The chicken coop project was a success, albeit it taking a big team and a specialized trailer to bring it home. But home it is, and bad weather is moving in tomorrow so our timing was perfect. We might be a bit sore today, but certainly feeling accomplished. Can't wait for my chicks to arrive and move in. We are quite blessed to have some wonderful friends who will drop everything they're doing when things need to get done around the farm. Talk about some amazing support. Even better, it gave me some extra time to publish some more chapters.
"You know…that's a good point…I didn't even think about that…"
It was Andy who spoke up first, rising from his chair and leaning forward on the table.
"We can probably get you a list of all the local towing companies. I doubt there's that many. I think I've only seen Angel Towing and Baxter's around the area. I will get to it right away."
Raising his hand to settle down the excitement quickly spreading throughout the office, Mike smiled cordially, before shaking his head.
"We have an entire R&I Department back in San Francisco dedicated to that sort of work, why don't we let them look into this. If somebody has already tried to destroy your office, I don't want you guys getting deeper into this case."
"Very well…", Roy answered, the disappointment in his voice obvious. Crossing his arms in front of his chest in resentment, he pursed his lips to a thin line, before addressing the two San Francisco detectives again, "But what are you going to do about the Sheriff? If he's in on it and you guys corner him, he might send somebody after you as well."
"No worries. We're surprisingly hard to kill."
Steve's flippant comment caused a faint smile on both of the young men's faces, as they nodded almost in unison.
"Just don't be afraid to ask for help if you two need anything…", Andy said genuinely, "Especially when it comes to the park. I know it inside and out. Used to work for the park service in the busy season and I'd always be the one getting calls to find lost hikers. It can be a lot to take in. So if you want to see the site of Emily's disappearance, we can take you there."
The offer seemed to intrigue Mike, who cocked his head in appreciation, before gesturing toward the mountains in the distance.
"You know, we might just take you up on that. We have several more stops planned for today, but we'll be up here again tomorrow. In case anything comes up, it would be good to have some guidance."
"It would be our pleasure, Lieutenant.", Andy said, before handing over a thick manila file, "Here's all our findings on this case, including the other missing persons. Maybe it'll help you tie all those lose ends together."
"Thank you very much, we really appreciate your help.", Mike noted genuinely, before tucking the file under his arm.
Opening the door for the two Detectives, Andy glanced over the parked Galaxy outside the foyer, fighting an internal battle of what to say.
"I take it you can't tell us more about the body you found in San Francisco?", he asked from behind, causing Mike to shake his head as he walked out the front door, turning around briefly to fish for the wallet in his black coat pocket.
"Not until the investigation is over with, I'm afraid. But here is my phone number. If you can think of anything else, feel free to give us a call."
Accepting the business card, Andy, flanked by a much quieter Roy, leaned against the doorframe to his building in an abandoned strip mall and nodded his head at both detectives.
"We certainly will, Lieutenant. You guys have a safe trip."
Not looking back, Steve walked around the grill of the Galaxy, noting the strong wind gusts blowing both, his red tie and his hair all over the place. By the time he slid into the driver's seat, Mike was already in his spot, the slight twitch in his lip suggesting an upcoming conversation.
Sighing at the inevitable outcome, Steve reached his arm over the front bench of the tan sedan to look behind them, ensuring that he would swing the back end of the large vehicle around with enough clearance to avoid several nearby curbs.
"Well, I guess I didn't see our conversation turn into something quite like this…"
Mike's voice was calm and genuine again, the cadence he reserved when talking to people he trusted. Glancing over at the Lieutenant briefly, as he turned back around to reach for the gear shaft, Steve couldn't resist a chuckle.
"Man oh man, for a minute there I thought we'd left earth…"
"Mhm hm. And some of us may have. But that was some interesting information."
Steve didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached for his aviator sunglasses, as he pulled the Galaxy out of the small parking lot, turning westbound to head toward the highway again. Enjoying every little bit of the sparse sunshine this time a year, he exhaled slowly, ready to ask Mike to define his idea of interesting information when the Lieutenant spoke up.
"Say…what made you fly off the handle in there?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do you mean?", Mike mocked and shook his head, "For a moment there I thought I'd have to pull you off that kid. What has got you all wound up about them?"
"I'm not wound up!", Steve argued back, cursing himself for proving his partner right when his voice reached an unhealthy pitch. Listening to Mike chuckle away and shake his head, he fell quiet again, clenching his jaws as he got back onto the highway.
"This whole conspiracy thing just annoys me. If you want to believe in the paranormal, then so be it. But these guys ridicule what little proof is out there with their wild theories. That's got nothing to do with uncovering the truth…"
"Well, you and I both know that the truth is something entirely different for everybody."
Mike's comment made him pause for a minute, wondering where exactly the Lieutenant pulled those words of wisdom from.
As the noon hour traffic began to clog the veins of Highway 101 going north, he swiftly maneuvered the Galaxy around yet another set of slow drivers, while trying to keep his mind on the conversation.
"It shouldn't be that way though…"
"No, no it shouldn't be, my friend.", Mike said somberly, as he glanced out of the passenger side window, his mind far away, "Let's see what Sheriff Watson's definition of the truth is. Something tells me everybody up here has their own idea of what really happened to Emily Smith."