Chastity had a decision to make. Sure, she’d contacted the police about the gun. Was she willing to lead them to Thad? Especially since it was obvious that he was trying to destroy or hide evidence?
She already knew. She was going to do the right thing. It was people like her dad, or the cop from all those years ago or even Thad, who thought that rules weren’t meant for them. Those were the people who had to be stopped.
Exhaling, she picked up his cell. “We have to assume that he left his phone so he couldn’t be tracked,” she said.
“That’s smart of him,” said Grace. “Where do you think he went? Do you have a car?”
Chastity shook her head. “No car.”
“Could he have gotten a ride from someone? A friend?”
Chastity wasn’t about to admit they had no friends. Still, she opened his text messages.
Nothing.
“Do we assume he’s close?” Grace asked. “What would he do with the gun?”
It was a good question. Thad designed games. He always inserted a way to escape in every situation. Real life would be no different. Yet Grace’s question still hung in the air.
“What would he do with the gun?” Chastity repeated. Then she recalled. He did have a plan. They were supposed to lay low for weeks, then... “He’s going to throw the gun into Lake Michigan.”
“How would he get there without a car? Ride share?” Grace answered her own query. “That wouldn’t make sense. Whoever drove Thad would be one more witness.”
“Let’s see what he looked up on his phone.” She scrolled through his internet history. “There’s nothing.”
“But if he left his phone so you couldn’t track him, then I doubt he left any clues on it, either.”
Grace was right and Chastity’s jaw tightened with frustration. As she leaned back in the chair, her eye was drawn to Thad’s computer system. She entered some keystrokes.
An internet history appeared. “It looks like he deleted some of his searches, but I can work around that.” It took only a few seconds and Chastity had recovered everything.
Grace read from over her shoulder. “Grave Gulch Car Sharing. He rented a car?”
Chastity continued to type. A map, along with a flashing red dot, appeared on the screen. Chastity pointed to the dot. “There he is.” Her mouth was dry. “That’s the car Thad rented.”
Grace bounded down the stairs from the apartment to the street level. Chastity had transferred all of the data from Thad’s car share to her phone and was at her side.
They knew where Thad was at this moment, but where was he going? How would they catch him?
Grace opened the door to the sidewalk as a set of headlights cut through the gathering darkness and she glanced down the street. It was a sleek, silver sedan. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Camden?” She whispered his name.
Chastity followed her gaze. Eyes narrowed, she asked, “Who’s that?”
The car pulled to the curb and the passenger-side window rolled down without a sound. Camden leaned across the seat. He lifted his chin. “Hey.”
Grace exhaled. “Hey.”
“Who’s he?” Chastity asked, her voice brittle.
“He’s the guy who’ll help us get that gun.”
“The gun?” Camden echoed. “You mean to tell me that you’ve found Robert Grimaldi’s gun?”
Chastity bit the cuticle of her thumb. The nailbed filled with blood. “I know you. I saw you on the video. You were at the press conference yesterday.”
He gave a quick nod. “That’s me.”
Grace would never know why Camden appearing in the online video made him someone that Chastity could trust. Or maybe the younger woman was just tired of hiding, and running, and lying. In the end, it really didn’t matter.
“I know where he is,” she said, holding up her phone. The GPS hadn’t updated in several minutes, leaving the pinpoint for his car on the outskirts of Grave Gulch. “I’m not sure where he’s going.”
Camden put the gearshift into Park and the doors automatically unlocked. “I know where he’s headed. Get in.”
Grace slipped into the passenger seat as Chastity got into the back.
“You know where he’s going?” Grace pulled the door shut and put on her seat belt. “How?”
“That road leads to a state park on the shores of Lake Michigan. I was just there.”
Was that where Camden and her cousin had been searching for the serial killer? Grace glanced over her shoulder. Certainly, they shouldn’t talk about an open investigation in front of Chastity.
Camden must have guessed at her hesitation to continue the conversation. He added, “It wasn’t him.”
“Lake Michigan?” Chastity echoed from the back seat. “It’s what he planned to do with the gun from the beginning.”
“So, this guy is who? Your boyfriend?” He glanced at Chastity through the rearview mirror.
For half a second, Grace wondered how Camden knew about the relationship between Chastity and Thad. Or for that matter, how he had found her in the first place. Then she saw the receiver that was tucked between the seats. For the first time in nearly an hour, she felt the tiny microphone taped to her chest.
Had Camden been listening to her? She had to assume so. In the end, there was only one thing that mattered. He was here. Could Grace finally let go of the dread and despair of the last two days? Was everything going to finally turn out okay?
“I think I should tell you,” said Chastity, her voice barely rising above the revving engine and the road noise, “Thad won’t let you arrest him. He’s hell-bent on winning.”
Grace turned in her seat, so she could see the other woman. “This isn’t a game.”
“It is to him,” she said. “Winning or losing, that’s all there is.”
“If the police find him, he’ll go to jail. There is no other choice,” Camden said.
“There is one more choice.” The car suddenly felt cold. Goose flesh covered Grace’s arms and she quelled a shiver. Before she could ask what Thad planned, Chastity spoke. “He’ll die before he loses. That, or he’ll kill someone else.”
Camden tightened his grip on the steering wheel and dropped his foot onto the accelerator. There was no way he was letting another criminal go free. “I’m calling backup.” Using the controls on the steering wheel, he contacted Bryce Colton. Since he was heading back to the park they’d just left, Camden might get lucky. The Fed might still be nearby.
“This is Agent Colton.”
“Bryce, I’m heading back to the park in pursuit of the male who witnessed the shooting. He has the gun and is driving a...”
From the back seat, Chastity said, “Blue, hybrid hatchback.”
“Blue, hybrid hatchback,” he repeated. “Any chance you’re around?”
“Sorry, man. I’m no help at all. I’m headed in the opposite direction. Someone called in another sighting of Len Davison.”
Is that all the Fed did with his day? “I’ll call Troy.”
“And Brett,” Bryce suggested. He paused. “You do good work. Not many guys like us left who only focus on the job.”
Camden placed the two calls, gave the information and got the response he hoped to hear from both. “On the way.”
Yet, as he spoke and planned, his mind worked through a completely different set of problems. Camden wondered if what Bryce said was true. Was Camden only focused on the job?
That used to be the case.
Was it still true, or had Grace changed everything?
The park entrance was dark. In the distance, the water of Lake Michigan reflected the night sky.
“Where is he?” Grace whispered, even though the area seemed to be empty.
Chastity looked at the phone. The screen illuminated her from beneath. Grace recalled all those sleepovers as a kid when her siblings and cousins took turns telling scary stories and used a flashlight to cast ghoulish shadows on their faces. But this was no childhood party.
“The app still won’t update,” said Chastity. She sucked in a breath. “Unless...”
“Unless what?” Camden turned off the engine and the lights.
“Unless,” Chastity said, “he disabled it from his end.”
Camden cursed.
Grace’s stomach dropped to her shoes. “Think about it,” she said. “He’s still on the way here, even if he thought to disable the app.”
In the dark, Camden’s profile was a shadow. Grace’s fingers itched with the need to touch him. But now wasn’t the time. “You might be right, Grace,” he said, his words seeming to come out from nowhere and everywhere all at once. “We should pull off the main road and wait to see if he shows up.”
Without turning on the lights, he drove toward the lake. A narrow dirt path ran into the woods. Camden maneuvered the car into the space so that the nose faced out and the road was visible, yet their auto was hidden by the shadows.
“We should tell Brett and Troy where we are right now,” she said. “They should be here soon.”
Grace placed two brief calls. Both men less than five minutes away. Then there was nothing to do besides wait—and hope that Thad was really coming to the park. There was so much she wanted to say to Camden. To ask him. Did they have a future together? Is that what she wanted?
Yet, she sat without speaking. She couldn’t have the conversation with Chastity in the back seat.
A blue car sped past.
“It’s him,” said Chastity.
“Coming up on foot is the best plan,” said Camden. He retrieved a gun from the glove box of his car. He slipped the firearm into the waistband of his jeans at his back.
Grace unclipped her seat belt. “Let’s go.”
“Go?” Camden echoed. “You can’t go anywhere.”
“Don’t bring up the bull about me not being a cop. I might be on administrative leave, but I’m as dedicated to upholding justice as anyone on the force.”
Camden let out a long exhale. “Is there anything I can say to convince you to stay?”
“You heard what Troy and Brett said. They’re still five minutes out. This is going to be over before they get here.” She saw the flash in his eyes and knew that she’d hit on a nerve. Since his father’s death, he’d been trying to save the world all on his own. Reaching for his arm, she continued, “Camden, you cannot do this alone. We’re better together.”
“You win.” He exhaled. “But you have to do as I say.”
Grace smiled. “Yes, sir.”
“Chastity,” he continued, “you have to stay in the car.”
“I won’t go anywhere,” the young woman said.
Grace and Camden exited the car. Keeping to the tree line, they walked quietly and quickly to the water’s edge and the blue car.
“Where is he?” Camden asked at the same moment Grace noticed that the car was empty.
She swallowed down a wave of despair that rose from her middle. Were they too late? Had Thad already thrown the gun into the water? Would Grace ever truly clear her name?
Then she heard a metallic click. Soft, but unmistakable, it was the sound of a safety being released from a gun.
Camden heard the noise. The hair at the nape of his neck stood straight. Someone was standing behind them and that was bad enough. What was worse—the person had a gun, and they were ready to use it.
His own firearm was tucked into the small of his back, hidden by his jacket. Could he draw, turn and fire before the assailant got off a shot? He thought not.
Holding up his hands in mock surrender, Camden asked, “What d’you want?”
“I’m not going to jail.”
Camden glanced over his shoulder. A guy, brown hair covered by a beanie, held the gun in both hands. With his feet planted on the ground, he looked like he’d learned to shoot by playing laser tag.
“You Thad?” Camden asked, turning slowly. He had one objective—to disarm the suspect.
“How’d you know my name? You a cop?”
“I’m with Internal Affairs, so I’m worse. I’m a cop’s cop.”
“Listen,” said Grace as she turned to face Thad, as well. “I think we can work our way out of this mess. All of us. You hand over the gun and let us go. We don’t have to say anything about how it was found...”
“Chastity might be a moron.” Thad aimed the gun at Grace. “But I’m not. I don’t believe you for a minute. I’m not going to jail, now or ever. But you do bring up an interesting point. I don’t know how this all ends, especially since all of you cops are corrupt.” He cursed quietly and narrowed his eyes. “Besides, she’s definitely guilty. Which is good for me, because I can’t have any witnesses.”
Camden’s blood went cold. No witnesses?
Before Camden could speak, Thad rolled back his shoulders. “Say your prayers now, both of you. It’s time for you to die.”
In her short time on the force, Grace had faced more than one dangerous individual. Yet, Thad had two things that made him different. He had a gun and enough desperation to use it.
“Walk towards the water,” he snarled.
Before that moment, Grace had wondered how the simple threat of violence had the ability to make people compliant—even to the point of putting themselves in greater danger. At that instant, she understood.
It was all about survival. If you cooperated, you might live.
Hands up and palms out, she walked toward the lake.
Thad had a gun. He was all emotion and no lucid thought.
Could she get him to think?
“You can’t do it, you know.”
A sheen of sweat covered Thad’s brow. “What d’you mean?”
Grace needed something—anything—to use as a weapon. There was a boat several yards away. Was there an oar inside? She had no way of knowing.
“What d’you mean?” he asked again. “I can’t do what?”
Camden said, “Kill us and get away with it.”
“Oh, yeah?” Thad laughed at the statement. “You don’t think I can pull this trigger and end your life?”
“You can shoot us, if you want.” Grace veered toward the boat. “But murder is messy business. There’ll be blood everywhere. I don’t care what you do with the gun. Our DNA will be all over this beach. There are other cops on the way right now and that brings up another important question. Do you really think you can get rid of two corpses before they show? I don’t.”
“Stop walking. Shut up and let me think,” Thad growled. Was there a slight tremor in his voice?
“Thad, just let us go.” Camden glanced at Grace. Was he willing her to move forward? Or warning her to stay put?
She took another step to the side, another step closer to the boat. He continued, “You’re already in deep trouble. Don’t make it worse.”
Grace’s chest was tight. Her focus was razor-sharp but also divided.
There was Thad, anxious and ill, along with his gun.
Could she make him see how killing her—a police officer—would make his situation go from bad to beyond terrible?
There was also the boat. It was her only means of attack, escape and survival.
She knew one thing: unless she did something, she would die on this beach. Shifting her weight to the left, she scooted her foot a fraction of an inch. Thad seemed not to notice. She moved again—and then, once more.
“What’re you doing, cop?” he snarled.
Grace froze.
“Stop fidgeting. It’s giving me a headache. Hell, I already have a headache.”
Camden said, “You don’t want to break the law.”
“Couldn’t you have just left me alone?” Thad drew in a ragged breath. “Because of you, now I’m a criminal? And it’s the cops who are corrupt. It doesn’t matter that the guy on the street pulled his gun first. She—” he hitched his chin toward Grace “—deserves to die.”
Grace understood the truth, and it chilled her soul. Thad was more than frantic. He was unhinged. She’d never be able to reason with him. Which meant she had to act.
Without another thought, she sprinted toward the boat.
At that moment, all hell broke loose.
Camden watched as Thad turned toward Grace and hooked his thumb onto the hammer. He pulled it back with a click that Camden felt in his teeth. A round was in the chamber.
Yet Thad’s attention was on Grace and that was all Camden needed to draw and aim his own weapon. “Move another inch, and I’ll paint the beach with your brains,” Camden said.
Thad didn’t bother to turn around.
“You think I care what happens now? I’d rather die than go to jail.”
Only moments before, time had been slow, yet now it raced. Thad lifted the gun, aiming at his own head.
“No!” Camden launched himself at the other man, while slipping his gun back into the waistband of his jeans. As he approached, Thad whirled around and slammed the weapon into the side of Camden’s head. For a moment, his vision went black.
He grabbed Thad’s arm. They both fell to the sand. Holding Thad’s wrist, he pulled back. Thad screamed in pain. Thad’s gun fired. Where had the shot gone? Where was Grace?
“You...” Thad held tight to the gun. Snarling, he slammed his skull into the bridge of Camden’s nose.
Camden’s skull ached, yet he refused to let go. Shifting his body weight, he flipped over, pinning Thad’s arm behind his back. Camden pried one finger loose and then another. As he heard the crunch of tires on gravel, three sets of headlights swept over the beach. Finally, the backup.
Guns drawn, Brett Shea, Daniel Coleman, Troy Colton and two others ran toward the water’s edge. The fight seemed to leave Thad. Brett dragged Thad to his feet. “You’re coming with us,” he growled, cuffing the witness’s hands behind his back.
Camden rose to his feet. A round had been fired, but where had the bullet gone? Where was Grace? Was she okay? The sand shifted and he listed to the side. “My car.” He pointed to where he’d parked. “The female witness is in my car.”
One of the uniformed officers said, “I’ll get her.”
“What happened?” Grace ran over to Camden and wrapped her arms around his middle. God, it felt so good to hold her that his head buzzed. “The gun went off.”
“I don’t know where the bullet went.” A halo surrounded the headlights. A pain drove through his brow and his thoughts seemed lost in a mist.
“Camden? Camden!” Grace’s voice echoed, as if she were yelling at him from beneath the waves. “Are you okay?”
He tried to nod, but his head wouldn’t move.
Grace called out, “Brett. Daniel. Someone! I need an ambulance.”
Brett slipped his arm under Camden’s shoulder and lowered him back to the beach. “Looks like you got hit in the head. An ambulance is on the way. You need to sit until it shows up.”
“I’ve got this.” Grace knelt at his side. “Brett, you secure the scene.”
The wail of a far-off siren grew louder, the noise drove into his brain.
“Sounds like the ambulance,” said Grace.
Camden’s eyes were heavy. Blackness surrounded him on all sides, like he was in a tunnel. He was tired, so tired. It would be so easy to rest, just for a minute.
“Stay awake, Camden. You’ll be okay.” She choked on her words. “For me, you have to be okay.”
“I’ll do anything for you,” he said, his hand on hers.
Then he stopped fighting and stepped into the darkness.
A pair of EMTs rushed toward the shore at the same moment that Camden lost consciousness.
“We have this,” one of them told Grace.
She still held Camden and didn’t want to let go of him.
“Grace,” said Troy. His hand was on her arm. “Let the EMTs do their work.”
Her brother was right. She stood. Her hands shook. Her legs trembled. Her eyes burned, and her throat was raw. Despite everything she’d been taught about being a police officer, nothing had prepared her for this moment. “Will he be okay?” she asked Troy.
“I hope so.”
“Officer Coleman, call the hospital,” one EMT said. Camden was strapped to a gurney. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth. An IV was attached to his arm. “This guy has a head injury. We need a scan to determine if there’s a brain bleed.”
“I’m on it,” said Daniel. He used his mic to connect with Dispatch.
“Camden’s getting the best treatment.” Troy still had hold of her arm. “Let’s get out of their way so they can get their job done.”
Grace didn’t want to leave Camden’s side, but she let him lead her to the waiting police cruisers. Hands secured behind her back with flex-cuffs, Chastity sat in the back of a black-and-white police car. A patrol officer read her the Miranda rights. “You have the right to remain silent.” Blah, blah, blah.
Grace glanced at the other woman. Rage boiled up from her gut, leaving her hot and sweating. She clenched her fists and looked away.
“Grace, wait,” Chastity called out. “I want to talk to you.”
That was the last thing Grace wanted. In fact, what she wanted more than anything was to be furious. “If you hadn’t interfered the other night, then none of this would’ve happened.”
“I’m sorry for everything.”
Grace wasn’t in the mood to be forgiving. But she said, “If you’re actually sorry, you have to tell the truth.”
“I know. I will. I just wanted to apologize.”
Would Chastity really take responsibility? Would she be honest about what she’d done? Would she really be able to start over?
After all, she had helped find Thad, so maybe she would change.
She gave a small nod.
“Let me take you home,” said Troy. “Or, better yet, I’ll drop you off at Dad and Leanne’s house.”
“I’m not going to lie. I want my mom right now.”
“No shame in that.” He opened the passenger door to his police car, a blue SUV. “Let’s go.”
Grace shook her head. “There’s someplace else I need to be.”
“Where’s that?”
A pair of EMTs walked toward the waiting ambulance. One held the top of a stretcher, the other carried the foot. Camden was under a sheet and secured with straps.
“Take me to the hospital. I need to be with Camden.”
Grace sat in the waiting room at Grave Gulch Hospital. On a Saturday evening, the room was deserted—except for her. Grace held an unopened pack of graham crackers and stared at a muted TV that hung on the wall.
“Troy said I’d find you here.”
Grace looked up as Melissa stepped into the room. “Hey.”
“You know I never wanted any of this to happen, right? I might’ve said some harsh things about Camden, but it was because I was worried about you.” She paused. “Turns out I was wasting my time being concerned. He’s a great guy.”
“I’m not mad at you, I promise. I’m just worried.”
“What’d they say about Camden’s condition?”
“He’s getting a scan. I was told that the concussion was severe, but there might be other problems.” Grace glanced at the clock on the wall. It was half-past ten. “He’s already been gone for more than an hour. Not sure how much longer it’ll take.” She paused. “What’s going on with the case?”
“Brett talked to Chastity Shoals, the female witness. She’s confessed to hiding the gun and confirms that it was taken from Robert Grimaldi. She also told Brett that Grimaldi pulled his gun on you. The serial number matches a gun that was reported stolen from Grimaldi’s mother. In short, your name’s been cleared. On Monday, you’ll be reinstated to the force.”
Obviously, that was good news. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder. “Was all of this worth it?”
“Sometimes finding justice is messy business. Aside from you being exonerated, there’s more good news. Some of the protesters are meeting with the mayor, Arielle and Brett on Monday. It seems that this episode has opened up a dialogue.”
Okay, that was more good news. “Why’s Brett going to the meeting and not you?”
“Because he’s the police chief.”
“If my name gets cleared, then your name will be cleared, too. Aren’t you going back to work?”
“It’s like I said at Palmer’s party. Antonio and I are thinking about the future. I won’t be coming back to the GGPD.”
“You what? Why?”
“Well, I got some pretty surprising news this morning.” Melissa rested her hand on her abdomen.
The gesture was a not-too-subtle hint. “A baby? Are you kidding? Congrats!” Grace opened her arms for an embrace.
Melissa laughed. “The Colton family just keeps growing and growing.”
“Family is nice,” she said. Yet, her mind was drawn to the picture of Camden’s father—a man whose death had shaped his son’s life. Certainly, Camden deserved all the happiness a family could bring.
A dark-haired woman in scrubs, lab coat and surgical cap entered the waiting room.
“Are you Grace Colton?” the doctor asked. A badge hung on a lanyard around her neck. It read: Dr. Shah.
“I am.” Grace was on her feet, though she didn’t remember standing. “How’s Camden?”
“I can’t say much since you aren’t a family member, but we’re done with all the tests.”
“Can I see him?”
“We sedated him in case there was any swelling in the brain. Now that I’ve seen the scan, we’ll take him off the meds. He should be up for a visit in a few hours.”
“Thanks for the update,” said Grace.
The doctor said, “You’re welcome” and then left.
“Why don’t I give you a ride home?” Melissa offered.
“You know,” said Grace, “I think I’m going to stay here and wait for Camden to wake up.”
“Are you kidding? You heard what the doctor said. It could be hours.”
How long would it take to get from Detroit to Grave Gulch? A few hours seemed about right. “Don’t worry about me. Besides, I have to make a call.”
Camden stood at the end of a long tunnel. It looked familiar. Yet how did he know? There were no features, it was simply dark. A light shone in the distance, but to him it looked like it was miles away.
He wanted to stay in the darkness, where it was quiet and warm.
Then he heard a woman’s voice. “Camden? Can you hear me?”
He knew the woman’s face. She had blue eyes and hair that shone like gold in the sunshine.
“Camden?”
The light was brighter now. He was almost at the end of the tunnel. Would the woman be waiting for him?
“Camden. It’s me, Grace.”
Grace. Grace. Grace. His heartbeat resonated with her name.
He burst from the tunnel and opened his eyes. He squinted against the glare and the throbbing pain in his head.
“Where am I?” he croaked. It felt like he’d swallowed glass. What the hell?
“You’re in the hospital with a concussion.”
Just his head? The localized pain had spread, and now his whole body hurt. His eyes were dry, yet he peeled them open. Grace looked down on him. He touched her face. She was warm and soft and real. “You’re here.”
“Of course I’m here. Where else would I be?”
Camden couldn’t focus on much, but he did remember her rather large and tight-knit clan. “At another family party,” he said.
She laughed, although he hadn’t meant it as a joke. Well, maybe it was a little funny. “No parties on a Sunday morning.”
Sunday morning? The last thing Camden remembered was that it had been Saturday evening. The fog surrounding his thoughts cleared, and he recalled the park. The witnesses. The gun.
He tried to sit up. His head swam, and his stomach churned. “What now?”
“There’s someone who wants to see you.”
Grace stepped aside, and for the first time, Camden realized that someone else was in the room. He screwed his eyes shut. Maybe he was seeing things. Opening his eyes again, he said, “Mom?”
His mother stood near the door, clasping her hands. “I got a call from your girlfriend about what happened. I came. I hope you don’t mind.”
Camden’s eyes watered. “It’s good to see you.” He paused, yet there was so much he wanted to say.
“I’ll let the doctor know that you’re awake,” said Grace. He saw through her ploy. She just wanted to give Camden and his mom a moment alone.
His mother waited until Grace had left the room before moving closer to his bed. “I know we don’t talk much. But I like that girl. She’s a keeper.”
At one time, the Kingsleys had been a happy family. Then his dad had fallen victim to his shame and disgrace, taking not only his own life but the joy from those he left behind. Could Camden and his mother, well, maybe not rebuild that old relationship, but could they create something new? And if they did, he’d have Grace to thank.
“You know, Mom, I think that you’re right.”