“Calm down,” Ava said in a whisper. She’d joined Mason in the viewing room to watch Euzent and Nora Hawes question Micah. “He’ll eventually tell us how he knows everything.”

“He’s wasting our time,” stated Mason. “This investigation could be wrapped up and finished if he’d just tell us what he knows. He’s having fun, drawing it out. He doesn’t care that someone else could be killed!”

She took his hand and squeezed, keeping her gaze on the conversation in the next room. Her touch made him take a deep breath and relax his shoulders.

“Where’s Zander?” Mason asked, wanting the agent’s level head in the room. “Twice Micah has asked where the other FBI agent is. I think he’d talk to him. He must have formed some sort of rapport with the guy even though Zander told him he was going to jail.”

“He must still be going through Vance Weldon’s files back at our office,” Ava said. “I hope he and Mercy are finding something useful.”

Mason hoped so, too.

“Micah,” Mason heard Special Agent Euzent say through the speaker. “I don’t think you killed these men.”

Micah looked at the wall.

“I do believe you were there,” added Euzent.

The boy was silent.

“Who are you protecting?” asked Nora. “It must be someone very special to you. I know I wouldn’t confess to murder for anyone. Not even to cover for my mother.”

Micah glanced at her and looked away.

“His mother?” whispered Ava. “No way. Regina’s not the type.”

“Never say never,” said Mason.

“Did you know your mother had been involved with one of the men who was killed?” Nora asked.

Micah’s gaze flew to the detective’s and his body stiffened.

“Surprise,” said Mason. Satisfaction rolled through him that they’d finally gotten a reaction out of the kid.

“You’re lying,” said Micah in an adamant tone.

“No, we’re not,” Nora assured him. “Your mother is downstairs. I already talked to her. She’s very upset about Vance Weldon’s death.”

Confusion crossed his face.

Euzent watched Micah like a hawk, hanging on every word, tone, and facial expression. Mason wondered what was going on in his brain. “Did you know the victims, Micah?” he asked in a casual voice.

“No.”

“We still don’t understand why you killed them.”

“You don’t need to know. I did it. That’s what’s important.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. “I’m hungry.”

Ava shook her head. “No way. He’s eaten more than I eat in an entire day.”

“It’s the age,” said Mason.

“I see you’ve caused problems at school,” said Euzent. “You tried to scare everyone with an obviously fake bomb. You brought an unloaded gun to school. I’d say you aren’t very good at being threatening.”

“That’ll poke at his pride,” muttered Mason.

Micah was silent, but anger flushed his face.

Euzent continued, “I bet you’ve had to sit through a lot of sessions with psychiatrists and doctors. Anyone else try to help you?” The agent made air quotes as he said the word “help.”

“All the fucking time,” snapped Micah. “Stupid people telling me how wrong I am.”

“Who else?” asked Euzent.

“Everyone.”

“Is there a possibility they’re honestly trying to help?”

“No. They’re only doing it to make themselves look good. They think if they can act like they’re helping me, they’ll earn points from other people.”

“Earn points from what people?”

Micah shrugged. “My mom. Their boss.”

“Men try to look good to your mom by being nice to you?” Nora asked.

“All the time. Especially when I was younger. They were so fucking obvious. They’d come over under the pretense of being my buddy . . . trying to provide me with a positive male role model, but they only wanted to get close to my mom.” Disdain dripped from his words.

Mason stared. A positive male role model?

“Holy shit,” Mason said. “Can you text Nora?”

“Yes.” Ava pulled out her phone.

“Tell her to ask if Micah was in the Cops 4 Kidz program.”

Mason watched as Nora checked her phone. She showed her screen to Euzent, who nodded.

“Were some of those men who befriended you from the Cops 4 Kidz program?” Euzent asked.

Micah didn’t answer and shuffled his feet under the table.

“Who’d you meet through that program?” Euzent leaned forward, his gaze locked on Micah’s face. “You said you didn’t know any of the victims. Do you want to change your answer on that?”

“I didn’t know those guys,” he said firmly.

“None of them?”

“Never heard of them before I killed them.”

“Did they mentor him?” Ava said excitedly. “And he thinks we can’t verify that?”

“Check with Henry. He’s babysitting Regina downstairs, right? Have him ask her if Micah was in the program.”

“She told us she met Vance Weldon at a fund-raiser. We never asked who was hosting the fund-raiser,” muttered Ava as she tapped out another text.