Days before the attack, Edward experiences a premonition of mass death while at the World Trade Center; he is also reluctant to fly to California for an interview with Larry King, scheduled for September 10.

On 9/11, Hilland struggles to make sense of what he is seeing during his commute. He receives a call from work about an explosion and clarifies that a plane hit one of the Twin Towers. He then returns to lower Manhattan; as he arrives, the second plane crashes into the World Trade Center. Hilland helps establish a command post, and details about the attack trickle in amid the confusion. Hilland is inside an adjacent building when the South Tower collapses. He and other agents guide the injured to safety and witness the chaos outside. He later calls Edward, who immediately names Osama bin Laden as responsible.

For the next year, Hilland works nonstop at Ground Zero and related sites. Edward warns him early about hazardous air, and authorities soon upgrade safety protocols. Edward also predicts that Hilland’s team will recover a young woman’s remains identified by a unique tattoo; days later, they find a piece of flesh with a rare flower and bumblebee tattoo, enabling an identification. In early 2002, President George W. Bush delivers his “axis of evil” speech. As the Smith case winds down, Sergeant Brian Potts returns Janice’s watch to her sister, Dee Hartman.

In September 2002, Hilland begins polygraph examiner training and grieves during a 9/11 anniversary remembrance. He recruits Smith’s cellmate, James Rivers, who warns that Smith plans to track down Hilland’s wife and daughter when he gets out of jail. Soon after, Hilland is asked to help on the 1998 Florida murders of Chris Benedetto and Janette Piro. An inmate-informant had previously claimed that Janette’s brother-in-law, Michael Koblan, committed the murders and had her $58,000 ring dismantled by a jeweler. However, the inmate failed a polygraph test, so his account was dismissed.

Hilland consults Edward, who describes the jeweler as a frightened man who will cooperate quickly. He also gives a reading to one of the victim’s friends, connecting with her late father and relaying personal validations. Following Edward’s leads, Hilland confronts the jeweler, who confesses and implicates Koblan on a wire. In June 2003, Koblan is convicted and receives two life sentences. During this time, Edward’s father dies. Seeking a better relationship with his own father, Hilland secretly arranges a reading for his parents, which leaves his skeptical father stunned and speechless.

In early 2005, Hilland transfers to the FBI’s Albany office; Alex is tired of the long commutes Hilland must make to work in New York City. Privately, Hilland misses the intensity of his case load in the city.

During a dinner with Hilland, Edward abruptly predicts an upcoming cruise ship case. Days later, newlywed George Smith IV disappears from a Royal Caribbean ship. Hilland is assigned to polygraph George’s wife, Jennifer Hagel-Smith. Edward insists that she is not involved, and Hilland is inclined to agree when he meets her. Jennifer recounts a night of heavy drinking and a final argument. She then blacked out, apparently falling asleep in a chair; members of the ship’s crew later took her back to her room. Hilland’s exam confirms she is telling the truth.

Agents then reveal that four young men—Ronald, Gary, Jack, and Jimmy—were seen with George on the night he disappeared. Hilland calls Edward, who describes them precisely and urges Hilland to obtain a videotape; he also claims that the teenagers dangled George off the edge of the ship and then dropped him. As the investigation progresses, it begins to look as though the teens intended to rob George but panicked and killed him when he caught them in the act. A seized camera contains footage of the men bragging that George “went parasailing without the parachute” (243). There is also a separate video of them sexually assaulting a teenager. Using tactics suggested by Edward, Hilland lures Ronald to FBI offices and confronts him with the video. Ronald refuses to confess. Despite pressure on his family and fiancée, Ronald remains silent. No one is charged in George Smith’s disappearance.

By fall 2005, Hilland intensifies his search for Fran Smith at the Carborundum plant in New Jersey where Smith used to work. He invites Edward and another psychic, Jonathan Louis, to the 40-acre site. Both are drawn to a pumphouse. Inside, Hilland and Jonathan find a pristine white feather, which Edward later explains is a sign his deceased mother uses to communicate with him. Edward insists that Fran’s energy is present and tells Hilland to ask for a sign. When Hilland asks aloud, a streetlight turns on and then off at his request. Edward interprets this as Fran urging him to continue.

Hilland doesn’t tell his wife about the experience, believing that she would express skepticism. However, he returns months later to search the property and smells an overpowering perfume. That night, the same scent fills his hotel room, and he feels someone touch his hair as he’s dozing. Recalling a remark Edward made about perfume during their first reading, Hilland asks Fran’s daughter if her mother wore a particular brand; she explains that Fran always wore Opium by Yves Saint Laurent. Hilland arranges a makeshift test at a department store and correctly identifies Opium based on his experiences at the plant and hotel room. He feels that Fran is closer than ever.

During this period, Hilland also deploys overseas as a polygrapher to Bogotá, Colombia, where his team identifies a bogus informant and flees armed pursuers. Back in New Jersey, roughly a month after searching the site with the psychics, Hilland takes routine photos of the plant. Late that night, Edward calls and tells him to check the 18th image. The photo shows a distinct, face-like form in the lens, which Hilland recognizes as Fran.