Malone smiled before he turned, losing the smile as he did. He remained stubbornly silent for a long moment before he checked his watch.

“All right. I’ll take the deal.”

“Excellent, give me a minute to let the others know.” Staying in character, he stepped outside and stood there for five minutes before he went back in. Someone had once said there’s a lot of acting in detective work, and tonight was a prime example of that. It was nice to know he hadn’t lost his mojo since leaving the field to ride a desk.

Returning to the room, he produced a pad and pen. “Let’s go through it from the beginning.”

* * *

MALONE LEFT THE interrogation room twenty minutes later with a treasure trove of information from Kinney. He went directly to the chief’s office where Farnsworth was also pulling an all-nighter. We’re getting far too old for this shit, Malone thought as he knocked once before showing himself in.

“That went well,” he said. “Kinney rolled on the others and identified Jacoby as the mastermind. He paid Kinney to help him take out Hamilton and to grab Josh.”

“Jesus H. Christ. The deputy FBI director killed the director?”

“That’s what he said.”

“Did he say why?”

“Kinney saw dollar signs and didn’t ask questions, but he said Jacoby was flipping out—his words—about getting it done fast. Things were falling apart, or so he said.”

Farnsworth sat back in his chair to think that through. “So the release of that age-progression photo was like a fuse under a keg of dynamite.”

“That’s my thinking too. They sat on this for thirty years until that photo ruined the whole thing. No one ever would’ve known they had anything to do with taking Taylor if it wasn’t for that photo.”

“Why take out Hamilton and abduct Josh?”

“Kinney didn’t know the why of it. He only knew that he was being paid to get rid of them both.” Malone handed the chief a slip of paper. “That’s Jacoby’s second cell phone, the one he used to keep in touch with Kinney over the weekend. He doesn’t know if it’s still in service, but if it is, it could lead us to Jacoby.”

“Let’s get IT on tracking it.”

“On my way up there from here. Before I go, though, I’m having another thought. Holland and Hill reported there was tension in the Hamilton marriage while they were in Knoxville, at the same time Jacoby was there and Taylor was kidnapped. Courtney left, took the children back to Virginia. I’m thinking she knows a lot more than she let on about what happened to her husband and how that baby came to live in her house.”

“Agreed.”

“The Feds have her surrounded. There’s no way we can get to her.”