Page 97 of His Forgotten Colton Fiancee
The line clicked off.
Encouraged, he focused on the job beforehim. West read over all his notes from the first bombing. He began rearranging words on paper. And then everything clicked.
By 5:30 p.m., he organized his notes, printed out the report Mike emailed and called Finn Colton, asking for Brayden and Shane to attend the meeting. Then he found an energy bar at his desk and ate it while waiting for the chief.
West studied the report Mike had sentover. It was time to have a little talk with Finn, Shane and Brayden.
Taking the report, he headed to the chief’s office. Finn Colton was at his computer. He glanced up as West strode inside.
Chief Colton scrutinized his expression. “Want to tell me what this is about?”
When both were seated at the conference table in the office, West sat where he had all three within easy view. Thenhe tossed the fax in front of Finn.
“Lab report on the sleeping bag found at cabin seven in Pine Paradise. Nothing was in it. It was brand-new. All the items there, including the baby diapers, had no prints on them. Demi could have used gloves, but it’s not winter.”
Finn blinked. “And her jacket?”
“Her prints were all over the jacket. Quinn’s, as well. She could have been there. Couldbe Demi is in league with the bomber. Or someone stole her jacket, but that’s doubtful since the security cameras would have picked up anyone entering or exiting Quinn’s apartment.”
If Brayden knew where she was, the man might trip now, blurt out a clue in his fierce defense of Demi.
“My sister is innocent.”
“We don’t know if she is,” Finn said slowly. “We can’t be certain until she’sfound.”
Shane spoke out, his tone milder than his brother’s. “And knowing Demi, she’s good at hiding.”
West leaned forward. “Do you know where she is?”
As he spoke, he studied the three Coltons. None looked away, even Brayden. They made eye contact, and no one tensed up.
Quiet relief filled him. All his instincts told him they didn’t know any more than he did. At least these Coltonson the force had no clue of her whereabouts. West rubbed the back of his neck. “The hairs on the brush aren’t human.”
“Synthetic,” Finn murmured. “A wig.”
West nodded. “Nothing else there except food wrappers, a sleeping bag in a bedroom with a bed that wasn’t slept in and the hairbrush. No fingerprints on anything. Not even the brush.”
Finn leaned back in his chair. “Someone’s tryingto frame Demi.”
“Not so much framing her as trying to make us believe she was there so they could collect on Devlin Harrington’s reward. Who was the person who called in the tip?” West locked gazes with the chief, who shook his head.
“It was a man. Didn’t leave a name, said he’d call back with details soon. Knew that reward was a bad idea,” Finn muttered.
“The lack of fingerprints,of real clear evidence, points to someone wanting us to believe she was there. No biological fluids, no prints anywhere in the cabin. No skin cells.” West drummed his fingers on the armrest.
West knew, as they did, that you always shed skin cells when you slept. Microscopic skin cells should have been present inside the sleeping bag. Even if Demi slept fully clothed, there would be cells present.
“The only real evidence pointing to Demi was the jacket. Maybe the unsub planted it there to throw us off,” Brayden mused.
“Or the unsub used the property while he experimented with making the TATP bomb. He just didn’t stay. And he’s long gone by now.”
Shane frowned. “Then where is he?”
West narrowed his eyes. “In town. Right under our noses.”
He pulled out the report and pointedto the new sketch. “DNA on a cigarette stub at the first bombing belongs to Aston Reston, accessory to a car bombing in Kanas City eight years ago. Sentenced for ten to twenty, served four years. Released in February for good behavior, skipped parole. He probably headed to South Dakota. His mother still lives in Sioux Falls.”
“First bombing?” Finn leaned forward. “The cigarette was found inthe rubble?”
