And as he’d mentioned to Evie, the fact that the house was isolated from other tourists was a big factor in his decision. After everything that had transpired, having peace and quiet would be a welcome respite.
“This looks nice,” Evie commented, when he shifted into park and shut down the engine. “More expensive than a hotel, though.”
“Yeah, but worth it.” He didn’t care about the money. He wasn’t rich, but he’d banked his pay during his twelve years in the army. And his boss, Rex Grayson, paid him and the other guardians working for him very well.
Unfortunately, all the money in the world wasn’t going to clear his name.
He slid out from behind the wheel and opened the back door to grab their bags. Evie let Bruno out of the back hatch and headed to the front door. “What’s the code?” she asked over her shoulder.
“2980.” He watched as she unlocked the front door and pushed it open. Then she stepped back to hold the door for him.
They took a few minutes to unpack the groceries. Evie set the bag containing the snorkel gear and his swim trunks to the side. He went back outside for their overnight bags and the backpack Evie had grabbed from her mother’s place.
He’d purchased some bottled water to use while they were hiking in the woods. Evie packed several of them in the backpack along with the dishes she planned to use for Bruno.
“How long do you think the cops will be at the scene of the dead body?” Evie glanced at him. “I feel like we should wait until they’re gone before we send Bruno out to search.”
“I don’t know, it could take them a while if they’re serious about preserving evidence.” He firmly believed Rueger would do at least that much. The detective would be eager to find evidence to use against Cam. “I think we should search the river first.”
“Maybe we should look at the missing persons reports,” Evie suggested. “We might uncover the dead girl’s identity.”
He grimaced and glanced at his watch. “I don’t know that knowing her identity will help us. And I’m anxious to see if my theory of Skye’s car being submerged in the river after her murder holds true.”
“Okay, we’ll do that first.” Evie sighed and rummaged in the backpack. “I should have asked you to pick up some protein bars. I’m sure we’re going to be hungry for lunch soon.”
“I did.” He strode to the cabinet and opened it. “See? I even found the cookies-and-cream brand you used to devour while we were working as lifeguards.”
“Perfect.” Her bright smile warmed his heart. “Thanks for thinking of me.”
He flushed and hoped she didn’t notice. It wasn’t as if this was an appropriate time to be thinking about how pretty Evie was. Or how much he enjoyed spending time with her. If not for Bruno finding Skye’s bone, they wouldn’t be together at all.
Turning away, he picked up the bag containing the swim trunks. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Evie nodded, filling a bowl of water for Bruno. He left her to it, quickly changing his clothes. They’d spent summers together dressed in swimwear, but somehow, this felt different.
Or maybe he was just letting Evie’s pretty face mess with his mind.
He pulled his T-shirt back on, shoved his feet into his running shoes, and headed into the kitchen. Evie wasn’t there; he could see she was outside with Bruno. She’d opened the window to let the breeze in.
“Search! Search, Bruno!” Evie threw her arm wide. He watched as the dog seemed to understand her command, lowering his nose to the ground and sniffing with interest, making a zigzag pattern toward the woods.
He went out to join her, the bag of snorkel gear dangling from his fingers. “Are you practicing?”
“Why not? You said you wanted Bruno’s help.” She gestured to the path that led deeper into the woods. A moment later, Bruno was heading that way. “He does seem to understand the wordsearch.”
After tossing the snorkel gear into the back seat of the SUV, he quickly followed Evie and Bruno. The dog continued sniffing the ground, his tail moving back and forth.
“Where did you find him?” Cam couldn’t help being impressed with the shepherd’s focus.
“Outside of Grand Rapids. I was heading home late one night after a long Saturday of being on call and caring for several trauma patients. The road was closed due to construction, forcing me to take a detour. I spied Bruno running along the side of the road, as if he was trying to catch up to me. I stopped and opened the car door.” She glanced back at her dog. “He jumped right in. His fur was matted with mud, and he looked skinny, so I took him home and fed him. He ate as if he hadn’t had anything in his stomach in days.”
“Poor guy,” Cam murmured.
“I gave him a bath and cared for him until the following Monday when I hauled him to the vet. They didn’t find a chip or have any indication the owners were looking for him.” She shrugged. “The vet promised to keep me updated if anyone came looking for him, but nobody ever did.” Her expression softened. “After a few weeks of caring for him, and falling in love with him, the vet chipped him with my name and number. I must admit, I was relieved nobody came forward to claim him.”
“I can understand that. He’s a great dog.” Cam’s brow furrowed. “Still, it’s very strange. If he was being trained as a police dog, I’m surprised nobody has come forward. Or that he wasn’t chipped right away.”
“I think so too.” She quickened her pace as Bruno darted farther ahead. “But it could be that the previous owner was a retired cop who spent a lot of time training him. Maybe the guy died and Bruno took off to find help.”
