Alert!
Trying his best to untangle himself from Lucy without disturbing her, John Nolan reaches for his phone to check the alert. A 5-year-old autistic boy, Evan Mayfield, has gone missing. John gets any Amber Alert that's issued, but this one is within his own patrol area. Lucy stirs as he gets up. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you."
"I heard the alert, John. Cop ears, I couldn't miss it any more than you could."
John throws his feet over the side of the king-sized bed. "I started getting Amber Alerts long before being a cop ever entered my mind. Not long after Henry was born, a little girl disappeared who only lived five blocks away from us. Her body was found in the gutter two days later. She'd been raped and stabbed. Lucy, she was 6 years old. I still don't understand what kind of a monster could rape a 6-year-old. It could have been Henry who was hurt or dead somewhere. My first thought for most of his life has always been, it could be Henry. So I still get the alerts.
"Most of the time there's nothing I can do but say a prayer, but there is today. We need to find that boy, and no matter what else Bishop has me doing, my eyes are going to be wide-open for any sign of him."
Lucy is nervous as she eases into the passenger seat of her shop. It's not just that with Bradford every single second is a test. Really, what other cop would be enough of an asshole to steal her weapon while she was on the john? He could have just reminded her to secure it, but he seems to get off on embarrassing her. Still, she's more worried about his obsession with his ex-wife.
When she first started training with him, she thought the constant motion of his eyes meant he was alert to any crimes that might be occurring. She had no idea that he was always searching for the former cop whose job had turned her into a drug addict. The whole thing makes Lucy furious. If the condition Isabel is in is job-related, then the department should be responsible for helping her. Apparently, it hasn't worked out that way - or maybe Isabel refused the help from the L.A.P.D. just like she refuses any help from Bradford - except for his money.
Whatever is driving Isabel, her effect on Lucy's T.O. could get them both killed. The last thing Lucy needs is a partner she can't trust - even if she does feel sorry for him. She's also worried about John. He puts his whole heart into everything, especially when kids are involved. She knows he will give his all to find Evan, and if the boy turns up dead, John will be shattered.
Her life would be a lot easier now if she didn't have to worry about men. John is worth it - she hopes. He makes her feel cared for and cherished, something she never felt from her parents or any of the guys she dated along the way. Unfortunately, Bishop is pressuring her to let John go for the sake of her career. As erratically as Bradford has been behaving, she doesn't even know if she'll have a career to wreck. John is her refuge, besides being damn good in bed. Not only does he want her to get off as much as he wants to get there himself, but he also does his best to make sure that she does. And the fact that he can hold out a lot longer than the younger guys she dated is a definite plus, and she doesn't want to give it up.
She makes careful note of the street signs. If Bradford asks her where they are again, she's damn well going to be able to tell him. And she's also going to request her break somewhere that has a ladies room Bradford can't sneak into. If a hand reaches for her weapon again, it's going to get tased.
John wants nothing more than to let his eyes search every sidewalk and storefront. Unfortunately, with his disastrous recent history of vehicle damage, he needs to keep his focus on the road. If he spots Evan, it will have to be in his peripheral vision. Or maybe not at all. Something is happening on a street corner up ahead, and it doesn't look good. The argument between the two women is heated. If that just meant competition for whose cupcakes would sell better at a bake sale their tiff wouldn't be anything to worry about, but in this neighborhood, the women carry knives, and not just for divvying up baked goods.
He pulls over, gives a tiny toot on his siren and leaves the lights on top of the shop flashing. "What seems to be the problem, ladies?"
One of the women snorts. "She ain't no goddam lady, she's a fuckin' ho, shovin' herself at my man."
"Didn't take no shovin'" the other woman, argues. "That man is hot, and the last thing he needs is a frigid mama."
John pushes himself into the middle as the women lunge at each other, fingernails poised to draw blood. "Look, you two are not going to settle this that way. Where is the object of your affections?" He points to a nearby bar. "In there?"
The door opens, and a heavily-muscled man with tattoos on his neck and arms strolls out, with another woman hanging around his neck. The first two screech almost in unison, running at him.
John gulps. "Oh no!"
Bishop's yell of, "Hey!" echoes off the sidewalk and the surrounding buildings. She holds up her Taser. "Next one who makes a move, gets this." She points at the female draped man. "You get back inside." She nods toward the women. "And you two, obviously his worthless ass isn't worth either of your time, and you sure don't want to go to jail for him. So I'm giving you a chance to walk away - in opposite directions. And to make sure, Officer Nolan and I are going to watch you go."
John blows out a breath as he settles back behind the wheel of the shop. His relief is short-lived. "Nolan, do you know how stupid that was?" Bishop demands.
"What?"
"Getting between those women. Pissed as they were about men, they could have ripped the skin off your face or worse, grabbed your weapon. You give anyone that chance again, you may not live through your shift."
"Understood," John accepts, starting the shop. He makes it five blocks before braking to a sudden halt. "Bishop, do you see that? Behind the corner of that building, you can just see a little bit of a head and a hand over the ear. My son Henry was a peer tutor to an autistic kid in his class who was always putting his hands over his ears because the noise overwhelmed him. The traffic on this street, the copters flying overhead could do that. That could be Evan. I'm going to find out before he takes off."
John comes as close as he can to the scared child, moving as quietly as he's able. At first, he can't understand, when the boy trills, "Nay bo hoo."
Suddenly, John gets it and softly starts to sing. "A policeman is a person in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood. A policeman is a person in your neighborhood, a person that you see each day."
Evan grins and points to John. "Pee man. Nay boo."
"That's right, Evan," John assures him. "I'm a policeman. I'm your neighbor. Want to see my police car?"
Evan bounces up and down flapping his arms, then follows John back to the shop while Bishop calls in.
Lucy props her chin on John's bicep. "You did it. You found Evan Mayfield and got him back to his parents safe and sound."
John turns to her, plunging his fingers into her hair to bring her face to his for a kiss. "It is nice to know that all of those hours watching Sesame Street with Henry didn't go to waste. Janice Mayfield said that Evan is hooked on the videos, and his favorite character is Oscar the Grouch. I'm glad I didn't have to climb into a trash can. You know what Sergeant Grey would have said if I messed up my uniform."
"Screw Grey!"
John wraps his leg around Lucy. "I can think of much better ways to spend my time."
She reaches up to put her arms around his neck and press her body to his. "Yeah, so can I."