whether your husband may be experiencing any mental health issues? ”
“Jack is the same always, every day,” Corrine replied.
Capes chimed in, “What about any heightened emotional responses or more aggressive behavior in his day-to-day life?”
“No. Like I said, Jack’s the same Jack as he always is, every day.”
Finn said, “Are you aware of whether he’s taken advantage of any of the mental health services that the department offers?”
“I am not aware. We don’t talk about his work much. We try to leave his work at work and not let it affect our family life.”
Finn nodded his head. “I see. Thank you very much for your time, ma’am.”
Before they left, Capes reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a card. He handed it to her slowly, holding her gaze.
“If anything else comes to mind, anything at all,” he said, “please don’t hesitate to call me day or night. Doesn’t matter what time it is. We’re only trying to get to the truth of what happened here for the benefit of all involved.”
Corrine took the card but didn’t say a word. She just nodded, her fingers curling tightly around the edges.
Back in the car, Finn audibly exhaled. “She’s hiding something.”
Capes stared out the window. “Yeah. And I think whatever it is, it’s big.”