Vivian shows Madeline's parents pictures of the suspected murderer's pick up truck and asks if they've seen a car like that before. They say they haven't. Vivian pushes it and asks them to imagine it with a truck cap and they get upset. They ask if the detectives know something about Madeline's disappearance. They explain that the man who took Maddie may have been connected to other cases as well. Mr. Ross gets angry, grabs Medina and demands to know what happened to the other girls. He says the girls turned up dead.

An officer reports that he may have pulled the suspect over earlier. Jack and Elena go to the officer and he tells them that he pulled a truck matching the description of the amber alert over for speeding. He says that the man apologized and said he was trying to sneak past the construction zone without waking up the daughter. The officer remembers looking in the truck and seeing a girl sleeping under a blanket next to him. The driver told the officer that she had been having trouble sleeping and he was relieved that she was finally asleep. The officer says he let him go with a warning, because the Amber alert was for the Accord at the time and the update for the truck didn't come in until later. The officer is worried he let the killer go. Jack asks if the girl was alive. The officer says he can't say for sure and hands him the paperwork from the traffic stop.

The man's name is Richard Lamb. They search his home and find it empty. They track down Richard's brother and bring him in for questioning. He denies knowing anything about Richard kidnapping girls. He says that he doesn't know where his brother is and thinks that they're just trying to set him up. He asks if he's under arrest and the detectives say no. They ask for him to stay and help, but he leaves.

Fitzgerald calls Fran back in for questioning and tells her he knows she lied to him. Fran admits she lied and explains what really happened. She says that her daughter Carla and her junkie boyfriend Zack found out that she had cash, so they followed her to her brother's house. Zack banged on the door and her brother hit him in the head with the flashlight. He then shot her brother and sister in law, then left. Fran says she lied to protect her daughter. Fitzgerald asks where to find Carla and Fran tells him.

Fitzgerald finds Carla and asks her what happened. She says that Zack was loading up their car and went in the house to get something. Ariana then approached her and told her she could help. Zack returned and made Ariana get in the car with him, then took off. Carla says she doesn't know where he went, but he has a brother in Virginia. She says they left about 20 minutes ago. Fitzgerald puts an APB out on Zack's car.

Jack tells Medina that he followed Richard's brother and he went straight home and made no calls. He reminds Medina that it's hour 9 and asks if Medina wants him to go for a drive. Medina, upset, tells him to go.

Fitzgerald gets a call saying that Ariana's body was found in the trunk of Zack's car. She bled to death from a head injury caused by blunt force trauma. Fitzgerald angrily tells Medina that Ariana's dead and he missed her by just 20 minutes. He then informs Ariana's girlfriend of her death.

Jack goes to Richard's brother and asks where Richard is. The brother says he doesn't know. Jack takes a wire coat hanger and chokes the brother. He eventually tells Jack that he saw a pass to a state park in Richard's room. The detectives go to the park and surround Richard's truck. Richard gets out and begins shooting. The officers return fire and kill Richard. Maddie is found alive in the back of the truck. She is then reunited with her parents.

Medina tells Jack that he can't shake the feeling that he's responsible for Ariana's death. Jack tells him that he was just thinking about advancing his career and with the successful rescue of the young girl, he should be a shoo-in for the promotion. Medina admits that he wanted Jack to do whatever it took to be able to find Madeline. Jack says he'll keep his tactics secret and Medina asks what he wants in exchange. He says he wants Medina's job. Medina agrees and tells him his move was well-played. Jack tells Medina that his work is not a game.

BeeThoughts

I really don't understand why the department wouldn't be able to handle two cases at the same time. I would think that a city would often have simultaneous cases tht are high priority. It's too bad that Ariana didn't make it. I think that may eat away at Fitzgerald and possibly even Medina. I think Medina has hit a new low in Fitzgerald's eyes. I can't wait until Jack replaces him.

- Kristine R.