Anything.
A dangerous realization, considering they’d go their separate ways once this nightmare was over.
12
Evie would have had fun in Cam’s Jeep if not for the seriousness of their situation. She hated the idea of Cam setting a trap for the killer using himself to draw him out, but she wasn’t sure how to change his mind.
Logically, she knew she’d be safe enough with someone from Cam’s team protecting her. They were all trained army soldiers capable of taking down a killer. Yet irrationally, she wanted that person, whoever he was, to be the one used as bait.
Because she cared for Cam. A lot. Her feelings went deeper than the old high school crush she’d nursed for him. Easy enough to admire him from afar as Skye’s boyfriend, but now that she’d spent two long days with him, she knew this was different.
The trip to the rental car agency hadn’t taken long, but she felt as if Cam’s rag-top Jeep had a huge target emblazed on its back. Jeep was a popular brand here, and there were plenty of the SUV model around, but his was unique.
And she felt certain the killer would easily recognize it.
“You and Bruno are going to use the rental car,” Cam said as they headed inside the rental car company. “I’m going to take my Jeep to the Lighthouse Motel.”
Her stomach clenched. “I don’t want you to do that. Can’t we just leave your Jeep here for a while?”
He arched a brow. “For one thing, I don’t want it to get towed. For another, I need to have it parked somewhere the killer will find it.”
Biting her lip, she averted her gaze. Pleading with him apparently wasn’t going to change his mind. No matter how much she wanted it to.
Cam took the lead at the front desk, handing his driver’s license over, then gesturing for her to do the same. She tried not to look as panicked as she felt, but it wasn’t easy.
She’d grown accustomed to having Cam’s reassuring presence by her side. Bad enough that she had to stand at the riverfront while he snorkeled to find Skye’s car, but driving around alone, even with Bruno, made her feel vulnerable.
They weren’t bulletproof.
“Hey, nobody will know what you’re driving.” Cam slipped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a reassuring hug. “Trust me. It won’t take too long for me to drop the Jeep off at the Lighthouse Motel. We’ll find a place to meet so I can get a ride back to the rental house with you.”
“You’re coming back with me?” She couldn’t hide her relief. “Thank you, Cam. I really appreciate that.”
He nodded, watching as the clerk slid a set of keys across the counter. “I don’t even know who from the team will be able to help out. It will take them some time to get here.”
Her spirits plummeted, but she tried not to show it. Taking the key fob, she managed a smile before glancing down at Bruno. “Come, boy.”
Cam escorted her to the rental car, a black Honda CR-V. After snapping a picture of the license plate, he opened the driver’s side door for her. “You remember where the Lighthouse Motel is, right?”
“Yes.” She avoided his gaze as she waited for Bruno to jump into the car. “Where did you want to meet?”
“There’s a family restaurant catty-corner from the motel. Meet me there in a few minutes, okay? I need to rent a room first, then I’ll walk over to the restaurant. Park in the back, out of sight of the road.”
She nodded and started the car, turning up the air conditioning to cool off the interior. In the passenger seat beside her, Bruno curled into a ball and placed his head on the armrest. She gave him a pat before putting the car in gear and heading out of the parking lot.
To familiarize herself with the car, she took a long route back into town. She also scanned traffic for a black truck with tinted windows but didn’t see one. She frowned, thinking about their recent interview. Would Detective Rueger search for potential owners of the black truck with tinted windows as Cam suggested?
She wished Rueger would call the FBI. Two murders, albeit fourteen years apart, was significant. Even if this wasn’t a serial killer—and she felt certain it was—the feds would have more resources than their small-town police department.
“You agree with me, right, Bruno?” He lifted his head to look at her, then lowered it again and closed his eyes. She suppressed a sigh and focused on the road.
Too bad she couldn’t sleep at the drop of a hat the way Bruno could.
There was no sign of Cam’s Jeep when she passed the Lighthouse Motel. Assuming he’d taken the scenic route, too, she wasn’t concerned. Knowing Cam, he would want to be sure someone saw him go inside to get a room at the motel.
As she pulled into the parking lot of the family restaurant, she was surprised at how packed the place was. Granted, the hour was going on five o’clock in the early evening. Bypassing the few empty spots, she quickly drove around to the back side of the parking lot. There were plenty of vehicles back there, too, likely belonging to the employees. Wrinkling her nose, she eyed the overflowing dumpster. A skinny kid with a mop of red hair and freckles—she could relate to the red hair and freckles—opened the rear door and tossed a huge bag of garbage inside.
A fresh wave of rotting food wafted through the car vents. She had to laugh when Bruno lifted his head, sniffing the air intently as if to identify the source of the smell. Only a dog would find the stench of garbage interesting.
