“I got hold of Katy Barnes,” Emilia said, “and you were right. She also was one of Hitch’s quote ‘chosen favorites.’ He told her she was brilliant and glamorous and special, all the things he used to whisper to me. She made that Facebook comment you found but didn’t pursue an actual complaint until the Me Too movement had her thinking again about how Hitch got away with everything he did. She found three other victims, and they all came forward together. At the end of the day, they decided to take a settlement offer in exchange for keeping quiet.”

“The city didn’t require her to delete that Facebook post as part of the settlement?” Lindsay asked.

“She didn’t even bother going to the city. The money came from LockeHome, and they probably didn’t know anything about that old Facebook comment. Katy had forgotten about it until you messaged her.”

“So it was Melanie Locke.” Next to her, Ellie was pointing to the phone, asking her to put the call on speaker. Lindsay shook her head.

“No. Katy said she figured out that one of the cops she used to see buddying around with Hitch went on to work at LockeHome. She went straight to him. I was so sure it was going to be Melanie Locke who paid her off, but Katy said it was that guy who worked for Hitch who did all the dirty work.”

“That cop Alex went to at the summer camp—the one who said he couldn’t find any other girls to back up your complaint—was his name Steve Thompson?”

Emilia didn’t hesitate. “How did you know that?”

Lindsay spotted a sign for the Holland Tunnel exit. “It’s a long story, and I’m driving right now. Can I call you later to fill you in? And again, thank you so much for doing this when you’re still processing the news about your brother.”

“It’s actually nice to have something to work on. I’m going to stay in touch with Katy. We were talking about starting a support group for Hitch’s other victims once the news gets out.”

“I have a feeling that might be right around the corner.”

When Lindsay hung up, Ellie didn’t miss a beat. “Steve . . . knew? About Emilia and Mullaney?”

Lindsay nodded. “I’m so sorry. I know you’re close. Back at your brother’s apartment—I noticed you touched his wrist when he mentioned the felony murder rule. It seemed like pretty technical knowledge, even for the son of a cop. Did he also go to Thompson after the shooting?”

Ellie shook her head. “No. Steve came to him. He was assigned to the case and already knew Jess was there. He told him he should get out of town, so he did.”

A truck honked at Lindsay as she maneuvered into the exit lane. “So Steve must have found out from Alex.”