“Nothing has popped up on the facial recognition of those guys, Jade. I’m not saying they aren’t in the database, but the software can’t hit enough markers to make an ID.”
“Because of the side view?” I tapped my pen against my desk calendar.
“That’s exactly why. You said you have a week of footage to go through?”
“Yeah, we’re all working on that now. If any of us get a hit, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Okay, good luck. If you need anything else, let me know.”
I clicked off the call with Joe and glanced at the time on the bottom corner of my computer monitor. J.T. and Julie had been missing for more than eight hours. I couldn’t let my mind go to that dark place. I had to focus on the video in front of me. Each of us started our tapes at the same time—daybreak—which was five thirty. We had been reviewing the footage for over an hour, and nobody had mentioned seeing those men yet.
I leaned in when I noticed a gold Mercedes drive by the complex slower than most of the other traffic. I was sure I had seen it earlier, near the beginning of the tape. I jotted down the time that the vehicle passed the condo then moved the scrubber bar to the far left and started over. I hit Pause when I saw the same car at the forty-seven-minute mark. The black-tinted windows made it impossible to see anybody inside. I rose from my desk and went to inform my colleagues. Maria and Val were stationed in the office next to mine.
I walked in. “See those thugs yet?”
They both shook their heads.
“I might have something, and I think we should all watch for it.” I turned and saw Cam behind me.
He pointed over his shoulder as he walked in. “My office door was open. What do you have?”
“Not sure if it’s related or not, but a gold Mercedes passed by the condo several times on the tape I’m viewing. It drove by slowly both times.”
“Could you see the occupants?” Cam asked.
“Blackout windows, so I couldn’t see a damn thing. I couldn’t pull the plates, either, since it was too far away. I wanted to give everyone a heads-up in case it comes across on your tapes.”
Spelling walked in. “What day are you looking at?”
“I have last Friday.”
“That would give them plenty of time to case the complex. Let’s have a look at that vehicle so everyone knows what to watch for.”
We entered my office and crowded around my computer. I hit the play button, and the Mercedes passed by in front of us. I pointed at the screen and paused the video. “That’s it right there. It passed at the forty-seven-minute mark and again a half hour later.”
“Okay, people, we’re looking for two men with dark hair and large frames, both exceeding two hundred fifty pounds and well over six foot. They could be of Italian or Spanish descent. I’m leaning toward Italians, only because they’re normally taller than Mexicans. There’s a suspicious champagne-colored four-door Mercedes sedan, possibly an E-Class, trolling the neighborhood. Jade, go back to the video from this morning and see if that vehicle enters the footage at any time before Julie’s abduction. The rest of you watch for that car and keep searching for those two men.”
Everyone returned to their offices to dig in, and I went back to my in-box. I scrolled down to the earlier email I had sent myself from the day care center and opened the video attachment again. I began the footage at daybreak, just like the others we had been watching. At six forty-seven, I hit the pause button and jumped from my chair. I yelled out into the hallway, “I have it. I’ve got that Mercedes on today’s video!”
Spelling was the first one through the door. “Show me.”
Everyone joined in and peered over my shoulder. “See, there it is again. It can’t be a coincidence, but we also can’t see where it went or if it parked.”
Cam spoke up. “What happened to looking for more cameras? If anyone got out of that vehicle farther up the street and doubled back, we’re missing the west half of the complex. The camera from the day care center doesn’t reach that far.”
“I’ll check with Carson,” Maria said. She walked out into the hallway to make the call.
“The complex has a main front entrance, the garage overhead, and a back door at the center of the building that lines up with the front door. The back door only opens from the inside,” Spelling said.
“That’s correct, sir. If one of those men sneaked in through the garage door before the overhead went down, he could have opened the back door for his partner.”
“Did anyone from the police station test the overhead to see how long it stays open after a car pulls out?” Spelling asked.
“They sure did. It stays open for seven seconds once the car passes the electronic eye. That would give anyone ample time to slip inside,” Cam said. “Oh, and a quick side note, the officers who went through the dumpsters said they didn’t find anything inside them except trash.”
Spelling groaned. “Back to square one.”
Moments later, Maria returned to my office. “Carson just got word that a three-story office building two blocks to the rear of the condo has security cameras around the perimeter of their entire structure. They’re reviewing the video from this morning and will call you as soon as they know something.”
“Okay, good.” Spelling slapped his hands together. “Maybe we’ll get something after all. Let’s get back to work. I want these thugs identified before the sun goes down.”
We continued reviewing the videos. By four thirty, we had come up with two more sightings of that Mercedes. Val had the best image of the blurry license plate and sent it over to Joe. With any luck, he’d be able to sharpen it and get us a legible number.
At five o’clock, we broke for fifteen minutes to revive ourselves. I rose from my desk, rolled my neck, and stretched. My eyes burned from staring at the computer screen so intently. Tonight’s dinner would consist of a cellophane-wrapped sandwich from the vending machine, a bag of chips, and strong coffee. I started a fresh twelve-cup pot, knowing we would all be drinking it. While the coffee brewed, I made a quick call to my sister, Amber. She was probably on her way home.
Amber picked up immediately. “Hey, Jade. Will you be home for dinner?”
Her question reminded me that I hadn’t informed her of J.T. and Julie’s disappearance. The day had been so hectic and nonstop, it hadn’t even occurred to me to let her know.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t text you, Amber. We’ve barely taken a breath today.”
“That sounds ominous. What happened?”
“It’s bad. J.T. and his sister, Julie, are missing. Kidnapped, actually, and we’ve been on this all day with no substantial leads.”
“Oh my God, that’s horrible. You said you have nothing to go on?”
“Nothing that can identify the individuals who did this. There aren’t any ransom demands or that type of thing and I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”
“Don’t go there, Sis. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Nah, but thanks. I’m sure I’ll be here most of the night. Just feed Polly and Porky, please. Give them each a kiss for me.” I exhaled a deep sigh.
“You know I will, and you sound exhausted.”
“I am, but this isn’t about me. We have to find J.T. and Julie as soon as humanly possible. Time isn’t on their side.” I hung up and poured myself a cup of coffee. I took the coffee, sandwich, and chips back to my office and plopped down at my desk.
A knock sounded on my door just as I tossed the sandwich wrapper in the trash. It was Spelling. He peeked in and jerked his head toward the hallway. “Conference room. We have an update.”