Rachel shifted through papers and handed Lucy a business card. “AUSA Shelley Adair handled the case from the beginning, hopefully she has more info about the particulars of the crime. All I know from our database is that it was on hold pending locating Denise Albright. However, we have another issue to deal with—the Albrights also had a son, and his remains weren’t found with his family.”

“How old?” Nate asked.

“He was nine at the time his family disappeared. He would be twelve if he’s still alive, but it’s likely that he was buried elsewhere.”

“Could his remains have been washed away in the flood?” Nate asked.

Lucy shook her head. “Not based on the photos I’ve seen. The four bodies recovered were in the same grave, and even if his smaller skeleton was removed, some of the bones would have remained.”

Rachel said, “Ash Dominguez at the crime lab said basically the same thing. He received the same email I did Friday afternoon from the lab at Quantico and we discussed it then. He called in cadaver dogs to search the area because the most likely reason is that the boy was buried somewhere nearby. Or maybe the family left the kid in Mexico for some reason when they returned.”

“They came back with their teenage daughters and not their young son?” Lucy said. “That seems unlikely.”

“We don’t know what they were thinking. But someone murdered this family within weeks of their initial disappearance.” Rachel handed Lucy a thin file. “That’s the report from the lab, I’ll also forward you the email so you have the technicians’ contact information if you have questions. They can’t give us TOD down to the day, but they narrowed the window and put TOD mid-September to end of October, three years ago. The Albrights were seen crossing the border on Friday, September 21. That’s the last sighting of their vehicle. They haven’t attempted to access their bank accounts since that Friday, which have been monitored as part of the investigation into the embezzlement. If you need help with the white collar crime angle, you can tap Laura Williams, who’s been assisting the AUSA, but this week she’s wrapped up in a major trial. Keep her in the loop, but she might not respond immediately.”

Rachel looked from Nate to Lucy, her expression stern.

“Find out who killed this family and if Denise Albright was responsible for the missing money. If she’s guilty, she had a partner—someone who is capable of killing children. But mostly, find out what happened to Ricky Albright and if there is any chance that he’s still alive.”

As they drove the hour to Kerrville, Lucy read the updated file on the case, then filled Nate in on what she knew.

“You know about the bones,” she said.