Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cam was pissed. So far, he didn't have a single damn lead. None of the three stores he'd visited had camera footage from yesterday's incident.

A few employees he'd interviewed said they'd heard a loud crash but hadn't witnessed the accident. The only person who could account for the incident was Jim Hogan, who had apparently helped Kinley after she'd fallen.

According to Jim, the driver of the car had never slowed down, even after swiping the two cars parked along the street. As Kinley had said, the car was a silvery gray sedan, but Jim hadn't gotten a look at the license plate.

Cam shook his head as he climbed back into the cruiser and steered toward the station. With today's technology, how in the hell had no one seen anything?

He headed inside, pausing briefly to pet Sarge before heading into the sheriff's office. Dare pulled his attention from the computer and glanced up at Cam as he dropped into the chair opposite him. He lifted a brow before turning back to the screen. "Make yourself at home."

"I will, thanks."

Dare didn't respond, and Cam let out a little growl. "No one saw a damn thing."

"We already knew that. Coop wrote that into his report."

"I was hoping someone would remember something."

Dare sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I asked Turner and Webb to patrol downtown. If someone does something stupid, they'll nail him."

"And what about Kinley? You saw her." Cam's blood practically boiled at the memory of the worry clouding her eyes, fresh bruises and scrapes decorating her skin.

It brought to mind the scene he'd walked in on just over a week ago, where Kinley lay unconscious on the floor of her living room, blood pooling around her head.

There had been so much blood. He'd never felt fear like that before. He'd seen worse injuries, but it had never affected him so deeply before. Because none of the previous victims had been Kinley. His best friend. And the woman he'd loved for years.

Cam couldn't regret that the asshole who'd hurt her and Ainsley was dead. But the fact remained that Kinley had been hurt not once, but twice. Her wound hadn't even had a chance to heal before it had been torn open again because of some idiot who couldn't keep his eyes on the road.

Dare propped his elbows on the arms of the chair and steepled his fingers together as he regarded Cam. "You spend a lot of time with Kinley. Tell me something."

Cam lifted a brow in question, and Dare inhaled before speaking. "Has she seemed different since the attack?"

He shrugged. "She's been getting headaches, but the doctor says that's normal. Otherwise, she says she's okay."

"My question is," Dare said slowly, "is it possible that maybe she just misjudged the distance between her and the car?"

He held up a hand when Cam opened his mouth to snap back in her defense. "I'm not questioning the hit and run. Two vehicles were damaged, but… Kinley was in the parking lot when the witness found her."

"She wouldn't lie about something like that," Cam ground out. "If she said the car almost hit her, then that's what happened."

Dare stared at him for several long moments. "Then I trust you to find out who it was."

"Damn right I will." Cam pushed from the chair. Though that was easier said than done. They already had their plates full.

* * *

Cam McCoy pulled into the parking lot of the Medical Examiner's Office, his mind racing with the implications of the submerged vehicle and the skeletal remains. The building was small and unassuming, but it held the answers to questions that had haunted the town for decades.

Inside, the cool air provided a stark contrast to the heat outside. Cam approached the front desk and nodded to the receptionist. "I'm here to see Dr. Tom Seidel. He's expecting me."

The receptionist gave a quick smile and gestured down the hallway. "He's in his office. You can go right in."

Cam walked down the hall, his footsteps echoing in the quiet space. He found Dr. Seidel's door ajar and knocked lightly before entering. The medical examiner looked up from his desk, his expression weary.

"Cam, come in. Have a seat," Dr. Seidel said, waving him over to a chair.

Cam settled into the chair, leaning forward. "You have the autopsy results?"

Dr. Seidel nodded, his expression serious. "Yes, we do. The remains are most likely Misty Collins, but we won't know for sure until we can compare the dental records. However, the signs are pointing in that direction."

Cam felt a mix of relief and dread. "What can you tell me about her injuries?"

Dr. Seidel picked up a file and flipped it open. "There are ridges on her ribs consistent with wounds from a sharp object, most likely a knife. I can't be certain unless you have the weapon to compare, but the pattern is indicative of stab wounds."

Cam's stomach churned. "So she was murdered."

"It appears so," Dr. Seidel confirmed. He flipped to a photograph of what was once a blue shirt. "She was wearing this the day she disappeared. See these?"

He pointed to several gaping holes in the fabric. "There's been obvious decay over the past thirty years, but look at the edges. See how straight these are?" He lifted his gaze to Cam. "I would guess she was stabbed at least a dozen times."

A dozen stab wounds was a lot—and it would have been messy. According to the report, the house had been clean, and there was no indication that she'd been stabbed inside the car. What the hell had happened?

Cam absorbed the information, his mind racing. "We pulled up the car, but there was nothing inside except a suitcase full of clothes."

"There are also signs of blunt force trauma, which could have occurred before or after death. It's hard to say without more evidence." Dr. Seidel nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Based on the state of the remains, she's been underwater since the day she disappeared."

The weight of the revelation settled heavily on Cam. Misty Collins hadn't left on her own accord; she'd been murdered and hidden in the lake, her fate unknown for nearly thirty years.

"Do you have any idea who could have done this?" Dr. Seidel asked, his eyes searching Cam's face.

Cam shook his head. "We're still piecing it together. The car was registered to Dennis Collins, Misty's husband. He never remarried, and from what I've gathered, he lived alone until he passed away a few years ago. But there's a lot we don't know."

Dr. Seidel closed the file and placed it on his desk. "Well, I'll keep you updated as soon as we have more information. The dental records should give us a definitive answer soon."

"Thanks, Tom," Cam said, standing up. "This case is turning out to be more complicated than I ever imagined."

Dr. Seidel nodded. "That's often the way with cold cases. Just keep digging, and eventually, the truth will come to light."

Cam left the medical examiner's office, his thoughts consumed by the new information. As he drove back to the station, he couldn't shake the image of the skeletal remains and the realization that Misty Collins had been murdered. Someone in Brookhaven had committed a heinous crime and had lived with that secret for nearly three decades.

The investigation was far from over, and Cam knew he had to find answers not just for Misty, but for the entire community. The truth had been buried for too long, and it was time to bring it to the surface.