“I have other resources for protection. You know that,” Ken’s voice was sounding irritated. “Alexander is unique, but even unique criminals get caught sooner or later. Until he is caught, your focus should be on finding Stanley Mix. I hope that is clear.”

“It is clear,” Derek said.

“Good. My resources have also provided me with a possible lead to Straus’s whereabouts. They are following up today. I hope to have Straus in my sights by the time we chat this evening. I expect you will have Mix locked down as well. Once we have all the players, we go public with the whole story. Maybe that will bring Alexander out of hiding as well.”

“Probably a good plan,” Derek said. “So where do your resources think Straus is?”

“Straus is no longer your concern. My information sounds rock solid, meaning that the only missing player is Stanley Mix. Find him and keep him under watch, Cole. The second you locate him, contact me.”

The tone in Ken O’Connell’s voice was unmistakable. He wanted Derek to find Stanley Mix and to leave everything else to his “resources.” But Derek had questions.

“Have you spoken to Thomas lately?” he asked, knowing that the question may anger Ken.

“If you are wondering if Thomas is safe, he is. If you are wondering anything else, I think you need to remind yourself of your objective.”

“I am charged with his safety as well,” Derek said. “I just have some concern I have after speaking with him yesterday.”

“And that concern is?” Ken asked, not caring to hide his impatience with Derek.

“He told me that it was raining out, but when I checked the radar on my phone, there weren’t any storms in the area. You confirmed it as well when I asked about the rain.”

“It’s a big lake, Cole. Not sure if you’ve ever spent time on any of the Great Lakes but an isolated rain storm is not at all uncommon.”

“I know that. But ...”

“Listen, Cole,” Ken said. “I need to follow up on other pressing matters. I appreciate your concern for my son, but he is well protected and is exactly where he should be. Call me the second you pick up Mix’s trail.”

Without any more words spoken, Ken ended the call. Derek sat in his car awhile, his iPhone still pressed to his ear. He let his mind wander.

“Exactly where he should be?” he thought. “Why wouldn’t Ken show even the slightest concern that his son may not be where he expects him to be?

Before he could answer his own questions, his iPhone rang, startling Derek as the phone was still pressed to his ear.

“Derek Cole,” he answered.

“Now I thought you weren’t gonna have your phone turned.”

“Chief Ralph Fox,” Derek said, smiling. “I figured you’d miss me, but didn’t think you’d call me so soon.”

“I guess you’re like a toe fungus. Growing on me.”

“Not sure if that was a compliment.”

“Well, compliments and insults are determined by the person receiving them,” Ralph said.

“I’ll take it as a compliment then if it’s up to me.”

“So, whad did you find out so far?”

“I found Mix. He doesn’t look good at all. I spoke to his wife Michelle today and told her that I had no intentions of telling Ken O’Connell that I found them.”

“Not being a good employee,” Ralph said, his respect for Derek’s choice obvious in his tone.

“I’d fire me. Also spoke with Ken a minute ago. He told me that Lucietta may have been found murdered.”

“That man must be a man of influence.”

“He has plenty of resources,” Derek said.

“Well, Lucietta was murdered, right in his office and right in the middle of the day. No one saw or heard nothing. Looks like he got hit with his own Taser a couple of times before having a knife pushed through his neck. Coroner said it wasn’t a painful death, but it wasn’t  quick, either.”

“I guess that leaves Straus and my clients on the ‘hit list.’”

“And Stanley Mix, but I am sensing that you are gonna be doing some protecting of him.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Derek said softly.

“Well, there are two things you need to know about the Lucietta murder. One, the killer or killers left another one of them notes. All the names of the deceased crossed out in Lucietta’s blood. Names not crossed out still include your client, his dad and mom, Stanley Mix, and the elusive Doctor William Straus.

“Now, the second and more interesting thing is what the NYPD detectives shared with your buddy, Captain Smith. Turns out that the finger printing guys didn’t find any prints that didn’t belong in the office. But, they did find something interesting.”

“And that would be?” Derek asked.

“The killer was wearing latex gloves. Now, I don’t know how familiar you may be with latex gloves, but some of them gloves have a powder sprinkled on ‘em to make ‘em easier to put on. I bet that you’ve seen that little puff of white when your doctor snaps his gloves on and tells you to bend over.”

“Funny. And, yes, I know about the powder.”

“Well, the killer was particularly interested in one picture that poor old Lucietta had hanging on his wall. Left glove prints and some of that aforementioned powder on the frame and glass.”

“What was the picture of?” Derek asked.

“It was a picture of Straus and Lucietta standing in front of Hilburn Psychiatric Hospital down on Long Island.”

“O’Connell told me that his resources had a good lead on where Straus might be. Unless my client’s resources include someone on the NYPD, I think he may be involved.”

“I think I lied to you when I said I had two things of importance,” Ralph said. “There’s one other thing. Captain Smith’s tech people did some more investigating on that call you made with Ken O’Connell. The tracers showed that his phone was around Chicago. But what they found after doing more digging is that while his cell phone was in Chicago, your call was automatically forwarded to another phone.”

“He is definitely involved if he is covering up his location,” Derek said. “Now I am even happier I lied to him about Mix. There’s something else I should share with you.”

“What we have here is a mutually beneficial relationship,” Ralph said.

“When I spoke with Thomas O’Connell yesterday, I could hear a storm in the background. He said it was just a passing storm, but when I checked the radar on my phone, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky where he is supposed to be.”