Callen and Sam were back at the mission within 40 minutes with the requested hotdogs, wrappers and change ready to be handed over to the lab for fingerprint analysis.
Kensi and Deeks parked down the street from the hotdog vendor's apartment complex. It was a series of four two story buildings built in a square with a pool and gardens in the centre courtyard. The apartments all had outside front entrances that faced the courtyard. There were stairs at either side of each building that gave access to an upper balcony and the second story apartment's front doors. According to their Intel, the suspect had rented an apartment on the far corner, of the second floor, of the third building.
The partners had decided Kensi would knock on the door to see if anyone answered. Deeks would hide against the outside wall and be her back-up if necessary. If someone answered Kensi would play startled, and pretend she thought her friend lived there. When no one answered they quietly entered the premises.
The night guard lived in a three story home that had been converted into flats. He was renting the main floor flat. Kensi and Deeks had not seen the dark blue van parked in the driveway or anywhere along the street. Following the same scenario as before they approached the building and Kensi knocked on the apartment's door. .
The partners returned to the mission a few minutes behind Sam and Callen. Other than two vary neat and sparsely decorated apartments Kensi and Deeks had found absolutely nothing.
"Their places were practically empty other than a few pieces of furniture and some clothing." Kensi said.
"The only mail present was personal bills. The two things that were odd, in my opinion, were the lack of any type of business records and electronics." Deeks stated.
"I mean what guy do you know doesn't own electronics."
"I never met one that didn't own every new device he could get his hands on." Kensi replied.
"Exactly Princess. Other than a TV, there was nothing. No computer, no lap top, no gaming system, no camera, no…"
"I think they got it Deeks."
"Hey, just saying." Deeks replied holding his hands up.
"I agree with Deeks, it is odd." Sam replied.
"The vendor guy is self employed, he must keep business records. He must have suppliers."
"We do know that he is not parking his cart at the complex where he lives. We asked at the rental office. They have never seen one or had any complaints about one in a parking space." Kensi said.
"Kensi asked a neighbour that lives in the house, next door to the night guard about a cart and they claimed they had never seen one." Deeks added.
"He has to be parking it somewhere." Callen said.
"What about renting a storage unit? Someplace where they could park the cart every night, and set up an office of some sort. It would keep everything out of their apartments. Like a missing child. The police ever came knocking door to door; they wouldn't see or find any evidence." Deeks stated.
"We need to go upstairs to see Eric and Nell." Kensi said as she headed up the stairs.
Callen got up from his desk to go and notify Hetty to join them in ops. Sam went to grab a water bottle from the staff fridge before heading upstairs. Deeks got up from his desk and headed up the stairs after Kensi. Lingering far enough behind so that he could watch her tight little butt sway back and forth as she climbed each step.
"Oh, this is so wrong, and yet so right at the same time. I wonder if she knows just how delicious those tight little skinny jeans make that incredible butt of hers look. Of course she does. It's why she wears them. She's torturing me, or is she? Damn it Ray. I do have a "thing" for Princess. Focus Marty."
Unfortunately Eric and Nell were not able to locate any other properties being rented anywhere in California under either of the two suspects names.
"We are going to have to tail them." Callen said. "See where they lead us."
"Kensi and I should follow the night guard. The hotdog vendor knows we are law enforcement officers from our earlier inquire at the park. He spots us…"
"You're right. Sam and I will go back to the park and watch the hotdog vendor. You guys will have to take the night guard."
"I guess the best place for Deeks and I to start is at the guy's apartment. He wasn't there earlier, but there was no indication he was not planning to come back."
"It's 3:30 now. If our guy continues with the routine he seems to have, then he won't be leaving the park until at least 7:00 tonight. The guard though, does seem to deliver supplies to him, throughout the day. That being said, Callen and I, should head to the park now."
Kensi and Deeks pulled into a shaded parking spot, down the street from the night guard's residence, behind four other vehicles.
"The van is in the driveway." Kensi said.
"You going to go and try to place that GPS tracking bug on the van or do you want me to? Deeks asked.
"I'll go." Kensi replied as she placed a baseball cap on her head and removed her jacket.
"What, we were here earlier. I'm trying to make it harder for someone to recognize me."
"I didn't say anything." Deeks replied putting his hands up.
"Was thinking though. I didn't know you were a LA Lakers fan, and how can you possibly look that hot in a baseball cap. It's a baseball cap. Crap Ray."
"Hetty should make it mandatory that he has to wear one of those plaid shirts of his everyday to work. That blue V neck tee of his is too distracting. Now I have that image of him in a uniform with short hair and clean shaven in my head again. Crap Ray."
Kensi quickly returned from her mission and hopped back into the driver's seat of her Cadillac.
"Kens…I've got a gut feeling about this case. I just don't know how to read it. I can't tell if it is good or bad. What about you?"
"Everything I know, everything I've been taught, everything I've experienced tells me the girl, for now, is still alive. I understand what you're saying though. Even though I believe the girl is alive, I've got an odd gut feeling. I can't read it."
"Heads up, there's our guy Kensi. He just came out of the front entrance of the house he lives in.