“You did an amazing job. Your computer simulation alone was worthy of a commendation, but the fact that you worked so well with the FBI lab at Quantico is what helped us solve the case.”

“Well, I appreciate it. Really. I’ll take a look, but I don’t know that it will do any good. As far as we’re concerned, the case is closed.”

“Because Grant confessed?”

“And we haven’t heard about anything else. If it went to trial, we’d prepare for court, but…” He shrugged, then eyed her. “He is guilty, right?”

“I don’t know,” Lucy said. “He recanted.”

Ash snorted. “And every felon is innocent.”

“This time … there are some extenuating circumstances. I honestly can’t say whether he’s innocent or guilty, but because this case is connected to the Albright case, I need to look at every possibility.”

Lucy was driving back to FBI headquarters when she had a call from an unknown number.

“Kincaid,” she answered.

“It’s Nate. We have him.”

“Ricky?”

“He’s alive and well. We’re leaving in the morning. We don’t want to be on the road at night.”

“Thank God,” she said. “He’s okay? Really?”

“He doesn’t want to leave, but Javier—Jill Young’s cousin—talked to him. He’s scared and confused. He’s not a kid—he went from nine to adult—but is still a kid, if that makes sense.”

Lucy understood. “Did you show him the pictures?”

“Chavez.”

“How certain was he?”

“Absolutely certain. He didn’t hesitate.”

She’d had Nate create a series of photos that included Chavez, Douglas, the sheriff of Kerr County, and three FBI agents.

“And no one else?”

“No. Why?”

“Douglas is angry that we cut him out. We executed a warrant on the bank—Pollero is in the wind. Left the house early, didn’t go to work, visited his daughter for breakfast, and is just gone.”

“Damn.”

“And I didn’t tell Douglas what we were doing. He read me the riot act. Chavez wasn’t the lead detective.”

“But he was there at the Youngs’ house when they questioned the twins.”

“Maybe we should alert Douglas.” But it would not go over well.

“Just because Ricky didn’t identify him doesn’t mean that he isn’t also involved.”

Lucy knew Nate was right, but she didn’t like being put in this situation.

“I guess we’re lucky at this point that he wants nothing to do with me, but I’m going to tell Rachel. Let her make the call about who is looped in.”

“How did she take my spontaneous trip?”

“You’re using vacation, not sick time.”

“That’s it?”

“She’s hard to read. My gut tells me she’ll put a comment in our files, but she’s not going to go further. But my gut could be wrong.”

“Not usually.”

“She wasn’t happy, but she wasn’t angry.”