“I will,” Hill said.

“We’re coming with you,” Farnsworth said of himself and Malone.

“That’s fine,” Hill replied. “I need to speak to my deputy director and make him aware of what’s happened. He’ll assume command of the Bureau until a permanent director can be named, so he needs to know what’s going on.”

“Make the call,” Farnsworth said, “but let him know the MPD is leading the investigation into Hamilton’s death and will keep the Bureau apprised as a courtesy.”

Sam loved the way the chief cut through the bullshit to establish jurisdiction. The Feds would want in on it, but that wasn’t happening. She also loved the way Avery’s golden eyes flashed with anger that he wisely kept under wraps.

“I’m well aware that it would be a conflict for the Bureau to investigate the murder of our director,” he said with a testy edge to his normally honeyed Southern accent. “That’s why I called the lieutenant when I found him rather than my own people.”

“Excellent,” Farnsworth said. “Glad we’re all on the same page.”

Sam almost laughed at that, but thankfully managed to control herself, knowing Hill wouldn’t appreciate it. “In the morning, I’m going to jump all over the Rollings case and any connection Hamilton might’ve had to Tennessee during that era.” She would’ve already done that if her husband and son hadn’t been sick all weekend.

“I can tell you what connection he had,” Hill said. “He was the agent in charge of the Knoxville Field Office in the eighties.”

Sam felt like she’d been sucker punched. “Holy Christ.”

“I... I know it’ll sound like I’m defending him,” Hill said, “but in my wildest dreams I can’t conceive of Hamilton kidnapping someone’s child and raising him as his own.”

“If I’ve learned one thing in more than thirty years in this business,” Farnsworth said, “it’s that people are capable of anything under the right circumstances.” His words echoed hers from earlier. They’d both seen a lot during their careers and had learned to keep their minds wide-open to all possibilities.

“What circumstances could’ve led him to kidnapping someone else’s child?” Hill asked, becoming more flustered by the second.

“Until we know we have a match on the DNA, the kidnapping should take a backseat to the homicide investigation,” Sam said.

“How can they not be related?” Malone asked. “The timing can’t be coincidental.”

“Agreed,” Sam said. “But our priority right now needs to be notifying Hamilton’s wife and working the homicide. We’ll know more about the kidnapping and whether the DNA is a match tomorrow or the next day.” She handed the address Josh had given her for his grandmother to Hill. “That’s where you’ll find Mrs. Hamilton.”

He took it from her without comment.