Page 92 of Chasing Justice
Thank God.
Maya continued to help Jenna down the mountainside. Juniper stayed right beside them. Jenna leaned into Maya as they navigated several boulders that created a tricky path. Maya stepped down first and then let Jenna prop onto her shoulder to get through the tight area created by the rocks.
Jenna’s last comment disturbed Maya. If Doug set the bombs, did that mean Jenna had roped him into it?
“I know Doug was involved and, according to you, set the bombs. What I don’t know is why,” Maya said, working to keep her anger under control as she helped Jenna.
“I don’t think I should tell you anything more.”
Maya didn’t want Jenna to clam up. She could talk to the prosecutor and let him know that Jenna had cooperated. Maybe it would help reduce her prison sentence. “I can try to help you get a lighter charge, but you have to tell me everything.”
Jenna remained silent for a moment, and Maya thought she wasn’t going to say anything, but then she spoke up. “You promise you’ll help me?”
“I promise.”
“Doug told me he was going to destroy the evidence so that I wouldn’t be convicted of making the drugs. He was going to help me get away and wanted my father to go away for a long time. But then he went and spoke with your grandfather, and after that he was quiet. I figured he was going to turn me in, and I had to do something. When he showed up with you and Juniper, I knew he was going to pretend like he didn’t know anything about the lab and start an investigation. Otherwise, he would have come on his own. I made sure I took the remote from his house that morning and detonated everything.”
“So why didn’t you just leave then? Escape? Get out of here?” Maya asked, trying to hide the bitterness in her voice.
“My father would have hunted me down and found me. He was never going to let me go. Doug was no different. He said he loved me and that he supported me going back to college. That was a lie. Total bullshit. He knew what I’d been doing. He wanted out and he knew that wasn’t going to happen while I was in his life. Then I saw him talking to Bobbi. I think they were having an affair.”
“Bobbi?”
“Yeah, Bobbi. Roberta? You know, the blonde sleeping with my father.”
Maya stopped. Juniper came up next to her and nudged her with her nose. “Doug was talking to her?”
“Yes.”
“When did you see this?”
“The night before I blew everything up. They were talking passionately.”
“Passionately?”
“Yeah. I pulled up to Doug’s house and could see them through the window. They were in a heated discussion.”
“That doesn’t mean they were having an affair. It’s probably not what you think,” Maya said. “Did you know Bobbi was undercover? For the DEA?”
“What?”
“I think Doug was telling her everything, and I think he was trying to protect you.”
Jenna stood stunned.
“Doug wanted to help you,” Maya said, tugging on Jenna’s arm to get her moving forward again. “That’s all. You killed the one person who was looking out for you. Now you have to live with that.”
“According to you, Doug was in love with you and going to ask you to marry him.”
“Of course he wasn’t going to ask me to marry him. That ring was for you.” Maya pulled it out of her pocket and opened the case. “This is how much he loved you. This is how much Doug cared for you. And you murdered him.”
She snapped the box shut and shoved it back in her pocket. She was ready to help Jenna move again, but noticed tears rolling down her face as she started to sob. Juniper went to her and nudged her with her nose.
“Even Juniper loves you,” Maya said.
Jenna continued to cry.
“Come on, let’s get going,” Maya said. “I feel sorry for you. I know you lost everything, and your father is a complete jerk. You can help me out, though. Make up for some of this.”
