Abi The Genius

                                    

                                          
"Ma'am, do you still want me to secure the bin store?" Rob stood in the car park of the nursing home as all the police cars arrived, filling the sky with blue lights.
"She told you to go home Detective." Ruth didn't look at him, just stared at the scrappy bit of paper in her hand.
"With all due respect, she's not my boss. You are. I can help."
"They've got my boys and we don't know where she's gone Rob. We're not going to be much help on this one."
"Can I see?" He held his hand out for the paper which she reluctantly passed him before walking over to the uniforms to give them their  orders.
He read it slowly, three times.
Carla's alive
It's Ben
He has Jemal and Brian
Dog collar
Rob was confused and continued staring at the writing just the same as his boss had, as if the paper would magically produce more information.
"Excuse me." A uniformed police officer was asking him to move as she unrolled plastic tape around the car park.
"You don't need to cordon all this off, the crime scene is the bin store round there. Use this section to get everyone in and out. Who's here from CID?"
"No one yet sir. Busy night."
"Wonderful." He said sarcastically. He hated that Thea had gone off without him and left him here feeling useless and helpless. He walked over to Ruth, he needed orders, something to do to stop wondering if his best friend was dead already.
"Boss, I need your opinion on this." He handed her back the note.
"My opinion?"
"Yeah, what is this dog collar thing all about?"
"I have no idea Rob and unless you do, it's useless to us. There is nothing we can do but stay here and process this. Stay here and help or go home, make a decision." She didn't mean to be inpatient with him but she was in a state of panic. An anxiety over her missing grandson, the likes of which she'd never felt before. She felt just as useless as he did right now.
He walked off, got his notebook out of his car and was going to start getting first accounts from the nurse and Mateus when he figured he should ring his wife first.
"Thank god Rob, what the fuck is going on? You told me to lock all the doors and I've been hiding upstairs with Kate fucking petrified for the last hour!"
"I'm sorry babe. You gotta stay there though, don't move just stay in that room. You turn all the lights off?"
"Yes. Did they find her?"
"She's been taken. Thea got a phone call, she's gone to try and... I don't know. It's not looking good Abs."
"But your safe? Your safe right now?"
"Yes."
His wife could tell how pissed off he was about being safe and not being with his best friend, helping to do the job they were both trained to do.
"That's good. That's a good thing Rob. Thea's strong, she'd do anything for Carla."
"That's what I'm worried about. Anyway, it's going to be a late one, I don't know what time I'll be home."
"That's ok. You just text me if you hear anything, I don't care what time Rob. Just promise me you'll stay safe. I love you."
"I love you too." He went to put the phone down but suddenly changed his mind. "Oh wait, Abs, you ever heard Carla talk about a dog collar?"