Washington DC’s police are part of the Metropolitan Police Department, or MPD. Allie’s parents both work for the MPD as detectives, and though some department members think Alex is a bad cop, most do not, and the Crosses have many strong working relationships with officers there. Those connections help speed the department as it works to locate Gabe and solve the burglaries connected to the boy.

When Ali comes under suspicion during the series of burglaries, the department treats him fairly. Ali chafes at the slow, methodical way the department searches for Gabe, but he soon realizes they must do things in that manner to get the job done properly. In the story, MPD symbolizes a solid, strong arm of the law whose clockwork professionalism includes room for dedication and compassion.

PlayStation 4, or PS4, is a video gaming console, and Ali, Gabe, Ruby, Mateo, and Cedric play on it an online action game, Outpost. When Gabe disappears, the others try and fail to break into Gabe’s game bunker in search of clues. Ali later receives a private message that gains him entry to the bunker, where he talks to Gabe, who makes him promise not to tell the others about their conversation.