The Road Home

Chapter 1 It Takes a Village I

The case was put on ice, after all there are statistics and protocols. This was an ice-cold case. They had a funeral, but they buried an empty coffin. That wasn't all that was empty that day. No one remembers a sadder ceremony, or a sadder day. The vison of Marty & Sophia tossing rose petals on the casket then standing there for a long time as the ground in front of them gets increasingly wet from their tears will haunt them forever. But colder cases have been solved. And, they are the best.

Eric and Nell sat at their computers silently. Neither of them spoke, this was not like them. They would occasionally glance at the other; quick, furtive glances. Finally, Nell can take it no longer. "Eric?"

"Yes, Nell?"

"I don't believe it!"

"You don't believe what?" Eric is confused.

"Kensi is NOT dead! I can feel it. I don't believe that she is dead!" Nell proclaims.

"Nell, what little evidence we had never panned out. We all saw the video of the shooting. It was her blood, too much lost to survive. We had a funeral. Case closed!"

Silence.

"Eric, will you humor me?"

"Humor you?"

"Yes, will you talk it through with me, please?"

Eric ponders . . . "OK, let's do that."

Nell starts. "The 1st crime scene at Kensi's apartment. What do we have there?"

Eric responds, "No forensics at all. No video in the apartment. The only video outside shows the perp entering, then exiting carrying Kensi to his van."

Nell adds, "we have Deeks statement that Kensi took a bullet meant for him."

"Wait, what was that?" Eric turns to her.

"We'll save that for later. 2nd crime scene – the shooting location." Says Nell.

Eric picks up on the evidence, "The VIDEO of shooting but no actual clear picture of Kensi being shot. The other lady, Leanne, found dead but Kensi's body was gone. Too much blood too survive, blood was Kensi's. Photos found at the crime scene of Deeks, Sophia, Hetty."

"So, at crime scene #1 there is a verbal statement that we haven't taken into account. Deeks says the bullet that struck Kensi was meant for him. I believe we haven't evaluated from that angle?" Nell postulates.

"I think you are correct madame!"

"At crime scene #2, there is a lack of clear video of Kensi actually being shot." Nell declares.

"What if over time her captor removed blood, stored it, then used it at crime scene #2 to create a false impression of excessive blood loss?" She questions.

"But that would take . . . a perp with much medical knowledge, expertise and equipment!" Eric thinks out loud.

Nell adds, "like a doctor, nurse, EMT etc.?"

"It can be done, by Jove!" Eric exclaims.

"So, what's next?"

"Talk to the team and Hetty."

"Maybe just Hetty first?"

"Yeah."

Cheryl Loomis was a sophomore at Great Falls HS in Montana. She was a very good student and was shooting to be a member of the Honor Society as a senior. To attain that goal, she needed to complete an honors project during her junior year, and do it well. All her life she had looked up to her dad and wanted to emulate him. Rick Loomis was a single parent, having lost his wife Mary to cancer when Cheryl was 10 y/o, a loss that still grieved both father and daughter. Rick was currently 1st assistant deputy sheriff of the county; thus, Cheryl had her sights set on law enforcement of some kind.

Cheryl had talked with her dad at length regarding her honors project and had decided to do something with missing persons. This morning she sat at the kitchen table having just finished breakfast; she was holding a milk carton, staring at it. On the carton was the picture of a young woman, a missing young woman. Cheryl had seen several of these pictures over the years, but this one transfixed her. It was the eyes! Brown in color, but the right was significantly darker than the left. The eyes added a mysterious quality to the obvious beauty that this woman projected. How could someone this striking have gone missing?

She decided. MISSING PERSONS would be her project, and she would help find this woman.

She contacted the organization that did the milk cartons project; they were fascinated by her choice of missing persons for an honors project and they gladly sent her all the information they had about this case. There wasn't much to go on, as she expected, and what little there was pointed to a coastal state, such as California. Somewhere with a pier seemed to be a possible clue. As she looked over the available information the area of Santa Monica, CA drew her in. Especially the Santa Monica Eye . . . one of several giant Ferris wheels around the world. The correlation of the woman's eyes and The Eye just fascinated Cheryl. As she thought about it and discussed it with her dad, she decided to take a shot at a campaign focused on Santa Monica, The Eye, & other Southern California beach cities that have a pier jutting out into the Pacific ocean.

She put together materials to send to free beach newspapers, small retailers like grocers, and other shops likely to be sympathetic to her cause. She began mailing packets of pamphlets, posters & reply cards. The reply cards would be sent to her so she could gage the results and adjust as time went by. She hoped & prayed for success and for the woman's safety. Her dad prayed and supported her. Time went by.

Matt & Sylvia were just leaving the LAPD precinct after a swing shift Friday evening. The two detectives had been partners for almost 2 years and were good friends. They had started spending some off time together but were not in a relationship, yet.

"Hey, Matt, you busy tomorrow?" she asked.

"No, what do you have in mind?"

"I see that there is a street fair at the Santa Monica Pier tomorrow. You want to go with me?"

"Hm, sure. What time are you picking me up?"

"I'm picking you up?" She snorted.

"You asked." He smirked.

"Ok. 10:00."

"I can do that."

"Don't get a hernia, sport." She grinned.

Sylvia found a parking space and they began strolling out through the booths, games, street musicians, artists and other attractions. Sylvia ducked into a booth of art work and other displays. Matt stayed outside, basking in the mild forenoon sunshine.

She soon came out and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the booth . . . "Matt, come look at this!" They stopped in front of a large poster board displaying a variety of items. Smack dab in the middle was a missing person notice. The picture had caught Sylvia's attention. "Matt, that looks like Marty's girl, doesn't it?"

"You mean . . . Kensi? Can't be, it's been so long. I mean, they had a funeral and I attended. Saddest day of my life, Marty's too! And that little girl . . . I actually cried."

"But Matt, look at the eyes! Have you ever seen eyes like that on anyone else, hm?"

"No . . . but it does happen Syl."

"Should we tell Marty?"

"No, this would kill him . . . why don't we check it out. Where is this from, Great Falls, Montana? You ever been there?"

"Montana? No. Are you serious? Go to Montana?" Sylvia is dubious.

"Yeah, why not? You got any vacation days saved up?"

"Yes, but why don't we respond with the card first?" Sylvia suggests.

"OK, is there a phone #?" Matt wonders & looks.

"Yep, I'll send in a card and you call the number. Then we'll get together and see what we have found. Ok?" Syl says.

"Sounds good. I'm hungry, I see fish tacos just ahead." Matt's stomach is grumbling.

"Didn't you eat any breakfast, partner?"

Matt shouts over his shoulder, "that was 3 hours ago!"

"Good grief!" Syl exclaims.