Page 10 of Shielding Maya

April's eyes snapped to hers. "Oh, lordy, I'm so sorry. Please come in, you must be chilly. These fall mornings are cool until the sun comes up high in the sky."

April pushed her door wide open and stepped into her cabin. Maya glanced at him, their eyes locked together for a moment. He nodded and held his hand out for her to proceed.

She stepped into April's cabin, and he admired the view for a split second. He filled his lungs with air and reminded himself of the job he had to do up here and that he'd need his focus.

"Can I offer you some tea?" April offered.

Maya held up her coffee cup with a smile on her face. "I have my coffee. Thank you, though."

April's eyes slid to his and he held his coffee cup up for her to see. "Maya brought a coffee for me as well. Thank you, April."

April motioned to the table near the fireplace. "Please sit down."

There were four chairs and he waited for Maya to choose her chair before selecting his. Maya sat quickly, not waiting for him to hold her chair for her. He hoped his mom didn't find out he wasn't a gentleman. She'd box his ears for certain. Even with her troubles with his dad right now, she expected he'd mind his manners.

April sat across the table from Maya. She folded her hands before her and seemed to be holding her breath.

Maya smiled again and sat forward. "April. When did you first see the senator?" Maya held her right hand up. "I'm sorry. The senator is the man who was murdered here yesterday. When did you first see him up here?"

"Oh, it was two days ago, I believe."

"Okay. And where did you see him?"

"He was near the garden. He seemed disheveled and hungry. He picked the green beans and ate them straight from the vine. He also ate a cob of corn without cooking it. He ate fast and he looked around a lot."

Maya nodded. "Why didn't he see you?”

"I was looking from my window." She pointed to the window that faced the common area. Her cheeks reddened. "I suppose I shouldn't have been spying on him."

Maya turned in her chair and looked at the window. She stood and moved toward the window and peered out. He enjoyed watching her. She was slender and small in size. Maybe five foot three or so. She wore black pants with pockets down the legs. She wore a black long-sleeved t-shirt, tucked into her pants. She had a holster in her waistband, concealing the weapon she carried. And, she wore a gun at her right ankle, based on the bulge in her pant leg.

Her eyes missed little, and he saw her envisioning what April had seen.

"So you looked out this window and saw him eating from the garden? Where was he standing?"

"He was on the outside, the far side. When he heard a noise, he'd drop to the ground and wait. I watched him for a while. Then, I locked my door and sat near the fireplace trying to decide what I should do."

Maya nodded. Her eyes met his. "I'd like to search the ground near the garden if you don't mind."

Jasiah stood. "I don't mind."

He turned to April. "Thank you, April. Do you mind if Maya asks you any other questions if she has them?"

Her bottom lip quivered slightly. "No. That's fine."

He offered April a smile. The poor woman lost her husband last year. Then the loss of Everett Howard, their president, Craig Howard's tirade and erratic and irrational behavior, then his death. Now, with his father's illness, many of the people up here were afraid of the next moves. April was a seamstress and made most of the clothes up here. A couple of years ago when Elena and her mom were still up here and making the elixir, they traded the elixir for fabric and sewing notions. It's all April had ever known as far as skills to keep food on the table. The peace treaty now left many wondering what would happen to them. April was one of those who seemed to fall between the cracks of the two societies. There wasn't much work in town for a seamstress. The old sewing factory the GHOST team lived in had been a large employer for years until they moved to the Lexington area. April now mended clothing for the residents up here, but there'd be a time when they didn't need those services and she'd have to find another way to survive. That would be his responsibility, to help his residents figure out what they could do for work.

Maya turned toward April. "Did you happen to see the senator anywhere else?"

"Only over by the first road. I thought he was leaving, so I ignored the fact he was here. I thought, maybe he was a townie who had fallen on hard times and was hungry. But his clothes didn't look like that, so I wasn't sure of his frame of mind or what I should do. His slacks looked as though they'd cost a fair amount."

Maya smiled and held her hand out to April. April stood and shook Maya's hand. "Thank you for your help, April. I'll do a little searching around where you saw the senator. Hopefully we'll find the information we're searching for."

April's cheeks turned bright red. "Oh, I hoped I could help."

"You did." Maya's smile was genuine. She was beautiful, that was a fact.

Maya turned to face him. "Do you mind if I head out to search?"

---