Ep 22. Missing

In the Heat of the Night season 2 episode 22, entitled "Missing," follows police chief Bill Gillespie (played by Carroll O'Connor) and detective Virgil Tibbs (played by Howard Rollins) as they investigate the disappearance of a young woman named Cindy. Cindy's mother reports that her daughter never returned home after a night out with friends and the investigation quickly becomes a race against time to find the missing girl before it's too late.

As Gillespie and Tibbs dig deeper into Cindy's life, they discover a number of possible suspects, including her ex-boyfriend and a man who was seen following her on the night she disappeared. Meanwhile, tensions between Gillespie and the town's mayor, Kendall (played by Denise Nicholas), are rising as Kendall pushes for the police department to prioritize other cases over Cindy's.

As the investigation progresses, tensions continue to mount and secrets are revealed. Gillespie and Tibbs soon realize that the case is more complex than they initially thought, with some unexpected twists and turns along the way.

Throughout the episode, viewers are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions, from hopefulness to despair, as the search for Cindy intensifies and the clock ticks down. As Gillespie and Tibbs race against time to find the missing girl, they have to navigate their way through the town's politics and personal agendas to ultimately uncover the truth behind her disappearance.

"Missing" is a gripping, suspenseful episode that showcases the talents of its cast and the show's ability to tackle complex and emotional subject matter. With its engaging storyline and intense pacing, it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats until the very end.