Aaron rubbed his forehead, a headache brewing. The best course of action regarding the reward, he decided, was for Aiden—the anonymous tipster—to tell the police they should hold it until an arrest was made.

If Gray was already in custody, he wouldn't be able to see who claimed the reward, and they could send anyone without worry. That could work.

Besides, hadn't Brann Knighton specified the reward was for information leading to his daughter's killer's arrest? He might not release the reward until after an arrest anyway. This shouldn't be a problem.

"Make the call," Aaron advised. "Tell the police you witnessed someone matching Lacy's description being pulled into a cab; you happened to catch the license plate. If you tell them the location, they'll probably check surveillance cameras."

"Sure thing, boss," Aiden said, finally sitting up on the couch. "Should I call the detectives who've been in contact with Sophie?"

"No. I want you to call Detective Darren Johnson of the 19th precinct. He's the only detective in New York I trust. Ask for him specifically. He'll know what to do."

Aaron trusted Johnson to check the footage and find what Aiden already knew, based on limited information. It was exactly what he'd done in his first life, when Aiden had left an anonymous tip about the footage of Lacy killing Max.

Aiden couldn't explicitly mention the video footage because illegally obtained evidence was inadmissible. Johnson would have to figure out the surveillance footage existed on his own.

"So…when do you want me to do this?" Aiden asked.

"As soon as possible. Not everyone is as quick as you; after receiving the tip, the investigation will likely take some time to advance."

Aiden stood and gave Aaron a joking salute. "You got it, dude. Anything else, or am I back to IT calls?"

Aaron felt a little sorry for the kid. He seemed understimulated in the IT department, judging by his tone. But what could he do? He didn't need a hacker constantly monitoring everything anymore.

He could delegate some work to Aiden…he'd always been a meticulous researcher before partnering with anyone. If Aiden investigated people and companies and wrote reports, it would occupy some of his time.

"Find me all the information you can about these potential investors," Aaron said, handing Aiden a list of people he'd been meaning to investigate. "I don't want to work with them if there's even a slight chance of it backfiring."

Aiden grinned as he headed out the door. "Thanks, boss man!"

This was a win-win. Aaron's work was piling up, and Aiden was underutilized. His skills were wasted in a relatively peaceful period.

He didn't want Aiden poached or to leave out of boredom. What if Aaron needed him again someday? A tech genius could do far more than IT work.

If this didn't keep Aiden busy, Aaron would find something else. Maybe it was time to expand beyond financial management. Aiden was skilled at breaking encryptions and firewalls; he could strengthen them. They could open a cybersecurity division, starting with making Hale Investments' websites impenetrable. Recent data breaches at other financial institutions had caused widespread panic.

Putting Aiden in charge of such a project should keep him interested, right?

Detective Darren Johnson was about to leave for the day when Shirley, the tip line operator, said someone specifically requested him. He sighed. Of course this happened on his wife's birthday, when they were supposed to have dinner.

"This is Darren Johnson," he said as politely as possible, despite his annoyance. "May I ask who's speaking?"

"My name's not important," a muffled voice replied. "I have information about Lacy Knighton's murder, but I'm afraid the killer will come after me."

Every cop in New York City knew the Knighton case. A high-profile socialite found dead in an unfamiliar, less savory part of town.

"That case is handled by the 46th precinct. I can transfer you."

"My friend said you're the only trustworthy cop he knows. Do you want the information or not?"

Darren barely suppressed a sigh. If this guy was legitimate, of course he wanted the information. But did it have to be now?

"I do."

"I saw a tall, dark-haired man pull Lacy Knighton into a cab in front of the building left of the Appzoid offices, shortly before 1 PM on the day she was killed. The license plate was bizarre: LEG100. Can you believe that?"

This was the kind of evidence every detective dreamed of. But wasn't it too convenient? Who was this anonymous tipster?

It was suspicious he waited so long. Lacy Knighton had been dead for weeks. Although…Brann Knighton had offered a reward yesterday. This might be related. Some people were just greedy.

Despite his suspicions, Darren wrote everything down. A tip was a tip, no matter how shady.

"Thank you. If this leads to an arrest, someone will need to contact you about the reward. How can we reach you?"

"I'll contact you if there's an arrest. I don't want to collect while the murderer might be watching."

This guy was paranoid. Darren bet he recognized the man who'd put Lacy Knighton in that cab. Who could make him this afraid?

"How will I know it's you?" Darren asked. "We can't give money to just anyone."

"I'll be wearing a World of Warcraft t-shirt when I collect," the man said before hanging up.

Darren noted this, along with his impressions. He closed his notebook and locked it in his desk.

He'd look into this tomorrow. He could still make dinner with his wife and friends.

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