“Okay,” Dwight said, in a slow drawl. “So what’s your angle? The remains of the latest 9/11 victim belonged to a convicted killer? Not sure that’s exactly a feel-good story for the twenty-year anniversary.”

“Forget about the feel-good stuff. Forget about commemorating the twenty-year anniversary of 9/11. That’s just the hook. I plan to look into the murder of Cameron Young. This is a true-crime story that will blow away anything I’ve covered before.”

“I’m not following you. The case was open and shut, was it not?”

“Not necessarily. Emma Kind tells a compelling story about her sister. Victoria Ford might be guilty as sin, but something tells me there’s more to the story. Something makes me want to dig into the details. In just a couple of days I’ve turned over a ton of information about the case, and I haven’t even talked with anyone directly tied to the investigation yet. But Emma is helping me on that front. She gave me a list of all the people who were in her sister’s life. I’m tracking down Victoria Ford’s widower. I’m going to speak with her friends. Her family. The attorney who represented her. I’m trying to get in touch with the detective who investigated the case. I’ve reached out to the authorities and they’re getting back to me. I’ll also reach out to Cameron Young’s family. There’re a lot of angles here, Dwight. The murder itself was bizarre—an S and M bondage scene that included the victim hanging from the balcony of his mansion. Oh, and there’s a homemade sex tape out there somewhere.”

“Christ. Okay, slow down. I’m not sure this is the best use of your time right now, while we’re in the middle of negotiating your contract.”

“It sure as hell is. I’m putting my foot on the accelerator. I’m going to research this murder and see if there is any way the cops pinned this on the wrong person, as Emma Kind believes is the case. If I find any evidence to that end, I’m going to gather it all and put together a stunning exposé about the latest 9/11 victim to be identified, one who happened to be wrongly accused before she died.”

“What if all you find is that she was guilty as charged?”

“Then it’s still an interesting story. Because it’s with good reason that Emma Kind believes her sister was innocent.”

There was silence on the line between them.

“You know, Avery, while you’re running around New York City, Germaine could rescind the offer at any moment and go with someone else. Are you willing to risk that?”

“She has a recording,” Avery said.

“Who?”

“Emma Kind.”

“What sort of recording?”