Loves Me Not

SEVENTY ONE

AFTER
DETECTIVE BRETT PORTER

There was a brief moment when we were going through the recovered phone data where I thought I recognized that number from somewhere. I swear I had seen it before. But it wasn't until we read through the text messages and she said his name that I was certain. The number belongs to Will Sterling.

To be honest, I hadn't really thought much about him during the investigation. His name first popped up in that letter she had hidden in her bookshelf. Leave everything to Will. I paid him a visit and he seemed like a genuine guy who deeply cared about her. He had only positive things to say about Catalaina and provided me with a lot of useful information. He seemed to know more about her than anybody else I'd spoken to. He never raised any sort of suspicion.

The only other time I encountered him was the day of the funeral, after Dominic and Ben had gotten into a fight. Will had been there, trying to stop them, and I brought him in for questioning as a witness.

Other than those two times meeting with him, he hadn't crossed my mind at all. Never once did I have him on the suspect list or ever think he had anything to do with Catalaina's murder.

Until now.

I guess that's why they call it hiding in plain sight.

I act quickly, working to get a warrant for his arrest under the likely suspicion that he is responsible for the murder of Catalaina. We have incriminating text messages between suspect and victim for the days leading up to the murder, as well as messages she sent to him within the hour that she left her house, asking him to meet. She called a taxi, and then she called him. It's really quite black and white. Any judge would see that.

A few hours later, after waiting around the station, I get a call. The warrant has been granted.

I take Zoey with me and we get in the car to head over to Will's house in New Haven. I'm still missing two key things that every detective dreams of having in an investigation: probable cause, and DNA evidence. Oh, and the murder weapon of course. But for now, with these text messages, I'm hoping I can get an easy confession out of him.

We get to his house about twenty minutes later. I recall the last time I was here, sitting in his living room, talking over coffee. Now things have changed drastically.

Zoey walks ahead of me and goes directly to the front door, knocking loudly three times. I follow behind her and pull out the warrant. A minute later, the door opens. His wife stands there staring at us looking awestruck.

"Is your husband here?" I ask her.
"What is this regarding?"
"Is he here?" I ask again, more demanding this time.
"No," she says tentatively. "He's at work. At the hospital."

I sigh and turn around, heading back to the car. I was hoping this would be neat and tidy, bring him into the station with less eyes watching. But now we have to show up at the hospital, attracting God only knows how much attention.

We arrive at the Yale New Haven Hospital ten minutes later. Zoey and I enter the building and she heads over to the front desk to find out what floor he's on. I hit the button and wait for the elevator.

Zoey hurries over to me and we get inside. She presses the fifth floor. Once we get there, we walk hastily and with a purpose. I want to get to him fast, but I also don't want to cause too much of a scene, especially if there are patients around.

We ask a nurse where to find him and she directs us down the hall to the digital imaging room. I knock twice and then open the door.

He stands there wearing his white lab coat, staring at a wall of X-rays. He turns around upon hearing us enter. Zoey closes the door behind us.

"Will Sterling," I say, looking at him. "You are under arrest for the murder of Catalaina Kittridge."