“Do you find the fact that no list was found on either Rinaldo or Zudak interesting?”
“I do, indeed. I do find that peculiar.”
“We haven’t been able to contact Mix. He’s either gone very dark, or his body hasn’t been found yet.”
“I was actually planning to give them a call,” Ralph said. “In fact, since we’re all here together, how about I make that call right now?”
Ralph retrieved a folded sheet of paper from his wallet that sat bulging in his back pocket. As he dialed the numbers read from the sheet of paper, Smith told him to put the phone on speaker.
“I doubt that anyone will answer, but just in case, I’d like to hear every word said.”
As the connection was made, and Ralph’s cell phone’s speaker reported rings, Derek glanced down at his iPhone to both make sure that he hadn’t accidentally deleted the text message from his client that contained Ken O’Connell’s cell number and to check for any other messages that may have come through. The text from Thomas was still there, along with a notification of five missed calls and four voice messages.
“Ain’t gonna answer, seems. But, the fact that it is ringing tells me that Mix’s cell phone is on. Isn’t that correct, Captain Smith?” Ralph asked as he closed his flip phone and buried it back into the front pocket of his khakis.
“If you are suggesting that we try to ping his phone, we’ve been trying that for the last two days.”
“Any reason why you can’t locate his cell phone?” Derek asked, after having checked the missed calls and not recognizing any of the numbers of the missed calls.
“Verizon suggests that Mix may be in an area with poor coverage. His phone may ring on our end, but he may not be receiving any notifications. His phones are both somewhat current Samsung models that have been on his account for over a year. They are not burner phones, so he isn’t trying to hide using technology.”
Derek thought about calling his client’s father with Ralph and Smith but felt that doing so may violate his confidentiality clause he signed and lived up to with every one of his clients.
“There’s one more thing that I think you two will be interested in hearing,” Smith said, talking more to Derek than to Ralph. “Ralph said that you were hired by Thomas O’Connell to protect him and his parents from whomever is going around killing people?”
“Yes,” Derek confirmed.
“Before I ask why you think coming all the way up to Piseco Lake instead of staying around your client is a good way to offer client protection, I want to ask you what your client told you about his parents. Specifically, his father. Where they are, anything they plan on doing, etcetera.”
“My client told me that his parents flew to the Bahamas to get to a safe place. Just this morning, my client told me that he had spoken to his mother last night who told him that they landed safe and sound and were headed to whatever resort they are staying at. My client also told me that he spoke with his father early this morning. He said that his dad wants to get updates directly from me regarding my progress with the case.”
“And have you called him with an update yet?” Smith asked.
“Not yet.”
“Can you give me a valid reason why you don’t call him right now so that we can all speak with him?”
“I have a reason, but you probably won’t like it,” Derek said.
“Try me.”
“I believe in client confidentiality. What my clients say to me is for my ears only.”
“That may be a good policy, but didn’t I just hear Chief Fox hire you as an officer for the Town of Arietta Police force?”
Derek knew enough about how police departments work to know that withholding case information wasn’t widely approved of.
“I am afraid that I may have to resign my position with the town,” Derek said to Ralph who just smiled back.
“Then I may have to arrest you for obstruction of justice,” Smith said, clearly tired of the game Ralph and Derek were playing. “There’s a damn good reason I need you to call Ken O’Connell and a damn good reason why I need to hear exactly what you say to him and what he says to you.”
“And that reason is?” Derek asked, knowing that he would have to make the call and violate his own code of confidentiality.
“Janet O’Connell was the only O’Connell who got on that plane to Nassau.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Her hair needed to be colored again, or at least she thought so. Her husband would say that she looked beautiful no matter how successful those pesky gray hairs were in their mission to take over as much territory as possible. But she wanted always to look her best for him. Especially now. Especially with everything that he was dealing with. She knew she wouldn’t be able to visit the resort’s fitness center but could balance things out during their stay at the resort by eating a little less. He deserved her looking her best.
She was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom just off from the bedroom of their two-room suite. Standing there, separating strands of hair to more closely inspect her roots.
“Darn gray roots,” she whispered, careful not to disturb her resting husband.
He was sleeping, still tired from the impromptu car ride the other day. She knew that him feeling tired was all part of his disease, and she knew that more horrible side effects would soon become an even larger part of his everyday life.
The lethargy was okay. Easy to put up with. A few naps each day handled those well. The pain in his abdomen, though mild now, would soon be presenting a different level of interruption. He would have to take more oxy to keep it under control which meant more cloudy thinking and even more naps.
As she quietly completed the root inspection, she finished getting dressed then walked into the darkened bedroom, listening to hear the slight snoring sounds he was still making.
“Good,” she thought. “He needs more rest.”
Silently, she walked out of the bedroom and into the living room of their suite. From there, she poured herself a vodka tonic (heavy on the vodka), and walked outside and onto the small balcony that overlooked the Saint Lawrence River.