Page 52 of Peak Suspicion
“Maybe your dad took it to be washed,” Travis suggested. “As a surprise for you.”
Mitch stepped back from the car. “My dad isn’t really like that. And I told you, he doesn’t drive this vehicle. He prefers his Jeep.”
“What’s that in the back seat?” Gage asked.
Mitch looked inside. “I don’t see anything.”
“On the floorboard.” Gage slipped on gloves, then reached in and picked up something black from the back floorboard. “It’s a sweatshirt,” he said. “There’s a pair of pants and a mask and gloves in there, too.”
“This matches the description of the clothing the boy’s mother told us the suspect was wearing,” Travis said.
Mitch took another step back, all color drained from his face. “I don’t know how those got in there.”
Travis stepped forward. “Put your hands behind your back, Mr. Anders,” he said. “You have the right to remain silent…”
Frantic pounding sentMira running to the front door of her apartment Tuesday afternoon. She checked the security peephole and saw Shayla waiting there, wringing her hands. She hurried to open the door. Shayla collapsed against her. Miraembraced her with one arm, the cast on her other arm cradled between them. “Shayla, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“Mitch has been arrested again. I told them he couldn’t have done it, but they didn’t believe me.”
“What?” Mira shut the door and led Shayla into the living room. “Tell me again. I didn’t understand what you said.”
“They’ve arrested Mitch. For the kidnappings. Someone tried to take another little boy this afternoon and the mother described Mitch’s SUV. Only Mitch wasn’t in the car. He was with me. I told the sheriff’s deputies that, but they wouldn’t believe me. They found the clothing the kidnapper wore in the back seat of the car. And the car had been washed, as if someone was trying to hide evidence.”
“They think Mitch washed the car, but left the clothing the kidnapper wore in the back seat? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Nothing about this makes sense,” Shayla wailed. “Mitch called me from the station to ask me to look in on his dad, so I went over there and the old man wouldn’t even let me in. He told me to go away and slammed the door in my face.”
“Shayla, I’m so sorry. Sit down and let me get you some water.” Mira retrieved a glass of water from the kitchen and hurried to rejoin her friend. “What happened with the boy, do you know?” she asked.
“Apparently his mother fought off the kidnapper.”
“What kind of clothes did they find?”
“Black sweatpants and shirt, a black ski mask and gloves.”
“That’s the same thing the man who attacked us on the trail was wearing,” Mira said.
“I know that wasn’t Mitch,” Shayla said. “He would never hurt me. And he wouldn’t hurt you, either.”
Mira tried to think back. Had the man who had rushed at her been Mitch Anders? Everything had happened so fast. And she didn’t know Mitch well. How could she be sure?
“Shayla, do you think there’s any possibility Mitch did have something to do with these abductions?” she asked.
Shayla jumped up, her face flushed. “How can you say that? Of course he didn’t. Didn’t you hear me? I was with him this afternoon!”
“What did the sheriff say when you told them that?”
“They said the boy’s house was only two blocks from mine. That Mitch could have left while I was in the shower.”
“Could he have done that?” Mira asked.
“He didn’t! Why don’t you believe me?”
She wanted to believe her friend. But she had wanted to believe George, too. “The most wonderful seeming people in the world can do terrible things,” Mira said. “I dated a man in Santa Fe. Everyone loved him. I loved him. And then he was arrested for possessing child pornography. He had a big collection I knew nothing about. He was part of a whole network of collectors. Pedophiles. And I never saw that side of him.”
Shayla was sobbing, her face contorted by angry tears. “I can’t believe you’d think something like that about Mitch,” she said.
“I don’t think it. I don’t want to think it. I’m just saying you need to consider the possibility. To protect yourself.”
