Page 87 of Colton’s Inferno

Her grandfather patted the back of her hand. “But it’s time.” He turned back to Aiden. “It’s funny that for several days, I couldn’t remember the accident. Didn’t remember leaving the house or getting in the truck or any of it.”

Temporary amnesia was a common side effect of head injuries. “I’m sure the doctor already told you this, but your memories will return with time and rest.”

“That’s the thing,” said Rusty. “Bits of memory, like a snapshot, are starting to come back.”

“That’s good news, Grandpa,” said Lucy. “Right, Aiden?”

He nodded. “It means that you’re healing. So, it’s excellent news.”

Rusty’s expression darkened, like a cloud passing over the sun. “It’s just that I remember stepping on the brakes and the truck not being able to stop.”

The old man’s recollections lined up with everything Aiden had found at the scene of the wreck. The tire marks. The cut in the brake line. Callum’s deputies had towed the truck to the state police but there were no findings from their investigation yet. “That’s one of the reasons I’ve stopped by,” he began. “The crime lab found a partial fingerprint on the lock. It belongs to Stu Whittier.”

“Derek’s old friend?” Rusty asked.

“Old friend?” Lucy snorted. “He’s always been bad news.”

“A BOLO has been released for Stu. Every law enforcement officer in the county is looking for him now. It’s only a matter of time until he turns up.”

“But why would he try to kill Lucy, or me for that matter?” the old man asked.

“He wants the land,” said Lucy. “He made me an offer a while back. Said he was working for someone. It didn’t matter who he was representing. I’d never sell to the likes of Stu.”

“I guess my question is why would he want the land?” Aiden asked. “What’s so important that he’d be willing to murder someone?”

“We all know that it has something to do with the drug trade,” said Lucy.

Aiden didn’t know anything. But he imagined that her guess was correct.

The old man turned to him. “Ted’s your foster brother?”

“Yessir, he is.”

“You’ve known him a long time?”

“Almost my whole life,” said Aiden. “And honestly, I don’t think of him as a foster anything. He’s my brother, same as Callum or Dylan or Wyatt.”

“And you trust him?” the old man asked.

Did he? “Of course.”

Rusty patted the back of Lucy’s hand once more. “It’s time, Lucy. You need to sign that contract. Let someone with more power than us—someone like the mayor—deal with the likes of Stu Whittier and his boss.”

She sat for a minute, looking at the contract. Then, she let out a long breath and scribbled her signature on the document. “There,” she said, tapping the pages on her knee to stack them. “It’s done.”

Aiden rubbed the back of her shoulder. “How do you feel?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure.” She gave him a tight-lipped smile. “I guess I should call Ted and let him know that the deal is done.”

Her cell sat on a table, and she picked it up. After tapping on the screen, she placed a call. With the phone to her ear, she said, “It’s Lucy. I wanted to let you know that I signed the paperwork.” She paused, her gaze shooting to Aiden. “Actually, he’s right here.”

Lucy held out the phone. “Ted wants to talk to you.”

He took the cell. “Hey, man. What’s up?”

Ted said, “I got a call from the bartender at Frisky’s. She thinks Stu is hanging out in the parking lot.”

Frisky’s was a bar, located a few miles outside of town. It was known for its live music, chicken wings, and frequent fights.