They pulled up outside the detached two-story apartment that wasn't situated far from Horatio's place. Horatio observed the sand-coloured apartment that he passed every day on his drive to work. I may have seen her around? Could that be where I know her name from? Horatio wondered as they both climbed out of the large, sweltering hummer and slammed the doors shut. Horatio stood by the door for a moment with his hands on his hips. He took a deep breath while his eyes observed the calm residence. I've definitely seen this woman before, I'm sure of it. I'm sure I know her from somewhere. Think old man! Horatio thought as he began to belittle himself out of frustration of being unable to recall why her name seemed so familiar.
"H?" Eric called to gently lull Horatio from his thoughts once he'd stopped by his boss's side. Horatio looked back to Eric and then gave him a small nod to indicate his acknowledgement. Both he and Eric ambled then up the path with caution. Horatio looked to left to see the tidy front yard, everything had its place, not even a petal from a flower littered the soil in the flower beds around the edge of the yard. He looked down the street and examined the other yards that were tidy, but the grass was dead. Not one patch on her grass had perished in the dry, blistering weather that they'd experienced that week.
"Her vehicle is here, H," Eric pointed out as they walked past the black Audi R8 convertible which sat on their right on the large drive. Horatio stopped by the vehicle and peered in through the slightly tinted windows. The interior was spotless, with only one empty can of soda in the cup holder behind the transmission. He stood back up and looked over to Eric as he checked out the back of the car. I've seen the car around, I'm sure of it. Horatio thought as Eric stooped down onto his hands and knees and looked under the car. He could feel the scalding asphalt below his hands and knees as well as the beating intensity of the heat bouncing off the metal work from the vehicle.
"H, you're going to want to see this, she's got a tracker," Eric said as he sat up and knelt by the exhaust. Horatio pulled his sunglasses off and then knelt beside Eric to look at the tracker underneath the car. "Someone has been targeting her," he said as he looked to Horatio and stood back up with him as Horatio nodded and slipped his sunglasses back on. He placed his hands on his hips as he turned back to the large apartment. Well, it looks like a place that a doctor would live. Horatio thought as his eyes wandered the structure, studying the details. He noticed that all the blinds seemed to be closed, when any normal person would have them open during the day. If she's been abducted, it's entirely possible that she was taken at night, perhaps after she got in from work? Horatio pondered as he slowly made his way over to the white front door with Eric following closely. He knocked loudly and stepped back from the door.
"Miami Dade police, open up," he said firmly and clearly while Eric placed his hand on the gun that sat upon his hip. Horatio glanced back to Eric before he pulled his sunglasses off and held them in his left hand as he stepped to the side and peered through one of the windowpanes that ran the length of the door, either side. He squinted through the net curtain that hung the other side to give privacy, but didn't see any movement. Nothing. Horatio thought as he stepped back and took hold of the door handle. He turned it, but the door was locked. That's not surprising really. He reflected as he pressed his lips together with concern evolving in his eyes.
"There could be forced entry around the back, I'll check it out," Eric said as he pulled his gun from the holster and backed away from the porch. Horatio also pulled his gun from his holster when he felt a slither of dread materialise in his stomach. He watched Eric stalk around the side of the apartment silently and lowly. Horatio backed off himself as his eyes searched the front of the 2 story building. He side-stepped in front of the garage with his eyes looking for anything that could open it, such as a key pad, but he couldn't see anything.
He felt something under his heel and stopped as he glanced down and lifted his foot. He raised his eyebrows when he realised he'd accidentally stepped on the control for the garage. That was a stroke of luck, me… and a stroke of luck? He thought as he bent down and picked it up before he pressed the button to open the garage door. He glanced back to the car and realised why they hadn't seen it before as they didn't check out the other side of the car and the tyre had concealed it when looking under the vehicle. He placed the remote on the back of the Audi, then felt the sting of the scalding metal work bite his fingertips. He quickly looked back to the garage and raised his gun with his finger on the trigger, ready for anything as the garage slowly opened.
He stepped forwards when he couldn't see any threat and entered the dark, empty garage. Natural light flooded the garage once the door was fully open and allowed a gentle, warm breeze to whip around. He stepped up to the door that led to the house and took hold of the door handle. He quickly turned it and then pushed the door open with his gun at the ready. He felt a surge of chilled air rush out of the apartment and mix with the humid garage air. The air-conditioning has been left on for some time. He thought as he stepped in and onto the plain, white tiled flooring of the main hall. To his left the front door with a neat shoe rack and table with general items placed. He looked to his right and saw the living area, with an archway for the doorway with no door.
Everything seemed neat and nothing disturbed. He stepped further into the hall and observed every detail he could. This seems like quite a plain house, a few pieces of art work, and everything has a place. It doesn't even look lived in. He thought as he opened a door on his right and looked in to what appeared to be an immaculate guest room. He left the door open and continued through the long, brightly lit hall when he saw Eric looking around the very large open plan kitchen at the back of the house.
"H, there's evidence of a break in, the lock on the double doors has been damaged, and the doors were open," Eric whispered over to Horatio who nodded at him and gestured to the end door on the left of the kitchen while he approached the closer door on his left. Both opened the doors fast with their guns still drawn. Horatio looked into the study; the only room that looked lived in so far. Papers, books and a laptop were sprawled across the desk. He glanced around to see hundreds of books on two large bookshelves that covered the side walls. He stepped back to see Eric stepping out of the end room.
"It's a bathroom," Eric said quietly and Horatio nodded as his eyes drew him to the wooden spiral staircase in the very corner of the kitchen on the right. He began to make his way through the large, brightly lit kitchen but stopped when something caught his eye.