He didn’t see it. Garrett’s daughter was the world to him. She was the bright spot when everything else was shit. If he was in trouble, he would do everything to protect her—and maybe that’s what the mother was doing. Protecting the kid because she knew that she was in danger.
But what about the girls? Why had they come home? Why had the older girl called the younger girl out of volleyball practice? Did the parents ask her to … or did they have another reason?
And then what about the boy? His body hadn’t been found with the others, or anywhere else. Garrett got a copy of the search and rescue report and the cadaver dogs hadn’t found anything near the burial site or the house or between the Albright house and the Young house. They searched the open fields where the kids were known to play, and nothing.
But what was really bugging Garrett was Frank Pollero. Garrett hadn’t interviewed him that day. He’d been dealing with his bitch of an ex-wife and Carl had gone there and reviewed the security footage. And Carl had come back and said that Denise Albright had changed the accounts, then embezzled the money electronically the same day.
“Frank said she was fine, acting normal, came in and flirted, and he didn’t even think to call Kiefer because Albright is a regular customer.”
Garrett stared at the still shot. He recognized Kitty Fitzpatrick. Hell, he’d known Kitty most of his life. Why hadn’t he seen this before?
The thing was, Carl knew Kitty as well. He should be able to look at the picture and tell that it was Kitty. It was a crappy picture and all, and yeah, her general appearance matched Denise Albright’s, so it was no surprise the feds thought it was Denise, but anyone who knew Kitty would know this was Kitty. Including Carl and Frank.
Garrett called the sheriff. “Hank, we need to meet. Not tomorrow, now. Can I come over?”
He was piling everything into his car when lights shined down his driveway. They went off, and Carl got out of his personal truck.
“Hey, thought you might be up for a drink.”
“Sorry, can’t.”
“Where are you going?”
“Food. I have nothing here.”
“At ten at night?”
“What’s with the third degree?”
“You took all the files from the station.”
“So?”
He didn’t see Carl’s gun until it was too late.
Chapter Thirty-one
FRIDAY MORNING
Because Rachel was working in the field on a complicated case with half the Violent Crimes Squad, Lucy cleared her SAPD meeting with ASAC Abigail Durant. Fortunately, she didn’t have to explain in detail, because Rachel had already filled Abigail in.
She got up to leave, but Abigail said, “Please sit, Lucy. There’s two other issues we need to discuss.”
She sat back down, dreading what was coming.
“First, I spoke with the sheriff in Kerr County. Detective Douglas is in the hospital in critical condition. He was shot outside his house last night. But he gave a statement to first responders that his partner, Detective Chavez, shot him. Right now he’s in a medical coma after surgery, so we can’t question him. He thinks he winged Chavez in the gunfight, and evidence at the scene supports that. Chavez is missing. The sheriff himself took charge of the crime scene and found all the Albright files there. Immediately prior to the shooting, Detective Douglas asked to meet with the sheriff.”
“He must have seen something or remembered something that had him suspicious of his partner,” Lucy said. She felt marginally guilty for icing him out of the investigation, but she honestly didn’t know which of the cops was involved.
“Rachel told me—verbally, she didn’t put it in her report—that Nate was able to interview Ricky Albright and he identified Detective Chavez.”
“Yes.”
“And Nate is in Mexico on ‘vacation.’”
Lucy didn’t say anything.
“Where is Ricky Albright now?”
“They are on their way to San Antonio. ETA two this afternoon.”
“I’ll contact CPS and have them take the boy into custody.”
“Ma’am, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“He’ll be safe, receive medical attention and a psychiatric evaluation. He’s been missing for three years. We don’t know what condition he’s in.”
“He knew his family was murdered and he’s terrified of anyone in authority because he knew that at least one cop was responsible. He didn’t want to come home.”
“He’s a minor child who needs to be protected.”
“I agree, which is why putting him immediately into the system is the worst thing we can do.”
“It’s the law, Agent Kincaid.”
Lucy hadn’t met Ricky yet, but Nate had been clear that he was extremely distrustful. “The law couldn’t foresee these specific circumstances. We always have to do what’s in the best interests of the child, right? He’s felt safe for three years because no one knew where he was.”
“And the man who took him?”
“The man didn’t knowingly take him out of the country. Ricky hid in his truck and didn’t expose himself until after they crossed the border.”
“And you don’t think it’s odd that an expatriate kept Ricky Albright in Mexico for the last three years.”
Abigail knew more about the case than Lucy thought.
“It may be, but in this situation I don’t think so—and neither does Nate.”
“I don’t like this, Lucy. If anything happens to that boy while he is in our care, there will be hell to pay—and jobs on the line. Are you willing to risk your entire career? Are you willing to risk Nate’s career?”
“I’m just asking for a day or two. Just until we can apprehend Chavez. If he learns that Ricky is alive and can identify him, then Ricky is in immediate danger.”
“Therefore he would be better off in protective custody.”
“If we can provide that safe house, with our people protecting him as if he were a witness, then yes, I agree, but you know as soon as we bring him in CPS will take him and we don’t know what would happen to him. If Chavez gets even an inkling that Ricky’s alive then we put him in more danger.”
Abigail was thinking.
“There’s a larger conspiracy here, ma’am,” Lucy said. “Multiple people are involved. They may not all have been involved with murdering Denise Albright’s family, but at least four men were there, and that means Chavez isn’t the only person worried about being caught. I know this is against protocol, but until we can get him to a safe house and put him into our protective custody I want to keep him completely out of the system, even if it means skirting the letter of the law for the spirit of the law.”
“I’ll work on the safe house,” Abigail said. “Where are you taking him?”
Lucy didn’t want to tell her, but she had to. “Saint Catherine’s Boys Home.”
Abigail stared at her, thinking.
Lucy mentally crossed her fingers and prayed. She couldn’t openly defy her boss. But she hoped Abigail came around to her way of thinking.
“Tonight, Saint Catherine’s. Tomorrow morning I will reach out to our liaison with CPS. I know her personally, she’s a sharp woman. We’ll decide together what is in Ricky’s best interests—and that may not be staying at Saint Catherine’s. I’ll also run a threat assessment and expedite a safe house. While Saint Catherine’s is prepared to handle a boy like Ricky and they are licensed, we can’t make this decision unilaterally.”