“Well, if you insist. Ed O’Hara is thirty-eight and a ten-year veteran. He’s primarily worked in currency and credit card fraud. As I’m sure you know, he was part of the bust of the New York ring and testified at the trials.”

“Trials?”

“Yes,” Hitchcock said. “Some of the perpetrators were prosecuted separately. A tactic to encourage plea bargaining and turning defendants into federal witnesses. The classic climb-up-the-food-chain maneuver.”

“Do you know where O’Hara was based?”

“Philadelphia had been his longest residency. He had a wife and a house there. He lost both in a divorce several years back. Four months ago, he requested a transfer to Richmond.”

Ethel glanced at Jesse and arched her eyebrows. “Richmond? Does your source know why?”

“No,” Hitchcock said. “And I also asked about his current assignment, but that’s not in the HR database.”

“And the counterfeit currency?”

“It moved around, according to trial date and location. Probably in conjunction with O’Hara’s relevant testimony.”

“Is it conceivable that it could have been held out for a day or two without anyone being the wiser?”

“It’s not inconceivable. I’m grateful it doesn’t appear to have happened on my watch.”

“Yes, you’re only guilty of accepting a Scotch bribe.”

Hitchcock laughed again. “Bribe? I consider it an early Christmas gift.”

“Then Merry Christmas. And thanks.” Ethel rang off.

Jesse gave Ethel a quick, curious glance. “Merry Christmas?”

“That’s because we were given a present. Looks like O’Hara moved to Richmond, where he and Norwood would be closer. I expect they hatched their scheme after the arrests. Once they found a buyer, all they needed was access to that currency for twenty-four hours.”

“But some of those hundreds were real.”

“Which they also planned to get back.”

“Did Bradshaw check to see if the real hundreds had been removed?”

Ethel turned in her seat and gave Jesse an approving nod. “That, my cousin, is a very good question. If so, then it’s one more clue that Norwood was murdered.” She started a text.

“Are you contacting Bradshaw?”

“I’m checking to see if our tagalongs are still in place.”

***