Jesse marched into the police station. The room was busy as his officers reacted to the escape convict alert.
Brot met him at the door and handed him the file.
"I've sent officers to the bus station, the train station and the airport." said Brot. "And I've circulated his picture."
Jesse smiled at his efficiency.
He looked down at the file of the missing inmate, Teddy Mason… arsonist. The picture showed a dark-haired, scruffy man his face hidden behind long hair and a scraggly beard.
"Damn it." sighed Jesse. "All this guy would have to do is shave and get a haircut and he would be almost unrecognisable."
Brot nodded.
"It's all we got."
"We need more." insisted Jesse. "I have it on good authority he was on his way here, we need to find out why! Look into known associates, cell mates, friends and family. Anything to tell us why he is headed our way."
"I'm on it." said Brot hurrying off.
Jesse then walked over to Natalia's desk. She was watching video footage on her computer.
"What's this?" he asked.
"It's the CCTV footage sent though from the Llanview bus station. I'm trying to see if he's changed his appearance in any way."
"Excellent." said Jesse squeezing her shoulder. Pleased to see they'd had the same thoughts.
The footage showed the queue for the ticket booth. A character in a baseball cap joined the line, his head down, his movement suspicious.
"Is that him?" Jesse asked.
"It's possible." said Natalia, pressing a few buttons to freeze frame and zoom in, but the brim on his cap was blocking their view, all they could see was a clean shaven chin and a thin lipped mouth.
"I can't see his face." sighed Natalia. "I'll keep watching."
Jesse leaned forward. Something about that man, the way he stood; the smile on his lips, felt oddly familiar.
Just then something happened on the video. A kid opened a soda bottle only for it to explode, spraying him and everyone around him. The man in the baseball cap looked up along with everyone else at the disturbance. They could see his face.
Natalia quickly freeze framed and zoomed in.
"That is not possible!" gasped Jesse, stepping back from the screen. "That is just not possible!"
He looked across to Brot.
"Tell me, Brot, was this Teddy ever cell mates with one Ricky Torres?"
Brot looked up from his list.
"Yes, yes he was."
"Damn it!" cried Jesse. "I need a patrol car at the Slater house immediately… and send one to the hospital too, just to be safe… and someone, anyone… get me a line to the Llanview coroner's office right now!"
"Yes sir." said Natalia dialling her phone.
There was no mistaking; the man in the baseball cap was Ricky Torres. So whose body was currently resting on Torres' grave?
…