Finally Monday and we're blessed with a beautiful rain that will clean up some of the mess left behind from the weekend. Time to rest those weary bones of mine and get back to writing.
Steve felt a wave of adrenaline rush through his body as he slammed on the breaks, making the large Galaxy slide into an open parking spot behind the black and white squad car on Sunset Boulevard.
A curious group of onlookers had gathered around the police cars with flashing lights, their attention now turned towards the tan sedan as both Detectives exited and marched in the direction of the two uniforms.
"Homicide. Lieutenant Stone, Inspector Keller.", Mike introduced them curtly and pointed towards the street, "Where'd you lose him?"
"About a block down south on the west side. Right past the hot dog stand. I swear he was there one minute and gone the next.", the heavier set officer explained and shrugged in frustration, "I think he really knows his way around this area, Lieutenant."
Mike nodded in dissatisfaction and let his bright blue eyes wander down the road. Steve could hear the gears grinding underneath that gray fedora and waited patiently until the Lieutenant looked back up.
"Ok, let's get Sorrenson on the radio. I want a 1 mile perimeter around the area. See if he can give me at least six units.", stern but cordial as usual, Mike directed his order towards the two officers, before turning around to face is partner, "Steve, let's go for a walk down the road. I want to find out what his options are for a hiding place."
Surprised, Steve obeyed and followed his partner down the sidewalk, as the crowd of onlookers stood in confusion.
"What's on your mind?", he mumbled, only to watch Mike smile faintly.
"Oh, I was just thinking…the whole west side is a pretty ritzy area for a twenty-one-year-old to hide in over a prolonged period of time, right?"
When Steve nodded, his partner grasped his elbow to slow his pace and make him turn towards him.
"There are no homeless shelters in the area. And I bet all these fancy houses here get locked up pretty good at night…so where would he be comfortable hiding at?"
"Well, the only other thing down here besides residential areas are the touristy shops and all that."
"Exactly.", Mike proclaimed, as his eyes widened in excitement, "Remember how he took the stairs and then disappeared back at the park? It didn't make sense to me until just now, but all this time we were looking for him, we focused on alleys and townhouses. We didn't even think to check out the basements close by."
Looking down at his charcoal suit and beige dress shirt, Steve pondered for a second.
"Yeah, but wouldn't they be locked up as well? I mean, people would store merchandise in them, wouldn't they?"
The warm hand on his elbow grasped a bit tighter, as Mike's smile brightened.
"Well, let me tell you about a little secret I learned from my time back in robbery…when it comes to home security, most people just worry about their houses. They never even stop to think about the valuables that might be hiding in their backyard shed until it gets broken into. And many times, those sheds make for a much more attractive target due to lack of security measures and people on site. The same goes for these basements."
"So, you think Dylan finds unlocked basement doors across the west side and just sneaks in as needed? I guess I have to admit, it wouldn't be the first place I'd check. Clever place to hide in for sure."
Mike's smile grew even wider as he leaned forward in glee.
"You want to hear something even better? With the rain stopping just an hour ago, I bet we will see some wet footprints by the entrance of whichever basement he chose to hide in…"