The lady didn’t say anything, but if looks could kill, they’d all be dead. Lucas had his cuffs out and had grabbed the other arm, twisting it back. He nodded at Maya and she gave Juniper the command to release. Juniper’s golden eyes rolled back as if she were asking Maya if she really meant it, and then the dog let go. Maya grabbed that arm and together she and Lucas flipped the woman over, cuffing her tight.
“Anyone else here with you?” Maya asked.
“Screw you,” the lady spat.
Maya ignored the insult and patted her down, finding a knife in the lady’s boot and another one in her bra. Women often put weapons there hoping a male cop would be too embarrassed to feel in that area. “You have anything else we should know about? Needles? Any other knives?”
The woman had a sullen expression. She didn’t answer.
“Okay then,” Maya said. “You don’t have to answer me, but know that if you try anything, my dog will be happy to latch onto you again.”
No answer.
Based on the lady’s reactions, her choice of words and the screw-you look on her face, Maya figured this wasn’t her first time in handcuffs. Not a surprise if she was a gang member. Lucas hauled the lady to her feet, and they took her over to the deck where they sat her down.
“We need to make sure there’s no one else here,” Lucas said.
“I agree, although Juniper’s not catching anyone else’s scent. But I’d like to clear the area with her.”
“Are you good doing it on your own? I don’t want to leave our lovely lady alone, and it’ll take a little bit for any of my officers to get here.”
“No, we’re good,” Maya said. “You stay and watch her. I don’t trust her one bit.”
“Screw you,” the lady said again.
“You need to broaden your vocabulary,” Maya answered. Juniper stepped up and growled—a low rumble in her throat. “My dog says the same thing.”
Then to Lucas, Maya said, “We’ll clear the house and around the outside. I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll be here,” Lucas said.
Maya and Juniper headed back to where the door of the master bedroom stood open. She took Juniper off leash so that the dog would have freedom to search where she wanted and not have Maya accidentally restrict her. The pair moved in sync, like a dance. Maya thought she’d have Juniper clear the house first, but as they approached the door, Juniper bounded over to the other side of the deck.
Jogging so that she could catch up, Maya found the Mal staring at a body. From what she could see, the individual was bigger and most likely male. He wasn’t moving. Juniper poked at the person and then stopped and waited. The moon came back out from behind the clouds and Maya breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it wasn’t Josh.
“Juniper, come.”
The Mal stared at Maya and then complied. Maya knew Juniper was poking at the guy to see if he’d respond and give her a reason to take another bite, but since he hadn’t moved, she was confused. Lifeless eyes stared up and Maya saw two gunshot wounds to his chest—perfect center mass. Did Josh shoot him? The grouping seemed like an officer and not a random shooter. They were taught to shoot center mass if they had to use a weapon.
Checking the man’s pulse just in case, Maya confirmed he was dead and already cool. She and Juniper cleared the rest of the outside of the house and the inside. There were signs that someone had been there other than the obvious open door. A pinecone key holder was sitting inside the front door. Josh. As far as Maya knew they were the only ones who’d been told about the hide-a-key.
“You were here. Where did you go?” Maya asked herself. Juniper gave a little whine in response.
Maya closed the door but didn’t lock it. They would need to process the scene. She’d have to call Larry and Debra and explain how their house became a crime scene. That would be interesting, but she figured out of most of the people she knew, they were most likely to understand why Josh had come here.
Josh had probably fled after shooting the guy Juniper had found. The woman hadn’t pursued him. Maybe the man was in charge of the two of them. Who knew, but Maya was now certain Josh had been here.
Juniper leaned up against her and Maya tried to think about where he’d go from here. There was nothing but vast wilderness for miles. She decided to see if Juniper could give her a direction.
“Let’s go find him, girly. Find Josh,” Maya said, breaking her usual command.
Juniper put her nose to the ground, taking in the scent, and then took off, although not as fast this time. Maya had to stop her once she had a sense of which direction Josh might be going. Her dog was tired. Maybe Finn and Rory could take over. They wouldn’t go far anyway. Maya didn’t want to leave Lucas alone with their suspect too long.
Tail up, Juniper trotted along, going between air scenting and tracking on the ground. They headed toward the stream and once there, the track stayed about ten feet away from the creek bank. Then Maya spotted footprints. Not one set, but two.
One set was Josh’s size. But the other was tiny in comparison. Tennis shoes. Had Josh managed to find Elena? And were they together? Maya stopped Juniper, praising her, proud of the work her dog had done, especially after taking a bite.
This stream would head back to the recreational cabins, but if you took a hard turn north before the cabins, Josh could end up at Maya’s property and her camper.
