Page 88 of Don't Back Down

He got out and Ghost followed, then had to make the rounds in the snow to do his business. Cameron heard the door open behind him as he waited at the edge of the carport, and then Rusty came out. Her smile was the welcome-home he’d been waiting for.

“Everything go okay?” she asked.

“More or less,” Cameron said. “I hope Woodley follows through and actually does police work instead of looking to pin it on the first kid he sees so he won’t have to work at it.”

“I have video from the trail cam. But unless you see something neither I nor the home office can see, it’s a bust.”

“Really? Damn it. I was hoping for better,” he said.

“So were we all. I won’t say any more. I just want you to look at it with fresh eyes.”

He nodded and pulled her close as she leaned against him, then Cameron told her about Ghost and the deer and made her laugh. It was her laughter that caught Ghost’s attention, and he came bounding toward her with his mouth slightly open and his tongue hanging out the side, smiling like a big goofy kid.

“Hi, buddy!” Rusty said. “Let’s go inside. It’s cold out here.”

Ghost knew “go inside” and headed for the door.

“He’s probably hoping for a treat. Ever since your arrival, he has decided he is marvelous enough to deserve one every time you smile.”

Rusty laughed again, and when she did, it echoed within the clearing and went straight into Cameron’s heart.

He followed her inside, as smitten as his dog, and knew exactly what treat he wanted, too, but that would have to wait.

As soon as Ghost settled himself, they made sandwiches and took them to the table, then Rusty turned her laptop toward Cameron so he could watch the trail cam footage while he ate. She had it fast-forwarded to the place where Leslie Morgan arrived at the trailer, and then started it.

She sat quietly as she ate, watching how intently he looked at the screen and thinking how much he’d come to mean to her. It was sad to know that neither of her parents would ever know him, but then she would never know his parents, either. They’d been the ultimate loners until their paths crossed, and some things were meant to be. She got up to refill his drink and later cleared away their empty plates, and he still hadn’t moved.

Then all of a sudden his posture changed. He leaned forward and stopped the video, studied it for a few moments, rewound it a couple of seconds back, then started it. She saw his pupils widen and knew he’d just witnessed Vanzant getting shot. At that point, she held her breath because she knew the killer would already be appearing on the scene.

Cameron leaned back, watching as the killer was moving toward the trailer, and then pointed.

“His gait.”

Rusty’s heart skipped. She’d noticed that but had no reference point to make it important.

Cameron moved the video back a few frames and sat watching the killer appear, then backed it up and watched it again, and again, and this time all the way through.

“His hand.”

“What about his hand?” Rusty asked.

“See how he’s holding that laptop?”

She moved around behind him and leaned over until their cheeks were almost touching.

“You mean clutched against his chest?”

“No. With a thumb and three fingers. He’s missing his little finger.”

“I completely missed that,” she said.

“And his gait.”

She nodded. “Yes, he kind of leans to the right a little. Like maybe his back is crooked or something.”

“No. One leg is shorter than the other. I know who that is! It’s Dewey Zane.”

“Who’s Dewey Zane?” she asked.

---