“I’m sorry you were framed for that. If we make it out of this alive, I’ll tell them the truth about what happened.”
“We’ll make it out. I have faith.”
“In God?” Elena asked.
“Yes, but also my girlfriend and her K-9. Whoever is doing this has met their match. Trust me.”
They continued in silence. There were so many questions Josh wanted to ask Elena, but first, he wanted to get to the camper where there was more food and sports drinks with electrolytes. He had no doubt that at some point Maya would find the dead body. He hoped that whoever the partner in crime was with the guy wouldn’t hurt Maya, but like he’d told Elena, he had faith in Juniper.
They came over a ridge and headed back down. An offshoot of the creek they’d been following came into sight. This stream ran behind where Maya’s cabin used to be before it was burned down. They followed it and finally, the property came into view.
“This is where we’re going,” Josh said, pointing ahead.
“Was there a cabin here?”
“Yeah, it burned to the ground. Long story for another time,” Josh said. “But that Airstream camper has supplies and we can turn on the heater and warm up. I don’t think anyone has followed us, so we can talk for a while and compare notes. Maybe we can figure out what’s going on.”
“Works for me,” Elena said. “I have all my case notes in my backpack.”
“Glad you still have it, then.”
“Me too.”
They made the rest of the trek in silence and Josh found the key for the camper under the mat. It was in the wrong spot.
He always put the key under the mat in the same corner. That way he’d know if someone had found the key and used it to get into the camper. He didn’t have gloves, but Elena did.
“I know this sounds weird, but do you mind picking up the key and opening the camper? I think someone used it to break in and steal the things they used to frame me. Maybe we’ll get lucky and there will be a fingerprint. I don’t want to smudge it.”
Elena did as he asked and then put the key back. Josh was ready to get inside and sit down. Knowing that someone had broken in and stolen things, he supposed that he shouldn’t even go in and use the camper, but rather preserve it as a crime scene. But he really needed to rest and regroup. He was in good shape, but that hike had been intense and morning would be coming soon. They’d probably need to leave again shortly. But Josh didn’t know what their next move should be. Hopefully Elena could help with that.
“There’s a couch over there,” Josh said, stepping into the camper and pointing to a small area near the window. “If you can call it that.”
“Thanks,” Elena said.
Josh pulled out bread and peanut butter. The carbs and protein would be good for them. Elena was sipping from her water bottle as Josh made sandwiches. He thought the peanut butter seemed lower than he remembered too.
There were other little things that were off. The dish towel was on the counter rather than hanging up. The trash seemed fuller. It was like someone had been staying here but had tried to clean up and keep things tidy so they wouldn’t be noticed. He was certain the items used to frame him had been stolen from the camper, but now he was wondering if there was an additional person squatting. More mysteries. At some point, he wanted answers rather than more questions.
“There’s some blankets in those cabinets there,” he said.
Elena stood and grabbed a few blankets out and then sat back down. Josh handed her the sandwich. They quickly ate in silence.
Taking their plates to the sink, Josh rinsed them off. Then he came over and sat back down. “Now, tell me everything. From the beginning.”
“Okay,” Elena said, pulling notes and pictures from her backpack. She filled Josh in about the mother desperately wanting them to find the shooter from the drive-by and how that led to a witness stepping forward a few years later with pictures. Josh listened as she explained about Ref not being able to be in two places at once and how that inspired Elena to ask to see the evidence.
“I took these pictures of evidence photos,” Elena said. “I know I wasn’t supposed to, but I wanted to take something home and study it. You see how there’s no footprints at Sydney’s crime scene? It’s like someone deliberately destroyed them.”
“Yes,” he said. “And I think I remember seeing footprints when I arrived, but I’d have to look at my notes and my own photos, because I don’t remember the details well.”
Josh stared at the pictures. Finding Sydney happened a long time ago, but the image of her lying in the cold, deceased, hadn’t left his mind. There was something about these photos that felt off.
“I’d seen your name on the statements, talked with Amber because she’d mentioned you before, and then figured it out. I wanted your photos and notes since you were the first on the scene. That’s when Amber called you and everything started,” Elena said.
“So we have proof that the scene was changed. That’s a start. We just need to get all the evidence together. You should know, though, that the night I was going to meet Sydney, I was messed up. I’m not proud, but I have to be honest. I was using and Sydney was the person who sold the drugs to me. That’s why I was meeting her. I’d lost my job. A good lawyer will rip me apart as a witness.”
“But a good lawyer can’t rip apart photos. Maybe your notes, that’s what I would go after, but if your photos are good, then it’ll back up what you remember, no matter how messed up you were,” Elena said. “Do you have the photos still?”
