Chapter 4
“You can’t keep leaving me alone.” Evie’s anger spiked as Cam and Bruno emerged from the woods.
She’d been crouched beside her SUV for what seemed like eons, waiting for him to return while fearing the worst, that the gunman found and silenced him permanently.
She’d tried to keep Bruno close, but her dog broke free and ran after Cam.
“I’m sorry.” Cam grimaced. “I wanted to catch this guy. You shouldn’t have sent Bruno after me.”
“Bruno did that of his own accord.” She frowned at her dog, who came to stand beside her. “The way he sniffed the air, made me think he caught the gunman’s scent.”
“He’s smart that way. To be honest, I was glad to see him.” Cam nodded and glanced around the parking lot. “Let’s head inside to grab our stuff. We can’t stay here.”
Evie wanted to argue but knew he was right. The gunman clearly knew where they were. Did he know her license plate number too? If so, he’d probably find them again. There were only a handful of motels in the area, and if he lived in Grand Haven, the way she believed he did, he’d check them all.
Filled with despair, she turned and walked quickly toward the side entrance of the hotel. Cam and Bruno flanked her. Their suite wasn’t too far down the hall, and within minutes, they were inside and gathering their things.
“We’re going out using an exit on the other side of the building.” Cam glanced at her, his expression serious. “We need to leave our vehicles behind and head out on foot.”
“And go where?” While it was reasonable to leave their cars behind, she wasn’t sure about walking all around town. The two of them with Bruno would be easy to spot.
“The Lighthouse Motel.” He shrugged, throwing the strap of his duffel over his shoulder. Then he reached for her bag full of Bruno’s dog dishes and food. “The closest motel is the Ridgeway, so we need to avoid that one.”
The Lighthouse Motel was almost two miles away. She swallowed her protest, squaring her shoulders. If walking two miles kept them safe for what was left of the night, then she was on board. “Okay, let’s go.”
“We’ll take the back roads as much as possible.” Cam led the way down the hall and across the lobby. The clerk behind the desk eyed them curiously but didn’t say anything. “I promise to do everything possible to keep you safe.”
She appreciated his conviction, but Cam wasn’t Superman, and this guy seemed to know their every move.
How, she wasn’t sure. Grand Haven wasn’t Grand Rapids or Chicago, but it wasn’t that small.
They should be able to hide within the twelve thousand residents and pack of tourists.
That thought made her hope the Lighthouse Motel wasn’t booked.
They’d found a suite here, but this place was more expensive.
She couldn’t help but think the smaller, cheaper motels would be at capacity.
Cam shouldered through the exit on the other side of the building.
There was a parking lot there, too, with a handful of cars sitting in the spots.
They reached the main road, following that for a while until they could turn onto a less-traveled street.
At this time of the night, well past midnight, there wasn’t much traffic.
After walking for fifteen minutes without seeing a car, she relaxed. Maybe this would work. Maybe they’d reach the motel without being seen.
“We need to figure out how to identify this guy,” Cam said in a low voice. “I don’t like how he’s keeping us on defense.”
“You mentioned starting with those who didn’t attend the bonfire party that night before Skye was scheduled to leave.” She eyed him in the darkness. “I can’t think of anyone offhand who wasn’t there that night.”
“The only person I remember for sure being absent is Dan Johnson. And if you ask me, he’s our most likely suspect.” Cam turned right at the next intersection. She followed, thinking about Dan Johnson. She’d never cared for the guy. He was too full of himself for her taste.
“I can see why you view him as a suspect. We know Dan had a temper.” She thought back to that day Dan had forcibly dragged Tammy toward the water.
The way Tammy’s voice had risen in panic and how Dan had completely ignored her urgent protests.
“And that he doesn’t really care about people as much as he should. ”
“Yeah. I was so mad at him for what he tried to do to Tammy. But as much as I despise the guy, that’s not enough of a reason to accuse him of murder.
” Cam’s expression remained grim as they walked in silence for the next fifteen minutes.
In the distance, the piercing brightness of twin headlights made her tense.
But then the car turned and headed in the opposite direction.
“I remember Tammy came to the bonfire without Dan,” she said as they covered another half mile. “Wasn’t she talking to Eli Dune?”
“Yeah. She and Eli were cozy that night.” Cam glanced at her. “You think Dan may have come, then noticed how Tammy was sitting beside Eli and decided to stay away?”
“It’s a possibility.” She wished she could remember more about the bonfire. It was one of many nights they’d spent at the lakeshore. Nothing unusual had happened, until two days later when they’d learned Skye was missing. “Maybe Dan ran into Skye on his way back and they hung out together.”
“Too bad we don’t have any proof.” Cam carried their belongings without breaking a sweat. She was impressed at how he’d kept himself in peak physical shape.
Her own stamina was beginning to fade, but she forced herself to keep up. “I don’t remember seeing Tyler Stromberg that night either. Didn’t one of the guys mention he was supposed to meet up with us?”
“That’s right.” Cam’s voice rose with anticipation. “I remember now, everyone was looking for Stromy.” Stromy was Tyler’s nickname. “We need to find out if Stromy still lives in the area.”
“Even if he doesn’t, he needs to stay on our suspect list.” She glanced at him. “Detective Rueger suspects you, and you haven’t been living here all this time.”
“He only suspects me because I was Skye’s boyfriend, and we argued the day before she disappeared.” He sighed. “But I guess you’re right. It would be nice if Stromy did still live here, though, then we could try to talk to him.”
They turned another corner, and the tall red-and-white striped Lighthouse sign was a beacon in the distance. “Does that mean you’re planning to talk to Dan Johnson if he’s still living here too?”
“Yeah, I’d like nothing more than to confront the guy,” Cam said. “But I’m not sure that’s a smart move yet. We need more information first.”
She wanted to point out that Detective Rueger should be the one talking to Dan Johnson and Tyler Stromberg, but she didn’t.
If she had a chance to touch base with the detective, she’d make sure he knew there were two guys who weren’t at the bonfire the night before Skye went missing.
They should be considered suspects just like Cameron.
Maybe more.
The motel wasn’t far now. Thankfully, she could see the vacancy sign was lit up. Relieved they wouldn’t have to walk to yet another motel, she quickened her pace. Beside her, Bruno did the same.
Inside the motel, Cam approached the front desk. He pulled out his wallet and set a fifty-dollar bill on the counter. “We need a room, and I can only pay in cash.”
The clerk frowned, glanced at the fifty, then scooped it up. “Okay, room eight is available, and it has two double beds.”
“Perfect.” Cam peeled more bills from his roll of cash and slid it over to the clerk.
The clerk handed over two room keys. “Checkout time is ten a.m.”
“Understood. Thanks again.” Cam turned away, gesturing for her and Bruno to head back outside.
The room was clean, but Evie wrinkled her nose at the faint musty scent. Cam flicked the air conditioner on, and instantly, cold air blew from the vents. He set her suitcase on the bed closest to the bathroom and left his duffel on the other. “I’m sorry this setup doesn’t give you much privacy.”
“It’s fine.” She hoped he didn’t notice her cheeks were flushed. “I’ll use the bathroom first, though, if you don’t mind.”
“Have at it.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and pushed his fingers through his short hair.
“Stay, Bruno.” She waited for Bruno to stretch out on the floor between the beds, then picked up her suitcase and hauled it into the small bathroom.
Changing into shorts and a T-shirt, she used the facilities, splashed cold water on her face, and felt somewhat better.
She was physically and emotionally exhausted yet keyed up at the same time.
How she’d sleep with Cam stretched out beside her just a few feet away, she had no idea. Sternly reminding herself they were friends, nothing more, she left the bathroom and set her suitcase beside the bed. Bruno shot to his feet as if she’d been gone an hour rather than minutes.
“Up, boy.” She patted the bed. Bruno didn’t need to be asked twice. He leaped up, then made his usual two turns before settling down. As she crawled under the covers, Cam disappeared into the bathroom.
Closing her eyes, she tried to relax. Her mind didn’t want to settle, so she used prayer to seek the rest she desperately needed.
The next thing Evie knew, a sliver of sunlight streamed through the crack between the heavy drapes. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she propped herself up on one elbow. Cam was working on his laptop computer with Bruno stretched out beside him.
“Hey.” Her voice sounded hoarse. “Do I smell coffee?”
“Yep.” Cam grinned over his shoulder. “Would you like some?”
“Please.” She sat up and threaded her fingers through her riotous curls. Feeling self-conscious all over again, she quickly hauled her suitcase into the bathroom to change. After brushing her teeth and using the facilities, she joined him. “How long have you been up?”