“I’m a planner, too, Mr. Clee.”

“So you broke into my office.…”

“…Early this morning and removed the bullets. You should thank me. This means you’ll only be arrested for attempted murder rather than the real deal. Oh, along with obstruction of justice, accessory to murder, and a host of other charges I’m sure the FBI will be reading to you in just a moment.”

Those words are the cue for the federal agents standing by to swarm into Clee’s office and take him into custody. Their entire conversation has been recorded, too, which will make it especially challenging for Clee’s wolf pack of lawyers when it comes time for the trial.

Once he’s outside the building, Quinn calls Jana, who’s waiting near the luggage carousel at Logan International with the others.

“Nigel James and the twins are in custody,” Jana says. “Local authorities are preparing to turn them over to the FBI.”

“Good. The girls will be able to see their father soon.”

“Did Clee go along quietly?”

“Pretty much,” Quinn says. “How’s the team?”

“Otto’s going on and on about lunch,” she says. As per tradition, the Stingrays will gather for a celebratory feast at the successful close of the case. “What can I tell him so he’ll shut up already?”

“Tell them it’ll be dinner,” Quinn says. “But first I’d like you to stop by the office a little early.”

“How early, my dear?”

Quinn smiles. “Well…are you busy right now?”

This is another part of the tradition. But they never mention it to the other Stingrays.

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About the Authors

James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author and most trusted storyteller. He has created many enduring fictional characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett, Maximum Ride, Middle School, and I Funny. Among his notable literary collaborations are The President Is Missing, with President Bill Clinton, and the Max Einstein series, produced in partnership with the Albert Einstein Estate. Patterson’s writing career is characterized by a single mission: to prove that there is no such thing as a person who “doesn’t like to read,” only people who haven’t found the right book. He’s given over three million books to schoolkids and the military, donated more than seventy million dollars to support education, and endowed over five thousand college scholarships for teachers. For his prodigious imagination and championship of literacy in America, Patterson was awarded the 2019 National Humanities Medal. The National Book Foundation presented him with the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community, and he is also the recipient of an Edgar Award and nine Emmy Awards. He lives in Florida with his family.

James O. Born is an award–winning crime and science-fiction novelist as well as a career law-enforcement agent. A native Floridian, he still lives in the Sunshine State.