The percolator in the kitchen was brewing away eagerly and yet Jeannie had lost her taste for coffee by now, instead resorting back to her curled up position on Mike's recliner.
With a damp napkin in one hand, she wrapped her arms around her chest, holding onto herself for lack of anything else that was helping her throughout the chaos that was currently unfolding.
Staring straight ahead and ignoring the TV with the volume turned down low, she tried to calm her senses by training her nose to pick up the faint scent of Mike's aftershave lingering throughout the house, her avid mind recalling the softness in his voice and the warmth of his touch.
With a dreadful sigh she checked the clock again, woefully realizing it was going on 11pm. Still too many hours to go before anybody would even bother looking for Mike and Steve.
All rational arguments aside, the decision made her feel sick to her stomach, the utter lack of care and empathy toward her father's and Steve's suffering completely unfathomable.
Perhaps there was a chance that another officer could get hurt, but at this point, the chance of San Francisco Homicide's two star-detectives ending up dead because of unnecessary tardiness from sides of those who should be helping was far bigger.
Her eyes travelled back to the TV when the image changed to that of Mike and Steve, the title below reading "Two Officers dead, two officers missing. SFPD struggling with latest murder case".
Despite her better judgement, Jeannie got up and turned the volume up, her eyes glued to the image of her father, taken from the file photo of his police credentials. It made him look serious, deep in thought.
To those who didn't know him, he looked like somebody you wouldn't want to mess with.
Steve's photo made her chuckle inwardly, the bright eyes staring back at the camera still so full of youthful joy and mischievousness. Who could have ever imagined that a partnership between the unlikely souls would work out so beautifully?
"Tonight, officials from the San Francisco Police Department still struggle to make sense of the disturbing double homicide that happened earlier this morning, claiming the lives of Patrol Sergeant Frederick Tempo and Emilio Villaneuva in a car fire that has since been deemed to be caused by an explosive device. Insiders have hinted at the possibility that Tempo and Villaneuva were protecting a witness to a highly complex killer case investigated by Lieutenant Michael Stone and Inspector Stephen Keller from the homicide division, both of whom disappeared without a trace just a few hours later. Although Police Chief John Conden adamantly refused to comment; it is believed that the witness under protection was also kidnapped. As of right now, SFPD has not released any further information regarding the case or any progress that has been made, leaving us to wonder about the whereabouts of these detectives. We do urge you to report any suspicious activity to the hotline listed below, no matter how benign you think it may be. I think I can speak for all residents of the Bay Area when I say that this is turning into one of the most haunting events this city has ever seen. Tonight, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Sergeant Tempo, Sergeant Villaneuva, Lieutenant Stone and Inspector Keller. We will keep you informed of any progress in the ongoing investigation."
It would be almost an hour before Jeannie finally stopped crying.