Chapter 35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Cam's phone vibrated on the nightstand, yanking him from a deep, contented sleep. As soon as he blinked into the darkness, he knew something was wrong. Grabbing up his phone, he glanced through bleary eyes at Dare's name.

He swiped my thumb across the screen. "Yeah?"

"We've got a homicide."

Fuck. Dread settled in his gut, and he grimaced. "Same as the others?"

"Male this time."

He blew out a breath as something like relief washed over him. At least it wasn't another woman. "Where?"

"Cam?"

Kinsey's sleepy voice drifted toward him, and he caught her small hand as it coasted over his chest. He gave her fingers a soft squeeze. "Everything's fine, honey. Go back to bed."

On the other end, Dare snorted. "That didn't take long. Tell Kinley I said hi."

"Fuck off."

Dare chuckled. "I'll send directions to your phone."

"Thanks. Be there as soon as I can." Cam hung up and rolled to face Kinley, who was now propped on one elbow, blinking sleepily at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing to worry about." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "It's still early; go back to sleep for a while. I'll see you after work, okay?"

"Okay." She nestled back into the covers. "Be safe."

Those sweet words tugged at his heart strings, and he couldn't resist the urge to steal one more kiss. "I will. See you later, Kins."

"Okay," she murmured around a yawn, already drifting to sleep again.

A smile tugged at his mouth as he reluctantly pushed from the bed. He wanted nothing more than to climb right back in beside her, but there was a crime scene waiting—and the sooner it was sorted it out, the sooner he could get back to Kinley.

Nearly twenty minutes later, he pulled up to the scene. A cruiser sat at the mouth of the alley, lights bouncing off the windows of the surrounding buildings. Cam recognized Forester's form nearby as he parked the car and killed the engine.

Cam nodded his way as he climbed out of the car. "I assume the medical examiner has been contacted?"

"Yep. He should be here soon. Not that we'll need any help identifying the cause of death," he said dryly. "Single gunshot wound to the head. Probably close range from the look of it."

The narrow beam of the flashlight bobbed in front of them as they made their way down the narrow alley, following the low hum of voices that floated toward them on the quiet morning air.

"I'm going to wait for the ME," Forester said, hitching a thumb over his shoulder toward the road. "I'll bring him over as soon as he gets here."

"Thanks." Cam gave him a clipped nod, then made a beeline for Dare. The officers had assembled near the entrance to an old brick building, and one of the deputies was busy marking off the crime scene as Cam approached.

Dare was speaking with another of the men from night shift, and he caught Cam's eye as he approached. Dare slapped the man on the back before breaking away and heading toward him.

"Hey." He dipped his chin at Dare as he drew even with him. "What do we know so far?"

"Not much." Dare shook his head. "A homeless man found him about an hour ago when he went into the building. As soon as he saw the body, he went to the station to report it."

"Any idea how long he's been here?"

"I'm guessing it's been a while." He grimaced. "Webb is working on getting an ID."

The arrival of another vehicle drew their attention, and Cam swiveled toward the medical examiner as the older man collected his things, then headed toward them.

"Doc," he greeted the older man. "Sorry to start your day this way."

Dr. Seidel offered a tired smile. "This is getting a little too frequent for my taste."

"Same here," Dare commiserated as he ducked beneath the crime scene tape, then led the way toward the building.

Inside, the doctor took one look at the victim, then glanced between Dare and Cam, surprise etched into his aged features. "I have to say, this is different. I was expecting another female."

"I hate to say it, but I'm relieved it's not." Cam blew out a breath. "That case is a nightmare. Hopefully this will be open and shut."

The doctor nodded as he pulled on a pair of gloves and knelt next to the man sprawled face-down on the rough concrete floor. He gestured to the bullet wound. "I would guess this is the cause of death, but I'll do a full examination to be certain."

Dare nodded. "Time of death?"

"Judging from the state of decomposition," Doc replied as he inspected the man, "I would say several days. Maybe a week or two."

Cam's lips pressed into a firm line as he glanced around, taking in the scene. The floor was dirty, covered with a thick layer of dust in places—but not here. Whoever killed the man had cleaned up after themselves, ensuring that no footprints were left behind.

Webb strode toward them, evidence bag in hand. Inside was a small rectangle, and Cam held it up to see it better. His lips pressed into a firm line as he recognized the driver's license labeled with Corey Hayes's information.

He glanced at the man's face, comparing it to the ID. "That's him."

"Sheriff?" Cam and Dare turned simultaneously toward Duke Turner who stood a dozen feet away. "We've got something over here."

Cam fell into step next to Dare as he crossed the room. In the corner, a subtle glimmer caught his attention. As Cam drew closer, the object began to take shape. With a jolt, he realized it was a small keychain—a silver charm shaped like a star. His heart skipped a beat.

"Fuck."

The epithet slipped out before he could stop it, and Dare turned a concerned glance his way. "You recognize it?"

Cam swallowed hard and nodded. "It's Kinley's."

Expression shuttered, Dare nodded slowly. "You're sure it's hers?"

"Positive." Cam slipped on a pair of gloves, then carefully picked up the keychain by the ring, his mind racing. Why was this here? It made no sense. Kinley wouldn't be involved in something like this. She was kind, responsible, and had no reason to hurt anyone. But seeing the keychain here, at the scene of a murder, was deeply unsettling.

Cam took a deep breath, trying to steady his thoughts. "It doesn't make sense. She would never do something like this. But it does mean Hayes was in her house. He must have taken it."

Dare nodded, his expression thoughtful. "It does look bad, though. We need to talk to Kinley, find out what she knows."