Page 38 of Peak Suspicion
A smile flickered across her lips, but quickly faded. She straightened her shoulders. “Let’s go to the sheriff. Maybe we’ll find out something that will help Mitch or Shayla.”
He began buttoning up the shirt. “Let me put on some shoes and we can head over there.”
He was aware of her watching as he did up the shirt buttons. Too bad she wasn’t the one undoing them. His gaze flickered over the hint of cleavage at the neck of her sundress. It had buttons down the front, too. He’d enjoy unfastening them. One at a time. Slowly revealing her beautiful body.
Get it together, he scolded himself. Now wasn’t the time. She was seriously upset about her friend and he needed to focus on helping her.
Fortunately, Aaron wasn’t in sight when they arrived at the station. Carter knew his brother would see past any story Carter concocted and send him on his way. Inside, they found office manager Adelaide Kinkaid, a feisty sixty-something who had no patience for fools, but a soft spot for handsome young men. Or so Carter had heard. “Good afternoon, Adelaide.” He offered his most charming smile. “You’re looking lovely this afternoon.”
She gave him a sour look. “Your brother is busy processing a new arrest,” she said. Her gaze flickered to Mira. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“We need to see the sheriff,” Carter said.
“The sheriff is busy, too.”
“I need to show him this.” Carter held up the envelope. “Another poison pen letter. He’ll want it for his files.”
“You can give the letter to me and I’ll make sure he gets it.” She held out her hand.
“Mira needs to talk to him, too,” Carter said.
“Why do you need to see him?” Adelaide asked Mira.
“I have evidence. It’s related to Mitch Anders. I know he was arrested this afternoon in connection with Bryce’s kidnapping.”
“Just a moment.” Adelaide stood and disappeared through a door behind her.
“You said the magic word,” Carter said. “Evidence.”
“It may not help us find out what they’ve got on Mitch.”
Adelaide reappeared. “The sheriff can give you a few minutes.”
Travis looked up from his desk when they entered his office. “Adelaide said you want to tell me something about Mitch Anders?”
“Yes. The afternoon Bryce was kidnapped, Mitch is the one who told me and Shayla Green about the kidnapping. He came into my classroom and told us Bryce had been taken.”
“What time was this?” Travis picked up a pad and pen and began making notes.
“Just after four thirty. I know because I had planned to leave school at four and Shayla interrupted me, so I stayed a little later.”
“What time was Bryce taken?” Carter asked.
Travis ignored him. “Did Mitch say how he had learned about the kidnapping?”
“He said his dad had told him. His dad listens to the police scanner and had learned about the crime there.” She frowned. “I’m trying to remember exactly what he said. Something about one of their neighbors being a 911 dispatcher. He—the dad—talked to her and she told him Bryce’s name and that someone had seen a kid they thought was him up at the Galloway Basin parking area, and that search and rescue had been called out.”
Carter was scrolling through his phone. “The call for search and rescue came at 4:05,” he said.
Travis nodded. “Did you see Mitch before he came to your classroom?” he asked.
“He was monitoring the pickup line out front when school let out at three,” she said.
“Thank you for sharing this information,” Travis said. “We’ll get back to you if we have more questions.”
“I have something for you, too,” Carter said. He handed over the envelope. “Someone stuck that to the door of the tour office this morning. My mom found it when she opened up.”
Travis scanned the letter. “Do you have any idea who sent it?” he asked.
