"Wait!" Layla's soft voice echoed in the department.
Some eyes turned, while some officers looked in her direction. Kane was halfway down the department, headed towards the elevator. He stopped in his tracks, knowing that Layla was addressing him.
He didn't turn, he didn't want to have to look into her eyes and tell her that he wasn't going to help her. He could hear her trotting towards him, as her heels hit the floor.
"Please. I know they asked you and you said no. I'm begging you, I need some kind of closure about my husband. You are my only hope," she sighed, as she got closer to him.
Kane finally turned to face her. Looking over her shoulder, he could tell that Marcus wanted him to help out so badly. Despite Ethan's ego being bruised by Layla's unsaid trust in his efficiency, Kane could tell that he too somehow wanted him to help with the case.
Layla walked up to Kane, looked him in his eyes and continued,
"I'll be lying if say I know you and the work you've done as an officer. The reason I know you, is because of my husband. He always followed up on every bust that you organized. He followed up on every case that you took and solved. It's because of him that I asked for you," she stated as she held her hands close to her chest.
"I'm sure if he did all of that, he also knew that I never solved the disappearances that happened a few years back." Kane informed her, wanting her to understand that he wasn't flawless.
He solved all the cases he could, except for one.
Shaking her head, she replied, "Yes, I know about that. He always said that maybe someday you might finally close that case. I believe that day is now. Please....help me find my dear husband and you might finally help close the case that's been sitting open in your cabinet,"
Since his retirement, Kane had vowed not to return to active service. With Layla standing in front of him, he was starting to question that vow.
He was thinking, and it finally came to him. Looking at Marcus, he said,
"Can I talk to you? In private, of course,"
Marcus immediately pointed to his office. Kane excused himself and went straight into the commissioner's office. Once inside, he shut the door and closed the blinds.
"I can tell you're thinking about it," Marcus stated, as he took a seat.
"You're not wrong about that one," Kane responded, taking a seat himself.
"And I can also tell that there's something holding you back. Aside from the fact that you said you won't return to active duty the day you resigned," Marcus added, leaning forward, "So, what it it?"
There was a moment of silence, as Kane was thinking of what to say and how to say it. Looking at the closed door, he knew that outside that door, was a woman who needed his help more than anything.
"I know you're thinking about helping her. My question is, why aren't you doing that?" Marcus asked.
"All you need is to just say the word. You were never fired or released from service. You can have your badge and gun back with a snap of a finger." He added.
Kane leaned back into the chair, looking at Marcus keenly. They had both worked together when Kane was still an officer, and this made them know each other a bit too well.
So, Marcus didn't miss the hint when he told Kane about having his job back. He noticed it the moment it came out of his mouth. He immediately knew what Kane would prefer.
"Scratch all of that. How about this, you take on this case, without coming back on the job. I know you have a gun just in case things go sideways. In case you need anything, like a warrant or backup, we'll be one phonecall away," Marcus informed Kane, negotiating the terms of his services.
"I'll be around Ethan, but off the records. When I'm with them, I'll be like a consultant. But when I'm alone, I'm my own officer," Kane responded, confirming the terms of the agreement.
"That's fine by my. You should get started immediately, time is of the essence," Marcus stated, as they both got up and walked out of his office.
The first face that came to view was Layla, and behind her was Ethan and his team. All of them looked at Kane and Marcus, their faces searching for answers from the two men.
"We have come to an agreement. Alex Kane will help with the case, as a consultant. He'll work closely with Ethan and the family to find O'Daniel," Marcus announced.
Layla's face lit up with delight, while that of Ethan's team dimmed with scorn. However, this was not the case with Ethan. He looked disappointed, but mostly relieved.
Kane noticed this and picked it up as a starting point,
"I can already tell your team isn't too happy with me joining, but that's not the case with you. That tells me, you're the man I should talk to more. I'm guessing the file you're holding in your hand is a report," Kane said, pointing to the file and reminding Ethan that he had it the entire time.
"Yes it is. It's the lab results from O'Daniel's car that was found a few blocks away from his house," Ethan responded, opening the file.
"Don't bother with that, the file has nothing of importance. The is as clean as a whistle. When was it found?" Kane asked, looking at Ethan's team.
"Like a day and a half after O'Daniel went missing," Daniel responded.
"Perfect. Ethan, do you mind if we go to O'Daniel's residence and talk to everyone again? As I'm sure you've already talked to them."
All eyes turned to Layla when Kane asked that question. She nodded her head for a yes. However, Ethan had a question that was bothering him.
"Why don't you want to see where the car was found? Perhaps you might see something we might have missed," Ethan finally said.
Turning to him and with a smile on his face, Kane answered, "Because, O'Daniel wasn't kidnapped in The Heights District. The car being there is just but a misdirection and there's nothing to be found there."
"If that's the case, shouldn't we be looking at where he.was taken? Assuming that you already know where that is," Maya chimmed in.
"I kinda have a place in mind. But before that, I need to sit down with the entire O'Daniel family and understand the man better. I need to get a picture of the man we're looking for, and why he was taken," Kane replied as they all walked towards the elevator, heading to O'Daniel's home.