5. IN SEARCH OF EVIDENCE.
Alexx came into the lab. "Calleigh, where's Horatio?"
Calleigh turned around. "We don't know. He hasn't checked in yet and he isn't answering his cell phone."
Alexx frowned. "He hasn't said he had somewhere to be this morning?"
Speedle shook his head. "Not to me."
"For as long as I know him, H has never been late without giving an excuse," Eric said, a worried frown etched on his face.
Speed wasted no time as he grabbed the keys. "Track his cell phone. Alexx, come. We're going to check his house."
Calleigh nodded in agreement. If anything had happened, Alexx was the person you'd want nearby. She was the medic after all.
Eric was already on the phone, not even looking as his two partners left in a hurry. "Carlo, it's me. I need a favor. Can you track Lt. Caine's cell phone? We need to know where he is."
Calleigh waited anxiously while she tried to find clues that might help them locate their boss and mentor. Where was he?
"What did you say, Carlos? Can you be a little more specific?" Eric asked. "Okay. Thanks. I owe you one." With that he broke the connection and turned to Calleigh. "Let's go."
She rushed after him. "What did he say?" she asked.
Eric didn't slow down. "That the phone isn't moving..."
Wondering whether that was good or bad, Calleigh jumped into Eric's car. Eric got in as well, started the engine and sped into traffic. "It's somewhere in Biscayne Boulevard. It's at least thirty minutes from here."
"Step on it," Calleigh urged. "You think we need to call Tripp?"
Eric concentrated on the road. His face set to a grim mask, he answered. "If Speed doesn't find him home and we don't find him here, we'll have to."
Twenty minutes later they left the I-95 and were heading east onto 79th Street as Calleigh's phone rang.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Cal, H is not at home," Speed said to her. "The Hummer isn't here either."
"Okay," Calleigh acknowledged. "We have a location on his phone and are almost there. Biscayne Boulevard."
"How did he leave yesterday?" Speed asked. "What did he say?"
"He sent me home late in the afternoon. He was going to talk to Dean Hernandez at Cabrerra University," Calleigh explained.
"We'll go over there and see if Hernandez knows anything," Speed decided. "Check back with me when you have something."
"I will." Calleigh broke off. "They're going to the University. Horatio went there yesterday afternoon," she filled Eric in.
Eric nodded and parked the car. "This is it. I have no idea what H might be doing here... let's walk and see what we find."
They got out, grabbed their field kits and started walking down the street. They searched the pavement, hoping to find a trace, and looked at every building, to see if it brought any connection to where Horatio might be.
"Call him," Calleigh said suddenly. "We might hear the phone."
Eric had already dialed. They stood absolutely still, cursing at the noise the traffic made.
"Nothing. Let's walk a bit further and try again," Eric suggested.
They repeated the process and only at the third attempt they were lucky. It took them only a few strides to reach a dustbin. Calleigh lifted the top and the sound of the cell phone was immediately much clearer.
They looked at each other. "We need to treat this as a crime scene," Calleigh said, hesitation in her voice.
"He could be still alive in there. We need to hurry," Eric objected.
Calleigh looked at him. The same thought had crossed her mind. The urgency to find her boss won. Snapping her kit open, she drew out some gloves and quickly put them on. She held out her hand, a resolute look on her face. "Help me in."
Eric grabbed her hand and supported her, as she climbed into the dustbin.
She carefully started digging in the dirt, not caring about messing up her clothes in the progress. She first cleared the area around her feet, making sure she wasn't standing on her boss somehow. Then she followed the sound of the cell phone ringing and soon had it. Picking it up carefully, she handed it over to Eric, who already had a plastic bag ready.
Calleigh let out a sigh of relief. She'd searched fast but thoroughly and she was certain there was no human body in the container. Climbing out, she instructed. "Get the lines and secure the area. We might need to come back for more evidence later."
Eric already had the yellow crime scene tape out and started marking the area.
Calleigh climbed out of the container. "I'm going to call Tripp," she said, her hands slapping her pants clean of dust and dirt.
