Can't get rid of unread mail icon--shows 2 unread messages but can't find any

Question

I've got a smart mailbox that shows unread messages so I can easily see what new and unread mail I have.  The problem is it gives me the notification icon that indicates I have two unread messages, yet the mailbox does not show any messages as unread...  This isn't a huge problem, but the Mail icon in my dock always shows that I have new mail, and the notification icon is small enough that I can't always clearly see if it's the "usual 2" or a higher number.  What could be causing this and how do I either find the unread messages or get this icon reduced to where it only shows me REAL unread messages?
Rocketman

Answer 1

Quit Mail. Force quit if necessary.
Back up all data. That means you know you can restore the Mail database, no matter what happens.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData
Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder
from the menu bar. Paste into the box that opens (command-V), then press return.
A folder window will open. Inside it there should be files with names as follows:
Envelope Index
ExternalUpdates.storedata
Move those files to the Desktop, leaving the window open. Other files in the folder may have longer names that begin as above. Move those files, if any, to the Trash.
Log out and log back in. Relaunch Mail. It should prompt you to re-import your messages. You may get a warning that the index is damaged and that Mail has to quit. Click OK. Typically, the process takes a few minutes, but it may take hours if you have gigantic mailboxes. In that case, you may be able to speed things up by temporarily adding your home folder to the Privacy list in the Spotlight preference pane. Remove it when Mail has finished importing.
Test. If Mail now works as expected, you can delete the files you moved to the Desktop. Otherwise, post your results.