This Time? Chapter 19
"Celina, I really don't care about the color scheme," Nolan insists, "and neither does Bailey. We just want everyone to have a good time. Aaron says he has to put in an order now to get anything decent. And with all the different auras you've already seen for our guests, wouldn't that pretty much take a rainbow?"
"A rainbow," Celina considers, "means hope, new beginnings, and transformation. That could work. I'll talk to Aaron about making the colors form a rainbow."
"Not exactly what I meant, but it will be OK as long as Aaron doesn't book Kermit to play the music."
"What?"
"The Rainbow Connection. Never mind. Before your time. A rainbow of colors will be fine for the party. But that's not what we're supposed to be concerned with today. You heard. There's a gang looking to expand up from Santa Ana, Los Caimanes. They're moving into the territory of a gang La Fiera wiped out. And they're taking over its signature, yellow sneakers. So keep your eyes open."
"Yes, Sir. And I guess with Chen's UC assignment over, she'll be on the street again."
"Unless she gets another one," John says. "I thought Grey might team her up with Thorsen, but he said he wants as many shops as possible on patrol. He's probably anticipating an upsurge in gang activity. And Los Caimanes isn't the only Santa Ana-related problem we'll have to worry about. The Santa Ana winds are supposed to kick up again today. Having things blow around like that can create visibility hazards. When I first got to LA, I had one of those supermarket bags blow right up against my windshield. I almost slammed into the car ahead of me."
"A lot of people have darker auras when the Santa Anas are blowing," Celina says.
"Are you sure that's not allergies?" Nolan asks. "My friend Ben can't stop sneezing when they're heavy. Uh-oh! look there. That guy on the corner looks way too interested in those kids walking to school."
"What should I do?" Celina asks.
"Pull over and park as close to him as you can. Any lawyer would insist we have no reason to approach and question him, but I doubt he'll try anything if he knows he's being watched."
"And what happens when we're not watching?" Celina worries.
"We'll stay until school starts and we can come back around the time it lets out. And I'm going to get a picture of him I can send out so the other units will keep their eyes open for him. If he's innocent, it won't matter, but if he's up to something, hopefully, we can stop it."
"How about the yellow sneakers?" Celina asks.
"I don't see any. But after the school bell rings, we can check some of the old hangouts. If they're looking to take over the turf, that's where they might be."
"The younger ones could be in school," Celina offers.
"In which case, unless we're called, they're for the officers on site to watch. Oh, and we should swing by the community center. If there's a gang invasion, James Murray, Harper's husband, may spot it down there."
"I haven't ever been there," Celina admits. "Kids from my neighborhood didn't mix with the kids on that turf. And I haven't been there as a cop yet."
"Grey assigned Harper and me to be there as a punishment," Nolan explains. "But he did us a favor. I got to know the people in the area and I've been able to send some of the contracting that I can't take on, to the guys there who need the work. And Harper met James."
Celina sighs. "Love at first sight?"
"More like total distrust. But it worked out eventually. And now we also have a lot of eyes and ears we can trust down there."
"I wish we had those in my old neighborhood," Celina says.
"It doesn't just happen, Celina, but maybe you'll be the one to get something started," John suggests.
"Yeah, maybe I will."
James Murray waves urgently from the door of the community center as Celina parks the shop at the curb. "Nolan, I was going to call you."
"Why? What happened?" John asks.
"Remember the playground you helped fix up for us?"
"It would be hard to forget it. The place was needle park before we got the new lighting in."
"You mean you got the new lighting in," James corrects.
Nolan shrugs. "The kids needed a safe place to play."
"They may be losing it," James says. "We had what looked like gang members checking the place out last night."
"Were they wearing yellow sneakers?" Celina asks.
"James Murray, Officer Celina Juarez, my rookie," Nolan interjects. "And good question, Juarez. Were they wearing yellow sneakers?"
"I didn't see them," James admits. "Two of the other business owners were on watch last night."
"Can we ask them?" Celina queries.
"They should be opening up soon," James says. "It was Jesus who owns the print shop and George who has the bodega. You want some coffee while you wait?"
"Please," John responds.
Jesus strokes his graying beard. "Yellow sneakers, yes. I didn't get that good a look at their feet, but a fairly intense shade. I can't give you the numerical designation but generally, I'd say canary yellow, rather than lemon."
"Yellow is good enough," Nolan says. "OK, we'll get a unit down here tonight in case they return. Anything else? Signs they were selling drugs?"
"If they were doing that I would have called it in," Jesus declares. "It looked like they were just scoping out the territory. One of them was taking pictures on his phone."
"All right," Nolan acknowledges. "James, let us know if anyone spots them again before tonight."
"Will do," James agrees.
"At least we know what territory the gang wants to take over," Celina says as she steers back into traffic.
"Not necessarily," John tells her. "They might just have been weighing their options. But I'm going to aim Thorsen toward Jesus for any printing for the party. The man knows his business."
"Now what?" Celina asks.
"Swing back to where we saw that guy near the school," Nolan instructs. "He might be trolling for any kids who try to cut out during the school day."
"They wouldn't just hang around outside," Celina says. "It would be too easy to get caught."
"Speaking from experience?" John inquires.
"Maybe," Celina dodges. "But I don't know the area around that school too well yet. Is there an ice cream place or something?"
Nolan unconsciously licks his lips. "There's a Carvel. It's the first one I saw since I left Pennsylvania, and Henry's favorite."
"Henry's favorite?" Celina asks skeptically.
"I love soft serve," John confesses. "Anyway, it's two blocks north of the school."
As Celina approaches the ice cream shop, she can faintly hear a dog barking as a van whizzes by going the other way. "Dogs can be used as lures…, John begins, but Celina's already executed a turn to follow the van.
Nolan thumbs the radio. "One Adam 15 requesting backup at Adams and Stern, possible child abduction. We are in pursuit of a white van, California plate X-ray, Foxtrot, Tango, three, four, seven, niner."
Celina hunches over, grasping the steering wheel in a death grip. "If that guy's got a kid, we can't let him get away."
"We're not going to," Nolan assures her. "He's speeding. That gives us a justification to go after him. This is what you trained for. You can do this."