Caitlyn stared in horror at the man standing in the doorway. She recognized him as the killer. Devon had called him Bruce.
His partner. The murderer was not just a cop, he was Devon’s partner.
Keen betrayal was etched on Devon’s features. She eased Snowball off her lap and stood. She silently prayed that God would provide the strength and courage she and Devon would need to get away from this madman.
“Don’t move. Either of you,” Bruce said curtly.
“You’re really going to kill us?” Devon asked incredulously. “I’m your partner. We’ve covered each other’s backs for the past three years.”
“Hey, I gave you a way out,” Bruce said in an exasperated tone. “All you had to do was turn Caitlyn over to me.” He glared at her. “This is all your fault. You shouldn’t have come through the woods to find us.”
Her fault? She couldn’t believe his audacity. He was the killer, not her.
“You sent me that email.” Devon stared at him. “I have to say, I didn’t suspect you, Bruce. Not for a moment. And I didn’t realize you were so tech savvy.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Rainer.” He smirked. “For a guy who wants to be a detective, you’re pretty clueless.”
She saw Devon’s fingers tighten into fists, but he didn’t move. Or show any reaction on his face.
“Why did you kill Stephanie?” Caitlyn was surprised at how calm her voice sounded. She wasn’t afraid to die, knowing she’d be in a better place with God, but at the same time, she didn’t want Bruce to get away with murder.
And right now, she and Devon were the only ones who knew the truth. If they disappeared and turned up dead, she didn’t believe Detective Ernest would ever pinpoint Bruce, a cop from their own precinct, as the murderer.
“You figured out her name, huh?” Bruce narrowed his gaze. “I guess it’s a good thing I got here when I did.”
“And how did you find us?” Devon asked.
“Again, you underestimate me, Rainer. Tracing your cell phone was easy, I was able to get here in time to see the two of you walk over from the restaurant. Piece of cake.”
Devon’s expression tightened at his words.
“Well, if you’re going to kill us, you may as well fill in the blanks about why you killed Stephanie,” Caitlyn said. “I know you’re married, so I’m assuming Stephanie was your mistress.”
“Hear that, Rainer?” Bruce’s tone goaded his partner. “She’d make a better detective than you.”
“What happened, did your wife find out about your cheating?” Devon asked, ignoring the jab.
“No, Doreen has no idea about my liaison, which is how it should be. Unfortunately, Steph was stupid enough to get pregnant.” He shook his head in disgust. “She expected me to pay child support, can you believe it? Her getting pregnant wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Caitlyn felt even worse, knowing that Stephanie was pregnant when he’d killed her. Three people. Stephanie, her unborn baby, and Nate Powers. Bruce had killed three people without hesitation.
She had no doubt he’d murder her and Devon without blinking an eye.
“You killed your mistress because she got pregnant?” Devon asked incredulously. “And why is that her fault? It takes two people to create a baby. Besides, any decent man would take responsibility for his actions.”
Anger tightened Bruce’s features. Caitlyn hoped Devon hadn’t pushed him too far. She subtly searched the room for anything to use as a weapon. She wasn’t far from the ceramic lamp on the table, but the heavy object wouldn’t be much use against a gun. Still, she subtly edged closer, feeling the need to do something.
“Shut up,” Bruce snapped. “She should have taken care of it. Not come crying to me about needing money to help raise the brat. And if Caitlyn hadn’t seen us, no one would have ever figured out what I’d done.”
“Don’t be too sure of that,” Devon said. “Detective Ernest is speaking to Stephanie’s family right now. They’ll sell you out in a heartbeat.”
“They know nothing,” Bruce scoffed. “Steph knew better than to tell her family she was sleeping with a married man.” Then his features hardened. “And I told you to shut up.”
As the two men were talking, she’d managed to edge closer to the lamp. But she was afraid to make a grab for it. Devon was too close; if Bruce shot him, he’d die.
Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest as she realized how much she loved him. She couldn’t lose him today. Not now. And certainly not to this coldhearted killer.
Please, Lord, give me strength!
“You keep telling me to shut up, but what exactly is your plan?” Devon asked. “Are you going to shoot us here at the motel? It’s daytime, someone will hear the gunfire.”
“Don’t worry, my plan is to take the two of you someplace where no one will hear the gunfire.” Bruce grinned in a way that reminded her of the Preacher. “Have you noticed I’m in my uniform? No one will question me taking the two of you out of here in cuffs.” As he spoke, he reached toward the handcuffs on his tool belt.
Now!
It seemed as if Devon may have heard the tiny voice in her mind because he moved at the exact same time she did. Caitlyn grabbed the lamp and threw it at Bruce in one smooth motion. Devon dove to the side doing some sort of martial arts move with his foot to kick at Bruce’s gun. There was a screeching meow as Snowball jumped from the top of the dresser, landing on Bruce, her claws raking down his face.
Bruce screamed in pain and fury. He tried to deflect the lamp with his free hand, even as he dropped his gun from the force of Devon’s kick. Deep claw marks bled profusely down his face. Caitlyn grabbed the chair and tossed it at Bruce as well.
“No!” Bruce shouted, but it was too late, Devon had pulled his weapon from his ankle holster and leveled it at his partner.
“Put your hands up or I’ll shoot!” Devon said.
It made Caitlyn nervous because she and Devon were dressed casually, while Bruce was in full uniform. Who would believe that Devon was the good guy and not Bruce?
Bruce began to put his hands up, but then he reached for his utility belt. Seeing the Taser there, she froze, staring in horror.
Then Devon fired one shot, hitting Bruce in the center of his chest. The guy looked stunned as he fell back against the door. Bruce put a hand to his heart as if the organ may have stopped cold. Caitlyn was shocked Devon had shot him, but then she realized Bruce was still conscious and that there wasn’t any blood.
What in the world?
“I know you’re wearing body armor,” Devon said calmly. “Make another wrong move and I’ll go for a head shot.”
Bruce grimaced, his hand still pressed to his chest. “Hurts,” he gasped.
“Not as badly as you hurt Stephanie,” she shot back.
“Grab his handcuffs, Caitlyn, but stay to the side so that I have a clear shot at him,” Devon directed.
She did as he asked, handing the cuffs to Devon.
Bruce closed his eyes without moving as if realizing defeat. Between her, Devon, and Snowball, they’d gotten the better of him.
Devon expertly snapped one silver bracelet around his wrist. Then he pushed Bruce face down on the floor and wrenched his other arm behind his back to cuff his two hands together. The cop groaned loudly.
“Bruce Whitmore, you have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law . . .” Devon continued reading his former partner his rights as he forced the guy to his feet.
Caitlyn took a step back, her hands shaking in the aftermath of the scuffle. Noises from outside the motel indicated people were running for cover because of the gunfire. She had no doubt the police would arrive soon.
Snowball meowed again and leaped into her lap. She cuddled the cat close, wishing she could stop trembling.
It was finally over.
Devon pushed Bruce into a chair and called Detective Ernest who answered immediately. “No leads from Stephanie Phillip’s family,” Ernest said in lieu of a greeting.
“I have Bruce Whitmore in custody. He killed Stephanie because she was pregnant with his child. He tried to take me and Caitlyn away at gunpoint to kill us too.”
“Whitmore?” Ernest echoed incredulously. “Your partner? Are you sure?”
“He confessed,” Devon said firmly. “Caitlyn is my witness. Snowball is Stephanie’s cat, and she clawed him good. Besides, you know we suspected the perp was a cop. We were right about that.”
Ernest whistled. “I’ll be there in ten.”
The wail of sirens could already be heard. “I had to shoot him. Thankfully, he was wearing body armor, but someone called it in. The cops are on their way.”
“Hang tight,” Ernest said. “Wait, did he tell you where Stephanie’s body is?”
Devon glanced at Bruce who had wisely remained silent once he’d been placed in cuffs. “No.”
Ernest muttered a curse. “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thanks.” Devon slid his phone into his pocket and glanced at Caitlyn. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking shell-shocked. He was proud of her for throwing the lamp at Bruce and more than a little surprised by the fact that they both took action at the exact same time. Yet he also knew these were hardly normal circumstances. “Caitlyn? Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Her voice was faint. Her blue eyes clung to his. “I don’t understand why his photograph wasn’t up on the wall of the police station.”
“He must have removed it.” Devon glanced at Bruce. “He was afraid you’d recognize him.”
“I would have.” She shivered and shook her head. The cat purred in her arms as if in agreement. “It’s just hard to believe the danger is finally over.”
“You’re safe now.” Devon was thankful they’d escaped unscathed. Especially Caitlyn. He shifted his gaze to his former partner. He and Bruce had been partners for three years. They hadn’t been super close, though, because he’d never appreciated how Bruce had talked down about his wife, Doreen. Thinking back, he wasn’t entirely surprised to know Bruce had cheated on his wife.
But to think the guy had been capable of this? Of strangling a woman with his bare hands? Killing an innocent man, then hunting him and Caitlyn down?
He had to wonder about his instincts, or lack thereof. To know he’d been so far off base . . .
“Don’t, Devon.” Caitlyn came over to stand beside him. “I can tell you’re wondering how you missed this, but it’s not your fault. It’s Bruce’s fault. He betrayed his marriage vows and the promise to protect and serve. How could you know he’d do something like this?”
“There must have been signs . . .”
“No, Devon. The devil is good at deception and trickery.” She reached for his hand. “Think about how blessed we were to have had God’s strength and support. We triumphed today, not him.”
A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You’re right. We did have God on our side.”
Bruce snorted. “Give me a break,” he muttered.
Devon ignored him, gazing into Caitlyn’s blue eyes. “I’m thankful you weren’t hurt.”
“Ditto,” she said with a smile. Snowball meowed.
He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, but the sirens were right outside the motel, so he reluctantly pulled away to open the door. He held his arms up, his gun pointing toward the ceiling. “I’m Officer Devon Rainer, and I have another officer, Bruce Whitmore, in custody!”
“Rainer?” His fellow officer Tim Cast gaped in surprise. “You arrested your partner?”
“I did. Bruce confessed to killing Stephanie Phillips. Caitlyn Weston witnessed the crime, so he tried to kill both of us too.” Devon didn’t lower his hands, not wanting to give any of the officers standing there a reason to panic and fire. “Detective Ernest knows the entire story and is on his way.”
Another cop, Officer Hill, approached from the side. “I need your weapon.”
Devon didn’t hesitate to hand it over. The ankle gun was a smaller caliber weapon, which was one of the reasons he’d taken the shot at Bruce even at close range. “Whitmore is wearing body armor, you’ll find the mangled slug from my weapon embedded in it.”
“Understood.” Once Hill had taken his gun, Devon lowered his arms. “I’ll need you and the witness to stay separated while we gather information.”
“I know.” Devon knew how it was done. “But keep in mind Caitlyn is watching over Stephanie’s cat, Snowball. You’ll notice the claw marks on Bruce’s face, I’m thinking the feline wasn’t very fond of him.”
“I’ve heard animals can be perceptive,” Cast said, joining them. “Hill, you take Dev. I’ll take Caitlyn.”
“Got it,” Hill agreed.
The interviews took longer than he’d expected. Although he knew that discharging his firearm added a higher scrutiny to the process.
Ernest arrived and took over the investigation. Devon had to start over again, but he was glad Ernest believed him. Hill and Cast took Bruce to jail while he and Caitlyn were being questioned.
Hours later, he and Caitlyn were finally free to go.
He placed a hand under Caitlyn’s elbow. “I’ll drive you home.”
“What about the cat supplies?” She dug in her heels. “I don’t want to buy all new stuff.”
The shooting had taken place in his room, and while the connecting door was open, there wouldn’t be any kind of evidence in there. He crossed over to Ernest and asked for the items.
“It’s a crime scene,” Ernest said.
“Technically, it’s not. Besides, Snowball helped save the day. The way she launched herself at Bruce helped me disarm him.”
Ernest sighed. “Fine. You can take the cat supplies, but nothing else.”
“That’s all we need, thanks.” Devon moved toward the motel room.
“Rainer?” Ernest called.
He turned. “Yeah?”
“Nice work today.” The detective gave him a nod, then turned away.
Devon gathered all the cat supplies, wondering if that was Ernest’s way of giving him a recommendation for a promotion to detective. Then he thought about all the signs he’d missed related to Bruce being their perp and told himself he probably shouldn’t bother taking the exam.
No matter what Caitlyn said, Devon knew he should have sensed something was off about Bruce. How could he have not realized the man was a cold-blooded killer?
The devil is good at deception and trickery.
Caitlyn’s words echoed in his mind. He wondered if that was something she’d heard from attending church.
Was she right? Maybe it wasn’t all his fault for not seeing the truth about his partner. He gave himself a mental shake.
One thing was for sure, he had a lot to learn about God, faith, and the Bible.
When he had everything stored in the unmarked SUV, he drove Caitlyn back to her apartment. He pulled in next to her Honda where she’d left it, was it only thirty-six hours ago?
She sat staring through the windshield without moving, the cat still curled in her lap.
“Is something wrong?”
“I don’t want to be alone.” The words were soft. “Please, Devon, will you stay here with me? Or we can go to your house. I just—don’t want to be alone.”
“I’ll stay with you,” he assured her. “And I won’t leave until you’re ready.”
She smiled wanly and pushed out of the car. He carried in Snowball’s things, waiting for her to unlock the door.
Inside Caitlyn’s apartment, he stared at her tree for a long moment. He never bothered to decorate, but now as he looked at the star she’d perched on the top, he truly understood its significance.
The star of Bethlehem had shone the way to Jesus.
Just like Caitlyn had shown him the way to God.
He stood for long moments as she took care of the cat. Then she crossed over to join him. “I wanted to thank you again, Devon, for everything you did for me.”
He turned to face her. “You held your own. I was shocked when you threw the lamp at him.”
“I was surprised that Snowball attacked him.” She slid her arm around his waist and leaned against him.
“The cat did her part,” he agreed. He pulled Caitlyn closer into his arms. “We made a great team.”
“With God’s help.”
“Yes, with God’s help.” He inhaled the lavender scent that seemed to linger in her hair. “Caitlyn, I’d like to see you again, once this is over. Maybe we could, uh, get together for dinner sometime?”
It took a moment for the words to sink in. Then she pulled away to face him. “Dinner sounds great, Devon. But do you mind if I ask what’s changed?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Two months ago, I asked you to get together for coffee and you declined.”
He winced. “I remember.”
“So what has changed?”
He tried to think of a way to explain his feelings. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening incredulously. “You what?”
“I love you.” He smiled and lightly stroked her cheek. “I was an idiot for turning you down, Caitlyn. You’re smart, beautiful, brave, and kindhearted. I completely understand you’ll need more time, but I just wanted you to know the truth about how much I love you.”
“Oh, Devon, I’m glad to hear you say that.” She laughed and stepped into his embrace. “Because I love you too.”
“Are you sure?” He stared down into her eyes. “You’re several years younger than me. And the circumstances of our being together these past two days are hardly normal. We can take things slow, as long as you let me be a part of your life.”
“Do you think Linc and Jayme took things slow?” she teased.
“No. But they’re older . . .” He stopped when she narrowed her gaze.
“Don’t treat me like a kid, Devon. I lived with an abusive Preacher, escaped, lived on the streets while keeping away from many a predator. I’m not young, Devon. Not in any way that counts.”
“I know you’ve had a difficult upbringing,” he acknowledged. “That’s the reason I wanted to take things slow. To make sure you understand what you’re getting into.”
“I know my heart,” she said simply. “And I love you, Devon. These past two days have only given me more reasons to love you.”
“I’m not sure what I did to deserve you,” he murmured.
“Maybe it’s more that I deserve you,” she countered. “God brought us together for a reason, Devon. Who are we to question His will?”
“Not me,” he agreed. He pulled her close and kissed her, pouring his heart and soul into the embrace.
Maybe God believed they deserved each other.