Ginny shook her head. “Not until they got all the way to his house.”
“He might not be in trouble with you folks,” JJ said, “but he and I are going to have a word.”
“Dad—” Then Ginny looked down when JJ gave her a stern look.
“We just want Ricky home safe,” Lucy said. “He has an aunt and grandparents who are worried about him.”
“Can you even do that? Keep him safe?” Jill asked.
Lucy opened her folder and showed Ginny photos of Detectives Chavez and Douglas. “Which detective interviewed you?”
“They were both here,” Ginny said.
“Who was Ricky scared of?”
She frowned. “He didn’t say. He just said that one of them was at his house and shredded all his mother’s papers and found what he was looking for.”
“Found what?” Nate asked.
“I don’t know. Something. A folder or papers or something like that. Ricky didn’t know what it was, but it was in his mom’s office.”
“So both of these men could have been there.”
“I guess. I don’t know.”
“Okay,” Nate said. “This is a big help.” He turned to JJ. “Do you have Javi’s address?”
“Yes. I’ll take you.”
“Sir, I think you should let us handle this.”
“First, you have no jurisdiction down in Mexico. You might be able to handle yourself, but even I know you can’t be a federal agent down there. Second, Javi doesn’t have an address. I’ve been there, you would never find his place. And if Javi thought you were a threat to Ricky, he would never let you near him. I don’t want you or Javi dead.”
Lucy motioned for Nate to follow her to the living room. “Nate, what if you and Mr. Young go get Ricky. Ricky trusts him, he doesn’t know you. As far as Ricky knows, you’re a cop like the cop who killed his family. But Ricky trusts Javi and Mr. Young.”
“I’m not asking for permission,” Nate said.
“I’ll run interference with Rachel, but we have to tell her.”
He nodded. “I’ll deal with the fallout.”
“Don’t take your badge. Just in case. I’d call Kane to help, but he’s still out of the area.”
“I’m good. I’ll take a sick day. It shouldn’t take long.”
“Take the pictures. Get confirmation and then call me. And stop by my house and grab some equipment. Sat phone, an unregistered gun, whatever you need.”
Nate smiled. He didn’t smile often enough, Lucy realized. “What makes you think I don’t have my own go-bag?”
They went back to the dining room. “Mr. Young, if you don’t mind, I would like to join you,” Nate said. “We don’t know what we’ll encounter down there, and it’s my responsibility to make sure Ricky gets home safe. But you’re right, I could use your guidance and backup.”
“Let me pack an overnight bag. And what about you? San Antonio is on the way if you need to go home and get anything.”
“I have a bag in the trunk. Never leave home without it.”
* * *
Thirty minutes later, Nate and JJ Young left. It was an eight-hour drive straight through, but they already talked about finding a place to camp before they crossed the border, then getting an early start in the morning.
Lucy waited until they left and then turned to Jill and said, “Do you feel safe here? Do you want me to help you find a place to stay?”
“I’m okay. Those policemen don’t know anything, do they? About what Ginny knows?”
“No. We were suspicious about something else, so we haven’t kept them in the loop. Now we know our suspicions were well founded. But if you need anything, call me.” She handed her a card. “I put my cell phone on the back. You can call me day or night.”
“Thank you.”
Lucy looked at Ginny. “I’m glad you came clean.”
“I’m grounded.”
“I would have been, too,” Lucy said. “My dad was a colonel in the Army and he had strict rules, including no lying. But I understand. We all do. Fear is very powerful.”
“I should have said something, but when they came to the house and were so mean to Joe, and what they said about Mrs. Albright when I knew it wasn’t true, I just wanted nothing to do with them. And Ricky was really, really terrified.”
Jill walked Lucy to the door. “Are you really okay?” Lucy asked. “You’re not going into labor anytime soon, are you?”
“I still have four weeks. I have a lot of friends and family in the area. Javi is my cousin. A good man, truly. We have the same grandfather, he was born here but went back to Mexico for family. He’s a brilliant mechanic, JJ would hire him if he wanted to come back—but he’s a quiet soul. A very religious man who doesn’t want anything more than to work with his hands and help his neighbors. I don’t know what Ricky said to him to convince him not to bring him back, but Ricky’s safe with him.”
“That’s good to know. And Ricky probably had some healing of his own to do.” Though three years … had Ricky not left, would they have been able to stop this conspiracy, whatever it was? Or would he have been killed like his family?
The important thing now was not only bringing Ricky home but also keeping him safe.
* * *
As Lucy was driving back to San Antonio, her brother Dillon called. She smiled as she answered, his soothing voice coming through the car speakers.
“I was going to text you, but I wanted to hear your voice,” Dillon said. “And I’m stuck in traffic.”
“Where?”
“Coming home from Haynesville. Drove down early this morning to assess an inmate.” Dillon was a forensic psychiatrist who consulted for a variety of legal entities. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No, I’m also driving, heading back to town. I hope you’re not calling to tell me you and Kate are canceling Thanksgiving. You’re the only ones who’ve confirmed. Jack and Megan are staying in Sacramento with Megan’s brother, and Carina’s in her last trimester, I knew traveling would be difficult for her. Connor bowed out for no real reason, though I think he would rather stay home close to Carina, and Patrick doesn’t think he can come because of something going on with Elle.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“And then Sean’s family is just as bad. Kane will probably be here with Siobhan, but getting him to confirm anything is impossible. He’ll just show up. Duke and Nora are thinking about coming but won’t commit.”
“Most people are not as organized as you are, Lucy.”
“I just want to know, one way or the other.”
“Next year, our house. You, Sean, and Jesse will stay with us. Your room is still your room, and we have the guest room for Jesse.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Not to change the subject, but I heard Maxine was in San Antonio.”
“Word travels fast.”
“Ryan and Kate bonded over bad guys,” Dillon said. “They’ve been working on a new database to better track stolen art. Ryan mentioned Max hired Sean.”