She glared at him. “He tried to kill me and my dog, Bruno. Oh and he shot Cameron Walker. He’s a cold-blooded killer, and I ran over him with the SUV.” She threw out a hand pointing to the bullet-ridden SUV, then turned to gesture at Cam. “We need medical help now!”
The cop looked as if he might argue, but thankfully, the two EMT/paramedics rushed forward with a gurney carrying medical supplies. Evie stepped back to give them room. As much as she wanted to help stabilize Cam, she understood the young cop wasn’t going to be satisfied until she explained everything.
“Please call Detective Rueger,” Evie said, striving to remain calm. “He’s been investigating the murder of Skye Gray and Jasmine Kramer and is aware of the danger that I’ve been in for the past two days.”
“Don’t move!” The officer held his weapon in one hand and reached up to the radio clipped to his collar with the other. “Stay where you are and keep your hands where I can see them.”
She barely refrained from rolling her eyes. She wasn’t armed, the fireplace poker was lying on the ground somewhere, and she wasn’t a threat. As he spoke to the dispatcher, another car pulled up the driveway. She was relieved to recognize Detective Rueger exiting the car.
Turning away, she moved toward the trio working on Cam. Fluids were infusing wide open as one paramedic placed a pressure dressing over the chest wound.
“Pulse still tachy at 110. Oxygenation is low at 85 percent despite adding oxygen.” The paramedic’s tone was calm. “He probably needs a chest tube.”
Evie bit her lip, watching as they worked over Cam. She stepped closer. “Is there anything I can do?”
Cam’s eyelids fluttered open. “Evie?”
“I’m here, Cam.” She pasted a bright smile on her face. “Doc’s here, and you’re going to be taken to the hospital shortly.”
“Not hurt?” Cam frowned as he looked up at her.
“I’m fine. So is Bruno.” Her smile faded as Cam’s eyes slid closed. She caught Doc’s grim expression and knew Cam’s condition was still tenuous.
“What happened here?” Rueger demanded.
Evie gathered every ounce of patience she possessed before turning to face the irate detective. At least the initial responding officer had holstered his weapon, apparently accepting she wasn’t going to shoot at him.
Or run him over with a car.
“Kyle Abernathy threatened to kill me if I didn’t get into his squad.” She lifted her chin, looking Rueger straight in the eye. “He’s the one who fired shots at us and stole the black truck. He’s the killer, Detective.”
“And you have proof of that?” Ruger asked.
“Bruno barked the minute he caught Kyle’s scent. And there’s the fact that Kyle tried to kill me! He fired at the SUV, and he shot Cam. He knew we were onto him and took action to eliminate us from the equation.” She stepped closer, jabbing her index finger into Rueger’s chest. Her action caused Bruno to come stand protectively beside her, a low rumbly growl emerging from his throat. “And he almost got away with it. If not for me fighting back and running him over, he could have killed us both and set up Cam to be the killer. And you would have believed him.”
Rueger narrowed his gaze, then stepped back to survey the scene. He looked from Kyle’s prone and somewhat mangled body to the bullet-ridden SUV. Finally, his gaze dropped to the paramedics working on Cam. “Is he going to survive?”
“I pray he will, yes.” She drew in a deep steadying breath. “I know Kyle killed Skye and Jasmine. I wish I could say he confessed, but he just kept telling me he was going to shoot Bruno if I didn’t get in his car. Unfortunately, we may never know how many others he may have killed and buried either in the nature preserve or here in Duncan Woods.”
Rueger swore loudly, then stalked back to the responding officer on scene. She wasn’t sure Rueger had believed her, but at least he hadn’t arrested her. When she turned back to Cam, she saw the three men had placed him on the gurney and were strapping him in.
“I want to ride to the hospital with you.” She kept pace as they wheeled Cam toward the ambulance.
“We can’t, Evie.” Doc’s gaze was sympathetic. “His vitals are somewhat stable, but I suspect they’ll take him straight to surgery once he gets there.”
“Okay, but the rental car...” She didn’t finish. Not only was it full of bullet holes, but it was a key component to the crime scene.
“I’ll drive you and Bruno, okay?” Doc rested his hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go inside to wash up first.”
She nodded, belatedly realizing their hands were stained with Cam’s blood. Turning away as Cam was loaded into the ambulance was difficult. She’d fallen in love with Cam over these past two days. Two days that had felt like a lifetime.
She wanted nothing more than to be there for him. To support him through this, the way he’d supported her. But that wasn’t her role now. She had to accept that Cam was in good hands.
Not just those of the skilled doctors and nurses within the Grand Haven Medical Center, but in God’s hands.
All she could do was to continue to pray for his total and complete recovery. Even if that meant he’d walk away from her once this was over.
Cam woke from his nightmare,one in which Evie had been shot and killed by Kyle Abernathy, to the bright lights overhead. A cacophony of voices rang in his ears, along with an incessant beeping sound.
