Page 33 of Hunting the Truth
Damn it, why did life have to be complicated? Of course, Maya reminded herself, she had no way of knowing if Josh really felt the same or not. After all, he’d offered her his guest bedroom, nothing more.
She pulled up in front of the local hardware store and got out of her vehicle. Juniper was happily napping in the back curled up in a little pooch ball. Maya was glad she’d been able to get some energy out but had no illusions that it would be a quiet night. Nothing was ever quiet when it came to a Malinois.
She headed into the store. A bell jingled as she opened the front glass door and stepped inside. The front cash register was near the entrance and Maya could smell wood and paint. The floors were wooden, and her boots clomped on them as she walked in.
“Hello?” Maya said.
“Be right there,” a man’s voice shouted back.
She waited, thinking that only in the small town of Pinecone Junction would a cash register be left unattended. Even in a small town, though, she was a little bit concerned. Thieves lived everywhere. As Maya took in her surroundings, she did notice some security cameras around the store. At least they had those.
She hadn’t spent much time in the hardware store. Maya tended to not worry about cabin projects, but maybe she should get more serious about updating things or even just varnishing the wood to seal it for the winter.
Maya headed down the aisle with paints and varnishes. She had just picked up a sealant that might work for her cabin and was calculating how much it would cost to do the whole thing when a man came around the corner. He had thin graying hair that stuck out on top of his head, wire-rimmed glasses and a friendly smile.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “How can I help you?”
“No problem,” Maya said, setting the varnish back on the shelf.
“Do you have a log home? That’s an excellent sealant that you had there.”
“No—well, I mean yes. I do have a cabin, but I’m actually here on official business.”
“Oh,” the man said, adjusting his glasses. “What can I help you with?”
“First, my apologies, I should have introduced myself. I’m Officer Thompson, with the Forest Service,” Maya said, holding out her hand.
“Daryl Brenton.”
They shook hands and Maya said, “Nice to meet you. Are you new to town?”
“I am. My family and I moved up here a couple months ago and I bought the store.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t stopped in sooner to meet you,” she said. “Can I ask you a couple questions?”
“Sure. I’m guessing it’s not about cabin stain, is it?”
“No,” Maya said. She pulled out her phone and brought up a picture of the spike end of the booby trap. She enlarged the picture and showed Daryl the photo. “Do you sell stakes like these?”
“We sure do,” Daryl said. “Here, I’ll show you.”
Maya followed him back out to the front and down the rows until they got to an area with different types of flags and stakes for projects.
“Here,” Daryl said, pointing at the wooden stakes just like what she’d found in the booby trap. Only these hadn’t been sharpened as much.
“Looks like the same stake,” Maya said. “Have you had anyone come in and buy a bunch recently? Maybe with some wire too?”
“I can’t think of anyone, but I can go through our sales receipts. My wife works in the mornings and sometimes our son, Ethan, works during the weekend. I can look into it for you.”
“That would be great. I really appreciate it,” Maya said, handing Daryl her card. “If you find something like a name with the receipts, here’s my number.”
“Sure. Can I ask what this is pertaining to?”
“Just something we’re investigating right now. I appreciate your help,” Maya said.
“Of course. You need anything else? I’d be happy to help you load up some of that varnish.”
“No, I’m good,” Maya said. “But I probably should stain the cabin at some point. I’m sure I’ll be back in. It was nice to meet you.”
