“I have a couple years yet before I retire.” The detective’s tone was dry. “Where are you staying? I’d like to talk to you. From what I gather, you’re with Evie Tobin, correct?”
“Yes, but we’ll come to you.” He wasn’t about to reveal their location. “What’s this about?”
“I’ll fill you in when you get here. The police department lobby is closed, you’ll have to buzz to get in,” Rueger explained. “See you soon, then.”
“Yeah. Soon.” He lowered the phone, feeling dazed.
“Rueger wants us to come in now?” Evie asked incredulously. “It’s nine thirty.”
“Yeah, well, maybe it took them that long to make a positive ID.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Let’s go, but bring Bruno too. I want to see how he reacts at the police station.”
Evie gaped at him. “You don’t suspect Rueger?”
“I don’t suspect anyone in particular, but the guy has been on the police force all this time.” He stepped to the door. “Let’s go in your car, if that’s okay. I don’t want to take the time to put the rag top on.”
“Must be fun to drive without it,” Evie said, following him back out to the parking lot. Bruno trotted between them.
“It is, but I wouldn’t want to risk Bruno falling out.” He forced a smile, despite the thick cloak of dread weighing him down. The main reason he’d asked Evie to drive was because he was afraid Rueger planned to arrest him on the spot.
Keeping his thoughts to himself, he slid into the passenger seat. Five minutes later, Evie pulled into the parking lot outside the Grand Haven police station. The building looked the same. A bit smaller than he remembered, but otherwise it remained unchanged.
He waited for Evie to let Bruno out of the crate area, then walked up to the door. The buzzer was on the right. He pressed it. The door instantly unlocked. Glancing up, he saw the camera and knew Detective Rueger was watching.
Rueger approached as they went through the second set of glass doors. “Cameron, Evie.” He gestured to the open door leading into an interrogation room. “Have a seat.”
Cam waited for Evie to go in first, then followed. He sat beside her, then met the detective’s gaze. “You found Skye Gray, didn’t you?”
“Yes, we have confirmed via a dental match that the skeleton remains Evie Tobin found are that of Skye Gray.” Rueger stared at him. “It’s time to revisit the events that led to Skye’s disappearance fourteen years ago.”
Cam swallowed hard, not looking at Evie. The detective’s grim gaze was easy to read. Rueger now believed Cameron had killed his girlfriend after all.
And Cam was very much afraid he would spend the rest of his life in jail now that Bruno had unearthed Skye’s grave.
3
Evie felt Cam tense at the news. It was what she’d expected, having seen the scrap of Skye’s favorite top for herself, but hearing Rueger confirm the truth about the bones Bruno had found was devastating.
Had her friend really been buried in the nature preserve for the past fourteen years? It seemed inconceivable. Yet nothing else made sense.
“Ask your questions,” Cam said in a tight voice. “I didn’t hurt Skye.”
Rueger glanced at her. “I’m going to ask you to wait outside. I need to interview Cameron Walker alone.”
She frowned, glancing at Cam. “But you told us to come in together.”
“I know.” A flash of impatience crossed the detective’s features. “But that was to share the news with you. Now I need to speak with Cameron alone.”
“Fine.” Evie stood and moved toward the door. Bruno followed her as she left the interrogation room. She shot Cam one last look before closing the door behind her.
The plastic chair in the hallway was far from comfortable. Imagining what Cam was going through was troubling. She stood and paced, unable to sit still. Bruno stretched out on the floor, his dark intelligent gaze following her.
The interview took longer than she’d imagined. But finally the door opened. Cam stood there, his expression inscrutable. The only good news as far as she could see was that Cam wasn’t handcuffed. “Your turn.”
She nodded, stepping back to make room for him to exit. “Come, Bruno.”
Detective Rueger held her gaze as she sat in Cam’s vacant chair. “I see from my notes that you were good friends with Skye.”
“We were, yes.” She had to work hard not to shift uncomfortably under his intense scrutiny. She rested her hand on Bruno’s head to remain calm.
