As much as Chavez wanted to try on one of the suits, he knew he had to wait until the lab boys finished with them. They might contain evidence to the missing boys. He got to the lab, and the forensics guy on duty looked at him like he was crazy, after he explained about the extra suits. But Rudy dutifully checked each speedo under the microscope, swabbed each with a q-tip, under blacklight almost all of them glowed showing traces of semen-but that was to be expected having been worn by young men, he bagged specimens of pubic hair, and noted that none of the suits had tags, ever. There was no sign of pulling on the seams if a tag had been ripped out.
"Oh, Chavez, one more thing before you take these to the property room," Rudy said handing a plastic bag filled with the speedos to Chavez.
"Yeah, what is it, Rudy?"
"The coach got the count wrong, there are 23 pairs," Rudy said.
"Oh?" Chavez wondered where Munro had gotten off too, as he walked from Forensics to the Evidence Room.
"So whatcha got for us today, Chavez, your dirty laundry?"
"No, Petersen, it ain't dirty laundry, at least it's not MY dirty laundry. It's the only clue we've got on the missing boys over at the high school. Twenty two missing guys, twenty-two--I mean twenty three extra swimsuits."
"Shouldn't that be twenty-three missing guys?" joked Petersen.
A voice shouts, "Chavez, it's Coach McGurk from the high school, he's calling to let you know that he got a call from some parents, another boy's gone missing, he said you know him--named MUNRO!"
"Oh, great thanks, sarge!"
"See, I was right twenty three and twenty three. Suits and boys, guess there must be a link."
"Yeah, well, log em in, I've gotta talk to the captain."
"Captain?"
"Chavez?"
"It's about the missing boys," Chavez began.
"I heard another one disappeared right after you were there--maybe while you were there."
"Yeah, that's just it. The kid Munro was inventorying the school's speedos, and he found 22 extra pairs."
"So?"
"Well, McGurk told him to leave the suits on a bench, and then he gave them to me. Well, when I got them to forensics, there were 23 pairs, Rudy caught the miscount. Or perhaps I should say accurate count. Makes me think McGurk slipped the extra one in the stack, in anticipation of Munro's disappearance. Or perhaps someone else did it? I mean Munro was gone when the coach and I went to inspect the extra speedos. I just didn't see anybody else."
"McGurk does look suspicious, did Rudy find anything special about the suits?"
"Nah, just lycra speedos."
"You said 23 pairs in the evidence locker?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Well, the department is putting on an intramural water polo tournament, and it sure would be convenient if this precinct didn't have to shell out for suits. I mean it wouldn't hurt your case, if we borrowed those speedos from the evidence locker for our team?"
"I don't know, captain, I mean they are evidence?"
"Speaking of the team, Chavez, you got a nice athletic build, why haven't I seen your name on the sign up sheet for the team?"
"Well, captain, I haven't been around the station much to sign anything. This high school disappearance case has got me interviewing parents, teachers, friends, and like I said my only link is those extra speedos."
The captain shoves a clipboard in front of Chavez, along with a pen. Under the watchful glare of his boss, Chavez signs up for the Precinct Water Polo team.
"First practice is tomorrow at 4pm, tell Peterson to issue you one of them suits, and one to each of the other team members. Which reminds me where are Brewster and Carpenter? Their personnel jackets indicate they both played Water Polo in school."
"Brewster, I couldn't say, but Carpenter was eating a donut in the lunch room."
"Right tell him I want to see him, dismissed Chavez. And see you tomorrow at 4pm."