Back at the 12th in New York City they too had a busy day; which meant only one thing to the detectives, copious amounts of paperwork. The daylight had dwindled to black, and most everyone had retreated to the warmth of their homes, except detectives Ryan and Esposito. Captain Gates took a few moments in observation of the two before collecting her own things and flipping the lights of her office off. As she made her way past the maze of desks towards the elevators, she stopped aside their pod. "Ryan, go home to your family. Esposito go home and … do whatever it is you do at home. It's too late for any of us to still be here. "Detective Ryan tore his attention away from his computer screen.
"Sure thing Captain, just going to finish this report, then I'm out of here."
Detective Esposito rose from his chair and stretched his arms out above his head. Once he had stretched to the amount of satisfaction most feel only when waking in the morning, he picked up his coffee cup. "Dude, I'm going to get another cup of coffee. If you're still sitting there when I get back, I'm gonna either punch you in the mouth, or show Jenny those pictures from Atlantic City." Esposito said with a lowered chin and a single raised eyebrow. Blankly Ryan looked back.
"Not cool man. Not cool"
"Go home Bro, I got this." Esposito turned and marched off toward the lounge, leaving Ryan alone at his desk. Ryan had no problems leaving, he was sure his wife and kid would appreciate it and Javi for taking care of the paperwork; so without hesitation he clicked off his desk lamp and grabbed his coat. But before he could escape, Esposito's land-line began to ring. Begrudgingly and with a sigh of frustration he picked up.
"Detective Ryan" He muttered in an obviously dismissive tone. Abruptly the detective dropped his coat, and reached for pen and paper. As detective Ryan scribbled on the paper, Esposito returned.
"Bro, I told you to go home. Whatever that was can wait til' morning." Ryan's face contorted in confusion.
"I'm not so sure Javi, It's weird. He gave me the address and room number to a crappy SRO on the boarder of New York and Connecticut, and then said he had a present for us. Espo raised his fresh cup of coffee and used only his index finger to point at Ryan.
"Now I KNOW you need some sleep, that's not even our jurisdiction." Before Ryan could respond, both detectives' cellphones chimed in unison. They lit their screens and looked down to see what could possibly need their attention at that hour. Both pursed their lips and furrowed their brows.
"I just got a txt from a number I don't recognize." Stated Esposito
"Yeah, me too. What did yours say?" Inquired Ryan. Esposito was quick to answer.
"All wrapped up, with a bow." Esposito displayed a look of utter confusion, while Ryan displayed one of concern. He turned his phone toward his partner so that he too could read the screen. They were identical; both the message and the number it was sent from. Esposito's face began to mimic Ryan's
"That can't be a coincidence." As soon as the words rang free of Ryan's lips, both phones chimed again. With growing alarm, both detectives retrieved the new message. Both had again received identical messages, but this time they had received a picture that took them aback.
"No freakin' way …" If it had not been for those words, Esposito would have been speechless.
"Is that who I think it is?" Ryan asked of his partner in disbelief. Both frantically reached the same conclusion and course of action, but Esposito was the first to blurt it out.
"We need to get tech in here, we need to get everyone in here, on the double." And is they were both of the same mind, everything else stopped; they had a new lead on a case that had tormented them for years. Ryan and Espo jumped back into their chairs, grabbing their phone trees they started to call all the essential personnel with renewed vigor.