Page 17 of Christmas Crisis

“I have insurance.” Gary waved an impatient hand. “That’s not why I came out here. I feel somewhat responsible, for this mess too. I swear I was watching the cameras but never saw this guy.”

He’d wondered about that. Turning, he stared across the parking lot. From this position, he could just barely make out the camera located on the second floor near the stairs that were positioned right outside Elly’s room. At the time, he’d thought that room was the best for her. Close to the stairs leading down to the ground level and close to the camera that would alert them to danger.

Then he frowned. “Gary, has that camera outside the room been tampered with?”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you.” Gary looked upset, making Joe wonder if the guy was concerned about his relationship with Rhy. “I was watching the cameras and didn’t see anyone. Not a single hint of movement. But I also didn’t notice the one camera was pointing off at an odd angle.”

“That camera right outside Elly’s room.” His heart sank.

“Yes, although I didn’t make that connection.” Gary’s expression revealed his anguish. “I feel like I let you down, Joe. Rhy too.”

“It’s okay.” Gary was a former firefighter, not a cop. He wouldn’t think like a cop, no matter what the circumstances. That was his job. If anyone had failed here, it was him. Joe should have double checked that the camera was pointed in the correct direction.

“It’s my fault,” Gary muttered. “All my fault.”

“It’s not,” Joe interjected. “The shooter did this, not you. And I should have noticed it too. I guess the good news is that he didn’t target any of the other motel rooms.”

Gary’s jaw dropped as if that possibility hadn’t occurred to him. The older man spun around to stare at the front of the motel. “You’re right. It’s only the room Elly was in that was destroyed.”

“Yeah.” And that, too, wasn’t typical behavior for the typical active shooter. Joe would have expected the gunman to spray the entire front of the motel, taking out as many people and damaging as much of the structure as possible.

But he hadn’t. No, the shooter had focused all his attention on Elly’s room.

A shiver snaked down his spine as the implication sank deep. This guy was not playing around. Joe wasn’t sure how they’d escaped this far. He would have to get Elly way off-grid to keep her safe.

He heard Steele on the phone and realized he was already checking with Raelyn, comparing the brass they’d found here to the ones she’d discovered at the scene of the Christmas parade.

“Yeah, okay. Thanks.” Steele lowered his phone. “It’s a match, at least make and model. We’ll need forensics to compare in more detail.”

“That’s something. Although we can’t connect the brass to the shooter unless we find the gun.” Joe sighed. “Let’s keep searching for evidence.”

“Hey, I found something over here!” A uniformed officer waved his hand to get their attention. Joe and Steele jogged over.

“What is it?” As soon as the question left his mouth, he saw the barest hint of a footprint. It wasn’t much, and he glanced up at the officer with a frown. “You sure this isn’t from one of the dozens of cops roaming around?”

“I’m sure. We spread out in a grid formation.” The young officer’s gaze was earnest. “I think the shooter left it.”

“Maybe.” Joe wasn’t completely convinced. “Go ahead and mark it. Keep your eyes peeled. Maybe we’ll find another to match it.”

“Will do.” The young cop appeared anxious to please.

As he rose to his feet, Joe realized the news of Kyle Malaki’s death must have spread across the cop community. Not that nailing a cold-blooded shooter wasn’t motivation enough, but a cop killer always ratcheted up every officer’s desire to apprehend a perp.

Whatever it takes, he thought with a grim sigh. They needed every cop in the entire city to be on high alert.

He began to walk toward the squad where he’d stashed Elly, but then he realized what he was doing. Checking on her wasn’t necessary. There was still work to be done, and she was safe inside the squad.

Turning away, he caught Steele’s arched brow and inwardly winced. Yeah, his fellow officer had noticed what he’d almost done.

Steele knew he was getting too emotionally involved.

Steele gestured him over. “You found the brass here, right?”

“Yeah.” Joe swept his gaze up the tree. “I see what you’re thinking. Give me a leg up.”

Steele obliged by lacing his fingers together to make a stirrup. Joe stepped up into Steele’s hands, then braced his hands on the tree trunk as Steele hoisted him up.

He caught the lowest branch, then pulled himself up to climb the tree. As a kid, he’d loved climbing trees, but as an adult, he found it difficult to wedge himself between the branches. They were bare of leaves but still close together.

---