It was too dark for Caitlyn to read Devon’s facial expression. Did he really believe she’d seen a brutal murder? Honestly, she could understand his skepticism. She found it difficult to believe too. But she knew she hadn’t imagined what had happened. She never drank alcohol, another fact her so-called date hadn’t appreciated, so her mind had been clear. She’d heard the fighting, made her way through the woods in time to watch the guy strangle the woman.
Only now the body was gone.
She focused on the area where the crime had taken place. The ground wasn’t disturbed, the way it would be if her body had been dragged away. Leaving her to believe the guy must have gone back into the woods and carried her out.
Because when she’d come around the bend, he’d recognized her. And he’d known she’d witnessed his crime.
A chill snaked down her spine.
Would he be able to figure out who she was? She swallowed hard against a surge of panic. What if he went back to Flannery’s and asked around? It wasn’t as if she was a regular there, but Nate was. She didn’t doubt Nate would blab her full name to anyone who bothered to ask.
“Caitlyn?” Devon came over to lightly touch her arm. “Are you okay?”
“No.” She struggled to draw a deep breath. “I’m sure after he saw me and realized I’d witnessed the crime, he went back to carry the woman out of the woods.”
“This isn’t your fault, Caitlyn. It’s his. We need to stay back until the crime scene techs and the detective assigned to the case get here.” He subtly tugged her back. “Maybe they’ll find his footprints in the snow.”
“Maybe.” She allowed Devon to pull her back the way they’d come. It had been many years since she and Jayme had lived in the woods after escaping the nightmare of the Preacher, but she still knew the basics of tracking. The cold December ground would be too hard to yield prints, but the snow may have captured some impressions. Unless the murderer had purposefully avoided those areas.
Exactly what she would have done in his shoes.
She listened as Devon spoke with the police dispatcher. His calm, deep voice helped soothe her fears. There was nothing to worry about. This guy wouldn’t come looking for her. Without a body, he had to realize there was nothing to back up her wild story.
Right? Right.
“Detective Wade Ernest is on his way,” Devon said, breaking into her troubled thoughts. “He’ll want your statement.”
“I know.” She understood how law enforcement operated. She only hoped this Detective Ernest would believe her. The way Devon seemed to.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Devon looped his arm loosely around her shoulders. “I’ll keep you safe.”
“I know you will.” Devon had protected her two months ago, leaving her impressed with his abilities. He was an attractive guy, and at one point, she’d hoped for something more, but he’d held her at arm’s length, refusing her rather lame offer to meet up for coffee sometime.
She told herself that it was for the best. After her recent experiences with dating, both attempts had ended badly, she wasn’t really interested in trying again. Frankly, she’d always known her strength was relating to animals more so than people.
Like Snowball. On Monday, she’d have to take the cat into the clinic to check if she was carrying a microchip. If not, then she’d need to put up notices on social media in an effort to find the animal’s owner. No matter how much she’d love to keep the pretty kitten, she couldn’t do that if it belonged to someone else.
Bright headlights pierced the darkness. She reluctantly pulled away from Devon, turning to face the officers who’d responded to his call.
“Rainer? What’s this about a murder without a body?”
She narrowed her gaze at the detective who approached them. He looked irritated at being woken up, and she wondered if they should have just waited until morning. After all, there wasn’t a body to protect from predators, was there? Still, this was a serious crime, so she tipped her chin and met his gaze. “Detective, my name is Caitlyn Weston, and I’m the one who witnessed the murder.”
“Weston?” Detective Ernest eyed her thoughtfully. “You’re Jayme’s younger sister, right?”
“Yes.” Her foster sister had recently married the local arson investigator, Lincoln Quade. Linc knew a lot of the cops by name, and obviously several of them knew Jayme now too. It was nice to have the police on their side rather than hiding from them the way they had when they’d first escaped the Preacher. “They were over in that clearing when it happened. He strangled her, then let her drop to the ground. He left, but when I saw him on the road next to his pickup truck, he must have realized I witnessed the crime and decided to hike back into the woods to remove the body.”
The detective glanced from her to Devon and back again. “Okay, I think you need to start at the beginning. Come with me, please.” Detective Ernest escorted her to his vehicle so he could take notes. While they talked, Devon walked the perimeter of the crime scene with the other officers and two crime scene techs who’d responded to his call.
To his credit, Ernest didn’t interrupt. He waited until she went through the entire story before clarifying a few things. “You were at Flannery’s with a man named Nate Powers, but you left on your own?”
“Yes.” She shrugged. “He was pretty focused on the lead singer of the band that was playing. I doubt he noticed me leaving.”
“And you’re absolutely sure you saw the man and the woman at Flannery’s before the murder.”
“Not the woman,” she corrected. “I didn’t recognize her at all. But the guy was there. I only remember because I was kinda bored and spent a fair amount of time watching the people at the bar.” She brought up the brief image in her head. “The guy was in the back right corner, standing against the wall. I noticed he wasn’t paying attention to the band either, and our eyes met for a brief instant. I looked away because I didn’t want him to think I was interested or anything, because I wasn’t.” She twisted her fingers together in her lap. “But when I saw him standing near the pickup truck at the side of the road, I know he recognized me too.”
“I’ll have officers canvass Flannery’s; I’m sure someone there will know his name.” Detective Ernest frowned. “Although all we can do is question him. Without a body, we can’t verify your story.”
“I know what I saw,” she insisted. “Why would I make up something that awful?”
“I’m not saying you would, but it’s your word against his.”
“You need to find out if there are any recent missing person reports for a woman with long dark hair.” She stared at Ernest over the center console. “She isn’t a figment of my imagination. When you find this guy’s name, maybe you’ll also discover his wife, fiancée, or girlfriend is missing.” She found herself sending up a silent prayer that the woman hadn’t been a complete stranger to the man who’d killed her, or they might never figure out who she was.
The detective nodded. “I hope it’s that easy. In the meantime, you need to take extra safety precautions. Don’t go anywhere alone, make sure you lock your doors, that kind of thing.”
She couldn’t help glancing over at Devon. “My roommate is out of town for the next two weeks. I live alone and have to go to work on Monday morning.”
Ernest grimaced. “Maybe you should stay with your sister for a few days. Just until we have a chance to find and question this guy.”
“I can’t because Jayme and Linc are on their honeymoon.” It was a trip they’d been forced to cancel prior to Thanksgiving because of a large apartment fire in Knoxville. Linc had been called in to investigate, eventually finding and arresting the person responsible. Since it was early December by then, Jayme and Linc had waited until her graduation from her associate degree program before finalizing their trip. This past Friday had been Caitlyn’s graduation ceremony, making her a full-fledged veterinary technician. Early Saturday morning, Jayme and Linc had packed up to take their belated honeymoon. Annette had left around noon too; her graduation gift was a trip home to see her parents in Florida.
Being alone without Annette or her sister to hang out with had been one of the reasons she’d agreed to meet Nate at Flannery’s. Something she wished she’d declined.
Especially since Jayme and Linc wouldn’t be back until next Sunday.
“Detective?” Devon rapped on the window, startling her. Ernest rolled down the window. “The techs have found a partial print in the snow. You might want to take a look for yourself.”
“I do.” Ernest pushed open his driver’s side door to slide out from behind the wheel. Caitlyn got out of the car too.
“Can I see it?” she asked.
“No, we should stay here.” Devon glanced down at her hiking boots. “You were wearing those earlier, right?” She nodded. “They’ll want your boot print for a comparison.”
“Okay.” She stared down at her feet. Hmm. Maybe the fact that she hadn’t bothered to dress up for her date had contributed to Nate’s ignoring her. She preferred casual clothes like jeans, sweaters, and hiking boots. It hadn’t occurred to her to dress to impress.
Whatever. She didn’t care about Nate. In hindsight, it was a good thing she’d left Flannery’s when she did.
The next thirty minutes passed with excruciating slowness. She was desperate to get home, get warm, and cuddle with Snowball for the short time she’d be able to. Thankfully, the laceration along the cat’s side wasn’t too deep. Since she didn’t know when the cut had happened, suturing it closed wasn’t an option.
But she may need to use the cone of shame or one of their newfangled soft collars to prevent Snowball from licking the wound.
Worrying about the cat was easier than worrying about her own safety. Should she ask Devon to stick around for what was left of the night? Or would he take her request as something more personal?
She really wished she hadn’t tried to ask him out. In her usual clumsy way.
“Caitlyn? Come with me.” Devon waved her over.
“Where?” She frowned, joining him at the side of the road.
“The boot print is around the curve.” There was an excited glint in his eyes. “Near the spot where we believe you saw him standing near his truck.”
They walked quickly along the edge of the road, stopping a few feet from where an officer and a tech stood. There were tiny orange cones marking the ground.
“This is where I saw him,” she confirmed. “And I didn’t get out of the car here, so that print can’t be mine.”
“It’s not yours, it’s a size twelve shoe.” Devon drew her closer. “Can you see it?”
The tech held a flashlight pointed down at the print. Detective Ernest stood nearby, watching her. “I can see it,” she agreed. “Looks like it’s a hiking boot, similar to the brand I’m wearing.” Hers were a size eight, not a twelve.
“Yeah, we noticed that.” Devon looked at her. “Do you remember seeing his feet? Or what he was wearing?”
“Not his feet, but he was wearing a black jacket.” She felt like a complete failure. “Sorry, but I was focused on the expression of surprise on his face when he saw me.”
“It’s okay,” Devon hastened to reassure her. “I had to ask.”
She backed away from the partial print. “How much longer do we need to stay?”
Devon glanced over at the detective who nodded. “I’ll take you home.”
“Thanks.” She would be glad to get away from this area. Why had the guy chosen this place to murder the woman? Had they been fighting in the car? Maybe she’d gotten out and walked into the woods to cool off, but he’d followed.
She walked alongside Devon to his SUV. Neither of them said anything as he drove back to her apartment. When he pulled in next to her Honda, she unlocked her seatbelt. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Wait.” He shoved out of the car and ran around to open her door. “I’ll walk you in.”
She appreciated his gesture. They took the stairs to her second-floor apartment. When she used her key to unlock the door, he followed her inside.
“I was thinking I should sleep on the sofa tonight.”
“Really?” She turned to face him, hoping her relief wasn’t too evident. “I can also change the sheets on Annette’s bed, she won’t be here for two full weeks. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you staying.”
A smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “I guess that means you aren’t too upset by my suggestion.”
“I know it’s a huge inconvenience for you,” she said softly. “But I’ll sleep better knowing you’re nearby.”
“It’s not a problem,” he assured her.
Caitlyn wanted to hug him but forced herself to turn away. Devon was simply being a nice guy and a good cop.
His offer to stay was likely a way for him to stay in Linc’s good graces. And honestly? Right now, she didn’t care why he’d agreed to stay.
Maybe she was being a big wimp. But she’d gladly take what she was given rather than staying in the apartment all alone.
Devon sat on the sofa, waiting for Caitlyn to finish in Annette’s room. He was glad she hadn’t refused his offer to stay, or he’d have been stuck sleeping out in his car, which would have been really cold.
Snowball padded over to rub her face against him.
“Hi, kitty,” he said, surprised that the feline let him pet her. “I hope you didn’t make a mess for Caitlyn.”
Meow.
He didn’t understand cat speak, yet it seemed as if the animal had made herself at home. Trust Caitlyn to take off after a stray animal only to end up witnessing a murder.
It was concerning to think this guy might find out who she was and come looking for her. Devon trusted Detective Ernest’s abilities, once the guy got over being woken up in the middle of the night. Finding the boot print had given credence to Caitlyn’s story. And there was the fact that Caitlyn was Linc’s sister-in-law. Ernest likely figured he needed to take Caitlyn’s story seriously.
Snowball jumped up onto the sofa and crawled into his lap. She curled into a ball and purred again.
“Are you sure you didn’t lose a cat?” Caitlyn asked wryly as she walked into the room.
“Not me, sorry.”
She sighed. “I hope I can find her rightful owners.” She paused, then added, “Thanks again for staying.”
“I’m happy to do it.” He gently eased the cat off his lap. “Try to get some sleep.”
“I will. Good night, Devon.” She gathered Snowball into her arms and went into her room, closing the door behind her.
He poked his head in Annette’s room but knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. At least, not yet. He took off his shoes and padded from window to window, peering outside to make sure no one was lurking nearby and double-checking the locks. He’d wanted to head over to help canvass Flannery’s, but Ernest wouldn’t let him because he was off duty and apparently too close to the case. Or rather, too close to Caitlyn.
Glancing at his watch, he realized it was now close to three in the morning. If he didn’t get some sleep soon, he’d be useless tomorrow.
Devon forced himself to stop pacing. He shut off the single kitchen light but left the Christmas tree lights on before heading into Annette’s room. Leaving the door open about an inch, he stretched out on the bed fully clothed, except for his shoes. Not just because he didn’t want Caitlyn to see him half dressed but because he might need to respond to a threat at a moment’s notice.
Logically, it didn’t make sense that the murderer would show up at Caitlyn’s apartment building. Not this fast. He’d have to find out her name and address first, no easy feat.
No, the odds were against that happening. There was no reason for him to be tense. Devon did several deep breathing exercises to relax his muscles.
Now, if only he could relax his mind. Being this close to Caitlyn made it difficult to remember why he’d chosen to keep her at arm’s length. Oh yeah, her innocence, at least when it came to men.
Her life experiences, though, were far from innocent. Especially now. He hated knowing she’d witnessed a brutal crime.
And felt honored that she’d come to him for help.
Devon must have dozed because he awoke to the enticing scent of coffee. He rolled off the bed and quickly washed up in the bathroom before padding out to join Caitlyn.
“Good morning, Devon.” She was sitting at the tiny kitchen table, holding Snowball on her lap. If anything, Caitlyn looked even more beautiful, despite her tangled hair and lack of makeup. He had to force himself to look away before he made a complete fool of himself. Idly, he noticed there was dirt on the floor from where the cat had used the makeshift litter box.
He cleared his throat. “Good morning. Mind if I have some coffee?”
“Of course not, please, help yourself. I have peppermint-flavored creamer, too, if you’d like some.”
He tossed her a wry grin. “Don’t you know that all cops drink their coffee black?”
She laughed, a light musical sound that made him smile. “I’d never survive being a cop. I don’t even like coffee as much as I love the flavored creamer. The coffee is just an excuse because, you know, it would look weird to just drink the creamer.”
He chuckled as he filled his mug. “I hope you slept okay.”
“I did, thanks.” She eased the cat off her lap, gently setting Snowball on the floor. “I have eggs and cheese, do you like omelets?”
“I love them, but you don’t have to cook for me.” He didn’t want her to feel obligated to feed him. “I can grab something on my way home.”
There was a flicker of fear in her clear blue eyes before she turned away. “It’s no trouble, I was going to make one for me anyway.”
He could tell she didn’t want him to leave, at least, not yet. “Okay, thanks.”
She busied herself at the stove, cracking eggs into a bowl, then beating them with a whisk. “I usually attend church services on Sunday mornings. Are you interested in joining me?”
He nearly choked on his coffee. “Uh, no thanks. I plan to check in with Detective Ernest, see if he has any other leads.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “It sounds like you don’t believe in God.”
“It’s not that,” he protested, pushing away from the kitchen counter to sit at the table. “I just never learned much about religion.”
“So, you do believe in God?”
Her persistence was wearing on him. “I don’t know, maybe.” He took another sip of coffee. He hadn’t used the peppermint creamer, but there was a hint of flavor in his coffee anyway. Or maybe the scent lingered in the air. He had to admit, he kinda liked it.
“I didn’t believe in God either, until recently,” she said, turning her attention back to making the omelets. “Jayme and I escaped from a man who we thought of as the devil, and he claimed God was angry and was punishing us for being sinners. It wasn’t until we met Linc that we learned God wasn’t like that at all.”
Linc? Believed in God? He couldn’t deny being surprised. “Really?”
“Yes, he said God was always there, watching over us.” She poured the egg mixture into the skillet and glanced at him. “I know how you feel because going to church and praying was uncomfortable at first, but now I’m glad to have God’s shining light and His guidance.”
He didn’t know what she expected him to say, so he remained silent.
A few minutes later, the omelets were ready. She brought the plates over to the table, setting one in front of him.
“Looks great, Caitlyn. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” She bowed her head and said, “Lord, thank You for keeping us safe in Your care and please bless this food we are about to eat. Amen.”
He wasn’t sure God had anything to do with keeping them safe, but he wasn’t going to argue. The food was delicious, and he enjoyed every bite. When he was finished, he carried his plate over to the sink. “What time are you going to church?”
She looked at him in surprise. “Service starts at ten. I usually like to be there a few minutes early.”
“I’ll follow you to church, make sure you get inside safely.” The offer popped out of his mouth before he could prevent it.
“Thanks, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She finished her omelet and joined him at the sink. “Would you do me a small favor, though?”
Her nearness was disconcerting. “What kind of favor?”
“Will you let me know when they find this guy?” Her blue gaze held his. “I’m going to be constantly looking over my shoulder until they do.”
“Yes, I’ll make sure you’re kept informed.” He took a step back to avoid succumbing to the temptation to kiss her. “Detective Ernest will want you to ID the guy.”
Her gaze clouded, but she nodded. “I’ll identify him and testify against him as needed. What he did to that poor woman . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“Don’t,” he urged, putting a hand on her slim shoulder. “Try not to think about it.”
“I’m surprised I was able to get any sleep,” she whispered. “It was difficult to push the images out of my mind.”
His resistance melted, and he drew her into his arms. “I’m sorry you had to see that, but I’m sure they’ll find and arrest him soon.”
“I hope so.” Her voice was muffled against his T-shirt. Then she surprised him by pulling away. “Well, I need to shower and get dressed. You can use Annette’s shower, too, if you like. Excuse me.” She hurried out of the kitchen, leaving him staring after her.
He didn’t have a change of clothes but decided to make use of the shower anyway. As he did, he found himself thinking about what Caitlyn would do after church. Hang out here in the apartment with a small white kitten for company?
With a groan, he realized he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t just let her go to church, then sit here all day on her own.
He’d go with her, even if that meant attending church. Something he hadn’t done since he was a small boy, before his parents had gotten divorced. They’d fought over him, the house, the car, and just about everything else on the planet, which had always made him think that going to church was something they’d only done for show. And not because either of them had truly believed in God.
Whatever. He had the day off, why not spend it with Caitlyn? All he needed to do was remind himself that she was a friend.
When Caitlyn emerged from her room wearing a pair of pale gray dress slacks and a vibrant blue sweater, her blond hair loose around her shoulders, he nearly swallowed his tongue.
Friend, remember? Friend!
He was underdressed for church, but he told himself it didn’t matter. He was only going to protect Caitlyn.
“I’ll go with you,” he said curtly. “I’ll stay in the back, out of the way.”
“You don’t have to,” she protested, but he held up a hand.
“I have the day off, we can hang out. Maybe watch a movie.” He normally went to the gym, meeting up with his partner, Bruce, more often than not, but figured missing a day wouldn’t hurt. “Come on, what do you say?”
“I need to get a few things for Snowball after church,” she said. “If that’s okay with you.”
“Sure thing.” He held up his keys. “I’ll drive.”
“Thanks, Devon.”
As they headed outside, he kept a keen eye out for anything suspicious. Unfortunately, he didn’t know the apartment residents on sight or their cars either. Once they were on the road, he relaxed a bit. Especially since the church wasn’t far, he could see the tall steeple from there.
As he passed a small gas station, a black truck pulled out behind them. He waited for several minutes, hoping it would turn off again.
It didn’t.
He was about to ask Caitlyn if it looked familiar when the truck abruptly sped up, coming directly toward them. He yanked the wheel hard to the right, going up and over the curb and into a strip mall parking lot. Caitlyn cried out in alarm, but he came to a stop and turned to look. The truck kept going, moving so fast he couldn’t get the license plate number.
This was no accident or random event. He was sure the driver was the same guy Caitlyn had seen last night.
And it appeared as if he knew exactly where Caitlyn lived.