“That’s what I was hoping you’d say. I’ll get the info for you.”

While he called Jestings, Sam tried to formulate a plan for how to go about looking for the missing ballplayer without adding to the unrest in the city.

“Okay,” Hill said when he ended the call. “It’s a black Lincoln MKZ.” He rattled off the D.C. plate number.

Sam relayed the info to dispatch and asked for an all-points bulletin for the car.

“No APB for him?” Hill asked when she put down the phone.

“You know the rules about ‘missing’ adults. Until they’re missing at least twenty-four hours, there’s not much we can do, unless we’re dealing with a mental health condition or something like that. He might’ve gone underground until the furor dies down. I wouldn’t blame him if he did.”

“Without telling his wife or team where he’d be?”

“Maybe he doesn’t want them to know. He’s probably embarrassed as all hell and going off to lick his wounds.”

“Do you really believe that?”

Exasperated with the cat-and-mouse game, Sam propped her hands on her hips. “Why don’t you tell me what you believe, Agent Hill?”

“I believe this guy is single-handedly responsible for the Feds losing the game and their first trip to the World Series. I believe there’re a lot of people in this city who’d love to get their hands on him. I believe the fact that he’s missing and not answering calls from his wife is a sign that he’s in some sort of trouble.”

“If we put out the word he’s missing, it might make things worse.”

“You don’t trust your people to keep a lid on it?”

“I wish I trusted all of them to keep a lid on it, but the temptation would be tremendous. I’m afraid to even do an attempt-to-locate bulletin with the city going ballistic at the moment. All it would take is one patrolman telling his girlfriend, and the next thing we know it’s all over Twitter and Facebook that Willie is missing. I have to weigh what’s best for the entire city over what’s best for Willie.”

“Will you be okay with that decision if something happens to him?”

Sam thought about that for a moment. “Yes, I suppose I’ll have to be. I’ll put my detectives on the lookout for him, but that’s as far as I’m willing to go.”

“I’m going to look for him too.”

“Hill...”

“You can’t tell me not to, Lieutenant. You’re not the boss of me.”

Smiling, she shook her head. “You sound like my nephew Jack. That’s his favorite thing to tell his mother.”

“How old is he?”

Sam instantly regretted sharing something personal with him. “Almost six.”

He winced. “It’s been a while since I was compared to a six-year-old.”