23. Levi

Chapter twenty-three

Levi

T he next morning, I head to the conservation center, my mind still buzzing with the events of last night. The relief of having the poachers behind bars is palpable, but I know our work is far from over. As I approach the entrance, I spot Detective Goodwin waiting by his car, looking as determined as ever.

"Morning, Detective," I greet him as I walk up. "Any news?"

Goodwin nods, his expression serious. "We've been questioning the suspects. It's a slow process, but we're making headway. One of the men, I believe you called him Scar, seems more willing to talk than the others when we dangled a possible plea agreement. He's hinted at a larger operation but hasn't given us names."

"What about Rick? Have you been able to identify him yet?

"We don't have much to go on except the physical description you gave us. We've been showing the rendering the sketch artist did around town, and we might have a line on him.

"That's a start," I say, feeling a mix of frustration and hope. "Were you able to find out who owns the private dock?"

"Yes," Goodwin replies. "We traced the ownership to a family from Spain. They were completely unaware their property was being used. It appears the poachers took advantage of their absence, knowing it would be difficult to trace back to them."

"Figures," I mutter. "They always find a way to cover their tracks."

Goodwin's gaze softens slightly. "We're getting closer, Levi. It's just a matter of time before we can shut down the entire operation."

I nod, appreciating his resolve. "Thanks, Detective. I'll be inside if you need me."

As I walk into the center, I feel a renewed sense of purpose. Maya is already there, talking to some volunteers about event ideas to bring awareness to the community. She spots me and waves, her smile brightening my morning.

"Hey," she says as I approach. "How did the talk with Goodwin go?"

"Good," I reply, giving her a quick rundown. "They're making progress. Scar might turn on the others, and the private dock was being used without the owners' knowledge."

Maya nods, her eyes thoughtful. "That's a relief. It's good to know the community isn't involved."

"Yeah," I agree. "And speaking of community, I wanted to talk to you about doing a beach cleanup event. We can distribute flyers around town asking for volunteers to help save the turtles by cleaning up the beaches. We need to keep the momentum going."

"Absolutely," Maya says, her enthusiasm contagious. "I've been thinking about organizing a "Dive for the Turtles Day" where we organize several boats to take divers out to the reef to collect trash, old fishing nets and lines with hooks caught up in the coral.

"Maya, that's a great idea. I'm all in," I say, feeling a surge of excitement. "

"We should get together with the Wildlife folks and see if we can get their support too." Maya adds.

***

Later that afternoon, we hold a meeting with the volunteers, outlining our plans and getting their input. The energy in the room is infectious, and it's clear that everyone is committed to making a difference.

Maya has created signup sheets with everything that needs to be done for each event and passes them around for the volunteers to choose the job they want to be responsible for.

After the meeting, Maya and I take a break, heading to a nearby café for some coffee. As we sit down with our drinks, I look at her, feeling a deep sense of connection.

"You know, I've been thinking," I say, stirring my coffee. "About us. About the future."

Maya looks up, her eyes meeting mine. "What about it?"

"I don't want to lose what we have," I say, my voice steady. "Being with you, working together… it feels right. I want to see where this goes."

Maya smiles, a warmth spreading across her face. "I feel the same way, Levi. Let's take it one step at a time and see where life takes us."

As I reach across the table to take her hand, my phone rings and I see it's Detective Goodwin. "Hello, Detective."

"Levi, we have a suspect in custody who matches the description of Rick," Goodwin says, his voice urgent. "We need you and Maya to come to the station to identify him in a lineup."

My heart skips a beat. "We'll be there right away."

I hang up and look at Maya, who's watching me with concern. "They think they have Rick. We need to go to the station to identify him." Maya's eyes widen, a mix of anxiety and determination flashing across her face. "Okay, let's go."

We leave the café and head to my truck. The drive to the police station is tense, the air thick with unspoken fears and hopes. I glance over at Maya, who's staring out the window, her fingers nervously tapping against her knee.

"You doing okay?" I ask, keeping my voice calm.

She turns to me, her expression tense. "I've never been to a police station before. This whole situation is pretty overwhelming."

I reach over and give her hand a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get through this. Just focus on identifying the right guy. The rest will take care of itself."

As we pull into the police station parking lot, the imposing building seems to cast a shadow over us, amplifying the gravity of the situation. We park and make our way inside, the bustling environment of officers and civilians creating a whirlwind of activity.

Detective Goodwin meets us in the lobby, his demeanor serious. "Thank you both for coming so quickly. We need to do this by the book, so you'll each have to view the lineup separately."

Maya takes a deep breath, her nerves showing. "Okay, I understand."

Goodwin looks at her with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. Levi, you'll go first."

I nod, giving Maya's hand one last squeeze before following Goodwin down a corridor. He leads me to a room with a large one-way mirror. On the other side, several men stand in a line, each holding a number. I scan their faces, looking for the man I know as Rick.

"Take your time," Goodwin advises. "Look carefully."

I study the faces, my mind flashing back to the night at the dock. Number four catches my eye. His attempts to look calm are betrayed by the tension in his posture and the nervous dart of his eyes.

"That's him," I say, pointing to number four. "Number four is Rick."

Goodwin nods. "Thank you, Levi. Please wait outside while we bring Maya in."

I step out into the hallway, my heart still pounding. Moments later, Maya walks past me, giving me a nervous but determined look before disappearing into the room.

The wait feels interminable, each second stretching out as I worry about how she's handling it. Finally, the door opens, and Maya steps out, her face pale but resolute.

"I identified him," she says, her voice steady despite the anxiety in her eyes. "It's number four."

Goodwin follows her out, nodding with approval. "That confirms it. Thank you both. This will be a huge help in building our case."

As we leave the station, a mix of relief and exhaustion washes over me. The weight of identifying Rick is heavy, but it's a crucial step toward bringing this ordeal to an end.

Maya takes a deep breath as we step outside, the fresh air seeming to calm her nerves. "I'm glad we did that," she says, her voice stronger now. "It wasn't easy, but it needed to be done."

"You did great," I say, feeling a deep sense of pride in her. "And now we can move forward."

The drive back to the conservation center is quieter, the tension gradually easing. We still have a lot of work ahead, but for now, it feels like we've made a significant stride toward resolving this nightmare.

Once we arrive at the center, we sit in the truck for a moment, letting the calmness of the familiar surroundings settle in.

"I'm proud of you, Maya," I say, breaking the silence. "You handled today with a lot of strength."

"Thanks, Levi," she replies, a small smile playing on her lips. "I couldn't have done it without your support."

We step out of the truck and walk to the center, ready to continue our work and face whatever comes next.