“Ten minutes,” Max said, ignoring her comment. Above the names she wrote Texas A&M. “Victoria and Denise were college roommates their freshman year. They grew up in the same general area in Fredericksburg, didn’t go to the same high school, didn’t know each other, but had a lot in common. According to Victoria’s father, Denise was her only close female friend. Denise named her oldest daughter Victoria—she went by Tori—after Victoria Mills.”

Lucy’s chest tightened. She knew where Max was going with this, but she didn’t say anything. If she put up the stop sign now, Max wouldn’t share anything with her.

And Max knew something about her case. Something that Lucy didn’t know. That grated on her and excited her at the same time.

Max created a timeline. Fifteen years ago, Mitch, Stan, and Victoria created MCG Land and Holdings. Simon and Grover Mills were silent partners, each holding a small portion of the company. Twelve years ago Mitch and Victoria got married. Denise was the maid of honor. A little over three years ago—over the summer—Mitch and Victoria legally separated. In September, the Albright family disappeared. The next spring, Mitch and Victoria legally divorced but remained in business together.

The Friday after Labor Day of this year, the graves were uncovered in Kendall County. Max wrote:

A FEW BONES FOUND AFTER LABOR DAY FLOODING.

GRAVESITE DISCOVERED FRIDAY MORNING.

MEDIA WIDELY REPORTED THE DISCOVERY.

V KILLED FRIDAY NIGHT.

“Max,” Lucy began.

“Let me finish,” Max said, and continued writing in her bold script.

TUES: GRANT ALLEGEDLY EMBEZZLED $2.1M, THREATENED BY UNKNOWN HISPANIC MALE W/BURN ON HAND.

WED: MARIE & KIDS IN ACCIDENT. SCARMAN PRESENT. GRANT CONFESSES. MUST HAVE FACTS FOR POLICE TO BELIEVE. NO MURDER WEAPON.

Max then drew a line down the board and wrote on the right:

FRIDAY: IDENTITY OF BONES REVEALED. SIMON VISITS STAN IN PRISON.

SUNDAY: STAN TELLS MARIE TO LEAVE TOWN WITH HER BOYS.

MONDAY: STAN CHANGES PLEA. MARIE THREATENED.

TUESDAY: STAN SHOT AND KILLED.

Max turned to Sean. “I assume you heard.”

He nodded. “Marie called me when I was driving back from Austin. I had a friend take Marie to the hotel you reserved for her. Her ex-husband is already on his way.”

“Good. Okay. So these are facts that we know. I have a few more based on my interviews and staff research—no offense, Sean, but I called Ben to dig around while you were still on the road following Mitch.”

“I wish something more came from that.”

“Well, it might end up being important. We know that after I talked to him he went to a bank an hour away in Austin. Why Austin? And he has a safe-deposit box there. One more puzzle piece—we don’t know where it goes, but it goes somewhere.”

He smiled. “I’m good, but not Superman.”