Early the next morning, Flynn and Provenza are in the murder room waiting for the Captain to come in. Provenza is working on his morning crossword puzzle and Andy keeps checking his phone. Sharon is usually the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. So Andy is somewhat concerned that she isn't there yet.
"Have you talked with Sharon? I texted her several times last night and she didn't reply. That's just not like her. I mean, I know she has been distant these last couple of weeks but she still would answer my text and calls." Flynn comments to Provenza just as Rusty strolls in carrying coffee and a pastry bag.
"Hey kid! What you doing here so early?"
"I came to see Sharon; I assume you guys had a bad case considering she pulled an all-nighter. I thought she may need some breakfast. "
Immediately, Provenza is to his feet, but not wanting to panic the boy. "Rusty, why don't you wait in the Captain's office for a minute"
Rusty eyes Provenza and Flynn suspiciously, "No, why… where is Sharon?" glancing toward her office and realizing that it is empty.
"Rusty, are you sure she didn't come home last night?" Andy, getting up from his chair asks trying to seem calmer than he felt. His chest tightening in panic, he knew he shouldn't have let her push him away.
"Well, when I got home from the chess tournament around 12:30 she wasn't there. I mean I didn't look in her room but her stuff wasn't where she always puts it by the door and I didn't notice her car in the garage. I had texted her when I was headed home and she didn't reply. Which was really odd, but I thought maybe she had fallen asleep or was here. Then this morning I looked in her room and it didn't look like she had been there. Is something wrong? I mean… panic rising in his voice. She was here last night wasn't she?"
Glancing back to Provenza, "No, Rusty she wasn't here. We all left fairly early yesterday evening. Look kid, I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation to all this," Andy tried to say in a reassuring tone that he didn't feel at all.
"Andy, don't give me that crap. You know as well as I do that if Sharon isn't here, she is with me or with you. She doesn't just go off… without letting us know. She hasn't been herself lately anyway. I know you've noticed! I mean did you two have a fight or something because you never come around anymore? Every night she comes home and goes straight to her room. She won't eat, she has these crazy nightmares. She woke me up screaming a few nights ago. And I ran to her room but the door was locked. The next morning I asked her if she was ok and of course she just played it off. You don't think she's sick do you? Oh God what if…"
"Enough, Enough!" Provenza shouts. "Rusty, the Captain's office! Now!" Provenza repeats. Lowering his tone, "look, just give us just a few minutes to get this straightened out. There has to be a reasonable explanation." Grabbing his backpack, Rusty runs into Sharon's office slamming the door. He collapses into his favorite green chair and tries to hold back the tears that are threatening to fall.
As the door to the Captain's office slams closed, Tao and Sykes enter the murder room. "What's up with Rusty?" Mike asks.
Glancing to Flynn and back to the others, Provenza says the words he wishes he never would have to say "We have a huge problem; it appears the Captain is missing." Everyone stops in shock as the Captain's name tumbles out of his mouth and their eyes immediately gravitate to Andy.
"Tao, have you had a chance to gather that security footage I asked you about yesterday?" Provenza continues purposely not looking in Flynn's direction.
"Oh God! I, I… I mean, yes… we were able to get several different angles. Buzz has it keyed up now in the media room."
Andy jumps from his chair, his hands motioning wildly in the air. "What security footage? What does footage from yesterday have to do with Sharon being missing? We need to put out a want on her car, we need to find out where she was going when she left here yesterday. My God! It's been over 12 hours. I should have known when she didn't reply to my texts that something was seriously wrong, I should have gone over to her house to make sure she was ok. This is my fault. This is all my fault." Andy cries sinking into his chair and holding his head in his hands.
"Flynn, where does the Captain normally go grocery shopping?"
"Groceries, now you are concerned about grocery shopping. Give me a break Provenza! Get your head out of your ass and focus what we can do to find her."
"Andy, the last thing the Captain told me yesterday was that she was stopping by the market on the way home."
"Why was Sharon discussing her plans for the night with you?" Andy slams his fist to his desk, stands and walks toward Provenza. "Wait a minute, wait just one damn minute. Why were you really in her office late yesterday?"
"She asked me not to discuss it, but…"
"But, what? You obviously know something that we don't. This is Shar…the Caption we are talking about here. Quit stalling and spill it."
For a minute, time felt like it was moving in slow motion for Andy. He could hear the words coming out of Provenza's mouth but he wasn't sure if he was really registering everything. "She is being threatened." "She didn't want to worry everyone." "She thought not telling you and Rusty would protect the both of you." "Five letters." "Three in the last week." Before Andy could even stop himself he had his best friend cornered against the desk. "How could you just let her walk out of here by herself yesterday? Knowing all of this! How could you? I swear if anything happens to Sharon, I will never forgive you. Never!" Andy yells, shoving Louie further back across the desk. Mike gently pulls on Andy's arm and tries to calm him, none of them realizing that Rusty is also listening from a few feet away.
"You have to find her. You can't let Sharon die." Rusty softly weeps.
Andy slowly backs away from Provenza realizing his anger is focused in the wrong direction; he shakes his head and mouths "I'm sorry" before turning his full attention to Rusty. Hesitantly taking the kid in his arms, he assures Rusty that they will find Sharon and that under no circumstances is anyone dying. He knows how important Sharon is to Rusty and he understands the fact that she would expect him to be strong and supportive for Rusty. Also, Andy knows that he must put his own fear and heartbreak aside and be a pillar of strength for Rusty, just has Sharon has always been for them both.
Lieutenant Provenza immediately gets Assistant Chief Taylor on the phone and informs him of their missing Captain. He has an alert put out on the Captain's car and then takes the letters from his desk because he knows that Andy will want to, need to see them as soon as he gets Rusty settled back into the Captain's office. In the meantime, Mike tries to ping her phone but comes up empty handed, it must be turned off or the battery is dead.
As Andy comes out of the Captain's office after attempting to calm Rusty, the team gets the call from patrol saying they have located Captain Raydor's car in the parking lot of the Whole Foods not far from her condo. Provenza sends the order for nothing to be touched until the Major Crimes division can get there.