Page 27 of At Midnight Comes the Cry

“Attorney Zhào.” Russ pinched the bridge of his nose beneath his glasses. “Essex County is half the size of Connecticut. And your whole investigation was about proving New York state is crawling with genocidal-cult-soldier wannabes.”

“Russ.”

“What?”

“Can we get back to the point, please?” Hadley’s loud voice drew everyone’s attention. “We need to talk to Flynn. Period. We’re not going to know anything until we do, and meanwhile, every day he doesn’t check in with Syracuse is one day closer to him losing his job.”

“You know Lyle would hire him back in a heartbeat.”

Hadley glared at Russ. “Notan option, Chief. We need someone up there at the militia camp.”

Clare touched her lips. “You could go up as a hunter.” He hadn’t been out at all this fall—too busy winding down his time as police chief.

“Maybe. But why would some random guy start asking to speak to one of the militia members?”

Yíxin smiled. “Why don’t you say you’re Kevin’s father?”

“His dad?”

“Well, you’re certainly old enough to be.”

“You know, that’s not a bad idea, Chief.” Hadley tried to hide a smile.

“Kevin’s dad is Irish.”

“Yeah, but they don’t know that. Do they?” Hadley turned to Yíxin.

“You’re asking me? I don’t know what he’s told them.”

“His dad.” Hadley nodded decisively. “It’s a good cover. If he knew where Flynn was, Sean would be up there in a heartbeat. You know he would.”

“I agree,” Clare said. “What about you, though?”

Yíxin pointed to Russ. “How about his wife?”

“I’m thirty-five,” Hadley ground out.

Yíxin looked at Clare. “But you’re his wife and you’re—”

Clare cut off the conversation before they got to the part involving the phrase “cradle robber.” “I’m older than I look.”

Russ leaned back in his chair. “There’s no reason for Knox to come along. This could get tricky.”

Hadley stared at him in disbelief. “That’s all the more reason for me to be there. You need to have at least one person who’s actually in law enforcement.”

Clare laid her hand on Russ’s arm. “Kevin’s ex-girlfriend. Or ex–baby mama, looking for overdue support. I suspect a lot of those guys would identify with that.”

“Isn’t she old for that?” Yíxin looked scandalized. Russ removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Clare thought of something. “Russ, what if Rick Smith is more involved with March and his all-white-guy empire than you think? If you show up claiming to be Kevin’s dad and Rick recognizes you…”

“First, there’s still zero evidence Calvin March is connected to the militia group camping out in Essex County. Second, as much as it pains me to say it, I’m definitely old enough to be his father. There’s nothing to say I didn’t have a family before you and I got married.”

“But the Smiths know you’re ex–law enforcement.”

“That’s not necessarily a bar,” Yíxin said. “You would be shocked at how much overlap there is between white supremacist groups and LEOs.” She turned to Clare. “That’s law enforcement officers.”

“Mmm.” Clare glanced at her husband, who shook his head.