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.
Before he could mention that to Evie, he caught sight of a car coming up behind him. A police car. The red-and-blue lights were not flashing, but the way the vehicle settled in behind them, keeping pace, made him think the cop was following them.
On purpose.
Because of him? Had Rueger told his officers to keep an eye on Cam?
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. This treating him as a cold-blooded murder suspect was getting old. He’d done nothing to warrant this behavior.
Quite the opposite. He’d fully cooperated with the police investigation.
“What’s wrong?” Evie picked up on his tension, twisting in her seat to look behind them. Her jaw dropped, but then she seemed to pull herself together. “Should we pull over?”
He shook his head. “He’d put his lights on if that was necessary.”
“Turn right at the next intersection,” Evie suggested. “If he follows, then we might want to pull over anyway.”
It grated on his nerves, but he went along with the plan. When he used his right-hand turn signal, he was surprised the officer behind him didn’t do the same. After making the turn, the police car slowed briefly, then picked up speed, continuing straight on the road that would head into town.
Even though the police car was no longer behind him, he pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. He shifted into park, then scrubbed his hands over his face. “I don’t like this.” He turned in his seat to look at her. “I have a feeling the police are going to be out in force, watching our every move.”
She lifted a shoulder. “So what? Maybe we’ll lead the police straight to the real murderer.”
He almost smiled. “That would be nice. But seriously, I’m worried they’ll hamper our investigation.”
“Don’t be.” She reached for his hand. His fingers curled around hers. “I’m sure the Grand Haven police simply want to make their presence known in general. It won’t take long for word of another dead body to ripple through town. Murder is bound to put a serious dent in tourism.”
