Chapter 10
Waiting for Cam to finish searching the river was the hardest thing Evie had done since the night Bruno had brought her Skye’s bone.
The process wasn’t nearly as quick as she’d expected.
Cam’s head would clear the surface, he’d tread water for a while, then dive back down.
Each time it seemed as if he stayed down longer.
Too long. Sure, Cam was a strong swimmer.
They’d both passed the rigorous swimming test to become lifeguards.
And to her eye, Cam had only gotten stronger after his stint in the army.
But she couldn’t help but worry he’d push himself too far.
Especially as he moved farther downstream from her location.
At one point, she kicked off her shoes, intending to jump into the river after him. But then she’d glimpse his head break through the surface for long moments before he went back down again.
Was this a wild-goose chase? She’d gone along with the plan to search for Skye’s car because she was desperate for find the evidence they needed to clear Cam’s name.
Yet as she stood there, it occurred to her that if there was any trace evidence in the vehicle after all these years, it could very well belong to Cam.
He’d been in Skye’s car on a regular basis.
As much or more than she had as Skye’s best friend.
For all they knew, the killer had worn gloves the night he’d killed Skye and had made sure to limit his time in the car to the few seconds it took to get the vehicle to the edge of the river, then push it in.
Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Maybe finding Skye’s car would only point the finger back at Cam.
Bruno abruptly lifted his head, sniffing the air intently. She frowned when she noticed the raised hackles on the back of his neck. Then Bruno growled low in his throat, disturbed by something or someone nearby.
Her apprehension spiked at Bruno’s reaction. She dropped to one knee to put her arm around the dog. “What is it, boy? What do you smell?”
Bruno’s answer was another low, rumbling growl.
Slowly rising to her feet, Evie scanned the area. A few people were strolling along the riverfront, none looking at all familiar. A jogger ran by, his T-shirt damp with sweat, but Bruno didn’t give him a second glance.
She inwardly debated allowing Bruno to track the scent. She’d promised Cam to wait here, and now that she’d noticed how long he stayed underwater, she was loath to leave him alone. If by some remote chance he needed rescuing, she intended to be there for him.
Had Bruno heard the police recovering Jasmine’s body? They’d left Rueger and Jackson hours ago. She’d have thought they’d be finished by now, but maybe not. She searched the woods but didn’t see anyone.
Finally, after what seemed like an eon, Bruno stopped growling and sat. Lifting one leg, he scratched himself behind the ear. Then he simply stood beside her as if nothing had happened.
“You can’t scare me like that,” she chided. “You’re going to give me a heart attack.”
Bruno cocked his head to the side as if considering that. Then he pushed his nose against her as if to apologize.
“Good boy.” She bent over to smooth her hand over his soft fur. “You’re a good boy.”
Drawing in a deep breath, she took a moment to reexamine the area around her.
She still didn’t see anything that warranted Bruno’s growling.
Maybe a wild animal had gotten too close.
She knew coyotes, beavers, white-tailed deer, and other wildlife lived in the nature preserve.
No reason to suspect Bruno had gotten a whiff of the killer.
Shaking off her fear, she turned to look back at the river. Her stomach tightened when she didn’t see Cam. Had he gone farther down the river, around the bend?
“Come, Bruno.” She moved down the path until she could see the water beyond. Still no sign of Cam. Swallowing hard, she wished he’d hurry up and either find the car or give up the search.
She lifted her gaze to the cloud-dotted sky overhead and prayed out loud. “Please, Lord Jesus, guide Cam in his search for the truth. And please, Lord, keep us safe in Your care. Amen.”
The prayer helped steady her nerves. She knew deep in her heart Cam wasn’t a killer, but she couldn’t deny the very real possibility that she was allowing her personal feelings for Cam cloud her judgment.
She liked him more now than she had when they were in high school.
The reassuring part of this nightmare was that she’d called him to let him know about discovering Skye’s remains.
Because he cared about Skye, he’d come back to Grand Haven by his own volition.
Only to be labeled a killer.
She abruptly glimpsed Cam’s head popping up out of the water. She breathed a sigh of relief, even as he spun around to look in her direction. He lifted his arm, waving frantically, then started swimming toward her.
Her heart squeezed in her chest. Had he found Skye’s VW bug?
She walked back up the sidewalk to the rocky area where Cam had gone into the river.
It was the best place for him to crawl back out.
As she walked, with Bruno at her side, she was impressed at how Cam’s strong strokes cut cleanly through the water.
Despite swimming against the current, he made good progress.
When he reached the large rocks lining the shore, he stripped off the snorkel gear and placed it in a crevasse between two boulders.
Then his biceps bulged as he pulled himself out of the water.
The rocks were slippery, more so now that he was wet, too, but a minute later, he’d made his way back up to the river’s edge.
“I . . . found . . . it,” he said between gasping breaths. “Skye’s car. I . . . found it.”
“Are you okay?” She frowned, noting he looked out of breath.
Cam nodded, sluicing water from his skin. “Fine. It took longer than I thought, but I found it.”
She was impressed that his hunch had been correct. “Incredible to think Skye’s yellow bug has been down in the river all this time.”
“I know.” He managed a grim smile, his eyes gleaming with relief. “I double-checked the license plate to confirm it’s her car. There’s no way Rueger can say it’s not.”
She put a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. “You did it, Cam. You were right, and you proved it.”
“Yeah.” His grin faded. “The car is in rough shape, though. I was hopeful the car would have key evidence, but seeing it now, I have my doubts. The water has done a number on it, both inside and out.” His brow furrowed.
“I noticed one of the side windows was left open a few inches. Makes me wonder if the killer did that on purpose to make sure the car sank down to the murky bottom.”
She shivered despite the warmth of the sun. “I imagine you’re right. The car is smaller than most. I’m sure he was worried it would float long enough for someone to see it.”
“I thought the same thing.” He turned to look at the water. “If Rueger would have taken Skye’s disappearance seriously, he might have found it back then.”
“I know.” She couldn’t help but imagine the detective’s reaction when they informed the detective how they’d found Skye’s car. “I guess we should head to the police station to talk to him.”
“Yeah.” Cam didn’t move, appearing loath to do that. Catching her concerned gaze, he sighed. “Somehow, I get the feeling Rueger is going to make this look as if I found the car only because I’m the one who left it in the river.”
“That may be, but you can’t just sit on this.” She truly felt bad about what Cam was going through. “Hiding the truth about what you found today will only make things worse for you.”
“Oh yeah?” Cam shook his head, then looked back at the river, seemingly lost in thought. “I don’t know about that.”
She bit her lower lip, wondering if he was truly serious about keeping the news of Skye’s car a secret. This was something she hadn’t anticipated. It felt wrong, and she stared down at Bruno wondering if she’d have to head to the police station without him.
“Stop looking at me like I’m a stranger.” Cam’s low voice cut into her thoughts. “I know we need to talk to Rueger. It’s just that hearing him accuse me of being a killer isn’t high on my list of fun things to do.”
“We need to trust the process, Cam. We’ll force him to look at other suspects.
” She stepped closer to him. “We’ll mention Dan’s domestic violence incident, his divorce and losing custody of his son.
How Marcie’s husband, Rick Thomas, knew both Skye and Jasmine.
Rueger would be an idiot not to consider other suspects now that Jasmine’s body has been found. ”
“I love your positive attitude,” Cam said softly. “Okay, you’re right. Let’s go.” He took a step, then looked down at his dripping swim trunks. “I need to change first.”
“We have towels from the rental property in the car.” She hoped he didn’t notice her blush. “You can change in the SUV. I’ll stand guard with Bruno.”
He grinned. “No peeking.”
Her blush only burned hotter. “Smarty pants.”
Evie stood with her back to the car, with Bruno beside her as Cam changed. Bruno lifted his nose again, sniffing intently. Then he growled, just like he had earlier while Cam was searching the river.
“Now what?” She didn’t see anything that would explain Bruno’s growl. “Is the coyote back? Or did something else catch your attention?”
A minute later, the door of the SUV opened, and Cam emerged wearing dry shorts and T-shirt. “Why was Bruno growling?”
“I don’t know. He did that earlier, too, but I didn’t see anything suspicious then either.” She stroked the dog’s fur. “He keeps staring toward the woods.”
“Maybe we should allow him to search for the killer?” Cam frowned with concern. “The guy could be lurking nearby.”