Chicago PD Season 13 Episode 7 Recap: Bell’s Secrets and Imani’s Shocking Final Moments

The episode starts with a 911 call about an attempted burglary just two blocks from Raymond Bell’s house. Raymond Bell is the father from a couple of episodes before that Voight knows something is wrong. Voight made sure to be told about any criminal activity in and around that neighborhood. When the officers arrive, they find a woman frightened and glass is broken. Voight questions her. She says she heard someone banging and when she heard the glass break she licked herself in her bathroom. Voight notices a ring camera and asks for the footage. The victim is so scared she forgot about the camera. She pulls up the footage. In the video there is a man he’s desperate to get help before disappearing into the night. It’s Michael Murray, and his injuries are serious enough that the team can tell right away something darker is at play. They can tell he was trying to escape and someone was following him. 

The investigation begins slowly. Pod cameras and cell tower data give them nothing, and neighbors provide only fragmented details. A silver sedan seen speeding away raises eyebrows, it matches the car Bell drives. The team starts digging into anyone connected to Bell, including Aaron Compton, a man with a suspicious hand injury from years ago.  Compton has mental health issues, but is clear that the Bell family is evil. They find him living in an abandoned CTA station, terrified and damaged by past abuse. He tells them about missing fingers, phantom pain, and ghosts in Bell’s house, including a nurse who vanished years ago. Compton says he saw her brought in, but she never left. Aaron doesn’t have evidence they can use, but his story is the first hint that Bell might be hiding a long history of disappearances. Voight still pushes. Aaron says I was once paid to build a wine cellar in the basement, but they never drank or had any wine. 

Meanwhile, Julie Bell ends up in the hospital with injuries she claims came from falling out of a tree. Officer Imani and Child Services check on her. Julie speaks in a quiet, rehearsed way, almost like she’s been coached, describing events exactly as Bell wants them told. When asked about the house, she mentions a ghost named Aurelia in the basement and another girl named Marie. Raymond is outside of the hospital room with Voight. Raymond insists she “tell the truth,” but nothing she says can be acted on legally. It’s so strange how Raymond and Julie’s stories match exactly. Imani pushes a little too hard and child protective services warn her she is going too far. Imani puts her phone number in Julie’s phone and tells her if she ever needs help to call her. 

Tension spikes when Julie sends a message to Imani that seems like a cry for help. The team acts immediately, bringing Bell into the district under the guise of “new information.” He comes in confident, thinking he can outsmart them, but cracks start to show. At first, he denies ever being near the Englewood park where Aurelia Sloan disappeared, but later describes the playground, surrounding area, and even the spots where the homeless sleep. His knowledge directly ties him to the last known location of a missing girl. Voight hopes this information will help because when he went to the ASA prior they told him it wasn’t enough they needed more evidence. 

Still, the evidence isn’t enough to arrest him. With the new information secured the ASA approves a GPS tracker on his car, the team’s only legal option to follow him without tipping him off. It’s tense. Julie is still in the house, potentially in danger, and the team can only wait for Bell to make another move. Officer Imani checks on Julie one last time before leaving, but the girl doesn’t respond, leaving the sense that time is slipping away.

By the end of the episode, Bell’s arrogance and control are clear, and the team is forced to work with patience and strategy. Every move feels calculated, the stakes are high, and the tension is almost unbearable. It’s a slow burn, but the clues are finally falling into place, and the team is closer than ever to proving Bell’s dangerous history, and keeping Julie safe.

This episode ends without the payoff. Much like many of the episodes this season. We know this is the winter finale and this story will be revisited. Imani goes to Raymond Bell’s home while admirable, it’s not smart. No one knows where she is. She breaks in, trying to help Julie. We never see Julie, but we see Imani going all through the home looking for her and calling her name. In the end Imani turns around and shirt over her head. Fade to black!! We don’t know who hit her or what is going to happen. We will have to wait until January to see if officer Imani survives. 

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