“Yeah, there’s a crowd in the parking lot. Patrol is keeping them contained.”
“Let’s get it done.”
“Do you want me to do it?”
Sam was sorely tempted to turn it over to him. “I’ll do it, so I can thank everyone who helped us look for him. I have to call Luna’s parents first.” She looked around for a quiet spot to make the call and didn’t see one.
“This way,” Malone said, guiding her toward a hallway that was mostly deserted.
Sam looked up the number and made the call.
“Did you find her?” Court asked.
“Not yet, but we’ve got Ethan Hogan and Tomas Cambra. They were held in a home in Northwest, and according to Ethan, they didn’t see Luna there.”
Court’s anguished cry broke Sam’s heart.
“We’ve got all the best people looking for her and will continue to work the case from every angle until we have her back.”
“I can’t bear to think about what she might be going through.”
Sam couldn’t either. “We’re not sharing details, such as the boys not seeing her where they were held, with the public. We need to keep that info close while we look for her, okay?”
“We won’t say anything. Do you think it’s a good sign for her that they were found alive?”
Sam desperately wanted to reassure her, but she couldn’t give her false hope. “I honestly don’t know what it means. I can tell you we’ve got a massive effort under way to find her. I’m about to update the media and will implore people again to be on the lookout for Luna.”
“Thank you for all you’re doing.”
“I’ll keep you informed of any developments.”
“Okay.”
Sam ended the call, feeling shredded by the awful uncertainty Luna’s family was still dealing with. “Brutal,” she said to Malone.
“It sure is.”
“I haven’t even asked where we are with the guy murdered at the hotel.”
“Cruz is still working with Crime Scene, and Archie’s team has the video. It’s slow going on both fronts.”
“I’ll get up to speed on that after I get some sleep.”
“This was a tough one after another tough one. Take the time you need. We’ve got it covered.”
“Thanks, Cap.” Sam eyed the doors where the media waited to devour her on the other side. She wasn’t at all sure she had the fortitude to face them, but Ruiz had asked her to handle it, so that’s what she would do. Maintaining the fragile accord with the captain was a priority.
“I’ll go out with you. If it’s too much, take a step back, and I’ll take over.”
She nodded, appreciating that he’d given her an out if she ended up needing it.
They walked through the automatic doors out of the Emergency Department into the parking lot where a light mist was falling, just enough to soak the reporters and add to their ire at being made to wait.
Shouted questions started the second they saw Sam coming toward them and continued unabated until she stepped up to the makeshift podium someone had put there. Probably Public Affairs, she thought as she tried to gather herself to tell them what they needed to know.
“Just over an hour ago, two young boys were spotted running on Connecticut Avenue by MPD Patrol officers. The boys, Ethan Hogan and Tomas Cambra, who were reported missing yesterday afternoon, are being treated here at GW for minor injuries that resulted from being held hostage. Our department had issued a be-on-the-lookout alert for them late yesterday after they failed to return home on time. Their cell phones were going to voicemail, and tracking services weren’t available, leading their parents to call us for help in finding them. Then we were informed of another missing child, thirteen-year-old Luna Ahern, who has not yet been located. Her disappearance is believed to be related to that of the boys.”
“How do you know that?” a reporter asked.
