"Benson!" Rollins speed-walks into the office, holding a stack of files.
"Yes? It's hardly 9 o'clock," Benson stands up from her work and runs over to join Fin, Amaro, and Carisi huddled around Rollins. "What's going on?" Benson asks.
"Missing kid," Rollins replies, "16 years-old, male, white, not too much on him,"
"Who, when, and where?" Amaro asks, opening his laptop.
"Judah Hepkins, went missing 27 hours ago from his home up in the Bronx,"
"Family?" Carisi takes a bite of his doughnut.
"That's where it gets complicated," Rollins opens the file, "he was born in Russia, but his mother's a US citizen so he has dual-citizenship. His parents were never married, but his mother, Alexa Balmer, married Gregory Balmer and had a son. His father moved back to the states a few years later and has been here ever since. But, a few months ago child protective services received an anonymous call saying the Judah was being abused by his mother, so he was moved in his father's custody. However, Judah had always been restricted from seeing his father, so when Judah went missing, so the father had no idea where Judah would go or who would take him,"
"What type of abuse was it?" Fin crosses his arms and looks at Rollins, who looks up from her paper, always somewhat intimidated by the large man.
"Neglect, they were denying him food," Rollins answers.
"Did you bring the mother and stepfather in for questioning?" Amaro asks.
"Yes, and the best friend, this girl named Miyoko María Barba, they'll be here soon," Rollins replies.
"Wait Barba? As in Rafael Barba?" Amaro asks.
"Yeah, Miyoko is his niece," Rollins closes the file, "and if you're wondering about the name, she's half Japanese,"
"Okay, what else should we know?" Carisi adjusts his suit and sits down at his desk pulling out a pen and paper.
"She tore my family apart," a voice from behind Benson makes her turn, "My brother only married her mother because she was pregnant," Rafael Barba stood behind the lieutenant, briefcase in hand and his jacket over his forearm.
"Hey Barba," Carisi greets the lawyer, "missing kid, nothing has gone to trial, what are you doing here?"
"Abusive parents, missing kid? Please, why are you even bringing María in?" Barba lays his briefcase on the extra desk the unit has set for him.
"Because she probably has a different perspective," Benson points out, "do you have a problem with that?"
"No," Barba looks down at his shoes, "But I would like the be the one the interview her,"
"We can't allow that," Benson snaps.
"You can, if someone else is there,"
"I'll do it," Carisi stands up, "Fin and Rollins with Alexa and Benson and Nick with Gregory."
While Carisi was speaking, a young woman had appeared through the doorway and walked over to the detectives, "Tío," (Uncle) she looks to Barba who turns towards her with a look of irritation.
"Mi pequeña sobrina," (My little niece) He smiles coldly at the young woman. Her Japanese features are blended with caramel skin and long thick brown hair to create quite a striking creature, but her brown eyes are cold.
"I was called in by Detective Rollins, about Judah," She looks to the detectives, trying to figure out which is Rollins.
"Yes, thank you for coming in," Rollins sticks out her hand and Miyoko takes it.
"Anything to find him," Miyoko's accent is Cuban, similar to her uncle's. She runs a hand through her hair, "You also told me that his mother and stepdad are coming? Yeah have fun with that,"
"What does that mean?" Benson tilts her head slightly, studying the young woman.
"Well considering how bad-shit crazy they are it'll be a miracle if they even show up,"
"Is that them?" Amaro nods towards the door, a small woman with red hair and holding a blonde toddler coming through the doors, followed by a larger man with long grey hair.
"Sestra!" the toddler smiles and squirms out of his mother's arms and runs towards Miyoko.
"Kodomo!" (Child) Miyoko picks up the boy and swings him around, placing him on her hip.
"My son ran away, it's no reason to call us in," Alexa shakes her head.
"Well considering that you lost custody of your son and months later he goes missing, tell me how that looks," Benson crosses her arms.
"Are you accusing us of hurting Judah?" Gregory pushes his wife behind him.
"No, we just want to ask you some questions," Amaro leads Gregory to a room and sits him down, closing the door behind him.
"Alexa, could you come with us please?" Rollins puts a hand on Alexa's back.
"Of course," Alexa turns to Miyoko, "my son, please," she reaches out her hands and Miyoko gingerly hands the boy back.
"María, come with us," Barba beckons Miyoko and she and Carisi follow the attorney into an interview room.
"Please sit," Carisi gestures to a chair and the young woman gingerly sits down.
"How long have you been friends with Judah?" Carisi opens a file and clicks a pen. Miyoko looks from Barba and Carisi and shrugs,
"Ever since he came to the states, about four years ago."
"And where did you grow up?" Carisi scribbles something on his paper. Miyoko raises her eyes to Barba, who's pacing back and forth behind Carisi,
"Preguntarle," (Ask him) she nods her chin at her uncle. Carisi looks up at Barba, who puts his hands in his pockets and stares at his niece.
"Born in Cuba and raised there in the winter and Japan in the summer. Well, until her mother died when she was 10, she then was send to a boarding school in America where she learned English, left boarding school and went to a public high school and this is where we are now,"
"¿Cómo sabes todo eso?" (How do you know all that?) Miyoko crosses her arms and glares up at her uncle.
"Porqué soy tu familia" (Because I'm your family) Barba glares down at Miyoko.
"Okay," Carisi glances from Barba to Miyoko ready to break up the family members, "Miyoko, did you make the call to child protective services?" Miyoko breaks her gaze from Barba and looks at Carisi, startled.
"How did you know?" Her eyes shift from the detective to the attorney.
"You really think those calls are anonymous?" Carisi asks.
"Yeah, I made the call, is there a problem with that?" Miyoko's voice becomes defensive, and so does her posture.
"Well we recorded the call, you seemed pretty worried, but now that he's gone missing, you seem… uninterested," Carisi leans over the desk. Miyoko leans back in her chair,
"It was probably his parents, and you have them here, so why should I worry?"
"The two of you are best friends, even so you should be pretty worried," Carisi twirls the pen in his hand. Miyoko sighs and studies the wall.
"He's a smart kid, he'll be okay," Miyoko ran her hands through her hair. Carisi sighs and stands up and folding the file in his hands.
"Okay, well you know where we are if you care to tell us the truth. Barba," Carisi beckons the attorney to accompany him out the door, leaving Miyoko with her chin in her hands, staring at the wall.
Hey, so I know people hate AN so I'll try to make this short, I've only seen seasons 14-17, so this fic is the season 16 cast. Anyway, comments are always appreciated (as is constructive feedback) lots of love, -Axel