Chapter Fifty-Seven
The drive to the sheriff’s office took longer than usual as Maya carefully navigated the roads that had become slick with slushy spring snow.
The nice thing was that this storm would move out and then the weather would warm up again.
The quick snowmelt followed by the sun always made things green. Spring would be here soon enough.
After parking, Maya glanced at Juniper, who was sound asleep and doing little barks with her legs kicking.
“Do you think law enforcement dogs dream about getting the bad guy?” Josh asked her.
Maya chuckled. “Probably. I don’t think she’s going to tear up any blankets right now. Sweet dreams, girly.”
She and Josh went in through the front entrance. The lobby was quiet, but Maya knew that in the back, it was probably a different story.
“I hope Lucas can clear me enough tonight to go home and sleep there,” Josh said. “I don’t even care if I have to wear an ankle monitor. Although I’m still annoyed at Lucas for believing I could kill Amber. That’ll be tough to forgive.”
“I know it will be. Lucas was walking a fine line, but I’m sure we can convince him that you’re not a flight risk,” Maya said, then gave him a little nudge with her elbow and a wink. “I can make sure you stay handcuffed and don’t go anywhere.”
Josh chuckled. “Maybe we keep that part to ourselves.”
They went back to the interrogation rooms where they found Pops, Lucas, and Elena standing outside.
“Any confessions yet?” Maya asked Lucas.
“If only it were that easy,” he answered, nodding at Miles sitting in the room they were looking into.
“I mean, we have multiple suspects and between them all pages of charges from homicide to kidnapping to felony menacing and the list just keeps going on. But Josh’s pictures helped me.
I’ll start with Miles and see if I can convince him to tell us the truth about his family. ”
Lucas left and headed into the room.
Maya felt for Miles. He’d been living lies, and it was like he and his sister never had a chance. It didn’t matter who his parents were. Maya’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a message from Payton.
I hope this helps. Here’s a list of all the donors to the senator’s campaign. I think you could have found that information too, so I hope at some point you tell me why you asked me to look into it.
Never in her life had Maya thought she’d cooperate with a reporter by writing a note asking her to find information pertaining to the case. As she read through the list, she smiled.
Thank you. I’ll fill you in later with what I can off the record. But thank you for this. It helps.
“Who’s that?” Josh asked.
“My reporter friend,” Maya said.
Josh grinned. “Your idea of handing the note in the envelope to her paid off. When I mentioned the media to Laura, her face went pale.”
“I’m glad. I did put a note in the envelope asking her to look into the senator’s campaign financing. I thought it was a long shot, but there could be a connection to the Dark Angels, maybe through some sort of third party. Look at this list and see what jumps out to you.”
Josh took her phone and read through it. Maya knew when he saw it.
“The diamond importers,” he said.
“Think about the amount of bling Laura wears. And Pops told me about the bracelet Arianna had. I remember Laura wearing that and when we went to talk to them, she wasn’t.
I didn’t realize it at first. I think she and the senator have used the diamond importers as a front to pay the gang and help them launder money. ”
“That will be a solid trail investigators can follow,” Josh said.
“It will be, and diamonds can be traced. My guess would be that the importers were trying to look legitimate, which means there should be some records. I think we have all the pieces, but still don’t know who actually killed Sydney.”
They turned and listened to Lucas questioning Miles.
“Tell me about the night your sister died,” Lucas said.
Miles rubbed his palms on his pants and appeared nervous. “Sydney had come for dinner. My parents were mad at her with everything she was doing. I was too.”
“I bet you were angry, and I know you followed her.”
“What? No.”
“You told us that earlier.”
“I was wrong.”
“Okay. I will need your statement,” Lucas said, pushing a piece of paper over to Miles. “Do you mind giving me one? Your version of the night Sydney died?”
“No.” Miles picked up the pen and started writing.
“I notice you’re left-handed,” Lucas said.
“Yeah.”
Lucas waited for Miles to finish the paragraph he was writing and then pulled out some of the pictures from Sydney’s crime scene. He set them in front of Miles.
“You see these marks here? On your sister’s neck?” Lucas asked. “They’re marks from someone who’s left-handed strangling her.”
Miles shrugged. “I bet that gang guy is left-handed.”
“See, that’s the thing,” Lucas said. “He’s not. Neither is your mom or dad. Just you. And you proved it when you wrote your statement.”
“I’m left-handed, so what? I’m sure my sister sold drugs to some other person who was left-handed and they could have killed her.”
“Yeah—” Lucas leaned forward “—that’s true, but the thing is, anyone else who did that would have fled the scene. You stayed.”
“You don’t know anything. I wasn’t there.”
Lucas pulled out some more of Josh’s pictures and slid them in front of Miles. “I believe you actually were.”
Miles didn’t answer.
Maya noticed a change in him. “You see that? I think his lower lip is quivering. I wonder if he’s just now realizing what he did. I bet seeing the actual crime scene and his sister lying there deceased changes things for him.”
“I agree,” Josh said. “You never know how someone is going to react, but unless they’re a complete sociopath, there’s always some emotion.”
“Maybe this will make him break. He’s been tough up until now,” Elena added. “I was certain Laura had done it.”
“I was certain Dale had killed Sydney,” Maya said. “We were all wrong.”
Miles started crying. After a minute, he continued.
“I didn’t mean to… I grabbed her. I wanted to make her listen.
I didn’t know I was strangling her. And then she wasn’t breathing and I didn’t know what to do…
When I realized what I had done, I called my mom.
She said to leave. She’d take care of everything.
I don’t know how much my dad knows, but I’m sure he knows something.
“My mom told me to never say a word. She didn’t want to lose another child. If I went to prison, she said I’d never see them again. I didn’t want that either at the time, but I didn’t realize she was going to frame someone.”
“How did you think she was going to take care of things?” Lucas asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe just get rid of Sydney’s body or something? But she had become friends with the lady who led the Dark Angels. They worked together with Dad’s campaigns and somehow Mom paid her off. I’ve been trying to stay quiet all these years, but I can’t anymore.”
Maya turned to Elena. “I think all the pieces of your case are starting to come together. I can’t listen to more of this. It’s too awful and I’m tired. Do you need a ride to a hotel or do you want to stay with us for the night?”
“No, it’s okay,” Elena said. “I made a reservation at the hotel, and since I wanted to stay and hear everything, Miranda or Lucas said they’d give me a ride.”
“Take care,” Maya said, thinking there had to be something better to say, but she was too tired to come up with it. Pops and Josh followed her.
“You okay?” Josh asked.
“Yes and no. I’m glad we caught the right person, but how tragic is it that two young lives are over?”
“I agree,” Pops said. “That’s the hard part about this job.”
“Maybe the Bradfords can have a family cell,” Josh said. “That might be a good start to punishing them. I feel for Sydney. No wonder she was so messed up.”
“No kidding,” Maya said. “I hope Miles and his parents get what they deserve. I’m sure they’ll hire the best defense attorneys, but they all need to go serve time for what they’ve done.”
Josh gave a small laugh. “And that’s why we’re in law enforcement and not a judge or lawyer.”
“I agree,” Maya said. “Let’s check in with Lucas and Agent Kessler, but if they have everything, agree you’re not a flight risk and don’t need us, I’m ready to get home.”
“Me too,” Josh said. “Let’s go.”
The next week…
Forks and knives made clinking noises as everyone ate their lunch at the Black Bear Café.
Josh took in his family, grateful that Bianca was okay, and thought about the conversation he’d had with his mother that morning—he hadn’t told Maya about it.
Yet. And he certainly wouldn’t mention part of the conversation until he had time to follow up with a few things.
They’d met at the local coffee shop and his mother had sat with him and apologized for everything she’d done, including bringing Amber back into his life, inviting the Bradfords to come to Pinecone Junction and treating Maya poorly.
Josh knew she could be tough, but when she said how much she’d come to love Maya, he’d been so happy and relieved.
Then she’d really surprised him by pulling a ring box out of her purse.
“This belonged to your grandmother and it’s from Italy.
Your grandfather gave it to her before they immigrated to the US,” she explained as she handed him the box.
“I know you gave it to Amber and that didn’t work out.
I appreciate you giving it back to me, but really, your grandmother wanted you to have it for whoever you choose to marry.
So here, it’s yours. For whenever the time is right. ”
“This means a lot,” Josh said.
“And by the way, I’m not pressuring you to ask Maya. That’s your decision, but I’m just saying if you did, your dad and I would be very happy.”
Josh laughed and put the ring in his coat pocket. “I’ll let you know how it goes when the time comes. I love Maya. I know she’s the one.”
“Well, then, you’re ready to ask her whenever you choose. Have you asked her grandfather permission?”
“I haven’t,” Josh said.
“I know it’s probably old-fashioned, but it might not be a bad thing to do. If you want my opinion, which of course you may not.”
“No, I appreciate it,” Josh said, giving his mom a hug.
Now as he watched everyone eat and chat, he felt like he had a family—something he had lost when he was deep in his addiction.
And that family was bigger with Maya and Pops.
He was already nervous about asking Pops, permission and had decided to wait until the time was right.
And he thought about Eric. Somehow after Eric helping him out, he wanted to ask his permission too, but that was going to be complicated.
Pops stood up and clanged a fork on his glass. Then he cleared his throat. “I have an announcement to make… The CBI officially dropped the charges against Josh. I have his badge and service weapon to give back to him. Congratulations—you are reinstated as the undersheriff.”
Josh happily accepted the badge and gun. He’d been wondering if and when he’d be returning to work. He knew there was still a lot of things getting taken care of with everything that had just happened, but this was a big step toward clearing his name.
“And don’t worry,” Pops said, “I have paperwork for you.”
“Of course,” Josh said with a laugh. “I’m happy at the thought of doing paperwork again.”
“I’m glad things will be back to normal,” Maya said, giving him a quick kiss. “Whatever normal is.”
“Well…maybe,” Pops said.
“What are you talking about?” Maya asked.
“I am grateful to be found not guilty and Spencer, thank you,” Pops said. Spencer nodded in acknowledgment. “But I also know I did make a mistake. I’m glad the jury didn’t see it as a mistake that would be worth serving time, but nonetheless, I wish I could go back and change things.”
“We all have things we want to change, Pops,” Maya said.
Josh took her hand and held it. He wasn’t sure where Pops was going with this, but he wanted to be there for Maya.
“We do,” Pops agreed. “But I’ve been thinking. Maybe it’s time to hang up my duty belt and retire. I mean, there’s lots of fishing I’d like to do, and thanks to your help, Maya, Velvet is ready to start doing some trail rides.”
“What? No,” Maya said. “You’ll be bored in two days and probably get into trouble.”
Josh squeezed her hand, but didn’t say anything. She would need to process this on her own. He was stunned himself, but it was different when it was your own family making changes.
“Maya, I’m not young anymore. I know this is hard, but the only certain thing in life is change.
Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be available for consulting.
And getting into trouble,” Pops said with a laugh.
“You’re probably right about that. But there’s an election this fall.
I was going to finish my current term and run again, but I’ve changed my mind.
It’s time for a new leader. I’ll announce it officially next week. ”
“Who do you think will run for the next sheriff?” Josh asked, thinking about the fact that he might have a new boss, which was a bit unsettling.
“I was actually hoping you would,” Pops answered.
“You’re a solid undersheriff. You’ve proven that you have changed your life, and you have empathy from the experiences you’ve been through to uphold the law but also understand that people make mistakes.
Let me know. We can start the process to get you on the ballot. ”
Josh was speechless and then cleared his throat, trying to figure out what to say. “Don’t you think after being arrested, it’s too soon to run for sheriff?”
“The election isn’t until November and I know you’d have to campaign before that, but you’ll be fully cleared by then.”
“I’ll think about it and talk it over with Maya,” Josh finally said, and then to Maya, “This isn’t just my decision. I love you and I want you in my life, so we need to discuss this.”
“We’ll talk about it later, then,” Maya said, squeezing his hand this time. “But for the record, I agree with Pops—you’d be a great sheriff.”
“Then let’s all get back to eating and celebrating,” Pops said.
Josh smiled. He was happy, and even though he knew it was possible to have other things from his past come back to haunt him, he knew now that he didn’t have to face those demons alone.