“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.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Next time, I need to know before you make these decisions. There are a dozen other things I need to take into consideration, to protect my agents, this agency, and the people we are sworn to protect. Go, and copy me into every memo you send to Rachel for the duration of this case.”

Lucy left, the reprimand stinging.