"Yes?"
"Phillip Santiago, Harbor Community Division. I've been told you would be my contact when it comes to Christina Brown."
"Depends on. What can I do for you?"
"The question is more whether I can do something for you. Or my colleagues. We want to help. I know the case has been handed over to you, but ... I was sent in advance, so to speak, to see if we might be able to help you. No matter how. But when I look around here, there are so many people walking around we would just stand in the way."
"At the moment all teams are here, including those who are not on call. We want to get this guy and find Christina Brown alive if possible. - Have a seat," he offered him the chair across from him.
Santiago slid into the seat.
"Do you have a trace of Christie yet?"
"Do you know her personally?"
"Yes. The whole neighborhood knows her and her husband. They have been helping everywhere and all the time since they moved here three years ago. Although I still know Christie from childhood. I grew up a few houses next to her late grandmother's."
Santiago looked genuinely concerned.
"We spoke to José Sanchez, he said something similar. The Browns are very involved in the neighborhood. Unfortunately there are only a few people like them. To answer your question: We have only some small tracks so far, but more than ever before. The kidnapper is identified. Do you know the bus rider cases?"
"Damn it, he's the kidnapper? F ** k! He cleared his throat. "Sorry."
"I take that as yes. We have a name and a picture. At the moment there is a large-scale search for possible vehicles, he has parked the first one. It has been found abandoned and empty. At the moment we hope for new leads."
"There's nothing worse than having to sit and wait."
"Tell me about it. Sean Brown is currently unreachable in Afghanistan. Do you know if there are any relatives left? If we find Christina ... "
He saw Santiago shake his head. "Christina's parents broke with her when she joined the Navy. They haven't talked to each other in twenty years, I don't think they'll even care now. Sean's mother died of cancer, his father unknown. Both have no siblings. There are only a bunch of people in San Pedro who are worried about them, but no more relatives."
"Mhm. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do here at the moment. - Chris!", Hondo called his colleague, who was just walking down the hall. She turns and came to him. "Yes, boss?"
"This is Officer Santiago with Harbor Community Division. Please get him a copy of everything we already have and the photo of East."
She only looked briefly at the man in civvies, then nodded. "I'll be right back."
She jogged to the operations center and was back minutes later with a USB stick. "Here you are."
"Thank you, officer. Your boss called you Chris? "
"Christina Alonso. Coincidence, "she added. "Do you still need me? Otherwise I'll go back helping Street, I only had a short meal."
"No thanks, Chris. Don't forget to feed him too, will you? "
"Roger that, boss." She tapped her forehead in greeting and disappeared back into the operations center.
"Thank you, Sergeant," said Santiago and put the USB stick in his pocket. He took a card out of his pants. "Call me, if we can be of help, will you?"
Hondo took the card and handed one of his to Santiago. "That's okay. We'll keep you up to date. Good ride."
They said goodbye with a handshake, then Hondo stopped a passing uniform and ordered him to take Santiago to the exit. He went around and had his colleagues summarize the new leads they didn't have. Vandellis team was on standby, Mumford and his people were working with various others in the headquarters' rooms.
At eleven thirty he gathered his own team, only Street didn't get away from the monitor, and they went on a long run.
Without a word they ran several kilometers through the nocturnal streets.
Back at headquarters, he asked Deacon, "Don't you want to go home to your family? I mean, as long as nothing groundbreaking happens here?"
Deac shook his head. "I spoke to Annie on the phone for a while earlier. She knows roughly what this is about and wants me to stay. The Browns may not have children, but no woman deserves this. She is fine, the baby too, her mother is there to help her."
"It's not easy for a cop's wife, but yours is a special one."
"I never doubted that. Do you want to pick up a cot from the storage room? "
"That was the plan. I was just thinking about where to build quarter."
"I thought of the hall next to the workshop. Close, but little traffic coming through."
"Good idea," said Hondo and turned on the water in the shower.
The smell of coffee and the feeling of being watched woke up Hondo. He had spent a long time in twilight brooding before falling asleep. He opened his eyes and searched for the source of the smell.
"Here." Jessica held out his thermo mug. She had brought another cup which she held out to Deac.
"Thank you. Is there anything new? Apart from the fact that you are back? "He took a sip from the mug and checked his watch. Ten past six. "And that pretty early."
"On the flight I first read the situation report and then fell asleep. I was just at the operations center. Street looks like he had pulled an all-nighter. You should give him a nap. And there is some news we find somewhat ... surprising. "
"I'll take care of Street in a moment," Hondo said, decided that the coffee had done it's work, and stood up. "What's the surprise?"