"Yes. I didn't compensate enough for the loose gravel on the road."
"Had you been drinking or using drugs?"
Monroe shook his head. "No, I had been in the forest here, looking at the trees."
Both officers were watching him suspiciously, but it was Officer Ryan who responded. "You reminded a neighbor that this land belonged to someone else, and they were trespassing. Were you trespassing?"
Monroe tensed and studied the officer. "Did someone complain that I was trespassing?"
Lester must have complained.
Officer Ryan frowned and his voice took on an edge. "Were you trespassing?"
Monroe looked him in the eye. "No."
The officer looked at Mary Jo. "Did your mother give him permission to be on your land?"
Mary Jo didn't want to contradict him, but she knew her mother had not given Monroe permission to be on the land before the accident. She licked dry lips and looked at Monroe. "What does that have to do with the accident?"
Officer Ryan groaned. "Can anyone answer a question? Did your mother give him permission?"
She looked at her boots. "He has permission from her to be here now."
"But not before the accident?"
Monroe interrupted. "I did not have permission from her mother to be on this land before the accident."
The officer turned his scowl on Monroe. "But you said you weren't trespassing. Who gave you permission?"
Monroe jammed the rag in his pocket, the muscles in his jaws working and his eyes defiant.
"I don't think I'm required to answer that question. If you have questions about the accident, I'll be glad to answer them."
"We could take you in for questioning."
Monroe shrugged. "Yes, you could - if you had grounds for that, but I don't think you do."
Officer Ryan studied him for a moment. Finally he sighed. "You're right, but I have to wonder why you refuse to answer a simple question."
Monroe's tone remained respectful. "Because it has nothing to do with the accident. I was sent here to look for specific lumber."
"By your uncle."
"Correct."
"That doesn't give you permission to trespass."
Monroe didn't respond.
Officer Ryan removed his cap and ran a hand through his hair. "All right. You have permission to be here now and obviously the owners are not complaining that you trespassed, but in the future, get permission from the owners." He paused. "As long as you are physically capable of filing a report, you need to file it too, regardless of the fact that your uncle filed one. You have five days to do that."