The Illinois Detective Agency (Book 4)
After the murder of Illinois Detective Agency founder Charles Porter by a mysterious criminal, King Valdez, the team comes together to find Valdez and bring him to justice. Valdez is kidnapping children and selling them into slavery around the world. His operation is large and well financed. James Duffy assumes control of the agency and works closely with the Justice Department to find Valdez. A countrywide investigation uncovers that Valdez uses hired privateer ships to smuggle the children out of the country. A manhunt leads to the capture of several privateer captains, who, in exchange for lenient sentences, give up Valdez, who is hiding in the Sonoran Desert.