“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?”