Page 64 of Colton’s Inferno

“Very funny.” Callum’s tone made it clear he found no humor in Ted’s comment. “Aiden was just filling me in on what happened at the Five Steers Ranch.”

“Did you find more evidence about the fire?” Ted asked, suddenly serious.

“Rusty Harris was in an accident this morning. He had a heart attack and crashed his truck.”

Like he’d been punched, Ted stumbled back. “I hadn’t heard. Where’d this happen?”

“On one of the roads that winds through the property. I was the first on the scene,” Aiden added.

“I thought you were off work for the next two weeks,” said Ted. “Did Chief Kane put you back into the rotation?”

Aiden shook his head. “I got the emergency notification on my phone. I was coming back from Mom’s, and since I was so close, I went to check it out.”

“Is the dishwasher fixed?” Callum asked.

“Get this,” said Aiden. “Dad came by yesterday. He was the one who repaired the door.”

“Dad?” Callum repeated.

“Mom said she’s had a change of heart about their relationship because of Sammy.”

“I hope they can get along,” said Ted. “Your parents have always been the best to me. You all have.”

Over the past few days, Ted had been on edge. Then again, anything that went wrong in Red Grove ultimately became his responsibility. The overdose deaths. The fentanyl-laced methamphetamines. The murders. He’d even get some of the blame for the arson at the Five Steers Ranch. It didn’t matter that the property was outside of the town limits. “You know they’re your parents, too. Not biologically, of course. But you are our brother.”

“I know,” said Ted. “But it’s nice to hear you say.”

For a moment, nobody spoke, then Callum said, “Aiden’s got a theory.”

“Oh yeah?” asked Ted. “About what?”

“He thinks the car wreck wasn’t caused by a heart attack.”

“But you just said…” Ted began.

“What are the chances that Lucy gets locked into a barn that’s set on fire and then two days later her grandfather has an accident? I’m not going to do the math. But I’ll tell you, the odds are low. The wreck isn’t a coincidence. We know for a fact that Lucy was targeted. I think her grandfather was as well.” As he spoke, laying out his thoughts for Ted, he became sure. The same person who tried to kill Lucy also tried to kill Rusty.

“Why would anyone want those two dead?”

It was a good question and one that Aiden intended to answer.

“Well.” He was eager to get to the ranch and look at the scene of the accident. “I’m going to go. I’ll see you both around.”

Aiden opened his car door and slipped inside. He buckled his seat belt and put the car into Drive. After making sure that the road was clear, he pulled onto Main Street. As he drove, he considered Callum’s advice. Sure, when his brother talked about assets and liabilities in a romance, he sounded like a caveman turned relationship counselor.

But there was a little bit of wisdom in what he had said, too.

Like his mom had said this morning, she wouldn’t have gotten a divorce if Dad was the kind of guy to fix a dishwasher without being asked. Caring about someone meant being available when they needed help.

But there was more. Gripping the steering wheel, he focused on the road and the fact that Lucy had been targeted. Relationship or not, Aiden was determined to find out who tried to kill her and stop them before she ended up dead.

For a second time in two days, Stu Whittier found himself driving from Red Grove to the Five Steers Ranch. He had no idea how his boss knew everything that happened in town. Sure, he understood that the guy was connected. But to know that Rusty Harris had been injured in a freak accident and that Aiden Colton was going to be investigating? Well, that was just next-level dialed in.

He’d been told to take care of the problem, and he knew what he was supposed to do.

He had to kill Lucy Harris. And this time, he needed to make sure that she was dead.

His firearm, a Taurus GX4, lay on the passenger seat.