Daylight was completely gone by the time they returned to One Police Plaza. Bobby estimated it was twenty hours since Mr. Chun had disappeared. If he was badly injured, his chances of survival were getting worse with every hour. Ross was on edge: he still hadn't received the go-ahead to trace Linda Russo's cell phone or open their records, despite frequent phone conversations with ADA Fredericks.
As soon as they reached MCS, Bobby looked up a number and made a call to the New Jersey State Police, asking for Captain Blondell, who had helped him and Eames with a case early in their partnership. Since that time they'd had a couple of opportunities to return the favor, and Bobby was sure he'd help them locate the Russos' address in Lavallette. Blondell wasn't in, so while he waited for the call back Bobby re-examined the information they'd learned throughout the day.
He thought he understood Gregory Russo's anger over missing out on the prime apartment, but there was a two month gap until the attack on Mr. Chun. Jae thought the Russos had cooled down after their initial outrage. If that was really the case, what had triggered Gregory's fury on Thursday night? Bobby began reading through the Chuns' statements and the notes he'd taken during the day, hoping for some fact to jump out at him.
When Eames' desk phone rang for the third time Bobby finally looked up from his binder. He stood, reached across their desks and picked it up. Where was she? He scanned the squad room as he lifted the receiver to his ear.
"Goren."
"Yeah, this is Miller from Forensics Lab. I have your preliminary results on the blood from the Chun crime scene."
Bobby grabbed his binder and stepped around the desks to sit in Eames' chair. "Go ahead."
"The blood's definitely from two different people," Miller said. "One is type O-positive – that's the one who lost the most blood. The info we got from the family is that Soon-Ki Chun is O-positive. The other blood is B-positive. It only showed up on the knife and a couple spots in the bathroom."
"Okay, thanks," Bobby said, writing as fast as he could. Eames and Ross appeared from the direction of the coffee room. She was holding two cups. Their eyes met across the squad room, and she immediately sped up on her way back. Bobby asked Miller, "What about the smudge of blood in the elevator?"
"That was…" He heard paper rustling. "That was your Mr. O-positive."
"Got it." Bobby nodded his thanks as Eames set down a cup of coffee for him. He hung up the phone and relayed the information to her and Ross.
Eames was standing beside him. She turned her laptop to face her and leaned down to work on it. "Let's see if we can find out Mr. Russo's blood type…." Bobby slid out of her chair and held it for her as she sat. Both he and the captain watched over her shoulder as she pulled up the web site for Motor Vehicles. She found Gregory Russo's driver's license information.
"There," she said, pointing to the screen. "His license is marked as an organ donor."
"Ah," Ross said, "so he should show up in the New York State organ donor database…."
Eames continued the sentence as she quickly clicked through screens. "…and it may list his blood type there."
While she was still working on access, Ross was called away by a uniformed officer, and Bobby's own phone rang. He jumped for it, hoping it was Captain Blondell, but it was a clerk from the District Attorney's office, notifying him of a court date for a case where he and Eames would be called on to testify.
As Bobby hung up the phone, Eames walked over to the printer in the corner. She came back waving a sheet of paper. "Care to guess Gregory Russo's blood type?"
Ross had seen her go for the printout, and he answered as he joined the detectives again. "Type B-positive?"
"That's one of the rarer blood types," Bobby said.
"Rare enough for the judge to speed up that search warrant?" Eames asked.
"It should be, unless he's holding out for a signed confession," Ross said, reaching for the paper from her. "Do you have that beach address in New Jersey?"
Bobby said, "We're waiting on a call back from the state troopers."
"You have a contact there?"
"Captain Richard Blondell," Bobby replied. "Eames and I first met him maybe… six years ago." He looked at his partner for confirmation.
"At least that long," she said. "We've been able to help each other out a few times since then."
"Good. Were the Jersey hospitals in that area already put on alert for Mr. Chun?"
"Yes, sir," Eames said. "We—"
"Goren, Eames!" There was a shout across the squad room. "You have a call on line three – cop from Jersey."
"That'll be Blondell," she said, heading toward the interview room. Bobby let Ross go next, and he closed the door behind him as he went in.
Eames set the phone in the middle of the table, pressed the speaker button, and made the introductions. "Thanks for taking our call, Captain," she said.
"I heard a while back that Jimmy Deakins retired," came Blondell's voice from the speaker. "How's he doing in the private sector?"
"He says he likes the hours better," Eames replied.
Blondell chuckled. "Who wouldn't? Please give him my regards when you talk to him."
"Will do, sir," she said.
"So! What can I do to help you?"
Bobby leaned closer to the phone. "Captain, we're working on the disappearance of the UN worker."
"Ah, you caught that case! I watched the press conference this afternoon."
"…and there's a person of interest we're trying to locate," Bobby continued. "He lives in Manhattan and also owns a vacation home in Lavallette. We think he's there now."
"…with your missing UN translator?" Blondell asked.
"That's what we're trying to determine," Ross said. "Captain, the NYPD would appreciate it if you can provide us with a street address in Lavallette for a Gregory and Linda Russo, and if you would accompany Detectives Eames and Goren on a visit there as soon as possible."
"Visit?"
"Well," Ross said with a glance at his detectives, "we should have a warrant issued within the hour, but at the moment…. You know how that goes."
"Right, I understand."
They explained the developments in their case, and Blondell promised to find and fax them the Russos' information. They arranged a meeting place at the Lavallette police station, where he'd have NJ Troopers meet them to provide an escort. He also offered to recheck the hospitals in the area for anyone matching Mr. Chun's description. Eames gave him their cell numbers, and they ended the call with thanks.
"It's going to take you an hour or more to get there," Ross said, looking at his watch. "Go ahead and start now. I'll text you the address when I get Blondell's fax, and I'll send him a copy of the search warrant when it comes through."
As the captain stood, his hand brushed against Eames' nearly empty cup and tipped it onto its side. A thin trickle of tea ran over the paper she'd been using to take notes. Ross apologized, but she shrugged it off as she calmly reached for a tissue to blot up the tea.
Bobby watched as the surface of the sheet of paper became ridged and warped. It reminded him of something they'd seen in the Russos' apartment. The answer finally clicked into place – that was it!
"Eames," he said, quickly reaching for the damp page. She must have sensed the urgency in his voice, because she looked up sharply. "Water damage," he said. "It's – that's what set off Russo's temper. That was the final straw."
"Water damage?" the captain said.
"That and money." Eames nodded slowly at Bobby. She turned toward Ross and said, "Linda's heirloom dining room table was recently ruined by a water leak from above," she said.
"Gregory came home last night," Bobby said, "took a look at the estimate to restore the table –"
"…probably an arm and a leg," Eames added.
"…and his temper exploded," Bobby said. "To him, it's the Chuns' fault."
"If he'd moved upstairs instead of them," she said, "the damage would never have happened."
Bobby continued. "He went upstairs to confront Mr. Chun."
"…and it escalated from there," Ross said. "Okay, get going. Be careful."
