Ranger

Things he would only know if he had been watching me for weeks.

He had also, according to the investigators, written down a list of four other fire lookouts in other districts, names and peaks.

I don't know what the list meant.

I have some guesses.

The investigators had guesses too.

He pleaded down to a lesser charge set to avoid a trial.

He got 12 years.

He will be released in about seven more years from now.

I know the day.

I have it on a calendar.

I don't check it often, but I know it's there.

I did not go back to lookout work.

I took a desk job with my agency after that summer.

I do training and scheduling for the district now.

I am indoors most days.

I'm fine with that.

I think I'm fine with that.

two things i want to say to wrap up and then i'm going to stop the first thing i spent a lot of time after that summer thinking about the moments i missed the clean boots on the first visit the small pack the questions about my schedule

The fact that he told me a different trailhead each time.

I could have flagged any of those things earlier.