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“I didn’t break you. I just unlocked the door. You let me in,” she said.
He leaned across the seat, dodging Ghost’s big head, and kissed her.
“Yes, I did, and it’s the smartest thing I ever did.”
Then he put the Jeep in gear and eased out of the yard and up the drive. He’d tied down the load, but was still going slowly enough not to dislodge it. As soon as he reached the blacktop, he turned left and headed up the mountain.
Rusty began talking about Emily Payne’s arrest statement as they drove. “There’s something that bothers me about it,” she said. “She mentions the cop stopping her. But there’s no physical description because it was dark and she was drunk. She doesn’t know if it was a county patrol car or a local police patrol car. So now that we’ve set Rance Woodley aside as a suspect, that kind of removes the people working under him from the radar, too.”
“Right. So what are you thinking?” Cameron asked.
“Maybe local cops? Emily said she heard the cop identify himself as ‘Bear’ to the man he called. He said, ‘This is Bear.’”
Cameron frowned. “I didn’t receive a copy of that statement. I don’t think I knew that,” he said.
“I’m sorry. I thought they were sending us duplicate files. I should have checked.”
“No biggie, but this is new info to me,” Cameron said.
“So, does that make any sense to you?” she asked. “Do you know any local officers with that nickname?”
“No. But we could ask the chief. Sonny might be able to help,” he said.
“That’s what I was thinking, but not by showing up in his office and alerting the officers that we’re still digging.” She sat for a moment, staring out through the windshield, and then she asked, “Do you trust Sonny Warren?”
“I grew up with him. He’s a little older, but I’ve never had a reason not to,” Cameron said.
“I think we have to ask him. And I think he’s not going to like having his officers’ veracity in question.”
“He may not like it, but I’d bet a steak dinner he’ll be professional about it.”
“Yes. Okay. I know what you mean. Like he was out at the campground. He didn’t like me storming in and usurping a case in his jurisdiction, but he never said an ugly word about it. And offered copies of the statements he’d already taken.”
Cameron nodded.
“Then I think I need to call him,” she said. “He won’t know where I’m calling from, and maybe we’ll get a new lead.”
“Works for me,” Cameron said. “And…here’s our turn, and that’s Louis and Rachel’s house just in the trees there. I’ll pull up in the backyard and unload the wood. Likely she’ll come out, but if not, we’ll go inside after I’m done. And before you mention it, no, you can’t help. The last thing you want is for your poor little thumb to get squished between sticks of firewood.”
Rusty cradled her hand and winced. “I’m not about to argue. Just thinking about that gives me the shudders.”
***
Rachel knew Cameron was bringing them wood. She’d hated to ask, but after Lili’s abduction, Louis refused to work nights again and was on the day shift at Trapper’s Bar and Grill. At this time of year the sun set early, and by the time he got home and their chores were done, it was dark, leaving no safe time left to cut wood. The man they’d been buying it from was out momentarily, and she’d called Cameron in a pinch, hoping this rick would tide them over until their regular supplier had a couple of cords ready for them again.
She’d been watching for Cameron, and when she saw his Jeep coming up the drive, she put on her coat and called out to her daughter, “Lili! Lili! Uncle Cam is here!”
Lili came running, her little legs pumping and her arms folded up and swinging against her body like chicken wings.
“Unca Cam! Unca Cam!” she squealed.
“We need our coats. It’s cold outside,” Rachel said, and zipped and snapped Lili up into her little red coat.
“Need my coat!” Lili said, patting the front of it.
“Yep. We’re ready,” Rachel said. She swooped Lili up in her arms and went out the back door.
Cameron had already backed the trailer to the spot where he needed to unload, and Ghost was in the yard checking everything out. They both heard the back door slam and looked up and saw Rachel coming across the yard carrying Lili.
