Page 74 of Hunting the Truth
“Mind telling me where we’re going?” Eric asked. “And I don’t suppose you want to take these flex-cuffs off?”
“To Nana and Pops’s ranch, where I grew up, and no, you can leave those on. Makes me feel better.”
“Fine,” he sighed. “My arms are going numb. Do you think your grandfather was lying about not having the evidence?”
“No,” she answered. “I think he was telling the truth, but I think I know what this key goes to, and Pops wouldn’t even think about it. The evidence could be stashed inside right under his nose.”
“Where are we talking about?” Eric asked.
“I’ll tell you when we get there. I don’t need you trying to ditch or kill me. If I’m the only one that knows, then I’m safer.”
“Still don’t trust me?”
“What do you think?” Maya asked. “Take the next left up here. That trail will lead us to the back of Pops’s property.”
Eric was huffing and puffing a little bit, but Maya wanted to make good time. She glanced at her watch. It was 0830. Pops should be leaving for work in about a half hour unless Josh had called him about her. Then he might have left earlier.
“We’re not too far away,” Maya said. “Do you need a break?”
“No, I’m good,” Eric said. “Just years of smoking have caught up with me. Bad habit, I know.”
“It is, but I guess we all have something,” she said, thinking about her drinking.
They continued walking in silence for a while. Juniper appeared happy and the day was still cool, so Maya wasn’t too worried about her. When they got to the outskirts of Pops’s ranch, Maya would get her some more water. She didn’t want her getting sick or having a dry nose, making it more difficult to do her job.
“Can I ask you something?” Eric said.
“Maybe. Depends on what it is.”
“It’s personal, but I want to know you better.”
“Why?” Maya said.
Eric shrugged. “I knew Zoey well and saw you when you were a baby. I guess I’m just curious.”
“You can ask me, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to answer.”
“I understand. When I shot Harold Conner, you went over to see if he needed medical attention.”
“Right,” Maya said, not sure where he was headed with this.
“You went pale. Like you saw a ghost. What happened?”
Maya debated how much she wanted to reveal to Eric. It was only a matter of time before she arrested him. He thought she was helping and that they were working together, but she was like him, she supposed. Once she got what she needed, she was done with him. She decided to keep her flashbacks to herself.
“Why does it matter?” she asked. “Seeing someone dead is never easy and Harold did try to grab me, so I think my reaction is normal. The ranch is about another half mile. Let’s hike in silence.”
Much to her relief, Eric did.
They came down a mountainside and Maya could see the ranch in the distance. From afar it appeared so peaceful. The barn was older and had been updated when her grandparents bought it. It had a great hayloft that she used to love to escape to, especially in the summertime.
Two horses, Daisy and Velvet, were out in the pasture. Daisy was retired, but Velvet, Daisy’s last foal, was young and still green. Pops had been trying to convince Maya to help him get some rides in on Velvet, but so far, she’d declined. It had been a long time since she had ridden, and she didn’t know if she was up for starting a young horse. They were often unpredictable. Although Pops had offered to help her and be her ground person. He hadn’t been able to ride since he injured his leg at the beginning of the summer.
“The horses are out on the pasture for the day,” Maya said. “That means Pops has just about left or is close to leaving. He likes to turn them out in the morning before he heads out so that they can graze all day. Let’s wait here and make sure he’s gone.”
“Okay,” Eric agreed.
Maya didn’t like that he was following her plan so easily. Maybe she should turn her cell phone back on and let Josh know where she was. She was about ready to do that when Pops’s garage door opened, and he pulled out in his patrol vehicle. He headed down his driveway, a swirl of dust behind the SUV. The engine gunned when he reached the road and then he was gone.
