Chapter 6 #2
“Probably not good.” He shrugged. “But yeah, I’m going to try. The thing that keeps nagging at me is that nobody has bothered to look in the river for Skye’s car. The cops issued a BOLO assuming she was on the road somewhere. Now fourteen years have passed without anyone finding it.”
“You’re right.” She reached down to stroke Bruno’s fur.
“Okay, if you think it’s worth it, we should head back to the car so we can stop at the store to get whatever you need.
” She was a strong swimmer, same as Cam.
They’d both worked as lifeguards after all.
But she wasn’t eager to snorkel in the river to search for Skye’s car.
No matter how bright the yellow paint might have been, she was sure it was nothing but a pile of rust now. If the VW bug had been left submerged in the Grand River for all these years in the first place.
Skye’s car could have ended up in a salvage yard, stripped and sold for parts. That made more sense than driving it into the water.
“Okay, let’s take the road back. It’ll be quicker.” Cam looked more determined than ever.
She didn’t argue, following the path to the parking lot.
As they struck out toward the road, she caught a glimpse of a police cruiser going by.
She eyed the cop behind the wheel, wondering if he was headed into the preserve to help with the newly discovered dead body.
The cop glanced at her but then looked away as he kept driving.
Almost as if he didn’t want to be recognized.
“Was that Kyle Abernathy?” She followed the police car as it drove out of sight.
“I think so.” Cam was watching the car disappear in the distance too. “Interesting that so many of our former classmates had either stayed in town or returned to live here after graduation. And that at least a few of them had become cops.”
“Yeah, first Jackson Dupree and now Kyle Abernathy. I wonder how many others are still around?”
“I’d like to know if Dan Johnson is living in the area,” Cam said. “I wouldn’t put it past him to have grown more violent over the years.”
“We can ask around.” She glanced at Cam, remembering that day he’d confronted Dan Johnson, punching him in the gut when Dan tried to tell him to butt out.
“I know we should keep an open mind, but it’s easier to imagine him doing something like this, more so than Jackson, Kyle, or any of our other classmates. ”
“I agree.” Cam stepped closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as the low rumble of a car engine echoed around them.
The vehicle crested the hill, then zoomed past. He didn’t drop his arm, his head turning to follow the car’s path.
“Maybe staying on the road wasn’t the best idea. I don’t like how exposed we are.”
“We’ll be fine in broad daylight.” At least, she hoped so. Her thoughts returned to Dan Johnson. She glanced up at Cam’s profile. “What about checking in at the high school?”
“Why would that help?” Cam asked with a skeptical glance. “I doubt he’s a teacher, and I don’t know if the teachers report in that early anyway. School doesn’t start until after Labor Day.”
“Can’t hurt to ask.” She understood it was a long shot. “Although the lakefront might be a better choice.”
“Yeah, the lakefront is likely packed with people.” Cam seemed to warm to that idea. He dropped his arm, much to her acute disappointment. “We can check it out after we pick up the snorkeling gear.”
“Okay.” She liked knowing they had a plan. This wasn’t just about clearing Cam’s name. Not anymore.
They needed Detective Rueger to focus on finding the real killer, before he struck again.
Cam fought the urge to run all the way back to Evie’s mother’s house. If he were alone, he’d have already gotten back and headed out to pick up the items he needed. But he needed to protect Evie. He slowed his pace to make sure she could easily keep up.
Bruno trotted along the side of the road, lowering his muzzle to sniff at interesting scents along the way. Evie didn’t have him on leash, and Cam was impressed the large German shepherd didn’t stray too far from Evie’s side. The animal almost seemed to understand he needed to stay out of the road.
Despite being anxious to get back to the house, Cam was grateful to note they’d made good time. Bruno lifted his head and turned toward the house.
“Stay.” Evie’s tone was sharp. The dog immediately stopped and sat, looking up at her expectantly. She made a point of looking both ways, then nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”
They crossed the highway toward Hiawatha Drive, the road that would take them to her mother’s place.
Again, Cam was impressed at how well the dog listened to Evie.
As if sensing they were close to home, Bruno picked up the pace.
Evie did, too, and less than five minutes later, they were back at the house.
Evie punched in the code to open the garage door. She glanced at him as she headed inside. “I need a quick bathroom break, then we can head out.”
“I do too.” He stood in the kitchen, staring at the plywood that had been nailed over the broken window above the sink. He was surprised that one of the officers had bothered to cover the opening to prevent bugs and other animals from coming inside.
Rueger? Cam shook his head. The detective didn’t seem like the accommodating type. His attitude came across as viewing himself to be the person in charge. More likely one of the other officers had done it.
When Evie emerged from the bathroom, he took his turn. When he came out a few minutes later, she was packing some food items into an old backpack. She flushed when she saw him standing there. “I figure it’s better to be prepared in case we get hungry later.”
“Good plan.” He smiled as she placed two small cereal bowls in the pack. “For Bruno, especially.”
“Yes.” She shrugged. “He’s the one who’s helping the most.”
“No argument from me.” He turned and reached for the door leading to the garage. “Do you want me to drive?”
She arched a brow. “What’s the matter, you don’t like my driving?”
It was his turn to flush. “I’m just used to being in charge.”
“Yeah, me too. At least in the operating room, despite what the surgeons think, they’re not the one running the show. The process starts with prepping the patient, long before they walk in the door.”
He could easily see her taking charge in the operating room. Evie brushed past him to walk back into the garage and took a moment to open the back hatch for Bruno. Then she surprised him by tossing the key fob into the air. “Fine, you can drive.”
He caught the key fob and grinned. “Thanks.”
She shrugged and quickly slid into the passenger seat.
He used the lever to back up the driver’s side seat, before getting in behind the wheel.
The SUV wasn’t as fun as his Jeep, but he liked watching Bruno stretch out in his crate via the rearview mirror.
Whatever was best for the dog was good with him.
Especially since Cam knew he’d never find this guy without Bruno’s help. The way the canine had taken them first to the dead body and then to the fallen log had proved that.
Too bad the dog couldn’t talk.
Five minutes later, they were back on the road heading into town. The traffic had picked up now, summer residents and tourists making the most of another beautiful sunny day. He thought about the lakefront and decided they should head to the store first.