by Lila Bruce
Ramsey gave a little laugh. “I’m the law in this county, of course I’m going to get away it.” He stopped ten feet from them. “When I left the Johnston house, you three were still tidying up.” He shrugged both shoulders. “Big production like what went on tonight brings out all sorts of people. Obviously some unsavory character broke in hoping to steal some TV equipment and you three interrupted him. It’ll be a tragedy.”
There was a small noise behind her and Avery turned to see that Hobbs had finally caught up to her. She motioned for him to be quiet as he went to his knees beside her.
“Like Roxanne Johnston?” Cam said, the strength in her voice surprising Avery. She didn’t sound like someone facing down the barrel of a gun. Cam, now standing with hands on both her hips, the full moon glinting off the highlights in her hair, looked and sounded pissed as hell.
Damn, but I could fall in love with this woman. But only if Ramsey didn’t kill her first. Avery leaned toward Hobbs. “We’ve got find a way to get on that dock without Ramsey seeing us,” she whispered. “When I see an opening, I’m going to go for it. Be ready.”
“This is going to kill my Mama.”
Avery gripped him firmly on the shoulder. “You’ll be there for her. Right now, we’ve got to stay focused.”
Hobbs nodded and looked back toward the scene unfolding on the dock.
“Roxanne Johnston was a fool,” Ramsey spit out. “Like I was going to leave my wife…jeopardize my career for what? Her?”
“So, you did kill her.”
Ramsey nodded at Cam’s question. “The little bitch threatened to go public. She didn’t leave me any other choice. And it ain’t like anybody’s missed her all these years.”
“Until Jennifer found the diary.”
“That goddamned diary.” He took a step forward. “At least it was that idiot Bishop who took Morris’s report, so nothing ever came of it.” He gave a wicked little laugh. “I about shit myself when he sent it to me at the end of the month to sign off on with his other reports. At least he had the good sense to get Morris’s contact information before sending her on her way.”
“Why did you have to kill her?” Cam asked. “Couldn’t you have just taken the diary from her? Pretend like you were going to investigate?”
“I couldn’t chance it. And then the bitch wouldn’t tell me where she’d hidden the damned thing.”
“Then why not take it now?” Cam turned back to Jane, who reached into her purse and pulled out the book. Cam took the diary from Jane’s hand and held it up in the air for Ramsey to see. “Take the diary and let us go. Like you said, you’re the law in this town. Nobody would believe us over you any day.”
At the sight of the diary, Ramsey swayed, the arm holding the gun lowering toward the dock. It was the moment Avery had been waiting for. She tapped Hobbs on the arm and moved out from behind the sign, walking as quietly as her department-issued boots would let her onto the dock.
“How about I kill the three of you,” Ramsey drawled, “and then take the diary.”
“Over my dead body,” Avery said quietly from behind him.
He whirled around in shock and fired off a wild round. Before Avery could take aim with her own sidearm, a gunshot echoed in her right ear. Ramsey reeled backward, the bullet fired by Hobbs striking him in the shoulder, causing him to lose hold of his weapon. He stumbled, lurched toward Cam, and caught her around the neck, pulling her close. Cam struggled, grabbing at his arm with both hands.
“Stay back, damn it, or I’ll throw her in. You’ll never find her in that water, as thick and dark as it is. I got nothing to lose, Smith. You know I’ll do it!”
Avery motioned for Hobbs to hold his position. They were some fifteen feet away, so if either of them tried to rush Ramsey, there was little chance of reaching him before he managed to throw Cam in the lake. They were at a stalemate and Ramsey knew it.
The moon shined bright behind them, illuminating the dock with an eerie glow. He grinned at Avery and slipped a hand down to Cam’s throat. “I could break this little neck so easy. Don’t try to be a hero, either one of you. Drop the guns.”
Avery lowered her weapon. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Hobbs doing the same. “It’s over now, Ramsey. Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
Ramsey raised his head defiantly, seemingly oblivious to the blood spurting from his injured shoulder. “I’ll say when it’s over.”
Before Avery could respond, she saw Cam’s knees buckle. Ramsey tightened his grip around her neck, taking a step back to steady them both. Just as quickly, Cam seemed to recover.
“Buddy…” The mournful voice seemed to reverberate across the lake, bringing with it a standstill to all action on the dock.
Avery looked around for its source but saw no signs of the ethereal mist that had been present earlier at the séance. She exchanged glances with a wide-eyed Hobbs, who shook his head in a mix of confusion and fear.
“Buddy,” the voice said again, and this time Avery realized it resonated from Cam. Her arms at her sides, head raised as far as Ramsey’s arm would allow it, Cam’s eyes shone an unnatural shade of green in the moonlight. “Buddy, why did you leave me?”
Ramsey, seeming to realize then where the voice was coming from, released his hold on Cam, and staggered back. “What the—”
Cam—Roxanne—turned slowly to face Ramsey and raised one arm. “Why did you leave me, Buddy?” she wailed, moving toward him in a deliberate gait. “You told me that we would be together forever.”
“No,” he shook his head, stepping backward. “No, this is some sort of trick.”
“Stay with me, Buddy,” Roxanne moaned. “Stay with me forever.”
Avery watched in fascinated horror as Cam—Roxanne—advanced on Ramsey, one arm outstretched. Ramsey continued to backpedal, mumbling and shaking his head in disbelief. Avery realized too late that they’d reached the edge of the dock.
“Cam, no!” she shouted, sprinting forward just as Cam—Roxanne—hurled herself at Ramsey and sent them both sailing through the air before crashing into the dark waters of the lake.
Ignoring Mildred’s cry, Avery dove in after them, the cold water shocking her system. She kicked back to the surface and spit out a mouthful of the filthy water before taking a gasp of air and diving back under. The lake’s depths were murky, and Avery could barely see beyond the length of her arm. She rose again, treading water as she looked across the lake for any sign of life below the surface.
There was none.
Taking another breath of air, she dove back under, the foul water of the lake burning at the semi-healed gash beneath her bandaged hand. Her lungs on fire, Avery caught a glimpse of a body floating toward her. She kicked her legs and swam toward the figure, collecting it in her arms and returning both of them to the surface. Her head popped up in the clear, cold air. Avery gulped in the fresh air, ignoring the wretched taste of lake water that came with it.
“Avery, this way!”
She kicked her legs, towing Cam back toward the dock and the sound of her grandmother’s voice. She could hear Mildred and Jane throw out desperate words of encouragement as she struggled to swim in the algae-choked water. There was a splash and then Hobbs was there, taking Cam from her arms. She swam back to the dock, where hands grabbed her and pulled her up on the edge.
Climbing up onto the dock, Avery fell to her hands and knees, spitting out water in between gasps of air. Every muscle in her body seemed to be on fire. Movement caught her eye, and she raised her head to see Hobbs kneeling over a prone Cam.
Avery stumbled to her feet, running in a half-stagger to join Hobbs. “Move out of the way,” she said, her voice a hoarse whisper.
Avery lowered her head, the wet fabric of Cam’s blue dress sticking to her cheek, listening for signs of breath and finding none. Locking her hands together she began thrusting up and down on Cam’s chest. Reaching a thirty count, she tilted Cam’s head back, pinched her nose, and breathed into
her mouth. She continued the process over and over, only vaguely aware of Mildred and Jane hovering worriedly just in front of them and the sounds of sirens in the distance.
All at once, Cam gasped and buckled beneath Avery’s hands. Cam rolled onto her side, vomiting foul, green water onto the wooden planks of the dock. Avery sat back on her knees, throwing a steadying hand behind her as the world tilted and she nearly passed out in exhaustion. She breathed in sharply, feeling a surge of relief and adrenaline, and crawled over to Cam.
Cam’s eyes fluttered open and she began to cough. Wiping at her mouth, she struggled to sit up. Avery reached out and took Cam into her arms, drawing her in close. Avery placed her hand behind Cam’s head, threading her fingers through Cam’s wet hair. Her own breath coming out in ragged gasps, Avery held a trembling Cam close to her chest and rocked. “It’s okay,” Avery breathed against her forehead. “I’ve got you. It’s okay.”
Epilogue
“Hobbs, where did you put the Fletcher burglary report? Well, it’s not there now.”
Cam hesitated just outside the doorway to Avery’s office, smiling as she heard her give an exasperated grumble. “Why don’t you do that?”
She waited until she heard Avery’s cell phone drop—or possibly be thrown—to the desk before stepping inside the room.
Avery looked up from an open file at her desk, obviously surprised to see her, rose to her feet. “Cam, what are you doing here? I didn’t think you had to leave until one o’clock.”
Cam gestured to the clock on the office wall. “It is one o’clock.”
“Oh,” Avery said, her eyes traveling up to the clock and then back to Cam. “I’m sorry, it’s been a hell of a day.” She moved from behind the desk, hands drifting into the pockets of her tan slacks. “Are you sure I can’t take you to the airport?”
Smiling, Cam shook her head. “No, there’s no point in going to all that trouble. I’ve got to turn in the rental car anyway.” She made a sweeping motion with one hand. “And you’ve got a lot going on here.”
Avery nodded. “It has definitely been a long day.”
Cam stepped closer, leaning against the desk next to Avery. She rubbed at the yellowish-green bruise that marred her neck. It had been a week since the lake and her near death experience, and Cam was still feeling drained by it all. She would have liked to have at least another week to rest and spend time with Avery, but the filming of the show had already been disrupted enough. Even with the ratings and the buzz around the live broadcast at the Johnston house—or maybe because of it—Shaye was already hounding her about getting back to work.
“I stopped by the house to say goodbye to Mildred and Jane,” Cam said, reaching out to touch Avery’s arm. She traced a finger down the length of it. “And give them Loralyn’s peach cobbler recipe.”
Avery grinned and took Cam’s hand into her own. “Oh lord, there’ll be no stopping them now.” She brought the hand up to her lips and dusted a kiss along its knuckles. “That was sweet of you, though.”
“Well,” Cam said, drawing closer to Avery, “after all they went through, I figured it was the least I could do. Now, if I don’t leave soon, I’m going to miss my plane.”
Avery stroked her hand along the base of Cam’s spine and dropped a kiss on her lips. “There’s always other planes,” she murmured.
Cam closed her eyes. Damn, Avery was making this so hard. “I’ve got to get back to work,” she said, hoping the reluctance she felt was evident in her voice.
“I know.” Avery ran her fingers through Cam’s hair, pushing it back from her face. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
Cam blushed and pushed against Avery’s chest. “You’re too sweet,” she said, shaking her head. “Oh, before I go—is what Mildred and Jane told me true?”
Avery leaned back on her heels, crossing her arms. “Yeah,” she nodded. “The divers dragging the lake found Ramsey’s body this morning.”
Cam bit on her lower lip, shivering at the memory of being submerged in the lake’s murky waters. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Avery’s brown eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“I will be,” she said with a small sigh. “I suppose the recovery will be all over the news soon.”
“Most of it will, I’m sure.”
Cam arched an eyebrow. “Most of it?”
“When they recovered his body, they also found skeletal remains.”
“Roxanne Johnston?”
“We’ll have to wait for the crime lab in Huntsville to make the identification, but I’m sure it’s her.”
Something in Avery’s eyes told Cam that there was more she wasn’t telling her. “I’m a big girl, Avery.”
Avery seemed to war with herself and then nodded. “When they pulled Ramsey out of the lake, Roxanne’s skeleton was holding onto one of his legs. The divers said they had to pry her off of him.”
Cam frowned as she absorbed Avery’s words. “I guess Roxanne got what she wanted, after all.”
“Speaking of getting things we want…I really hate to see you go.”
Cam glanced up at the clock and grimaced when she saw the time. If she didn’t leave soon, she really was going to miss her plane. “But you are going to come see me, like we talked about?”
“Yep,” Avery said. “I’ve already talked to the sheriff about getting the time off. Just as soon as Bishop finishes milking his medical leave and things calm down here.”
“Good.” Cam smiled. “I can’t wait to show you around L.A.”
“There’s only one thing in Los Angeles I’m interested in, and she’s standing right here.”
Cam chewed on her lower lip for a moment and then said, “You know, people say long-distance relationships never work.”
Avery frowned. “What people?”
“Oh you know…” She waved a hand in the air. “…people.”
“Those people can kiss my ass.” She looked into Cam’s eyes, a serious expression on her face. “I’ve got news for you, Ms. Reinhart.”
Oh, really? “What sort of news?”
“It may take a little while to figure out what I want, but when I do…I get it.”
Cam arched an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Avery nodded.
“And what is it that you want, Detective Smith?”
Avery pulled Cam into her arms again and leaned in for a kiss. “You.”
Cam’s lips parted as she allowed herself to melt into the deep, drugging kiss, but only for just a moment. She stepped back, running her tongue over her lips, savoring the taste of Avery that lingered there. “You know…the more I think of it, I can always get a later flight.”
About The Author
A 2017 Lambda Literary Award Finalist, Lila Bruce grew up in a military family and traveled extensively as a child, living everywhere from Maine to Mississippi, Germany to Georgia, and a few parts in between. Lila currently resides in North Georgia with her clowder of cats.
Lila loves to read and write contemporary lesbian romances, consume unhealthy amounts of coffee, and has always been a sucker for a happy ending.
Author Website: www.lilabrucebooks.com
On Twitter @AuthorLilaBruce
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Lila-Bruce/e/B00O7XHJZ0
Author’s Note:
I hope that you enjoyed reading this book as much as I did writing it. All the characters were fun to work with, so much so that I’m planning a second book for them in the very near future.
If you are moved to write a review for Chasing Shadows on Amazon or Goodreads, then I’d like to thank you in advance. I always like to read my reviews to see what you, the reader, thought of the book.
I would like ask one favor of you: I read a ton of books, and I’m always a little disappointed when I find what looks to be an interesting mystery or suspense novel on Amazon, only to see the plot twist or the identity of the bad guy outlined in great detail in the reviews. So, I would ask that if you do leave
a review, you not give away the ending and potentially “spoil the surprise” for the next reader.
One last thing…
Now that you’ve read Chasing Shadows, you’re probably going to want to read something else, right? On the pages that follow, you’ll find the links to some really good books by some really great Indie Authors.
THE CURSE OF DOLL ISLAND
OCEAN
In 1732 a Shaman performed ‘The Curse of the Damned’ on two women, trapped their tormented souls in wax dolls, and banished them to a tiny island.
Fast forward 287 years. Rosie Moorea is a simple girl who lives an unassuming life. Her friends convince her that she needs to give herself a fun adventure. Overcoming long standing anxieties, she books a solo vacation. All is uneventful until she meets the charismatic, professional skateboarding movie star, Devin Fitzroy, who convinces her to go on a picnic. With a setting sun and an approaching storm, they end up on an island rumored to be haunted by cursed dolls.
Rosie and Devin don’t believe the superstitions that the dolls come alive when the sun goes down. However, they’re about to discover there’s more to worry about than bugs and snakes when they find themselves stranded on an island that holds many secrets, most of them evil.
Forced to confront their own fears and insecurities, the women are thrown into situations that require quick wit and bravery to survive. Will they make it through the night to see the sun rise or will something more evil than they could ever have imagined get to them first?
The Curse of Doll Island will take you on a harrowing adventure you may want to, but might never, forget.
Available on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/dp/B07K3T7ZGF
LIVING
LISE GOLD
During her morning exercise, yoga instructor Cam Saunders finds herself rescuing a young woman who has walked into the sea, seemingly intent on taking her own life. When the woman in question turns out to be a famous actress, Cam promises to keep her secret safe.