“Money,” Stone finishes. “Greed. Bastards like him only care about one thing: grabbing everything within their reach. They think every dollar they get takes them one step closer to immortality, and every person they step on puts them one step above everyone else. I don’t think other people really exist for people like Marston. They’re just a means to an end.”

Including his daughter, I think with a shiver. “When you had the bugs in his mansion,” I say hesitantly, “did you ever pick up anything . . . unsavory?”

“Murder is pretty unsavory.”

“I’m talking about sexual stuff.”

“We heard him banging his wife’s best friend one day.”

“I’m talking about abuse. Child abuse.”

He turns away from the window and looks at me. “No. I had a daughter myself. If I’d heard anything like that, I would have gone in there and thrashed him within an inch of his life.” The corner of Stone’s mouth twitches. “The mikes were only in for a couple of weeks, though. And I can’t remember if Henry covered the little girl’s room.”

I force myself to push Livy from my mind. “I need you to tell this story to a jury.”

“It’ll never happen, son.”

“I think it will. I know about your daughter.”

In the midst of turning back to the window, he whips his whole head toward me, his eyes burning with anger.

I hold up both hands. “I’m just telling you I know she’s what’s been keeping you from helping me.”

“Then you know it’s pointless to ask me to testify.”

“Is it? I talked to her today, and she thinks different.”

Stone takes a step toward me. “You talked to my daughter today?”

“Yes. Caitlin Masters found her for me.”

“You idiot. If you’ve put her life in danger—”

“She’s all right! She’s fine. And she agrees with me. Portman started playing carrot and stick with her days ago. I didn’t even have to tell her you could bring him down. She knew.”

“You had no right to put her in jeopardy, Cage.”

“I want justice. That’s all.”

“You want revenge.”

“You’re right. But I used to want it for myself. Now I want it for someone else. Marston has done things he should die for, Stone. Take my word for that.”

The old agent fingers the pistol in his hand. “My daughter told me two days ago that I should testify. She thinks getting this thing off my chest would save my damned soul or something.” His face hardens. “She’s got no right to sacrifice her career for my guilty conscience. She doesn’t know how things really work.”

“She knows.”