Justice Mission Page 3

  “What we need to do is find Jordan and let him tell us.”

  “Yes. Exactly.”

  “Keep in mind, though,” Luke said, “everyone has a dark side they never show the world. A lot of people have a hidden pain that can sometimes overwhelm them and no one in their lives ever suspects.”

  Silence fell between them for a moment.

  “I know about hidden pain,” Sophie finally said, her tone subdued. “But that doesn’t mean it always leads to suicide.”

  “I agree. But sometimes it does—or at least thoughts of it.” His low words had her looking at him more closely.

  She had a feeling he was speaking from experience. “Did someone you know commit suicide?”

  He blinked. “No, nothing like that. I’ve just worked with a lot of people over the years and I’ve worked a few suicides. People who’ve killed themselves, and their families had no idea they were struggling. I guess what I’m saying is that the face a lot of people show the outside world in no way reflects what’s really going on inside them.”

  “Jordan’s not like that.”

  “You know him that well?”

  “Yes.”

  “Huh.”

  “What does that mean?” she asked.

  “I guess I’m just surprised. We’ve known each other for two years, worked together on a daily basis, and I don’t know you like that.”

  She gaped. “You’ve never made the effort. Every time you’ve come into the office, you’re like, ‘Hi, how are you?’ And that’s about the extent of it.”

  He shut his lips and she wondered if she’d spoken out of turn. Asking him about it would have to wait. Luke pulled into the entrance of the park. “Keep going,” she said. “You know where the bike trail is, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “I had to come out here on one of Jordan’s afternoons off to get his signature on some papers he’d been waiting on. He was running the trail with Snapper and said he’d come in to the office. It was a gorgeous day so I didn’t mind getting outside. If it had been raining, I’m not sure I would have offered.” She shot him a quick smile.

  “Yes, you would have.” At her raised brow, he shrugged. “I’m beginning to get to know you a bit, I think.”

  “It doesn’t take long. I’m pretty much an open book.”

  “Hmm. Somehow, I wonder.” He cleared his throat. “Did Jordan have a favorite area out here?”

  “Just the Parkway. Sometimes he ran, sometimes he biked, but he always had Snapper with him. And while it’s not near here, he also liked to run along the East River.”

  “Someone else will check there.” Luke followed her directions to the entrance. While he drove, she took in the vast landscape unfolding before them. Right in the middle of Queens, the wooded area stretched endlessly. “I don’t know, Luke, this place is huge. There’s just too much ground to cover.”

  “That’s why so many cops are looking for him.”

  Already there were a multitude of law enforcement vehicles in the area. No one questioned one more pulling in. Luke got on the radio and reported his position and requested an update. “No one’s spotted Jordan yet,” he said.

  “It’s still early.” She climbed out of the SUV and waited for Luke to release Bruno and join her. “This doesn’t feel right.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “While I know and understand that we’re following protocol in the way we’re conducting the search, I just feel like we’re on the wrong track and wasting precious time. We need to check that letter for fingerprints. Ones that don’t match ours.”

  “It’s in an evidence bag. I’ll get someone to send it over to the lab immediately. Regardless of where Jordan is, that guy kidnapped you and we need to find out who he is.”

  “No kidding.” She bit her lip and glanced around.

  “Jordan likes this path a lot,” she said. “Katie says when he needs to be alone, he spends as much time as possible walking, running or biking this trail and praying. She says it calms him and gives him focus.”

  Officers talked with those enjoying the warm spring day. One held up his phone and showed a young couple the screen. Jordan’s picture, no doubt. They both shook their heads and the officer’s shoulders slumped slightly, but he nodded and made his way to the next person.

  “What is it?” Luke asked her.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Something’s been bothering you—other than the obvious—since we found the letter,” Luke said. “So, what is it?”

  Sophie pressed her lips together, then looked at him. “The handwriting on the letter was Jordan’s.”

  He stilled. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure. I see it every day. He’s forever writing notes and placing them on my desk.”

  Luke stared at her. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

  “Because I thought we’d have answers by now. I thought we would have found Jordan and he would have explained everything. The fact that we haven’t found him yet scares me to death, because while I don’t believe he’s suicidal, I definitely believe he’s in some kind of serious trouble and time may be running out for him.”

  * * *

  The problem was, Luke mostly agreed with her, although he couldn’t deny the little niggling of doubt that wanted to raise its head and demand attention.

  He shoved it aside for the moment, slightly ashamed at the flare of uncertainty—and, if he was honest—jealousy of her unwavering loyalty to her boss. It hadn’t taken him long to discover there was a depth to Sophie he wouldn’t have guessed she possessed.

  However, just in the last few hours, she’d proven herself a loyal employee—the kind who worked hard because of her innate integrity, not just because she was earning a paycheck. And she was Jordan’s friend as well as his assistant. She would defend those she cared about to the bitter end—including her fierce belief that Jordan wouldn’t kill himself. She’d made that abundantly clear.

  And yet, Luke hesitated. While he admired that about Sophie, sometimes loyalty and devotion could blind a person to reality. Sometimes. He wasn’t saying that was the case with Sophie and their boss, but he wasn’t ruling it out either. And a small part of him couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to have someone like Sophie in his corner. For someone to have that kind of unshakable devotion to him.

  Bruno jerked at the end of the leash, anxious to do his job. Only Luke didn’t have a job for him to do. Bruno was a cadaver K-9, whose specialty was finding dead bodies, and Jordan wasn’t dead. Luke’s jaw tightened, but he followed after the animal, determined to do his part in locating his boss. He had to keep believing it wasn’t too late. That he wasn’t too late. Please, God, please let us find him—alive—and let there be a reasonable explanation for his disappearance.

  For the next two hours, he and the other officers searched the area without success. Jordan wasn’t there. Or at any of his favorite places according to reports coming in.

  “Where could he be?” Sophie finally asked on the verge of tears.

  Luke’s heart slammed against his chest in empathy with her worry. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right, though. Maybe we need to sit down with Katie and talk through everything.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like Jordan’s morning. His schedule. What he said to her before he left? Everything. There’s no detail too small, but I’m pretty confident about one thing.”

  “What’s that?” Sophie asked.

  “Jordan never made it to the Parkway this morning.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Bruno didn’t even get a hint of his scent. That means he wasn’t there.”

  “Then let’s go.” Sophie hurried to the SUV and Luke climbed behind the wheel after making sure Bruno was settled. He paused.

  Sophie frowned. “What a
re you waiting for?”

  “Do you have Katie’s number?”

  “Of course.”

  “Can you call her? I think we can do this over the phone and it will be faster than going back to the auditorium.”

  “Sure. I can put her on speaker.”

  Sophie dialed the number. It only made it through half a ring before Katie answered. “Sophie? Did you find him?”

  “No, I’m sorry.”

  Katie’s muffled sob echoed through the phone’s speaker, and Luke winced. Katie was one of the sweetest people on the planet and he hated that she was suffering—that they were all suffering. “I’m here, too, Katie,” Luke said. “Listen, we’re not giving up, so just keep hanging in there, okay? But we think you can help.”

  “Yes. Of course.” She sniffed. “Anything. What can I do?”

  “Tell me about this morning when you last saw Jordan. What was his mind-set like?”

  “Um...nothing unusual. He seemed fine. And by fine, he was joking around about some things, talking about where we’d take our next vacation. He was proud of the graduating K-9s and handlers and said what a great addition they would be to the force. He was looking forward to the future,” she said softly. “That note wasn’t from him.”

  “I don’t think it was either,” Sophie said, “but did you look at it?”

  “No, I didn’t want to. Why?”

  “It was his handwriting.”

  Katie paused. “Then someone forced him to do it,” she said, her voice low, but firm. “The only way he would write that note is if someone held a gun to his head.” She paused. “Or threatened me.”

  “I’d agree with that last part,” Sophie said.

  “What time did Jordan leave this morning?” Luke asked.

  “Before I did—around 8:30. He took Snapper with him for their run, then was supposed to go straight to headquarters, where he was going to use the shower, dress, then head to the auditorium to go over his remarks before the ceremony.”

  Luke paused, lips pursed. “Did you see him actually get in the vehicle and drive away?”

  She paused. “Um...no. I didn’t.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” he said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t think Jordan ever made it to the park to take Vanderbilt Parkway. I’m going to get Finn to bring Abernathy to your house and see if the dog can pick up Jordan’s scent and at least tell us which way he went when he left the house—and whether or not he was on foot or in his vehicle.”

  “But the SUV is gone.”

  “I know.” That didn’t necessarily mean Jordan was driving it. He kept that to himself. “I’ll meet you there.”

  Luke hung up and dialed Finn’s number.

  “You find him?” the K-9 officer answered.

  “No. Sophie thinks we’re going about this all wrong and I have to say I kind of agree with her.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Meet me at Jordan’s house with Abernathy. Katie’s going to give us one of the chief’s shirts and you’re going to see how far Abernathy can take you.”

  “Not a bad idea. I’ll meet you there in twenty.”

  “On the way.”

  When Luke neared the Jameson home in Rego Park, all he could do was pray Abernathy and Finn would find something that would give the next step in their search for Jordan. The three-story multifamily building was home to the entire Jameson clan.

  “We’ll need to talk to Alexander and Ivy,” Luke said.

  Alexander and Ivy Jameson, parents to Noah, Carter, Zach and Jordan, lived on the first floor. Jordan and Katie shared the second floor, and the other brothers, along with Carter’s six-year-old daughter, Ellie, had the large third-floor apartment in true Full House fashion. Luke knew Carter’s wife, Ellie’s mother, had died in childbirth, leaving Carter devastated and in need of help with the newborn. The family hadn’t hesitated, jumping right in to do whatever Carter needed.

  Luke had often envied the tight-knit family that was so very different from his own. With one brother and a father who blamed him for his mother’s death, Luke kept his distance from them.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Jameson are out of town this week visiting relatives in Florida,” Sophie said. “I sure hope we can find Jordan and not have to tell them anything about all of this.”

  “Okay. Then that’s the plan for now.”

  He parked on the street just as Finn and Abernathy arrived. Katie’s car was already in the driveway. The door opened, and she stepped onto the porch. Luke drew in a deep breath. “All right, let’s do this.”

  THREE

  Sophie had prayed the entire drive to the Jameson home. Prayed and kept an eye on her phone. Of course it hadn’t rung and no one had called in on the radio to report they’d found Jordan. She climbed out of the SUV and stood beside it while Katie approached Finn, holding a bag in her gloved hands.

  “Jordy dropped this shirt on the bathroom floor yesterday when he came in from his run,” Katie said. “I’m a little embarrassed to say that I left it there simply to see how long it would take him to pick it up. It was a private joke. He leaves his clothes on the floor, I leave my towels.” She sniffed and swiped a stray tear, then waved a hand. “Never mind. I’m chattering. I used gloves to put it in the bag so it wouldn’t have my scent on it.”

  Abernathy, the eager-to-work yellow Lab, stood at Finn’s side, tail wagging, ears perked, eyes on the bag. The dog’s nose quivered as Finn took the bag. “That was good thinking. Are you sure you aren’t part cop?”

  Katie offered him a small smile. “Being married to Jordy has taught me a lot,” she said softly. Tears stood in her eyes. “Please, just find him. I’ll never fuss about him leaving his clothes on the floor again.”

  “That’s the plan. Let’s start inside.”

  Sophie and Luke followed Katie, Finn and Abernathy inside. Finn pulled on a glove, then opened the bag and removed the shirt. He held it out to Abernathy, who shoved his nose in it, over it and around it.

  Once he was sure the dog had the scent, Finn let him take the lead even though they knew Jordan wasn’t inside. There was always the hope Abernathy would lead them to some sort of clue.

  Sophie frowned. It was such a long shot. Were they wasting valuable time searching the house when Jordan could be somewhere needing help? But these guys were the best. They did this on a daily basis and would be hyper diligent now that one of their own was missing. She knew this. She could trust them. Sophie kept her lips shut and let the professionals work.

  Finally, Abernathy led them to the back door and out into the backyard. K-9 handlers were required to have an outdoor space for their dogs, and this house couldn’t be more perfect. Sophie remembered overhearing a conversation about how Alexander and Ivy bought the multifamily house when their sons were little and rented out the other apartments before giving them to their children when they were ready to live on their own. Even while her mind spun with facts she knew, she kept an eye on Abernathy and Finn.

  Finn once again let the dog lead, all of his attention tuned to the canine’s body language. Abernathy covered the back area, then returned to Finn and sat.

  “Nothing back here,” Finn said. “Let’s try outside the fence.” The gate opened into the small driveway that ran the length of the house.

  The dog led them out into the street and ran a short distance before stopping and looking back at Finn. Sophie and Luke caught up.

  “He’s lost the scent,” Finn said, “but I think this means that Jordan and Snapper definitely got in the vehicle and took off.”

  “Then where’s the car, and where’s Snapper?” Sophie asked.

  Luke shook his head. “Jordan could park that K-9 SUV anywhere and no one would think anything about it other than there was a cop somewhere close by. At least not for a while. We’ve got a BOLO out o
n it, but people will have to be paying close attention to the license plate.”

  “I don’t know,” Sophie said. “Seems to me that might make it even easier to find.”

  “Always looking for that silver lining, aren’t you?”

  “Keeping hopeful, Luke, that’s all.”

  “Good,” Finn said. “We need to stay hopeful. Prayers wouldn’t hurt either.”

  “What about security footage?” Luke asked. “Katie probably knows the route Jordan takes every morning. We could check any cameras along that drive.”

  “Good idea. As soon as we get that route, I’ll call it in.”

  “I know the route,” Sophie said. She rattled it off.

  Finn popped his phone from the clip on his belt. “I’ll call it in and we’ll see what Dani can pull,” he said.

  While Finn put in the request, Sophie paced. “The longer, he’s missing, the chances of finding him drop,” she muttered. They knew that as well as she did. But she wasn’t really talking to them, just stating a fact and reminding herself that they needed to find him fast. “So, we know he got up, and his plan was to go for a run with Snapper and then go to headquarters to shower and change. On his way to the auditorium, he might have planned to stop somewhere and grab something quick like toast or a bagel.”

  “That sounds right,” Katie said. “Only he never made it to the auditorium.”

  Actually, they weren’t sure he even made it out of the neighborhood.

  They all fell silent until Luke rubbed a hand down his cheek. “There’s nothing more we can do here,” Luke said. “Let’s get back to headquarters. Sophie, would you be willing to go through Jordan’s office and see if anything strikes you as off?”

  “Of course.” Sophie looked at Zach, Katie, Noah and Carter. “Do we need to call your parents?”

  Noah shook his head. “No, not yet. It’s only been a few hours. I’m not ready to sound the alarm yet.”

  “Katie,” Sophie said, “do you want me to come back and stay here with you after I’ve gone through his office?”