Page 36 of Colton’s Inferno

They walked toward the door. Ruth stood behind the cash register. “Take care, you two.”

“See you soon,” Aiden called out, pushing the door open.

They stepped outside. Somehow, the sun was brighter. He slipped on his shades and looked up the street. Ted Barrett was walking toward them.

“Aiden, you keep turning up like a bad penny,” Ted joked as he approached

“I could say the same about you,” he said.

“What are you two doing? Is there any information about the fire at the Five Steers Ranch?”

“We were just having lunch.” Cal hooked his thumb toward the restaurant. “And there’s nothing new on my end. The evidence is on its way to Bismarck. We should have answers within the week, maybe a bit longer.”

Aiden added, “Cal’s going to send a patrol by the Five Steers Ranch regularly.”

A white car, the muffler coughing, drove down the street. A cloud of exhaust followed. The stench of burning motor oil and used gasoline wafted toward Aiden. His headache got worse. The driver pulled the car into a spot near the corner, and the engine stilled. The door opened and the driver stepped onto the street.

Callum nodded. “Isn’t that Stuart Whittier?”

Aiden shaded his eyes. The man was tall and lanky, with dark hair. He wore a stained concert T-shirt and cargo shorts. But Cal was right. It was Stu.

“You two were friends in high school, weren’t you?” said Ted.

“He was my lab partner in chemistry. That was sophomore year.” He brought up memories from more than a decade past. It was like mentally wading through sludge. “I think he dropped out when we were seniors. I lost track of him after that.”

“I didn’t,” said Cal. “He’s been in and out of jail. Mostly drug-related charges. Last I heard, he’d gone to rehab.”

“I guess he’s back,” said Aiden. “Hopefully rehab worked.”

Stu looked up and down the street before his gaze landed on Aiden, Callum, and Ted. Stu lifted a hand in greeting.

“How’s it going?” Ted called out, waving back.

Stu waited as a car passed. Then, he jogged across the road. “Hey,” he said. “It’s good to see you all.”

“Good to see you, too,” said Aiden. “What have you been up to?”

“Not much. Just working for a contractor. Home improvement stuff.” Stu shrugged his narrow shoulders. “How’ve you been?”

“About the same,” said Aiden. “I work for the Red Grove Fire Department now.”

“Don’t let him be humble. He pulled a woman from a fire last night,” said Ted. “Saved her life.”

“That’s great, man.” Stu’s hands shook and he shoved them into the pockets of his jeans. “Good for you.”

The compliment landed wrong. Aiden mumbled, “Just doing my job.”

“Yeah, it was actually attempted murder,” said Ted. Then he added, “Callum’s going to ask to have deputies patrol the area regularly.”

A sheen of sweat covered Stu’s brow. His hands continued to tremble, and the change in his pocket jingled. Maybe rehab hadn’t worked as well as hoped. “Sounds like a bad situation.”

Everything Ted said was true. But why was he shooting off his mouth in front of Stu Whittier?

Before he could question his foster brother, Aiden’s phone started to ring. He pulled the cell from his pants. The number wasn’t in his contacts, but it had a local area code. To Cal, Ted, and Stu, he said, “I’m going to take this and head home. Good seeing you all.”

He started walking toward his apartment. After the third ring, he swiped the call open. “Hello?”

“Is this Aiden?”