Page 69 of Hunting the Truth
“Why are you so concerned about me? Why do you care?”
“Because you’re too close to all this and it puts you in danger,” Eric said. “I also just want my freedom. I’m tired of being an old man on the run.”
“Then meet me at the sheriff’s station. Turn yourself in. I’ll let the DA know you’re cooperating and make sure you stay here in Colorado. I can help you.”
“You can’t help me, but I can make sure you stay alive and that’s what’s important to me. Meet me on the edge of town by the Pinecone Junction sign in five minutes. You can bring the dog, but don’t tell your boyfriend. Leave him out of this. See you soon. You’re already halfway there in those aspen trees.”
The phone went dead.
Maya scanned around and strained to see anyone watching, but there were no signs of anyone there. He had to be close, though, and he was letting her know that. Juniper still was relaxed. If he was nearby, he was doing a good job of making sure she didn’t catch his scent. Or he could be a good distance away but using a spotting scope.
Maya debated what to do. She should go wake Josh, tell him what happened and then let Eric Torres be arrested at the sign he was talking about. But Torres would see them coming and probably flee.
Knowing that Pops and Josh would be furious with her, Maya sent Josh a text.
I’m sorry. Torres contacted me. I’m going to meet up with him. He’s willing to talk to me and give me more information. I think it’s better if I go alone. He seems to trust me for some reason. I promise I’ll check in and try to let you know that I’m okay. Keep working on finding Blake. You and Pops stay safe.
Maya almost textedI love you, but at the last minute she hit send without adding that. She could only imagine how much crap she’d hear from Josh and Pops. Probably well deserved, but she had to do this. The truth was close. She could feel it. And Eric Torres was the key...she just had to stay alive.
She shut off her cell phone to make it harder for someone to track her. She could always turn it back on, but she didn’t want Josh to panic and come after her. At least not right now.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Maya and Juniper navigated back down the small ridge they were on and walked along the two-lane highway that went to Pinecone Junction. The sign Eric was talking about was about a mile down the road. It was wooden, made from pine beetle kill, and readWelcome to Pinecone Junction. Elev. 8,523 feet.
It was a good sign to conceal yourself behind and it was near a trailhead parking area. Would Eric be so bold as to park out in the open when he knew everyone was looking for him? Maya’s stomach flip-flopped. She could be walking straight into a trap, but she had to have answers and so far, Eric Torres was the only person who even came close to giving her those.
As she approached the area, she saw a man standing near the sign. It was him. Juniper let out a low growl.
“It’s okay, girl,” Maya said. “If he tries anything, you can bite him. Otherwise, let’s see what he can tell us.”
Juniper stopped her growling, but tension vibrated up the leash as they stopped about ten feet away from Eric.
“I’m glad you came,” he said. “Glad you’re alone too. Well, except for Juniper.”
“Quit wasting my time with chitchat. Are you going to answer my questions or not? If not, then I’m out of here and I’ll call the cavalry.”
“You do that, and I’ll be long gone. You’ll never find me. But I don’t want that. I’ll give you answers. But you have to trust me. We need to go somewhere more secluded.”
“What? So you can kill me?” Maya said.
“No, I’m not here to kill you.”
“Just be a creepy stalker then?”
“Look,” Eric said. “You can handcuff me if it makes you feel better. I promise I’m not here to hurt you. I know you’re not going to stop until you get answers, and those answers will get you killed. Trust me. Please.”
Maya stayed quiet, uncertain how to answer. She was usually good at verbal judo. She used it all the time in her job to get people to cooperate, but for once she was stumped. She finally pulled out the flex-cuffs and said, “Okay, I’ll go with you, but you stay ahead of me, cuffed. Any wrong move and Juniper will bite you.”
“Fair enough,” Eric said, turning around so Maya could put the cuffs on. When she finished, he started up the trail. “I think I’ve scouted out a good spot for us to talk.”
Maya and Juniper followed Eric as he kept a steady pace on the trail. He didn’t speak or try anything, but she didn’t let her guard down. She wondered if Josh had received her message by now. Would he forgive her for this? What about Pops? She’d have to work to get their trust back again too.
But if she could get answers and justice for her mother and Nana, then it would be worth it.
Eric took a split in the trail and headed back into a thick grove of trees at the top of a ridge. The trees gave way to an overlook of the road and trailhead where they’d just come from. Maya could see for miles. She was guessing that they were looking northwest at the Snowy Range in Wyoming. The trees, though, gave them good cover. It would be hard for anyone to spot them from the ground or even the sky if a helicopter were to fly over.
“Okay,” Maya said. “I’ve played your game. Now I need you to cooperate.”
