Page 15 of Hunting the Truth
“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to make any excuses to me, but if you would sleep better, I really don’t mind the couch.”
Maya smiled. “Thanks, I appreciate it, but it’s getting late, and I have an early morning patrol tomorrow. And my couch sucks.”
“I’m only a phone call away. Let me know if you need anything. And you’ve always said Dr. Meyers is open to phone calls too. Maybe you should have a private session with him. I mean if you think it would help.”
“Thanks,” Maya said. “I’ll be fine.”
Josh walked over to the kitchen and grabbed his leftovers from the fridge. “Just in case I get hungry.”
Maya and Juniper went with him to the front door and watched as he headed out to his patrol car. There was a part of her that wanted him to stay. And another part of her that was relieved he was leaving.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Maya was up early. Sleep continued to elude her. After taking her cup of coffee, she let Juniper out and headed out on her porch to enjoy the morning. The sun was just starting to rise, with only a sliver of light shining through the clouds. Maya sat down in one of her camping chairs and sipped the coffee while Juniper ran around.
Juniper hadn’t barked or rushed at any windows overnight, and Maya felt like whatever was bugging her was gone. Whatever. Or whoever. She’d tried sleeping but ended up tossing and turning. Dreams came and went mixed with memories of her mother and Nana. In some ways, Maya couldn’t even remember what her mother looked like. Although, based on pictures, all she had to do was look in the mirror. She wished she could remember her better.
Maya took another sip of coffee as the sun moved up a little bit more and started hitting the peaks off to the west. Soon those peaks would be covered with snow, and it would be too cold to sit outside on her porch.
Her cell phone buzzed inside, and Maya whistled at Juniper to come. Juniper bounded up on the porch, tongue hanging out, happy to have had her early-morning romp. “Come on, let’s go inside. We have to get ready for work.”
Maya opened the door to the cabin and Juniper followed her in. Maya headed toward Juniper’s crate and the dog slunk over to the couch again, glancing back with her golden eyes.
“No, you have to kennel.”
Juniper sighed and turned around. She sat and stared at Maya.
“Seriously. Kennel.” Maya pointed to the crate.
Juniper took a few steps and then stared at Maya again.
“Are you acting out because I’m not sleeping well?”
Juniper took the moment to look hopeful, like maybe Maya would change her mind.
“No, you need to kennel. I have to get ready for work, but it won’t take long.”
With another heavy sigh, Juniper went in the crate. She had a pathetic look on her face.
“Just a few minutes,” Maya said.
She went over to her phone on the kitchen counter and checked it. There was a text from Lucas:DNA has been submitted to CODIS. Will let you know when I hear anything.
Thanks, Maya texted back. She set her phone back on the counter. Hopefully CODIS would give them something. If this person was from out of state, then CODIS would give them a better chance to find them.
Maya headed into her bedroom, showered and dressed in her Forest Service Law Enforcement officer uniform for work. She finished by putting on the bulletproof vest and pulling her long hair back into a tight bun. What would today bring? Being a law enforcement officer meant you never knew. You could have a day of paperwork, or you could pull over a dangerous felon and do a high-risk arrest. Maya loved all the different parts of her job. Well, maybe not the paperwork.
After walking back out of the bedroom, she let Juniper out of her crate. Juniper went from looking pathetic to jumping around on her hind legs and bouncing on and off Maya.
“Good thing I have this vest on,” Maya said, as Juniper’s front paws hit her.
They went out the front door and Maya stopped again. She swore she smelled cigarettes, but then the odor faded. Juniper was waiting by the door to her compartment in the vehicle. Maya opened it up and thought about calling Dr. Meyers. Maybe she really was losing it.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to her office, which was both a Forest Service visitor center and her home base. Juniper ran circles in the back. Maya knew that she needed to get more energy out of the dog today. She was probably acting up because Maya had so many emotions running through her with the investigations going on.
As she was ready to get out of the car and get Juniper settled, her phone rang again. This time it was her boss, Todd Davis, the patrol captain for her region.
“Hello, sir,” Maya said.
