Page 31 of Colton’s Inferno

“Cal and I agree. It looks like an attempted murder.”

“Can you figure out who did it? I mean, there were hundreds of people here with the fair.” He paused and looked at the house. “Do they have security cameras?”

“No cameras,” said Aiden. “But the state crime lab might be able to get prints off the lock. The metal was protected by how the door fell.”

“It sounds like you called Cal already.”

“Saw him, too,” he said. “He was on his way to Mom’s when I found the lock, so he stopped by to pick up the evidence. Someone from his office is going to Bismarck, and they’ll drop everything off at the lab.”

Ted gave a wry laugh. “I’d hate to be a criminal around here. Between you and Callum, everything is covered.”

“We try.” The sunlight made his eyes water. The pounding in his head was getting worse. “I better get going,” he began.

“Did you talk to Lucy or Rusty Harris yet?”

“Both of them. Obviously, they’re upset. But they aren’t leaving.”

“This land is perfect. I don’t blame them for wanting to stay.” Ted swiveled, taking in the view. “I’ll let you go. Try and rest, okay.”

Aiden stuck one foot into his car. Then he stopped as two thoughts came to him at once. “Why are you here?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s early on a Saturday morning. A holiday weekend, no less. But you drove all this way. Why?”

“Oh, that.” Ted smiled. “I wanted to talk to the people from the fair. I wasn’t sure what they were planning to do after the fire, but I was going to see if they wanted to use the municipal field in town. Looks like they left, though.”

To Aiden, Ted’s explanation made sense. But there was something else. “Last night, once the barn was on fire, you said that you saw Lucy.”

“Yeah, I did,” he said. “What’s your point?”

“I told you that she was in the barn and you told me that she wasn’t. You said you’d just seen her.”

“If I got my timing confused, I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to risk your life searching for someone who wasn’t there.” He let out a long breath and his shoulders slumped. “It doesn’t sit well with me that I screwed up.”

There was no sense in berating Ted when he already felt bad. “Well, I better go.”

“I am grateful that you were here,” said Ted. “Truly.”

Aiden got behind the steering wheel. He buckled his seat belt and put the gearshift into Drive. Ted still stood by his car as he maneuvered onto the dirt track that ran by the house.

Ahead was the paved road. To the left was Red Grove. To the right was his mother’s house. Aiden stopped on the berm and opened the center console. Inside, he found a pair of sunglasses. He slipped on the shades and lowered the visor. Without the glare, his headache lessened.

Using the controls on the steering wheel, he opened his contact list. He scrolled through the names on his console. With the push of his thumb, he placed the call.

“Aiden,” said Emily, answering the call after the second ring. “I didn’t think you’d be up so early.”

The dashboard clock read 7:35 a.m. “I’ve been at work for a few hours already.”

“You’re supposed to rest, you know. Your father said that’s the best way to treat a concussion.”

“When did you and Dad become so chummy?”

“Matti adopting Sammy made me realize a few things,” she said.

He was about to ask what she’d learned. But since she was home, he said, “I’m on my way to your house. I can take a look at the dishwasher.”

“I don’t want you coming all this way just for me,” she said. “The dishwasher will still be here, and the door will still be busted. Come by tomorrow or even Monday.”