Page 10 of Chasing Justice
Maya stiffened. “I can take care of myself. I need to get our Forest Service vehicle. And I need to stay here to oversee this investigation. Someone has to keep watch over the crime scene.”
“I have a deputy here who can take over.” Josh nodded in the direction of a man standing off to the side. “He’ll keep watch over the crime scene. It may take all night to process this. I think your boss would want you to get checked out and make sure you’re okay.”
“I look that bad?”
“You do. I mean, actually, for surviving a bombing you look pretty good, but I still think you should have a doctor examine you.”
Maya sighed. “Thanks for being honest. I think. I still need to get our patrol vehicle.”
“I can give you a ride to where it’s parked.”
“Fine. I’ll take you up on that, but I’m not going home first. I’m going straight to the hospital.”
“Suit yourself,” Josh said.
They hiked a good distance to stay out of the way and get to where Josh’s SUV was parked. Maya got into the front seat, and as she sat down, exhaustion washed over her. She didn’t want to admit it, but Josh had a calming presence. He didn’t seem to get flustered by anything. His demeanor was helping her out. She’d worked with men before in the military and in law enforcement and she’d never had an issue with any of them. Josh was the first person that calmed her down and yet made her want to punch him at the same time.
“You’re going crazy,” Maya muttered to herself.
Josh got in and put the car in Drive. They jostled and bounced on the rough dirt road. “I called your grandfather.”
“Why?” Maya didn’t mean to snap at him, but it came out that way.
“To let him know you’re okay.”
“Great, that’ll go over well. He’s already certain I’m in the wrong career.”
“He loves you, Maya.”
“I don’t understand why he lovesyou.”
That shut Josh up for a moment and Maya closed her eyes. She had to start being nicer, but sometimes with the way the anxiety weighed on her, it was hard to not be edgy.
“Wayne is a good man.”
“We don’t see eye to eye.”
“I can tell.”
Josh pulled into the parking lot where the Forest Service vehicle sat. Maya stared at it. Earlier today, everything had been fine. And now...she didn’t want to think about now.
“Why did Doug park here?” asked Josh.
“I don’t know. I was in my last week of training; tomorrow was my last day. I didn’t question him since he was my field training officer.”
“Okay. Not questioning your FTO is probably good.”
“You think?”
Maya stepped out of the vehicle and mumbled a thanks, but not before glancing back at Josh. She could see what the women around town were talking about. He wasn’t hard to look at. He was nice. She needed to get over her annoyance because she had to work with him.
Or maybe she just needed to have a doctor examine her and tell her if she was crazy. Maybe she was the one with a problem.
Chapter Six
Maya floored the patrol SUV, taking deep breaths in and out. She rolled down the window and took in the sweet, cool mountain air. The temperature was dropping as the sun started setting behind the mountains, casting its rays up through the clouds. How did such a destructive day end so beautifully? A few times she thought she’d have to pull over, but she took some more deep breaths and calmed down.
Arriving at the hospital, she parked next to Josh’s sheriff’s SUV. The scene with Doug and Juniper replayed in her mind. The mounds of dirt. Maya yelling. Doug hadn’t seemed to hear.
