“I thought so.” She sipped her lemonade, eyeing him curiously. “What do you think? Should we mention our concerns to Rueger?”
“Not yet. I doubt he’ll care what we think. Will you please hand me the computer?” Cam asked. “I want to dig into Dan Johnson’s background while we have internet access.”
She lifted the laptop off the seat and pushed it across the table. He opened it and quickly went to work. Evie finished her meal, then reached down to pet Bruno as he shifted under the table, resting his large solid body against her legs.
“Okay, I think I found him. If this is the right Dan Johnson, his birthday is in April.” Cam fell silent for several seconds, but then his green eyes abruptly widened. “I knew it! I knew he was a jerk.”
“What? Dan has a criminal record?” Evie slid out from her side of the booth, her movement disturbing Bruno. The large dog shifted again, resting his large head on her feet as she joined Cam on the bench seat so she could see the computer screen. “Show me what you found.”
“This.” Cam gestured to the open window displayed on the screen. She frowned but didn’t have to read for long for the wordsDomestic Abuseto jump out at her.
“He hit a woman?” She could barely believe what she was reading. “He struck her numerous times, giving her a black eye and swollen jaw?”
“Not just any woman, his wife. Loretta Gilmore, you remember her from school, right? She was a year behind us.”
Evie did remember Loretta. She was pretty but quiet, much like Rick.
“According to this, Loretta filed a restraining order against him, and that same order covers his son, Leo, as well.” He tapped the mouse pad to bring up another entry in the database. “Yep. Just as I suspected. Here’s her divorce filing three weeks later.” He scanned the details for a moment, then turned to look at Evie. “This all took place roughly four years ago. The divorce was final a year after the restraining order.” He frowned, rubbing his chin. “I wonder how it happened that Dan was able to keep the boat after the divorce.”
“Maybe he had to give her the house? And in exchange, he was able to keep the boat?” She frowned. “Or wait, didn’t his dad own a boat? Now that I think about it, I bet Dan doesn’t own that boat. It’s his dad’s, and he lets him use it.”
“Could be,” Cam agreed.
“Wow.” She sat back in the booth, stunned at the revelation Cam had uncovered. When he’d mentioned a criminal record, she was thinking along the lines of a DUI or a bar fight. This was way worse. And she couldn’t help but think that being arrested for domestic abuse explained why Dan Johnson wasn’t on any social media sites. “You were right all along, Cam. He’s a horrible man.”
“Yeah, one with some serious anger issues,” Cam agreed. His gaze remained locked on the computer screen. “I hope his wife and son are safe now.”
“Me too.” She bit her lip, then added, “Strange that he’d stay in town after this, don’t you think? Why not start over somewhere else?”
“Maybe he has to live with his dad. Or he needs his dad’s help.” Cam shrugged. “Or more likely his ex-wife took their son and left town.”
“I could see that,” she agreed. “I wouldn’t stay near someone who’d hit me.”
“And that’s only the incident that’s on record. He probably struck her before this. Or maybe he only yelled and screamed prior to striking out with his fists. The guy is scum, that’s for sure.” He sighed and shifted in his seat to face her. “The question remains, is he a serial killer?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” She thought about the domestic violence incident that had resulted in Dan Johnson’s arrest, then about how Rick Thomas knew Skye and worked at the hospital with Jasmine.
Two potential suspects. Both were far more likely to be guilty of committing murder than Cam.
Too bad all they had was theory without one shred of proof.
“Let’s get out of here.”Cam shut the computer, suddenly conscious of Marcie staring at him. It was almost as if she and the rest of the residents of Grand Haven already knew he was the primary suspect in Skye’s murder. As soon as he’d caught her looking at him, she averted her gaze, focusing on her kids.
As if he might snatch them in broad daylight. It burned to be viewed as the enemy in his own hometown. He hadn’t felt like this since he’d been stationed in Afghanistan where some of the locals were grateful for the soldiers protecting them, while others had screamed at them to go back where they came from.
“Fine with me to leave.” Evie scooted out of the booth and stood, reaching for the plastic tray. “Come, Bruno.”
Cam could feel intense gazes boring into his back as he followed Evie and Bruno outside. And this was only the beginning. As soon as the news of Jasmine’s body being found hit the airwaves, he’d suffer more intense scrutiny.
He’d never hurt a woman in his life. Yet he hadn’t been surprised to learn Dan Johnson was a bully who beat his wife. Not after the way Dan had treated Tammy. Cam was more convinced than ever that Dan must have run into Skye at some point that fateful night she’d gone missing. That they were alone together while the rest of them hung out at the lakefront bonfire.
And that Dan had gotten so angry that he’d killed Skye, ditched her car, and buried her in the nature preserve.
Unlocking the SUV, he glanced at Evie. “Next stop, the riverfront.”
“Sounds good.” She opened the back hatch. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk to Rueger first? Maybe pointing out that Rick Thomas knew both Skye and Jasmine?”
“Not yet. Besides, I’m sure if Rueger did a deep dive into Jasmine’s last-known whereabouts, he’d discover several residents probably saw her prior to her going missing.” He started the car, leaving the doors open for the intense heat to abate. “Do you remember if Rick was at the bonfire that night?”
