“I don’t see anything listed in his file, but I can check with the team in the morning.”
“Can you report back to me if you get any new info?” Sam asked.
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m getting another call. Please let me know if you uncover any other information that could be relevant.”
“I will.”
“Thank you very much for your help.” Sam pressed the button to end that call and left Celia’s kitchen to talk to Dispatch, marveling that she didn’t inadvertently cut off the new call. “Holland.”
“I was asked to update you on anything that might be related to the BOLO on Ethan Hogan.”
“Yes, what’ve you got?”
“Captain Roback, who’s covering Patrol tonight, received a report of a missing thirteen-year-old girl, who left to meet some friends earlier and hasn’t returned home.”
Sam’s stomach sank as the news just kept getting worse. “Can you send the details to Detective Cruz?”
“Yes, ma’am. Shall I tell the captain that you’ll respond to the parents’ home?” She recited an address in the Truxton Circle neighborhood. Clearly, Dispatch hadn’t been told this wasn’t her case, and she wasn’t about to fill them in. She’d worry about that fallout after she helped to find Ethan.
“Yes, we’ll be there shortly.”
“Very good, thank you.”
Sam closed her phone and signaled for Freddie to leave with her.
“Sam!” Tracy called after her. “What’s happened?”
“Nothing new, but we were asked to follow up on a possible lead. I’ll tell you more as soon as I can.”
“Is it bad?”
“Nothing new to worry about.”
“You’d tell me if there was?”
“If I could. Please know… we’re doing everything we can, and some of it would be upsetting to you to hear about and may have nothing at all to do with Ethan. It’s better that we don’t give you the blow-by-blow, okay? You have to trust me on that.” Sam took the time to hug her sister. “Hang in there. Every base is being covered. I promise. If there’s any news about Ethan, I’ll let you know the minute I hear about it.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay by the phone.”
Tracy nodded.
On the way out of Celia’s house, she asked Freddie, “What the hell is this?”
“I have no idea, but I don’t like it. Not one bit.”
Outside, Vernon held the back door to her Secret Service SUV.
“Where’d you come from?” Sam asked.
“I offered to come in when I heard about your nephew. Figured you might be working.”
She squeezed his arm. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
