There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Jack seized the opportunity to get closer. "I feel like people our age rarely quote ancient Roman philosophers. For me, it's because of my writing. How did you come to know about Marcus Aurelius? Have you read Meditations?"
"I had a good coach," Gabriel responded, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness. "We don't have much else to discuss."
"Wait, Gabriel. Can you leave some kind of contact info? Something anonymous?" Sensing Gabriel's softened attitude, Jack took the opportunity to make a request.
"I know you'll want to keep up with the investigation's progress. You'll get to see how those people pay the price for what they did."
There was a long silence. The group listening in thought Gabriel might have hung up when his voice returned. "Fine. But don't think this means you can talk me into turning myself in.
Do you know the website 'Sudoku Storm'? There's a message board there. You can leave a note for me if you need to contact me."
"Uh, sure. I'll leave a message under the alias 'John Wick.' Then you can still call this number to reach me."
Before Jack could finish his sentence, the call was cut off. Hannah shook her head at him. "The phone's signal was triangulated to somewhere in the city center. We've traced the number, but it's a burner phone. It's already been turned off. Alice is tracking its purchase records."
"Let me know when you have it. I'll follow up on the lead; maybe we'll uncover something unexpected," Clay said, his tone implying this was a last-ditch effort. He was scheduled to be sent back to New York by Jubal tomorrow night.
"I'm coming with you. I'll grab some fresh ingredients for Jack on the way," Hannah chimed in enthusiastically.
"Nicely done, Jack. You got him to trust you a bit with just a few words. Now we just need to figure out how to set the next trap to get him to come in voluntarily," Jubal praised with a thumbs-up. He had a pretty good idea why Jack had insisted on getting Gabriel's contact information.
Jack gave a smug smile, though he was nowhere near the level of persuasion as that woman who could convince a man to spend 180,000 dollars on her with just a few words.
"We're not ready for that just yet. We still don't know much about Gabriel. Other than being reclusive and disciplined, we just found out he likes Sudoku. Reid might actually have a lot in common with him," Jack quipped, flipping through Gabriel's file again.
Gabriel's mother had died early. His father was a long-haul trucker who later became a drunkard. With a childhood like that, how did Gabriel end up aspiring to become a cop?
"JJ, reach out to Gabriel's ex-girlfriend, Elisa Pena, again. He mentioned having a good coach—see if she knows anything about that," Jack instructed.
"Okay."
In the evening, Jack set up his grill as usual. Large steaks sizzled on the pan, while skewers of chicken wings and lamb kebabs cooked nearby. Hannah and Clay had just brought the ingredients back from the city center.
"The burner phone was purchased by Gabriel's drunk father. He bought four in total, but he doesn't care about anything we've told him—not even that his son committed murder," Hannah reported.
Hannah's parents had died early too, but in her childhood memories, the term "parents" still symbolized love. Afterward, the Anderson family had protected her well, so it was hard for her to comprehend how parents could be so cold and irresponsible toward their children.
"He didn't deny buying the four phones. In fact, I found two bottles of premium vodka in his fridge. He called it a gift from his son before leaving. I think that was the payment for helping buy the phones," Clay added, sharing her sentiment. Although his relationship with his own father wasn't great, he still couldn't understand this stark contrast between Gabriel and his father, who seemed to have no familial bond at all.
Jack poured a bit of white wine into the pan, releasing a fragrant blend of alcohol and meat aroma. Aubrey, who was watching nearby, gulped visibly.
"We didn't find any alcohol at Gabriel's place. He and his father are worlds apart," Jubal sighed. "I get that Gabriel might be an extreme case, but even with my two daughters—who live with their mother—I can still see some of my behavior reflected in them."
JJ approached Jack with a serving tray. "Maybe he learned some things from other people. While you guys were visiting that drunk father, I contacted Elisa Pena. She gave me a name—Ray Higgins, a retired police chief."
Ignoring Aubrey's pleading eyes, JJ grabbed the first steak from the pan. "Sorry, Aubrey. We need to head to Wooster soon."
"I can cook a decent steak too. You can try it next time," Clay said, patting Aubrey on the shoulder with a laugh.
Jack eventually handed Aubrey a few skewers before he and JJ ate their dinner quickly and got into the car.
JJ checked her phone, then smiled. "Alice sent over Ray Higgins' profile. Remember when Newark PD was investigating Gabriel over that raid where the officers allegedly didn't identify themselves? All the witnesses lied to cover it up.
But Higgins wasn't one of them. He sent a letter of support for Gabriel, vouching for his character after the incident."
"So, this retired chief might really be the 'good coach' Gabriel mentioned? Do you think Gabriel could be hiding at his house?" Jack asked, turning onto a forested road.
JJ frowned, scrolling through the information. After a while, she hesitated and shook her head. "I don't think so. Higgins has been retired for over a decade. According to his communications records, he hasn't been in touch with Gabriel much in recent years.
Besides, we already called him. Even if Gabriel was hiding there, he'd probably have fled by now."
Jack slowed the car, sticking his head out the window to check the road. It seemed there had been rain last night. The dirt path showed clear tire tracks—only one vehicle had driven in or out recently.
"Let's skip the bulletproof vests to seem more approachable," Jack suggested, though he discreetly checked his gun after parking the car.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Mutter"]
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]