Page 62 of Hunting the Truth
Pops shook his head and said, “Okay, but you’re not leaving this office until you tell me one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Who are you so in love with?”
“That? It was just the moment. I didn’t mean to say anything. Really, it’s nothing.”
“Uh-huh,” Pops said. “Well, I already heard through the grapevine. News travels fast.”
“What?” Maya said. “Did Deputy Wilson radio it in or something? I think that’s a record.”
“Deputy Wilson saw you two and texted his girlfriend who works in dispatch. You know what? I’m with everyone else. It’s about damn time. At least you and Josh are finally admitting your feelings for each other.”
Maya wasn’t used to being speechless. She finally said, “So you’re not upset? I mean, Josh and I work with each other. I know that I have to be careful about that.”
“No, I’m not upset. You two are good together. I’m happy for you. And you do work together, but you’re not at the same agency. You’ll want to talk to your boss and there’ll be challenges, but if you’re happy, then that’s what’s important.”
“So, you won’t be upset if you find out I’m staying with Josh until I can figure out another place to live? Or until my cabin is rebuilt.”
“Nope,” Pops said, standing. A grin spread across his face. “But I’m going to warn Josh to be careful. He picked a tough one with you.”
“Thanks a lot, Pops,” Maya said, with a laugh.
Josh knocked on the door and peeked inside. “We’re all set in the meeting room. Everything good here?”
Pops continued to chuckle as he walked out the door and patted Josh on the shoulder. “Good luck, son. Good luck.” Then he headed down the hallway.
“What’s that about?” Josh asked Maya.
She stood. “I told him I was staying with you. And by the way, your deputy and our dispatcher are gossips.”
They all filed into the meeting room. Abigail and Blake came in as well. Blake had a scowl on his face. Maya wanted to start asking him questions, but she knew she couldn’t. Maybe if they played things right, Blake wouldn’t know he was also a suspect. They might be able to catch him in a lie or surveil him. He’d be more likely to make a mistake.
Blake caught her staring at him. Maya tried to look away but wasn’t quick enough. “Your dog keeps barking at me,” he said. “I go by the vehicle, and she goes nuts.”
“Maybe stay farther away from the vehicle then,” she said, annoyed but also trusting her dog. “If you get close, she has every right to bark.”
“Whatever,” Blake said. Abigail handed him a coffee, smiled at Maya, and shrugged as if to sayit’s just the way he is.
Maya tried to smile back, but it felt more like a grimace. Everything that had happened today, starting with the track and finding Eric Torres, seemed like a million years ago. How was it only afternoon?
Josh took a seat at the head of the table. Pops sat off to the side. Maya was surprised at first, but she knew he was serious about staying out of the way. He was only here to keep up to date about what was going on in his county. She needed to wrap her head around doing the same thing, but she had a hard time not taking action. There had to be something she could do. If only she could remember more about her childhood. Maybe she’d been with her mom when she stashed the evidence and didn’t even realize it.
Maya didn’t know of anything like a safety deposit box, but she could look into some of those options. If she found anything, she could turn it over to Josh and Lucas.
“So.” Blake spoke up again. “Are we going to sit around here discussing how Officer Thompson screwed up or are we going to get back out there and find this asshole?”
Maya sat straight up and leaned forward. She was about ready to snap a reply, when Josh gave her a look and jumped in.
“While Eric Torres escaped from Officer Thompson, she was able to locate where he was hiding out. We did get the search warrant for his tent and our crime scene tech is going through it now. She’s already messaged me with some information about some possible locations, but we all know he’s smart and he’s managed to stay one step ahead. I’ve also heard from our coroner, and he has an ID already for the victim. It’s Harold Conner. Do you know him? Any relation to you?”
Maya stared at Blake, looking for a change in body language. Maybe surprise? Did he know his cousin was dead?
“Shit,” Blake said, sitting back in his chair and taking a sip of coffee. “Yeah, I know him. That’s my cousin. He was on the department with me, but recently he became a deputy up in the county that surrounds our city area.”
“Any idea why he’d be here? Why Eric Torres would have shot him?” Josh asked.
“No,” Blake said, putting his elbows on the table and leaning forward. “He’s my cousin, but I don’t know the guy well. It’s not like I’m his mother. Not my job to keep track of him.”
