Chapter 21 #2
For a single breath, he thought there’d been a glitch in the line. Then, like he’d slammed into a brick wall, he stumbled back. “Stu Whittier’s prints were on the lock?” Several puzzle pieces clicked into place. “Lucy told me that he offered to buy her land a while back.”
“Stu’s a criminal, that’s for sure. But it’s all been petty stuff. He doesn’t have that kind of money.”
“According to Lucy, he was making an offer on behalf of his boss.”
Callum asked, “Did he name his employer?”
Aiden paused and tried to remember everything Lucy had said. “I don’t think so. Or if he did, she didn’t say anything to me.”
And then, another memory came back. He was driving toward the Five Steers Ranch.
Rain beat on his windshield. He passed another car that was in the other lane.
It had been a white sedan. At the time, it hadn’t set off any alarm bells.
But now, a claxon rang in his head. “I think I saw Stu driving away from the ranch the day of the gas leak.”
“I’m almost to your place. You can fill me in on everything then.” The phone beeped as Cal disconnected the call.
Aiden donned his shirt and slipped on socks and shoes.
He also took a minute to brush his teeth.
A shower would have to wait. Shoving his phone into his pocket, he took the steps to the street level two at a time.
He opened the door to the sidewalk and stepped outside. Callum pulled up next to the curb.
His brother rolled down the passenger window of his cruiser. Leaning across the center console, he called out. “Get in.”
He pulled on the handle, opening the door. A file sat in the seat. He picked up the folder and slid into the car.
“Check that out.” Cal tapped the file.
Clipped to the back cover was a stack of papers.
The first was a digitized copy of a fingerprint, along with a report.
He scanned the statement. The crime lab was able to get a partial print from the lock, just like Cal had said.
The print was then sent to the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or IAFIS for short.
From there, they were traced to one Stuart Whittier of Red Grove, North Dakota.
The rest of the pages were information about Stu. His arrest record. Time served in jail. Current address.
“Looks like he’s still living at home.” Cal pulled onto Main Street. “Or that’s the address on his driver’s license, at least.” He stopped at a traffic light. “The earlier we can get there, the more likely we are to find him at home.”
Aiden looked at the address once more. It was less than five minutes to Stu’s house by car. The time on the dashboard clock read 6:42 a.m. “He’ll be home.”
“I don’t think that he’ll cause any issues,” said Callum. “But just in case, look in the glove box.”
Leaning forward, he pulled the levered door open. Inside was a firearm, a black PSA Micro Dagger.
“That’s my personal gun,” said Callum, speaking of the small pistol. “It’ll do whatever you need.”
Aiden reached for the gun and wrapped his fingers around the grip. The metal was cold. “I’m a firefighter, you know. Not a cop.”
“Think of it as water against a flame. If you need this, you are neutralizing a threat.”
Doubt crept up the back of his neck. He shook his head, clearing his misgivings. “I won’t use it,” he said.
“Just keep it with you for now,” said Cal, turning on his blinker. He took a left at an intersection. “It’ll make me feel better if you have it with you.”
Aiden ignored his brother and stared out of the window.
This part of town was filled with smaller homes that were closer together.
He pulled up in front of a house that had been yellow at one time, but the paint had faded to beige.
Clumps of grass grew between the broken slabs of concrete that led to the front door.
They got out of the car, and Aiden slipped the firearm into the waistband of his jeans. He pulled his shirt over the gun’s grip. “Happy?” he asked his older brother.
“Actually,” he said, walking toward the front door, “I am.”
Cal knocked on the door. It was opened a minute later by a small woman with wide dark eyes and a long nose. She wore a brown robe and clutched at the folds with delicate hands. For some reason, she reminded Aiden of a bird.
“Sheriff Colton,” she said, “is everything alright?”
“We need to speak to your son Stuart.”
“He’s not here,” she said. “He’s got an apartment near the grocery store.”
“I know that complex.” Cal took a small pad of paper and a pen from his breast pocket. “What’s his number?”
“Seven-L,” said Stu’s mother, holding the front of her robe tighter across her chest. “Is he in trouble?”
“We just want to talk to him.” Aiden’s brother scribbled the unit number onto the paper. He shoved the pad and pen back into his pocket. “We think he might be able to help with a case.”
“He should be home now. Although you’ll probably wake him up, so I’m not sure how much help he’ll be. Until he gets a cup of coffee, at least.”
Aiden smiled at her jest. “Thanks for everything.”
Mrs. Whittier closed the door.
Aiden followed his older brother back to the cruiser that was still parked at the curb. He opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. Once the door was closed, he asked, “Why’d you lie?”
Cal put the gearshift into Park and pulled onto the road. “You saw how she was. She’s worried about her son. If she thinks we want to arrest Stu, then she’s less likely to tell us where he is.”
“Where he is now,” said Aiden. “We just have to hope that Stu’s mom doesn’t warn him that we’re on our way.”
Aiden’s phone began to ring. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller ID. Ted Barrett. “Let me take this,” he said, swiping the call open.
Before he could say hello, Ted said, “I called the crime lab this morning, like I said I would. They told me that the results came in already and they have a match. But they wouldn’t tell me anything else.”
“Thanks for making the call,” said Aiden, turning on the speaker function. “Callum already got the report, and I’m with him now.”
“What’d the report say?” Ted asked.
“It’s Stuart Whittier,” said Cal, gripping the steering wheel in both hands.
“Stu, as in Aiden’s friend from high school?” Ted asked. “The one we ran into a few weeks ago?”
“He’s not my friend.” How many times did he need to point that out to Ted? “But yeah, that’s the guy.”
“And you’re sure that it’s him?” Ted asked.
“I’m sure that his fingerprints were pulled off the lock that was used to trap Lucy Harris in a burning barn. I’m sure that I’m on my way to see him.” Callum added, “And I’m sure that I’m going to arrest him for attempted murder. Whatever happens after that is up to Stu and the court system.”
“Sounds like you have a lot going on,” said Ted. “I’m going to let you go and do your job. Keep me posted.”
“We will,” said Aiden.
“And be careful,” Ted added, ending the call.