Chapter 10 #2
“In broad daylight so soon after the police have been uncovering Jasmine’s body?
I don’t think so.” She turned to look at him.
“More likely Bruno caught the scent of a wild animal roaming around in the woods. I think we’re better off heading into town to update Detective Rueger on finding Skye’s car. ”
Cam reluctantly nodded. “Okay. You’re probably right about a wild animal. Thanks for not searching for more dead bodies while I was in the river.” He used the key fob to open the back hatch.
“I figured we’d save that for later.” She arched a brow as she opened the passenger-side door. “Wouldn’t want you to miss out on all the fun.”
“Yeah, fun. Ha ha.” He managed a small smile, despite the seriousness of the situation.
She inwardly winced, realizing not everyone shared a nurse’s dark humor. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound flip about finding another murder victim.”
He shrugged. “I told you before, finding more bodies could very well prove my innocence.”
“I know, and we can come back after talking to Rueger if you really want to.” Evie turned to Bruno. “Get in, big guy.”
A few minutes later, they were back on the road heading into town. Evie silently prayed that Rueger would take the news of Skye’s car with more of an open mind than he had the newly discovered dead body.
They needed to uncover the truth about what was going on in Grand Haven.
Cam eyed Bruno in the crate area as he drove toward the police station. The dog had helped find two dead bodies, but he knew better than to assume that every growl meant the killer was nearby.
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel when a police car came up behind him. Was this it? The moment he’d be arrested and tossed in jail? Unable to do anything but drive, he waited for the red-and-blue flashing lights to turn on.
They didn’t. Evern though he knew they were supposed to be going to the police station, he turned left at the next intersection. As before, the police cruiser kept going straight. Tension eased from his muscles.
The stress of being considered a murder suspect was getting to him. And that attitude of treating him like scum was only going to get worse once he confronted Rueger about discovering Skye’s car sitting at the bottom of the Grand River.
Was it possible Rueger was the killer? Not for the first time, he considered the possibility that Rueger’s attitude was a ruse to cover his own guilty actions. What better way to escape prosecution than by pointing the finger at Cam?
He glanced at Evie, wondering what she would think of that. She’d looked so horrified over the possibility of not coming forward about finding Skye’s car that he decided against sharing his concern.
The last thing he wanted was to put her in the position of hiding the truth. That wasn’t fair to her. Besides, he still believed Bruno would recognize and alert them to the killer’s scent. The dog had never reacted to Rueger, which was the only thing pointing to the detective’s innocence.
Twisting his head from side to side to loosen his neck muscles, he reminded himself he’d get through this.
He’d found Skye’s car, which had reinforced his theory about what had happened that June night fourteen years ago.
And he was anxious to head back to the nature preserve to continue searching for more victims. At some point, Rueger would have to believe he was innocent.
Unless, of course, the detective decided to plant evidence that could be used against him.
Okay, now he was really becoming paranoid. Someone else had killed Skye and Jasmine. And he was convinced that same someone had lived in Grand Haven for the past fourteen years.
“Cam? Are you lost? The police station is in the other direction.” Evie’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“I know where it is.” He pulled himself together and executed a U-turn to head back into town. “I wanted to make sure the cop wasn’t about to arrest me.”
“Oh, Cam.” Evie’s blue eyes glimmered with sympathy. “I know how difficult this must be. Try to lean on your faith. To know God will lead us to the truth.”
He glanced at her, realizing she was serious. Since he was stressed and felt decidedly off balance despite finding Skye’s car, he held out his hand. “Will you help me?”
“Of course.” Evie clasped his hand between both of hers. “Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. We humbly ask You to keep us safe while guiding us to the truth so that justice may be served. In Your loving name. Amen.”
“Amen.” He forced a smile, as Evie continued to hold on to his hand. “Thanks. I hope you’re right about justice being served.”
“I am.” Her conviction made him smile.
He reluctantly pulled his hand from hers, turning back onto the highway that would take them to the police station. He hoped Rueger was there so they could get this interview over with.
Eyeing the clock, he was surprised the hour was going on two in the afternoon. His swim in the river had taken longer than he’d thought. They’d still have several hours to search the woods with Bruno, but he had no intention of being out once dusk had fallen.
At this point, the only upside was that the killer hadn’t attacked Evie and Bruno since they’d gotten away from the hotel last night.
Yet he sensed it was only a matter of time until he tried again.
Cam slowed the SUV to match the reduced speed limit as they neared town. As they passed the Haven Suites, he caught a glimpse of his Jeep still sitting in the parking lot. He should probably move it before Rueger or one of the other officers had it towed.
He pulled into the parking lot of the precinct with a sense of trepidation. As if sensing his feeling, Evie reached out for his hand. “We’ll go in with you, Cam. Keep in mind, Rueger doesn’t have any evidence against you.”
“Not yet,” he muttered, more to himself than to her. When her fingers tightened around his arm, he reached up to pat her hand. “Thanks, Evie. I’ll be fine.”
Straightening his spine like the soldier he was, Cam slid out from behind the wheel. He bent to open the back hatch for Bruno as Evie joined him. Together, they walked into the Grand Haven police station.
As before—was it really only a day and a half ago?—Cam caught the eye of the woman seated at the front desk. “We’re here to speak with Detective Rueger.”
She frowned, eyeing the dog. “I’m afraid dogs aren’t allowed.”
Her dismissive tone set his teeth on edge. “Trust me, Detective Rueger knows Bruno, and he won’t mind.”
“One moment please.” She reached for the phone. After a brief discussion, she replaced the receiver. “I’m sorry, Detective Rueger is in a meeting. He’ll be free in about an hour or so.”
An hour? Cam glanced at Evie who shrugged. “Maybe he’s meeting with the chief of police?”
If the two murders were the result of a serial killer, he’d anticipate the FBI would soon be involved. That thought buoyed his spirits. He had to believe federal agents would be interested in Dan Johnson’s arrest and Rick Thomas knowing both Skye and Jasmine.
He nodded at the woman behind the desk. “Please let Detective Rueger know that Cameron Walker and Evie Tobin were here and would like to talk to him when he’s free. It’s important,” he added when she didn’t seem impressed. “We’ve found key evidence on Skye Gray’s case.”
The woman frowned but reached for a pen and took the time to write down their names. “He’ll be in touch when he has time.”
“Thanks.” He turned to head back outside, holding the door for Evie. “It hadn’t occurred to me that he wouldn’t make time to see us.”
“We can go back to the rental property to wait for a bit.” She looked at her watch. “An hour isn’t that long.”