Chapter 4.
In Miami a nervous Horatio was pacing up and down the hallway of the crime lab. He hadn't heard from Calleigh in weeks and now he was starting to get worried. He had tried calling a dozen times, but just got the machine.
Finally he called her father only to learn that she had gone missing after the night she went out. They hadn't heard from her since and the police hadn't done much to find her either. As Horatio hung up, he knew something was very wrong. And he knew he had to get over there.
"Horatio, glad I found you, I've been wondering have you heard from Calleigh lately as I can't seem to get a hold of her," he heard Eric say.
"She has gone missing," said Horatio with a heavy sigh.
"What do you mean, it's Calleigh, she can't just end up missing," said Eric, looking at him with shocked eyes.
"Yet she has, no one has seen or heard from her after that night she went out. They have reported her missing, but there isn't much effort put into it to find her," said Horatio, looking at his former brother-in-law.
"So exactly how long has she been gone?" Eric asked.
"Seventy days," said Horatio.
"How can you be sure she is even alive," said Eric.
"It's Calleigh, she is an exceptional woman so I am sure whatever happened she would still be alive, the question is where and in what condition," he answered.
"When are you going?" Eric asked, as if he already assumed he would.
"On the next flight, which should be in five hours, are you coming?" Horatio asked.
"I am yes, but I have to take care of a thing. I'll meet you at the airport," he said and rushed out, leaving Horatio even more worried that before.
It was the next day that Horatio was arguing with the police chief in Louisiana, as he didn't seem to think as woman like Calleigh could just go missing. He thought a guy had picked her up and she had gone with him or something like that. Horatio argued that that was highly unlikely. Frustrated the Lieutenant said that if they wouldn't look for her he would, and the Chief said he was more than welcome to do so.
As he left Horatio cursed over the fact that they wouldn't do anything and that he was there alone as Eric cancelled last minute because his mother got sick. He had no idea how and where he should even start looking.
He just started wandering the streets of Louisiana hoping he would find her somehow.
It was nightfall and a tired redhead was still walking along. The creatures of the day were slowly disappearing and now it was the creatures of night's turn to come out. Party people and hooker slowly started to come out spite the fact it was early. The hookers did after all have to work like everyone else.
He looked at them, feeling a bit sorry that they had to earn what they needed for life that way. In most cases they wouldn't see much of what they made, as it would go to their pimps. They all looked tired and as they didn't want to be there.
He sighed and was about to walk away when something caught his eye. A blonde hooker, wearing a miniskirt in black leather and a top where you could see most of her. She looked really sad, like she had lost all hope. It was something familiar about her, he couldn't quite put his finger on it at first, but then he saw it. It was Calleigh. His Calleigh.
"How on earth?" he thought.
He slowly approached her to not seem suspicious in any way. Just like a man that wanted a number.
"How much a night?" he asked very polite.
"It's five hundred an hour and couple of big ones a night," she said without looking up.
"Isn't that a bit much?" he asked, shocked by how expensive it really was.
"If you don't want her, move along, we got work to do," he heard a male voice say.
"I'll take her for the night, hopefully she's worth it, cash up front or after?" he asked.
"Up front, you can take her where and how you like, but make sure she's back here by six at the latest," he said.
"Of course," said Horatio and paid up, before taking Calleigh to his hotel to deal with her there.
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