Epilogue
Four weeks later . . .
Evie was astounded at how quickly Cam had recovered from his bullet wound, collapsed lung, and subsequent surgery to repair the damage.
He worked like a man on a mission, pushing to build up his strength.
His boss, Rex Grayson, had approved a medical leave of absence and was patiently waiting for Cam to be cleared for full duty.
Cam had agreed to stay with her in Grand Rapids during his recovery. Her apartment should have felt cramped, but it hadn’t been too bad. They’d made it work.
They’d also kept in touch with Detective Rueger on the progress of the investigation. The detective had gotten downright chummy with Cam, as if they’d been working together on the same side the whole time.
“I wonder if Rueger and the FBI know anything more,” she voiced her thoughts out loud as Cam drove them back to Grand Haven.
They’d arranged for Skye to have a memorial service, even though her parents were gone, and she wasn’t sure how many of the local residents would attend.
It felt like something they should do to say their final goodbyes to an old friend.
Cam shrugged. “Thirteen out of the fifteen suspected victims have been identified. It may take a while to find the last two. Rueger thinks they might be presumed runaways, but so far, he hasn’t been able to find their bodies or match an identity to the remaining jewelry.”
She could only imagine how difficult that task must be. “It’s horrifying to know they found bodies in Duncan Woods as well as the nature preserve.”
“They’ll keep looking,” Cam assured her. “They’re using cadaver dogs; one team has come all the way from Wyoming to help.”
She nodded. “You mentioned your buddy Mac knew a woman with a cadaver dog. What a grim task that must be.”
“Yeah, Alexis Sullivan, well, Alexis Flannery now, and her dog, Denali, are good at what they do,” Cam said. “They’ll find the last two victims.”
The town had been rocked by the revelation that Kyle Abernathy was a serial killer.
Beverly had packed up her kids and moved away to avoid the venomous looks and horrible comments.
The situation was hardly Bev’s fault, but Evie understood many of the residents in town wondered how Bev could have been blind and ignorant of Kyle’s dark side.
Some of Kyle’s friends and many of the police officers were suffering the same type of scrutiny. The sad truth was that Kyle had been good at hiding his true nature. From Rueger. From his fellow cops. And from his family and friends.
Until he’d made a last desperate attempt to kill her and Bruno. And Cam.
They arrived at the Grand Haven Church a few minutes later. Evie couldn’t believe the parking lot was nearly full. “So many people,” she murmured.
“What started as a memorial for Skye has morphed into a way to honor to all the victims.” Cam nodded at Jasmine’s parents, looking slightly less bereaved than they’d been at the police station the night they’d discovered their daughter had been murdered.
“That’s good.” She pushed out of the car, then opened the back for Bruno. “Let’s do this.”
They headed inside. Several people stared at Bruno, but nobody complained. The word of how Bruno had identified and tracked the killer had gotten around, so he was viewed as much of a hero as Evie and Cam were.
The church pastor kept the service brief but poignant.
He mentioned the names of the thirteen victims the police had identified and then included the last two unknown souls who would hopefully be brought home to rest very soon.
He spoke of God’s grace and forgiveness, but Evie understood that forgiving Kyle would take a long time.
When the service was over, many of the local residents stopped by to offer their gratitude for what Evie and Cam had done to bring the victims home. Evie was humbled since she had only done what was necessary to survive.
A pretty and slightly pregnant woman with dark hair accompanied by a beautiful border collie stopped by. The collie and Bruno sniffed each other with interest. Evie tightened her grip on Bruno’s leash but needn’t have worried. Her dog behaved like a perfect gentleman.
“I’m Alexis Flannery, and this is my K9, Denali.
I wanted to extend my gratitude to you both as well.
” She smiled and nodded at Cam. “Grady McFarland mentioned he served with you in Afghanistan. He wanted to come to the memorial, too, but his wife, Lauren, is newly pregnant and suffering extreme morning sickness, so he decided against making the trip.”
“We should be the ones thanking you and Denali,” Evie said with a smile. “I think the work you do is amazing.”
“Thanks, but Denali and I are used to this.” Alexis smiled at her dog. “Take care, both of you. We’re heading back out to search.”
“Take care and don’t overdo it,” Cam cautioned.
Alexis laughed. “My husband, Griff, is here, too, talking to the local FBI agents. He’ll make sure I get plenty of rest.” She lifted her hand and then led Denali away.
“The memorial service was nice,” Evie said, once they were alone again. “That was a good idea, not just for us but for the whole town.”
Cam nodded, tugged her to a shady spot alongside the church, then surprised her by dropping to one knee. She gasped as he held out a diamond engagement ring.
“Evie, I love you more than anything. Will you please marry me?” His green gaze sparkled. “We’ll live wherever you’d like, but please don’t make me wait too long. I want to marry you sooner rather than later.”
“Oh Cam, yes.” She beamed as he slid the diamond onto her ring finger. But her gaze was centered on Cam’s. “I love you very much. And I can’t wait to be your wife.”
“Hallelujah.” He rose to his feet without wincing and pulled her into his arms for a deep kiss. “Let’s look at houses in Grand Rapids,” he murmured. “Your apartment is nice, but I think a house is better for raising kids.”
“I’m open to looking at houses.” She turned to look at the church and the town where they’d both grown up. “How do you feel about possibly moving back to Grand Haven?”
He pulled back to search her gaze. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am.” She hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted to come back until she’d watched the entire town come out for the memorial service.
Back when she’d faced danger, she’d wanted nothing more than to get far away.
Maybe she’d been too hasty. “It was great growing up here, wasn’t it?
I think our kids deserve the same. And somehow the atmosphere is warmer now that the truth has been revealed.
Maybe we need to stay to help the townsfolk heal and move on. ”
“Absolutely. Let’s do it.” He tugged her close and kissed her again.
Evie reveled in his embrace, knowing that God had brought them together and home to Grand Haven back for a reason.
And she couldn’t wait to learn more about the future God had in store for them.
I hope you enjoyed Cameron and Evie’s story in Deadly Justice. Are you ready to read about Doc and Fiona in Deadly Memories? Click here!