Eric and Nell began the task of analyzing the footage.
"I think we should start with the two hours before and after Cassie was believed to have been removed from her home." Nell said.
"You're right. Depending on which way the kidnappers came and left the neighbourhood they may have driven past the jewellery store. If we are lucky we will not only get the make and model of the vehicle, but be able to get a license plate or at least a partial plate number."
Kensi and Deeks located the owner of the Bakery.
"I do not know what you are talking about. I do not have a surveillance system." The petite blonde, middle aged woman replied.
"Yes you do." Kensi said.
"Look, either you help us out or I make a couple of phone calls, have a search and seizure warrant issued, get it delivered here by uniformed LAPD officers in a cruiser, shut you down for the day, all the while with my partner and I standing here." Deeks replied.
"Well…come to the back office please." The owner, Mrs. Bland sighed.
"I installed the system a couple of months ago. Supplies were going missing. You know, flour, sugar, salt etc... I knew one of my employees was stealing from me. I didn't want the employees to know I was watching them. That's why I didn't put signs up."
"Did you catch the thief?" Kensi asked.
"Yea, I did. It was one of the young guys I hired to work the front counter. Turned out his family owns a catering business. That's why he did it. I fired him. I wasn't sure if the way I caught him was really legal. I didn't want any trouble, but I wanted him gone. I showed him the video I had, and then fired him. I haven't seen or heard from him since."
"Are the cameras still on?"
"I only have the ones outside still on. There are the two, you spotted in front, and one at the back door."
"Would you be willing to give us access to the footage from the two front cameras from the last 48 hours?" Deeks asked.
"If I do am I going to have any trouble with the police?"
"Put a sign up, in your establishment, that you have security surveillance cameras. As far as we are concerned the sign was there when we came in the store and you were extremely co-operative with us."
Mrs. Bland looked at Deeks and sighed again.
"Alright, I'll give you the flash drive. It's a wireless system that downloads directly onto the computer on my desk. Every morning at six o'clock I download the last 24 hrs onto a flash drive. Then I erase the data from my computer."
"How long do you keep the video after you obtain it?" Kensi asked.
"Three weeks. I didn't think I would need to keep it any longer."
Mrs. Bland gave Kensi and Deeks the flash drive with the video download from the past 72hrs.
"One more thing, hold off putting that sign up in your store until the beginning of next week. Monday morning will be fine. Don't worry; you won't get into any trouble. As far as my partner and I are concerned, the sign was always there." Kensi said with the voice and look of a law enforcement officer deep in thought.
Mrs. Bland looked back and forth between the two partners.
"Ahh, yea sure. It will go up Monday morning first thing. Not a second sooner or later."
Kensi thanked the owner for her co-operation and left her a business card.
"Please call if you remember anything."
Twenty minutes later Kensi and Deeks walked into the mission and headed straight to the ops centre.
"Hey Guys." Deeks said.
"Kensi and I have a flash drive for you to look at. It contains surveillance camera footage from the store we mentioned earlier on the phone."
"Let me see." Nell said reaching for the flash drive from Deeks.
"Sam and Callen phoned a few minutes ago. They're on their way back here." Eric stated staring at a screen full of police reports.
"We should be ready to have a meeting with everyone when they get here". Nell replied as she inserted the flash drive into an USB port.
Fifteen minutes later Eric blew his whistle from the upstairs balcony. The entire team, including Hetty, assembled in ops.