“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.”
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 on 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