Page 36

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Kinley pulled open the door the moment she heard Cam’s car pull into the driveway. But when her gaze landed on his face, she froze. The last time she’d seen him look this serious, she’d been in the hospital. She watched him warily as he slowly slid from the driver seat, then strolled up the sidewalk as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

When he finally met her eyes, worry skittered through her. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Panic rose within her at the thought of her sisters or parents being hurt, and she suddenly felt lightheaded. A strong hand curled around her elbow, lending silent strength. “Everyone is fine. Let’s go inside.”

Cam guided her to the couch and she sat automatically, her gaze fixed on his. He hefted a sigh as he sank down next to her.

“I need talk to you about a case we’re working on,” Cam began slowly. “That call I got this morning—it was for a homicide.”

Her eyes widened with worry. “I’m sorry. What happened?”

“The man was Corey Hayes.”

The wheels in her mind turned the name over and over until it finally clicked. Kinley jerked upright. “Oh, my God. Hayes? The handyman?”

Cam nodded, his expression somber. “Yes, the same Hayes. He was found in an old abandoned building downtown.”

Kinley sank back into the couch. “Who would do such a thing?”

He hesitated for a long moment before speaking. “Kins, we found something at the crime scene. Something that belongs to you.”

“Something of mine?” Shock saturated her tone. How could something of hers possibly end up at a crime scene? It didn’t make sense.

Cam reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic baggie. Her brows drew together as her gaze landed on the silver star keychain inside. He held it out to her, and she stared at it in shock.

“What—?” She shook her head. “I thought I lost it. I…”

She abruptly trailed off as what he’d said earlier sank in. She’d first noticed the keychain was missing after the mugging in the parking lot. But it had somehow ended up at the scene of a murder. How was that possible?

“It was found in the building near Hayes’s body,” Cam explained gently. “We need to understand how it got there.”

Cold washed over her as she tore her gaze from the keychain and glanced up at Cam. “I… I don’t know. I mean, I noticed it was missing, but I don’t know how long it’s been gone.”

She hated that her voice trembled as she spoke. She passed the evidence bag back to Cam and wrapped her arms around her waist. Her breaths came too fast, like she couldn’t draw in enough air.

“Hayes was working on your house, right? It’s possible he took it,” Cam said, trying to sound reassuring. “But we need you to come down to the station so we can take your prints.”

A sharp pain ricocheted through her heart. “You think I did this? You really think I could be involved in something like this?”

“No, sweetheart, I don’t think you had anything to do with it,” Cam said soothingly. “It’s just procedure.”

She stared at him in shock. “Of course my prints are going to be on it. It’s my keychain!”

He held up a hand to reassure her. “And that’s exactly what we need to know. We need to collect your prints, that way we can narrow down who might be responsible.”

She stood up, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the chill that had settled deep in her bones. Tears burned across the bridge of her nose as a hollow feeling took root in her chest. Emotion clogged her throat, and she turned away from him, desperately trying to keep him from seeing how deeply his words had affected her. “You know I wouldn’t do this.”

“I know that,” he said, standing as well and taking a step towards her. “I’m not accusing you of anything,” he said softly. “I would never do that.”

His hand landed on her arm, but she pulled away. Kinley cleared her throat. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

She stalked toward the door, but Cam caught her by the waist and pulled her to a halt. She kept her gaze down as he swiveled her in his arms, unwilling to look at him. He knew her better than anyone. How could he do this to her?

Logically she knew he was just doing his job. He had to be thorough so that the killer didn’t get away. But it felt like the sharpest betrayal.

His thumbs slid across her cheeks, swiping the tears away. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Please don’t cry.”

He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin. “I’m just trying to protect you. The sooner we clear this up, the sooner we can focus on finding the real killer.”

“I understand.”

She did. Truly. But the hurt didn’t abate as she grabbed her keys and purse, then followed him to the car. Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken words. The drive to the station was tense, neither of them speaking.

When they arrived at the station, Cam led Kinley inside, the familiar sights and sounds of the precinct feeling suddenly foreign and uncomfortable. He guided her to his office, where Sawyer was waiting to take her prints.

“This won’t take long,” Cam said, trying to sound reassuring.

They worked quickly, taking her fingerprints and comparing them against the ones found on the keychain. After what felt like an eternity, he nodded to Cam. “I’ve isolated her prints, which leaves us an unidentified partial to work with.”

“Perfect.” He turned to Kinley and gave her hand a little squeeze. “That’s exactly what we needed.”

Kinley nodded, her shoulders sagging. “I’m glad. But this still doesn’t explain how my keychain ended up there.”

“Do you happen to remember when it went missing?” Sawyer asked.

Kinley shook her head. “I noticed it was gone after…” Her voice cracked, and she started over, gesturing toward Cam. “After Cam picked up my things in the parking lot, I realized it was missing. I figured it fell off or got broken when I dropped my keys.”

“Don’t worry.” Sawyer offered her an encouraging smile. “We’ll figure out what’s going on. You just stay safe in the meantime, keep an eye on your surroundings and let us know if anything strange happens.”

“I will.”

Cam looped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s been a long day. Let’s head home.”

God, yes. She liked the sound of that.