In the end, it had been Mike's skillful ways of prying the truth out of his interviewees that brought the desired answer.

Yes, Warren Thompson had indeed been sent to Oxford to help with crowd control during the protests.

Unfortunately for them, three of their four conversation partners put the retired cop in a completely different part of the campus during the time when things began to escalate. Number four couldn't remember seeing him on that day at all.

When the lieutenant finally hung up the phone, Steve could sense his frustration beginning to bubble to the surface, that brilliant mind trying to rationalize the confusing situation but lacking solid facts to put the pieces together.

Sure, they could call up Warren Thompson himself, ask if the retired cop remembered making a threatening phone call to one Joe Joplin recently but chances were, this wouldn't lead anywhere; worse yet, it could compromise the entire investigation.

No, in order to make any sort of headway, one of two things had to happen.

Either Joe would receive another phone call that would allow them to track the caller, or they could find an eyewitness to the incident, somebody who would be able to put Thompson at that protest, preferably somebody who could tell whether or not the officer had a special criminal interest in Joplin that might extend beyond his line of duty.

"We could check Thompson's phone records…", Steve suggested quietly from the safety of his desk, knowing that Mike had heard him loud and clear.

"On what premise? A supposed call he made? Have you forgotten that we need things like…say…evidence for a warrant like that?"

Noticing the aggravation in his partner's voice and understanding it perfectly, Steve just nodded, reminding himself that Thompson could have made that phone call from practically anywhere.

"What about a different way altogether…", the young inspector finally blurted out, causing Mike's head to jerk up.

Putting down the black-rimmed reading glassed next to Jeannie's picture at his desk, he straightened out his shoulders, before beckoning his partner into the inner office.

"Let's hear it. Anything is better than this…this stabbing in the dark."

Drawing in a deep breath, Steve rose from his chair, feeling the eyes of a few of the other detectives on his back as he once again joined his partner by the meticulously organized desk, where Mike's curiosity made the air feel as thick as molasses.

"What about…I call Thompson, tell him I am a cop and I am studying local history, see if I can get him to incriminate himself?"

"Incriminate himself? You think he is going to admit over the phone that he and his fellow…officers took turns thumping you guys?", Mike replied skeptically and shook his head, "Buddy boy, he is going to hear your voice and know exactly what you're after."

"Not necessarily. I could just say I am a history major and-"

"And he is still going to know that you are young enough to have been college age back then; some…some do-gooder who is very interested in a protest involving police brutality. He is going to sense what you are trying to get him to say from a mile away. Give the man some credit, Steve; he's been a cop longer than you've been alive. He won't fall for that, especially over the phone."

"We could pay him a visit?"

"All the way in Mississippi? Are you earning some second income I don't know about? Because the San Francisco taxpayers won't be paying for those plane tickets considering we have nothing to tie him to this, other than the fact that his name came up and that Joe Joplin is dead set on the fact that he recognized his voice. We have neither the funds, nor the time for this. Now, if we can manage to gather some hard evidence, this is going to be a different conversation, but right now, we can't even place him at the scene of the protest that supposedly started all of this."

Feeling the discouraging situation weighing down his soul, Steve nodded obediently, biting the inside of his lip at the dreadful conversation he'd had to have with Joe if they didn't manage to turn up some evidence soon.

Finally, after another round of quiet pondering, he glanced back over at Mike, a faint smile spreading on his face.

"How about…I take you out to dinner? Say, we pick the fancy new seafood restaurant over at the Wharf, Montenegro I believe it's called. And in exchange, you make another phone call for me."

"No, no, no, no, buddy boy, I have made plenty of phone calls on your behalf already today."

"You said it yourself, I sound too young…too determined to get him to incriminate himself. But if somebody, say, your age were to call…"

"No way."

"You could claim that you are trying to connect with the law enforcement down there because you are looking for some troublemakers amongst the protestors. It would make you look favorable to this guy, a…a shared interest and world view on those fools who were gathering in Oxford. And he might at least admit to being at the scene. You can use Joe's and my statement to sounds…convincing. It would also give us a better idea on who we are dealing with here. A lot can change in a few years."

"This is getting to be some expensive dinner, my friend…", Mike countered in return, his lip curled in undisguised pride at Steve's latest idea, as he pointed at the coffee maker outside, "Why don't you start by buying me another cup, extra cream and sugar please. That should give me some time to come up with a good story. I just hope you're keeping tabs on all those expenses and send that bill to Joe when this is all said and done…"