Although having some proof of his suspicions would be nice. Something to convince Rueger of his innocence. Cam held his weapon with two hands as he carefully slipped through the dense foliage. He reasoned the killer might have gone to the Lighthouse Motel, realized his Jeep was a ruse, and headed out to find them. Remembering how Bruno had alerted near the fallen log, he worried the killer might also know about the rental house.
One factor he hadn’t considered was that the locals might know which properties were used for summer tourists. The town of Grand Haven was small enough that rental houses would not go unnoticed. Especially by locals who happened to live near one of the handfuls of rental properties. He imagined how incredibly annoying it would be to have a weekly turnover of people staying nearby. Especially if those tourists made a lot of noise.
For all he knew, Dan Johnson or Rick Thomas had made a point in knowing which homes were rentals. Maybe even to offer the various places to those visiting loved ones in the hospital for prolonged illnesses.
And if that was the case, there was no place he and Evie could stay that they wouldn’t be found.
A chilling thought.
After what seemed like eons, he stopped to listen. Still seeing no lights, he turned to retrace his steps back to the house. He wished he’d spent more time familiarizing himself with the woods while he’d had the chance. He hadn’t spent much time here as a kid; he’d spent most of his free time in the summers down at the lakefront.
Kicking himself for being an idiot, he quickened his pace. He was anxious to get back to Evie. There was no reason to move stealthily now. He almost wished the killer would hear him in the woods and show himself.
He desperately needed for this to be over. To find and arrest the killer. To get his life back.
Maybe even to have a future with Evie. If she’d consider seeing him again once the real killer was identified and brought to justice.
There was no sound other than his own footsteps snapping the occasional dry leaves and twigs as he navigated the dark woods. Although his eyes had adjusted to the dim light, every so often the clouds would move away from the nearly full moon adding a bit more illumination for him to see.
The sound of Bruno’s sharp and frenzied barking hit him with the force of a knife stabbing him in his chest.
Why was Bruno outside? Swallowing a lump of dread, Cam broke into a run, swatting low-hanging branches out of his way and jumping over small bushes in his haste to return to the rental property.
It briefly occurred to him that Bruno might be barking at Doc Harmon. The dog wouldn’t know his fellow teammate and would alert Evie to the presence of a stranger. Yet he didn’t slow his pace.
Then Evie let out a shrill scream.
No! Please, Lord Jesus, no!
The prayer tumbled free without his realizing it. Still running, he tried to imagine who was at the rental house with Evie. The killer or Doc?
Would he get there in time to save her?
He never should have left her alone. Had the killer used the light to draw him from the house? If so, the ruse had worked.
He’d fallen for it like a rookie soldier on his first stakeout.
“I’m coming! And the police are on the way!” Maybe it was an empty threat, but he hoped that whoever was in the clearing with Evie believed him.
He put on another burst of speed and finally reached the clearing. His gaze widened in shock when he caught sight of a police officer holding a gun. Evie stood near the driver’s side door to the SUV while Bruno barked and growled beside her.
He didn’t recognize the cop because he couldn’t see the guy’s facial features clearly enough in the darkness. It wasn’t Rueger, that much he knew.
“Evie, look out!” He kept running but held his weapon with both hands again now, wishing desperately that she wasn’t standing between him and the armed cop.
“Last chance! Get in or I’ll shoot the dog!” The cop looked more than capable of eliminating Bruno from the equation.
Rather than obeying the cop’s command, Evie yanked the driver’s side door of the rental car open. “Get in, Bruno!”
“Stop!” The officer’s shout followed by a sharp crack of gunfire and the sound of glass breaking stole Cam’s breath. Was he too late?
Evie dove into the car behind Bruno. As she slammed the door, another crack of gunfire rang out.
Yet somehow, she started the engine, shifted into gear, and slammed her foot on the accelerator. A third crack of gunfire rang out.
The rental SUV surged forward as the cop fired a fourth time.
No! Please, Lord Jesus No!Concerned the cop had hit Evie sitting behind the wheel, he tried and failed to see the outline of her head through the rear window. Feeling desperate now, he closed the gap, praying with every fiber of his being that God would keep Evie and Bruno safe.
