Page 10 of Hunting the Truth
He’d thought there was going to be a problem when the dog started growling and staring at him. The dog had probably smelled his scent, and even though she’d been distracted this morning by the foxes, she knew who he was and was aware of him. Luckily, Maya and the deputy decided to continue their walk.
Eric was done with surveillance for today. After a few weeks of doing this, he had Maya’s schedule down well. She was predictable minus the fact that she patrolled over a million acres of forest. He didn’t always know where she was headed, but being an ex-cop, he knew how to listen in on dispatch and could create a call that would draw her out. But he still had the problem of the dog and the deputy.
The dog would be out on patrol with Maya. He would have to get Maya away from the patrol vehicle, but he still had to be careful. K-9 handlers had a special remote on their duty belt. They could hit a button and the door would open for the dog to come help an officer in trouble. And then there was the deputy. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Maya and seemed to always be her backup, protecting her. That created a problem too.
Eric liked challenges, though. Everything about this was a challenge and he would figure out a way to solve it. Until then, he had someone to go see. Someone Eric could get information out of—even if it took a little bit of persuasion.
Chapter Five
Maya answered the phone, hoping Lucas had good news. “Hey there, what’s up?”
“How are you doing, Tree Cop?”
She laughed at the nickname that Forest Service officers were given since they worked out with the trees. Although Maya wanted to get past the pleasantries and get to why he was calling, she knew Lucas was doing a favor for her, and she needed to have patience. Not to mention he’d always had her back when they were in the Marines. “I’m doing well, thanks.”
“And Juniper?”
“She’s good too,” Maya said, squeezing the phone tighter. Josh reached out and took Juniper’s leash so Maya could pace.Dang, he knows me too well.Her anxiety was killing her. Juniper tilted her head, staring at Maya, wondering what was going on.
“Well, I have some good news for you,” Lucas said.
“What is it? Does the DNA match?”
“Yep.”
“Yes?” Maya continued pacing. Josh took Juniper off the trail as another couple walked by. The geese continued swimming around the pond. Some fluffy clouds floated by overhead. Everything was so normal and yet, at this moment, Maya knew her world had just changed.
“The DNA from the cigarettes found at both scenes match, so you have a connection between these two crimes. I love my job.”
“Lucas, you’re the best.”
“Feel free to call me anytime and tell me that.”
Maya laughed and gave Josh a thumbs-up. He returned her smile and Juniper let out a yip.
“Sounds like even Juniper is happy,” Lucas said.
“You got that right. Is there a match in the system? Any names coming up?”
“That’s the only bummer. I’m not getting a match in Colorado, but I’ll send the results to CODIS tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Maya stopped pacing and closed her eyes. CODIS was the Combined DNA Index System run by the FBI. It was a national database to help link suspects in crimes that crossed state lines. CODIS was probably a long shot, but worth it.
“We’ll figure this out, Maya. Don’t worry. Gotta run.”
“Thanks, Lucas. Bye.” Maya hit the end button on the phone and grinned at Josh.
“Good news, I take it?” Josh asked, handing Juniper’s leash back.
“Yes.” Maya filled him in on what Lucas had told her as they continued their walk. A warm breeze picked up and rustled the cottonwood tree leaves that were turning a light gold.
The couple that had passed them were now out of sight, so Maya let Juniper’s leash out and allowed her the freedom to run back and forth. Juniper loved to explore and take in all the scents around her. She attempted to pounce on a grasshopper, but the bug managed to escape. Maya and Josh picked up their pace to help expend some of Juniper’s energy.
“This is good news,” Maya said. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. It’s actual evidence that connects my mother’s death and Nana’s. There were cigarettes at my mother’s murder scene. Pops made the CBI investigators collect the other cigarettes outside his house the night Nana died. He wanted the investigators to look into it more because he knew Nana didn’t smoke, but they wouldn’t. They had tunnel vision with Nana’s death being self-inflicted.
“Now we know there was definitely another person at both scenes and they could have had the gun all these years. Finally, something that explains both of their deaths that makes sense—the same person killed them. Now we just need to figure out who that person is and their motive.”
“I understand and I agree...” Josh said.
