A dozen police officers and a swat team surrounded the warehouse, guns at the ready. About one hundred feet away, there were ambulances and police cars along with a congregation of three officers keeping the dogs calm. The larger group of officers advanced on the warehouse, which was tattered and desolate. A dark blue van was parked behind it. Something was smoldering. Smoke was coming from the crudely-shaped chimney and ash flew around in the air, coating everything with a thin layer of secrets. It smelled like burning hair.
On a mark, they rushed in and cleared the area, very disappointed to find nothing inside the warehouse except packing peanuts littered around the floor. The officers looked at each other in discontentment. They hugged the walls. Someone had been there recently. Clothes were thrown about the floor, possibly once belonging to missing children. Everyone had to be careful. The clothes could provide all the necessary evidence to bring each child home safely, but there was also a possibility of it being a terribly well-thought-out deterrent.
Meanwhile, the team was looking through rap sheets. So far, the chances of finding one person responsible were pretty slim. They had hundreds of possible suspects. Finally, in rage, Catherine threw down the report she was looking at.
"We are never going to find him!" She sighed madly, resting her head in her hands. "He's obviously thought this out past the fact he knew we could trace him!" she exclaimed. "And now… he's disappeared," she added after a short pause. The rest of the team woke up from their coma of concentration and shifted in their seats. Catherine's phone rang. She looked at it, and with a sigh of impatience, returned it to her bag. "It's my mother… again…" she muttered. She massaged her face with her hands, trying to keep herself sane.
"Why don't you… answer her?" Grissom suggested cautiously, playing with a pen. Sara returned to scanning her reports. The rest were looking at Catherine. She finally realized she hadn't answered.
"Because," she started, "she called me not half an hour ago, telling me I forgot to tell her I picked up Lindsey, which I didn't… because my daughter was five minutes late getting home from school and my mother does not realize Lindsey has a carpool, and I got her a cell phone for her birthday. Then, two seconds after she calls me, Linds walks through the door and my mother hangs up without a thought that I might've just had a heart attack!" Catherine ranted. "And plus, now what? Dinner? I'm not going to be home for dinner! What could she possibly want?" Catherine added in question. Satisfied his question was answered, and scared of making her even more mad, Grissom smiled and returned to reading reports, along with everyone else. Catherine got up to get a coffee, but before she left the room her phone rang again. She verified the caller ID, and shoved her phone furiously back into her bag.
After a couple seconds, even Sara gave up, muttering something about going cross-eyed trying to read more. They had been working for two straight hours.
"What if this guy… doesn't have a rap sheet?" Sara suggested. Nobody wanted her to be right. There were eight times as many suspects if that were true. Finally, they all decided coffee was a good idea and got up.
Lindsey was begging her grandma to let her go. "Danielle is going too!" She insisted. "And it's only at school, it's only tonight!" Lindsey begged.
"Does your mother even know Mike?" Lily questioned her. Lindsey rolled her eyes. Lily was trying to call Catherine, to tell her. She was probably busy, she didn't pick up.
"Yes, mom's even MET him. And she's met his parents and Danielle's mom and grandfather. She knows them all. She'd let me go!" Lindsey insisted. Lily was hesitant. She tried call Catherine for a second time to verify. She didn't pick up, again.
"When's the game over?" She asked. Lindsey was excited of the possibility of permission.
"Danielle said around 8," Lindsey said eagerly, "and her mom is driving, I have my cell and you can call me anytime!" Lindsey said, trying to convince her grandma she'd be fine. Then, as her grandmother finally caved, she skipped out the door to meet Danielle and go to Mike's soccer game. Only this once.