Page 38 of Ranger Belief
EIGHTEEN
Thirty minutes later, Laney was sitting across from Tate. Beyond the closed door of the conference room, the phone at the front desk rang continuously. Reporters had caught wind of the shooting at her cabin, and on the heels of the murders, the story was slated to become national news. A media liaison was handling the official updates, but that didn’t prevent reporters from calling the Piney Woods main phone number in an effort to get more information.
The pressure bearing down on her shoulders was compounding. The murder case, the superintendent job, the media…and now this mess with Jonah. A migraine was forming along the base of her skull. It didn’t help that she couldn’t stop noticing every time Jonah moved or even breathed. It was like the kiss had made her hyperaware of him.
“I got to thinking last night.” Tate’s eyes were bright with excitement, but there were dark circles under them, which made Laney wonder if he’d even slept. “Someone like this is likely to have a criminal record. And we’re dealing with a sex offender. So I asked Andy for a comprehensive list of everyone whovolunteered here in the last year and started comparing them to the sex offender registry.”
Jonah straightened. “You got a hit.”
“Yep.” With a triumphant look, Tate turned his laptop screen to face them. “Meet Mitch Caldwell.”
Laney gasped. The recognition hit her immediately. She'd seen that lean face and stubby beard before. “That guy was here the other day. It’s the fisherman I chased off.”
Jonah slowly nodded. “The jumpy one.” His expression hardened. “What was he convicted of?”
“He stalked and raped a young woman in Mississippi. She was a college student. Brown hair, brown eyes. He served five years. Mitch stayed in Mississippi and was complying with his parole requirements until six months ago. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but he skipped town. Deputies interviewed his mother. She swears she hasn’t seen him, but get this, Mitch grew up here. Graduated from the local high school.”
Her mouth fell open. “I don’t understand. We conduct background checks on all of our volunteers. If Mitch is a registered sex offender, it should’ve shown up.”
“That's the thing. When he filled out the official form, he used his older brother's name: Michael Caldwell. But when I ran Michael through our system, I discovered he was in the armed forces. Navy, to be exact. A quick phone call confirmed Michael was deployed during the Spring Jamboree. He couldn’t have been volunteering here. Michael and Mitch are only one year apart in age, and they look enough alike to be twins. Michael Caldwell’s record is clean, but Mitchell Caldwell is a registered sex offender.”
“So he used his brother's legal name to pass the background check?”
“Yes. You provide free meals to your volunteers and pay them a small stipend during big events. I think that’s why hevolunteered during the Spring Jamboree. And I’ll give you one guess where he was assigned.”
Laney breathed out. “The wildlife center.”
“Ding, ding, ding. He worked there all week. So, Mitch and Ava definitely crossed paths.” Tate shuffled through the papers on the table before pulling out a photo. “This is the young woman Mitch assaulted. Notice anything?”
Laney took in the young woman’s bright smile and her long brunette hair. Then, her gaze shot to the picture of Ava attached to the whiteboard. “They could be sisters.” Her focus flickered to Lisa’s photograph. Her eyes were hazel, but she also had brunette hair and a slender build. “Even Lisa is similar enough to fit the victim profile. Was Mitch’s first victim involved with anyone?”
“No, she didn’t have a boyfriend. But Mitch stalked her for months before he attacked her. And criminals can learn and adjust their methods.”
Laney mulled that over. “Could Mitch have stalked Ava without her knowing?”
“It depends on how much he tried to interact with her. After going to prison, Mitch may have learned to keep his distance.” Jonah frowned. “Ava was worried about Garrett. According to Kylie, he harassed her. Even if Ava had a sense that something wasn’t right, she may have attributed anything weird to him.”
He had a good point. An icy chill crept down Laney's back as a memory surfaced. “Brett mentioned that someone was in the lobby when Ava and Tyler checked in. A guy. He watched Ava intensely.” She rose. “Do you have a printed photograph of Mitch Caldwell?”
“Yeah.” Tate handed her one.
She went out into the lobby, Jonah on her heels. Brett was behind the front desk, helping a couple with a hiking trail reservation. Laney waited impatiently for him to finish. Thecontinuous ringing of the phone was causing her migraine to bloom. She would need some caffeine, headache medicine, and food after this. The protein bar she’d choked down after the shooting had tasted like dust and done nothing to make her feel better.
She peeked at Jonah out of the corner of her eye. He watched Brett with the scrutiny of a man who didn’t trust anyone. She had a sense he didn’t like Brett, but she couldn’t reason why. Truth be told, he didn’t like Eddie either. Jonah had always been more cautious about people. It was one of the things she’d accepted about him, but at times, annoyed her. He tended to think the worst.
Laney had a laundry list of reasons why they wouldn’t work. She was a morning person. He couldn’t stand being around anyone before noon. She loved to travel, he was a homebody. She believed God was actively involved in her daily life, he questioned why a loving God would allow so much suffering.
And yet…none of those differences had mattered when he kissed her. Or when he cupped her face, his touch so gentle she cried, and promised that nothing had to change unless she wanted it to.
If she was honest, her feelings for Jonah had been shifting for a long time. She’d fought against it. Hid it. Lied to herself about it. And at the same time, it’d been a shock to discover he’d been harboring romantic feelings for her for the last eight years.Eight years. She didn’t know what to do with that.
Laney had no doubt Jonah cared for her, but that didn’t mean he would feel the same way a year from now. Or ten years from now. People changed. They grew apart.
They left.
Jonah wasn’t her dad. She knew that. But she doubted, on the day her parents got married, that her dad believed he would up and leave them eight years later. And Laney knew—without adoubt—if she allowed herself to fall in love with Jonah and then he fell out of love with her…she’d end up just like her mother. Crying years later over a wedding album, trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
She refused to allow anyone to have that power over her.
