“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?”
“Forty minutes or so.” Cam handed her a cup of coffee from the small pot on the desktop. “I’ve been scouring social media for anything on Dan Johnson and Tyler Stromberg. Tyler has a page, and it appears he’s living in Grand Rapids now. Interestingly, I can’t find anything on Dan Johnson.”
She frowned, peering over his shoulder at the computer screen. “It’s a very common name, looks like there are hundreds of them.”
“Yeah. And so far, none are the Dan Johnson I remember.” He grimaced and clicked on another page. “I’ve narrowed my search to Grand Haven but didn’t get any hits. Then I broadened the search to Michigan but still haven’t found him.”
“Maybe he’s using a nickname? Some people prefer some anonymity when posting online.”
“I considered that possibility, but he didn’t have a nickname back in high school.” He clicked on another icon, then moved on to the next. “I’m starting to think he’s just not on social media.”
“A lot of people avoid it.” She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I need to take Bruno out.”
“I already did that.” He arched a brow, the corner of his mouth quirking in a lopsided grin. “Hate to tell you this, but you slept through it.”
She flushed, then shrugged. Obviously, her exhaustion had caught up with her. “I feel better, so thank you. Do you still want to head back to the nature preserve to see where Bruno found Skye’s remains?”
“Yes. And I’m working on a rental property too.” He tapped the screen. “I hope to hear back soon.”
“Great.” She was glad to have another option rather than this too-close-for-comfort motel room. If not for her bone-deep exhaustion, she suspected she would have lain awake most of the night listening to Cam’s slow, deep breaths. The sooner they found someplace else to stay, the better. “I wouldn’t mind breakfast.”
“That’s high on my list.” He continued working the screen. “Just give me a few minutes here. I’m almost finished.”
She finished her coffee, then pulled out Bruno’s doggy dishes. After filling them with food and water, she waited for Bruno to sit and stare up at her expectantly. She ran her hand over his silky fur, then pointed at the dishes. “Go ahead, boy.”
At her command, he quickly jumped up to eat his food. She wondered if Bruno may have spent some time training as a police K9, but if that was true, why had he been abandoned at the side of the road? Several scenarios came to mind, none of them good, so she decided to let it go. Bruno hadn’t been chipped when she’d found him, so that led her to believe he hadn’t been a K9 in training.
Unless Bruno’s previous owner hadn’t taken the time to get the chip.
By the time Bruno finished eating and slurping his water, Cam had packed away his computer and was ready to go. As before, he carried their items.
“We’ll walk back to pick up your car,” Cam said as they left room eight. “I don’t know if a restaurant will allow Bruno inside. And we’re going to be staying at a rental property from this point forward. There’s no way the gunman can track us there. I used Grayson’s Guardians to secure the place.”
“Okay. Let’s do this.” With renewed energy, she fell into step beside him. As they walked the two miles back to the Haven Suites, she silently prayed they’d uncover something that would keep Cam from being arrested and tossed in jail.
Cam matchedhis pace to Evie’s, squelching the urge to rush. He was eager to find something, anything he could use to clear his name. He’d woken every couple of hours, much the way they’d slept when in Afghanistan, constantly on alert for the slightest noise. He’d caught himself watching Evie sleep. Bruno had lifted his head to look at him but then had gone back to sleep too.
He hoped the rental property owner responded quickly to his query. He couldn’t take spending another night in a small, cramped motel room with Evie. If the gunman hadn’t found them, the suite would have been perfect.
Best laid plans, he thought with a sigh. He retraced their path from last night. There was more traffic on the roads now as locals headed to work. Tourists were making their way to the lakefront to enjoy the last few weeks of summer. It occurred to Cam that despite the way his mother had drank herself to death, his life in Grand Haven had been a good one.
At least until Skye had disappeared.
Upon reaching their vehicles, he was relieved to see they appeared unharmed. The gunfire had missed Evie’s SUV, and since it had the crate area for Bruno, he agreed to continue using her car. The bright-blue color was rather distinctive, but so was his rag-top Jeep.
