It was a simple exchange. Clean.

So why did things go so terribly wrong?

It went against all of Ford's instincts. When his goddaughter, Shanay, called one day, he assumed it was with details of her imminent wedding, but the news was anything but cheerful. She and her bridesmaids had thrown a pretty wild bachelorette party, it seemed, on St. Arcs, in the Windward Islands-and someone had secretly videotaped it. Now that person was threatening to blow up her future unless she came across with enough money. "But don't worry, Doc," she said. "I negotiated it down. All I need you to do is make the exchange. Please?"

Ford knew it was a mistake-a mistake to trust the extortionist, a mistake for her not to tell her fiancé-but he agreed. And now one of the bridesmaids is near death. The blackmailer took the money and released...