“This cabin is now our headquarters. I like to be close to my work when doing something like this investigation. We cannot forget that we have a whole lot of other people who live in this town who are going to be scared out of their right minds once they hear about these murders. Don’t forget that your job is to protect and to serve.

“Yes, this investigation is going to take up a lot of man-hours, but you cannot neglect your other duties. In order that the other duties don’t get neglected, I am going to ask that officer Mark Grace and I do all the full-time work on this case. Y’all others will be doing some things now and then, but mostly you are going to keep on doing your jobs.

“We will catch this bastard, or if there is more than one, these bastards. I promise you and your families that. I need y’all to keep this quiet for as long as you can. The last thing we need is some type of panic going on. Everyone understand?”

All agreed with Ralph and their roles in the murder investigation.

“Thank you. Now, before y’all leave here, I need two deputies to do a little legwork for me. I need one to go to every house on this street and see if anyone saw anything. Other than that, everyone is free to get their asses back to work. Thank you. And remember, quiet on all this for as long as possible.  If the press...Y’all do have a press up here, right?”

“Yes Chief. We even have a paper.”

“Good. Well the press is probably outside this cabin already. Tell them that we are investigating a murder and that you have no further information. That’s all.”

CHAPTER NINE

“How did you find out about the murders and that your twin brother was the prime suspect?”

“I got a call, well, actually, my parents got a call from a Ralph Fox. He’s the chief of police in the town where the murders happened,” Thomas responded.

“And up until that call, neither you nor your parents had any idea that your brother, their son didn’t die in the hospital on the day you two were born?”

“It was quite a surprise. Pissed my dad off, I can tell you that much.”

“I’d imagine,” Derek said. Derek stood up, stretched his back and motioned towards path that led from the nearest parking lot to where he and Thomas were talking. “And these doctors, Rinaldo, Mix, Adams, and Zudak,  have you or your parents had a chat with them yet?

“One of them, Zudak, called my parent’s house last night. They had left already, but I heard the message. Said he wanted to explain everything to them. He left his cell number and said that he won’t be staying in one place for too long until the killer is captured.”

“And the others?”

“No. I haven’t spoken with them. Neither have my parents, as far as I know. As soon as we were told about Alex and that he was suspected in the murders, we figured we better protect ourselves. Honestly, it took a lot of persuasion on my part to get my parents to get out of town.

“Before they left and once I told them that I was staying put, my dad suggested that I talk to my uncle, his brother, about contacting you. So that’s what I did.”

“Did they try to convince you to join them?”

“Of course, but they agreed that I should work with you to get answers.”

Derek began moving towards the path to the parking lot and gestured with his head that Thomas should follow.

“I want to visit with these doctors first. Not that I doubt your story, but I need to confirm things with the people who were there. Any idea where they might be located?”

Thomas thought. “Actually, I do. After I called you and arranged this meeting, I did some searches. Mark Rinaldo retired from Saint Stevens over three years ago but still lives in the area. Stanley Mix got married to a nurse who cared for Alexander while he was in Hilburn. They live outside of Rochester, New York. I don’t know anything about Lucietta or Straus. And I already told you about Zudak.”

“You have addresses?”

“I do. Thought you might need them.”

Thomas handed Derek a folded up sheet of paper that he retrieved from the front pocket of his neatly pressed gabardines.

“But you haven’t contacted them at all?”

“Nope. Not sure if I could contain my anger if I did.”

“Good,” Derek said, as he quickened his pace towards his car. “I’m going to pay a visit to Rinaldo, hoping that he’s at home. Then, I’ll give Zudak a call. Depending on how my calls go, I think I’ll head out to Piseco Lake and check out the crime scene.”

“Why would you go out there?” Thomas asked. “Alexander isn’t there anymore. He’s probably either in Chicago or is heading this way.”

The look of concern was clear on Thomas’s face.

“You may be right, but if I am going to track his movements, I have to start where he started moving. I’ll keep in touch but you need to get somewhere safe. Do you have a place?”

“Yes. I can go to . .”

“Don’t tell me where you’re going. Trust me, I don’t need to know. All I need to know is that I can get in touch with you on your cell phone and that wherever you are headed is safe and that you’ll stay put. Understood?”

“Understood.”

As they reached the parking lot, Thomas stopped in his tracks and said, “What will you do if you find Alexander?”

“I don’t think that far ahead. You just get your ass to wherever it is that you are going, and stay there until I tell you otherwise.”

“Okay. And will you give Mark Rinaldo a message for me?”

“Depends on the message,” Derek said.

“Tell him that no matter what happens to my brother, that he hasn’t heard or seen the last of the O’Connells.”

“Sounds like a threat.”

“No threat. Just a promise that he will pay for the lies he told.  Him and that whole team of his. My father is already in contact with his lawyer. That asshole Rinaldo and the entire team will be behind bars the second this whole mess is cleaned up.”

“Behind bars may be the safest place for them if we don’t stop your brother,” Derek said. “And, by the way, did that Ralph Fox say anything else when he spoke with your parents?”