As they went through security, Sam’s stomach began to ache for a whole other reason. The only thing she hated worse than flying was needles, and she’d seen more than her share of them in the last couple of years. It didn’t help her nerves that the sky had darkened with storm clouds as the day progressed. The thought of flying through stormy weather made her break out in a cold sweat.

Of course Hill noticed. “What’s the matter with you? You’re all pale and pasty.”

“I hate to fly. Like hate it with a capital H.”

“Now you tell me.”

“Don’t worry about it. Not your problem.” As they walked to their gate at the end of the concourse, Sam filled him in on what was going on in Beltsville. People pointed and stared at her when they recognized her. Sam ignored the attention as she always did. More than a few people took notice of her with a man who wasn’t her husband. She wondered if pictures of her and Avery would be all over social media before the day was out. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? “Any word on Jacoby?”

“Nothing. It’s like he dropped off the face of the earth. People within the Bureau are worried that he’s dead too. They can’t think of any other reason we wouldn’t have heard from him after Hamilton was killed. They were the best of friends as well as colleagues.”

“So there’s no chance he was the one who killed Hamilton?”

“What? No. No chance at all.”

“Just asking the question.” After an uncomfortable pause she said, “You have to admit the timing of his disappearance is curious.”

“Curious. In what way?”

He had to be in denial if he needed it spelled out for him. “Well, Hamilton is murdered, his son is abducted at gunpoint while in police custody and Jacoby goes missing. All on the same day. It’s curious.”

“The only way it’s related is if Dustin was killed by the same person who killed Troy and took Josh.”

“If you say so.”

“I say so.”

“Okay.” She raised her hands to fend him off. “Don’t get hostile.”

“You don’t know these people like I do. It would be like me asking you if Conklin is capable of killing Farnsworth.”

“And I would tell you after years of working Homicide, I’ve learned that everyone is capable of murder if they have the right motivation.”

“So Mother Teresa could’ve been a murderer? The Pope could be a murderer? The President could be a murderer?”

Sam shrugged. “I’m saying that everyone has that kind of rage inside them under the right circumstances.”

“I disagree. There’s nothing that could make me want to take another person’s life.”

“So if someone raped and murdered your three-year-old daughter, you wouldn’t want that kind of vengeance? Never say never, Avery.”