Chapter 10
TEN
Laney rolled to a stop at a red light and forced her fingers to loosen their grip on the steering wheel. Her insides were in knots, her mind turning over everything they'd learned from Kylie. As a camping and trail guide, Garrett Wheeler knew every inch of Piney Woods. Probably better than she did.
Part of her wanted it to be him. Needed it to be him.
Not because she had anything personal against Garrett—though she'd never liked the man—but because if Garrett was the killer, at least it made sense.
A predator who harassed women, who wouldn't take no for an answer, who saw Ava as a conquest he'd been denied.
That was a motive she could understand. A suspect she could stomach.
The alternative was worse. That the killer was someone else.
She'd seen evil up close during her military service, had been in its presence, but that was different.
This time, the killer was from her community.
Someone she knew and trusted. Someone she'd laughed with over coffee or worked alongside on search and rescue operations.
It caused goosebumps to skitter across her skin.
“I think we’re being followed.” Jonah’s tone was clipped, his attention fixed on the side-view mirror. “Black SUV. Two cars back. It’s been mirroring our movements through town.”
Her eyes shot to the rearview mirror. She spotted the SUV, but couldn’t see the driver. “It would be foolish for the killer to follow us. Maybe it’s just someone heading in the same direction as we are.”
“Possibly.” He spared her a look. “But don’t underestimate this perpetrator, Laney.
He committed cold-blooded murder, attacked you, and then hid in the woods near your cabin yesterday morning.
” He stared at the vehicle in the side-view mirror.
“Whoever this is, he’s bold. He also may be running scared, worried about what we’ll uncover. Or what you’ll remember.”
Laney had to admit Jonah had a point. She ran through possible options as the light changed to green. Pulling into the intersection, she kept her pace steady. The streets were full of Saturday traffic as people ran errands. A farm truck loaded down with hay passed them.
She took a sudden left onto a quieter side street without using her blinker and followed it with a quick right. A few seconds later, the SUV appeared behind them. The driver still wasn't visible, and a dark tinted cover obscured the license plate, making it impossible to read from this distance.
“Okay, I think you’re right. He’s following us.” She calculated her options and then hit the gas. “Hold on.” Laney sailed through a yellow light and then made a sudden U-turn in the wide intersection, now heading directly toward the SUV. “Let's get a look at this guy.”
But the driver counter-maneuvered by running a red light, nearly clipping a Toyota in the process, and taking a sharp left turn into a neighborhood.
Laney flipped on her lights while hitting the gas, just as a garbage truck turned onto the road.
Frustration built as she lost valuable seconds going around the large vehicle before turning onto the residential street in pursuit.
The SUV was nowhere to be seen.
Laney slowed, keeping her eyes peeled for the SUV and watching for pedestrians or kids on bicycles. “Any sign of him?”
“No.” Jonah’s gaze scanned each turnoff as they passed it. The furrow on his brow deepened. “He could be anywhere. For all we know, he lives in this neighborhood, and the SUV is tucked up in his garage.” He blew out a breath before tossing her a smile. “Nice try though.”
His praise took the edge off her frustration, and she grinned back. But something else stirred beneath the surface. It’d been happening more and more lately. A quickening of her heartbeat when he looked at her like that. The awareness of his presence beside her felt different than it used to.
She’d noticed it after Breanna's wedding. It bothered her…this interfering attraction. She’d done her best to wrangle it under control, taking it as a sign that maybe it was time to think about having a relationship that lasted over six weeks.
So she’d tried to date Mike. Disaster. Oh, he’d been a really nice guy.
So nice that she’d felt horrible…like she was leading him on.
Because dating him hadn’t diminished this new awareness of Jonah at all.
Breaking up had been a relief. The busy summer—and the extra responsibilities—had limited her time with Jonah.
She’d almost fooled herself into thinking that everything was back to normal.
And then the attack happened. The sound of his voice on the phone, rough with worry.
The way he'd shown up, the protective way he’d reacted, the way he’d held her and so casually kissed the top of her head.
It'd awakened something she hadn't even realized was there, a longing she didn't know how to name and wasn't sure she wanted to.
Because wanting Jonah that way? It was a surefire way to lose him.
So she forced a smile and a lightness to her voice to hide the irritating and irrational butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “Was that a compliment? And a smile? Careful, Foster. People might not recognize you without your trademark scowl.”
He grunted in reply, which only made her grin widen. She enjoyed teasing him. It was familiar ground.
And right now, she needed familiar.
Her stomach rumbled. They’d skipped breakfast. “The kolache place isn’t far. Let’s grab some food on our way to interview Garrett.”
His brow rose. “Coffee?”
She bounced in her seat at the thought of an iced latte. “I know just the place.”
Twenty minutes later, fortified with food and caffeine, she crossed the parking lot of the strip mall toward Texas Camping and Hiking.
Her gaze scanned the vehicles. Garrett’s blue pickup truck, with its distinctive rock climbing stickers on the bumper, sat a short distance away.
There were no other vehicles registered either to him or to his business. Jonah had checked.
So where would Garrett have gotten a black SUV?
The thought nagged at her as she crossed the threshold into a cold blast of air conditioning.
A glass-topped counter dominated the front area, filled with compasses, multi-tools, and expensive GPS devices.
Brochures fanned across the surface, promising authentic adventures and guided backpacking experiences.
Laney approached the unmanned front desk and tapped the silver service bell. Its cheerful ding echoed through the narrow space. Jonah leaned against the counter, studying the wide array of knives inside, his scowl on full display.
"Be right there!" Garrett's voice called from somewhere in the back, followed by the sound of a chair scraping against the floor and heavy footsteps on hardwood.
Moments later, he appeared. Five-eight, with a bulky physique that came from bench pressing weights and regular rock climbing, Garrett Wheeler moved with the deliberate confidence of someone used to being in charge.
His moisture-wicking shirt and utility pants looked expensive but practical.
Messy dark hair gave him an easy-going appearance, supported by the well-worn hiking boots and a quick smile.
That grin tempered just a touch when his gaze landed on Laney before shifting to Jonah and flickering back again.
“Hi, Garrett.” She offered him a reassuring smile. “Sorry to pop in unannounced, but we need to speak to you about an important matter.” Laney gestured toward Jonah and introduced him. “We’re investigating the murder of a couple killed at the park yesterday.”
“I heard about that. Really tragic.” Garrett’s gaze lifted as Jonah stood to his full-height, all six foot four inches, and something flickered in his eyes.
Wariness, maybe? Or calculation? Whatever it was, he smoothed it over with a handshake before checking his watch.
“I have a client meeting in fifteen minutes—”
“It won’t take long.” Laney wouldn’t let him weasel out of answering their questions, if she could help it. Using Jonah’s tactic, she removed her cell phone from her pocket. “Do you mind if I record this conversation? It’ll help with my report later.”
Garrett’s expression shifted from evasive to full-on irritation. “Actually, I do mind.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest, puffing it up to make it even bigger. His eyes locked on hers. “What’s this all about, Laney?”
His tone bordered on hostile, but she didn’t let an ounce of annoyance creep into her words.
She kept her voice light and friendly. “We’re speaking to anyone who might’ve known the victims, and since you run one of the most popular camping and trail guiding companies, it seemed likely they’d used your services before.
Did you know Ava Morrison or Tyler Chen? ”
He hesitated. Laney could practically see the wheels in his head turning as Garrett calculated what answer to give them. Finally, he puffed out some air. “I knew Ava. Not well, mind you. She was a student in a class I taught at the university this past spring.”
Okay. One point for being honest, although she noted that he tried to downplay his interaction with Ava. “What did you think of her?”
“She was a good student. Conscientious, almost to the point of perfectionism. If I remember right, she got an A in the class.”
“Did you interact with her outside of class?”
“Of course not.” His eyes tracked Jonah as he crossed the room and helped himself to some water from the cooler. “That would be against the university’s policy.”