Heartless: a Derek Cole Mystery Suspense Thriller (Derek Cole Suspense Thriller Book 1) (27 page)

“Michelle Mix?” he said when he was close enough to Michelle but far enough away from others to hear. “My name is Derek Cole, and I’ve been hired by Ken O’Connell to verify your location. I want to let you know that I’m going to tell Mr. O’Connell that you checked out of this resort before I arrived.”

Michelle’s deep eyes just stared back at Derek’s. She said nothing, but nothing needed to be said.

“I’ve checked in under the name Robert Mendelsohn and have reservations for another night. I know your husband is ill and weak, but I am willing to help you two move into my room. I’ll take care of checking you out.”

“Why are you doing this?” she said as tears reluctantly filled her eyes.

“You don’t deserve what my client wants to put you through. Honestly, I don’t know what your husband deserves, but whatever it is that he does deserve, I think he is already experiencing it.”

“Will Ken believe you?”

“He will. I can be a very good and convincing liar.”

“My husband is hungry. Can we move after he eats?” she asked, revealing how vulnerable she felt her position was. She recognized that all Derek need do is to contact Ken O’Connell, let him know that he’d found them and within hours, the little time Stanley had left in this world would be spent in a living hell of embarrassment, police questioning, possibly being arrested, and who knows what else. Michelle knew what Derek was offering was her only chance to spend the rest of her husband’s days with him in relative peace.

“Of course,” Derek answered. “And I would like to fill you in on what has happened over the last couple of days.”

“No offense, Derek, but I don’t really want to know. I know that Alexander Black escaped from wherever Straus held him captive, and I know that he’s killed several people.”

“I’m not sure who did the killing, actually.”

“I hope I’m not being rude, considering all that you are offering to do for my husband and me, but, please, I don’t want to know.”

“Fair enough,” Derek said. “Bring up your breakfast, enjoy it with your husband. Then, move your things to room 421,” he said as he handed over the credit-card style room key. “If you need help moving your things, tell me now because I am leaving as soon as you head up to your room.”

“No,” Michelle said, shaking her head. “I’ll be fine. But how long is your room reserved for?”

“One more night but I’ll see now if I can extend it a few more days. How long do you think you need?” As he asked, Derek wondered if the more appropriate question would have been
“how much longer do you think your husband has left?”

“I’m not sure,” Michelle said. “A few more days should be fine. I don’t know. I do know that we can’t stay here forever.”

“If you give me your cell number, I will text you updates.”

“Fine,” she said. “But know that I only check my messages early in the morning and only for a minute. Two at the most.”

“Understood.”

Derek wrote down Michelle’s cell number on the back of his hand and assured her that Ken O’Connell would be told that she and Stanley had checked out early in the morning and that he was unable to track them.

“Thank you,” Michelle said, her eyes offering all the gratitude that Derek needed. “I can give you cash for the room if you’d like.”

“No thanks. Give me two minutes to see how long I can extend my room reservation,” he said as he turned away towards the front desk. “And, Michelle?”

“Yes?”
   

“I know that neither you or your husband are proud of the role you played with Alexander Black, but I also feel that you don’t deserve Ken O’Connell’s revenge or Alexander’s. Take care of your husband, and remember to take care of yourself as well.”

Before Michelle could respond, Derek had moved away.

She stood and watched him speaking to the man at the front desk. A minute later, Derek turned, held up four fingers and mouthed, “Four nights. God bless.”

The clerk then waved to Michelle who waved back. Derek mouthed the words, “You’re all checked out.”

“Thank you,” Michelle silently said to Derek, then turned towards the elevator. “Thank you, Derek Cole.”

“If I knew where they were going, I would have followed them. They must have left very early in the morning. I was up at five, and they were already gone.”

The lies were effortless for Derek. It was not because he was familiar with being untruthful, but this ability to be overly creative with the truth came from his own experience. Though he knew nothing about Michelle and Stanley Mix, he saw a familiar pain in her eyes. Pain that needed to be helped.

“Did you get a look at Stanley?” Ken asked during his and Derek’s call.

“I did. He doesn’t look well at all. I don’t think he has much time left,” Derek answered.

“They may have checked into a nearby hospital. Spend the day checking out any hospitals in the area and don’t neglect to call on some Canadian ones as well. I believe you are just a boat ride away from Canada.”

“Yes sir,” Derek said as he pulled his car into drive and headed south, away from Canada. “Any important discoveries since yesterday?

“My resources are telling me that Lucietta may have been murdered in his office yesterday afternoon. Nothing confirmed yet. Police are keeping things quiet now. Too many connected murders. They probably don’t want the public to know what the hell is going on.”

“If Lucietta is gone, that leaves Straus and Mix as the only remaining doctors on Alexander’s list.”

“As well as my family. Do not forget that we are on that list, Cole.”

It was the way Ken said it that stirred something in Derek. Almost a request guised as an order.

“Don’t forget that we are on that list”

“I haven’t forgotten. And honestly, I don’t think my services are best used chasing down dying doctors. I should either track down Black or be by you and your son’s side.”

“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.