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Autumn, Brittney and her camera guy, Wes, gathered next to the Channel Eleven News van.

The plan is to interview Mr. Sterling, kind of get a side story about how the daughters came to work with their father.”

“How are you gonna get a set of fingerprints?” Brittney asked.

“Hopefully, with this.” Autumn patted her back pocket. “My cell phone, for some still shots. I’ll offer to take a few selfies.”

“Or with mine,” Wes said. “If we can remember to keep our fingers off the glass we should be good to go.”

“I might have an idea or two, as well.” Brittney said. “You’re a great guy for offering to help Autumn. She’s lucky to have you on her team.”

Wes blushed, his cheeks turning a tinge of pink at Brittney’s compliment. “Autumn has had her share of exciting escapades with the Garlucci family.”

“Did she fill you in on what’s going on?”

“Yeah. Sterling is a pretty big name around these parts. I met his daughters a few years ago at a party,” Wes said. “They were a trip.”

“A trip in a good way or a bad way?” Brittney asked.

“They have a level of entitlement,” he said. “We were at a New Year’s Eve party downtown. The sisters ended up getting picked up for disorderly conduct.”

“So they have police records?” Autumn’s brows knitted. “I wonder why the investigators haven’t been able to match their fingerprints to the ones found on Elvira’s ductwork.”

“ If it was them,” Brittney said. “Maybe it wasn’t them and we’re after the wrong people.”

“Carlita seems certain. There are too many clues pointing to it being Lindsay and Tracy,” Autumn said.

Wes made a timeout with his hands. “I didn’t finish. Russell Sterling ran right down there while they were putting the cuffs on the troublemakers. He pulled a few strings and got his daughters released.”

“Before they were booked?”

“Yep. Some others who were part of the group weren’t so lucky.”

“Daddy to the rescue,” Autumn quipped. “Going back to the entitlement angle.”

“They sound like brats,” Brittney said.

“You’ll see what I mean.”

“Do you think they’ll remember you?” Autumn asked.

“Maybe. There were a lot of people around that night.” Wes, who had been fiddling with his gear, made an unhappy sound.

“What’s wrong?” Autumn asked. “Trouble with the audio equipment again?”

“Yeah. It’s on the fritz. I thought it was fixed, but testing it just now, it cut out.”

“Crud.” Autumn cast a wary gaze toward the front door. “If we don’t do this today, we might not have time to come back.”

“Let’s get ‘er done and keep our fingers crossed that it doesn’t go out.” Gathering up the gear, the trio strolled inside the dealership at exactly eleven fifty-nine. As soon as the receptionist found out who they were, she whisked them down the hall to a conference room in the back.

While they waited for Sterling and his daughters, Brittney stood off to the side, quietly watching them set up the equipment.

The door flew open. Russell Sterling appeared. “Hello, Ms. Winter.”

“Hello, Mr. Sterling.” Autumn forced a smile and extended her hand. “It’s nice to see you again,” she fibbed.

“Same here.”

Autumn motioned to Wes. “This is my cameraman, Wes.”

Sterling shook his hand, but his eyes were on Brittney. “And who is this gorgeous creature?”

“My…apprentice, Brittney,” Autumn said. “She…uh…is learning all about live journalism.”

“And what a stunning reporter she will be.” He grasped Brittney’s hand. Instead of shaking it, he kissed the top, lingering a little too long for her liking.

She jerked it away and wiped it on her slacks.

Sterling either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “Shall we get started? I thought we could record a small segment in here and then move onto my office.”

Autumn craned her neck. “Where are your daughters?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think they’ll be able to make it. Lindsay is with a customer. Tracy is running an errand.”

Autumn’s heart plummeted. “I was hoping to cover the family angle, how wonderful of an opportunity it was for your daughters—women—to break into what most consider a profession dominated by men.”

“Lindsay will try very hard to wrap things up. She’s interested in the idea of expanding her horizons and embarking on a career with a more public following,” Sterling said. “She’s a natural. So is Tracy.”

“Then I hope both of them can make it.” Autumn picked up her microphone. “We’ll start with me asking you a little about the history of your company. Maybe you could throw out a few facts and figures, how many people you employ, interesting information along those lines.”

Sterling straightened his tie. “I’m ready.”

Autumn counted from three down to one. Wes signaled the camera was rolling. She flawlessly started her spiel, explaining to viewers where she was and what the segment was about. “I’m here with Russell Sterling. Many of you might already know Mr. Sterling, who is a prominent local businessman in the automotive sales and service industry.”

She asked him how he got started. He spouted off some numbers and even shared a funny little anecdote about a raccoon who broke into a car and how they called animal services to rescue him.

A flitting movement caught Autumn’s eye. A woman, about her age and slightly overweight, slipped into the room. She ended the segment and signaled for Wes to stop the recording. “Hello.”

“Hello. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Not at all, dear.” Sterling crossed the room. He placed a light hand on her back. “Autumn, Brittney, Wes, this is my daughter, Lindsay.”

Autumn shook hands with her. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for joining us.”

“Sorry if I’m late. I was with a customer and got here as fast as I could.”

“Your timing is perfect.” Autumn explained she’d finished the first segment and suggested they move to Sterling’s office for part two of the interview.

“Excellent.”

Exiting the conference room, they walked along the long hall to the office at the end. On the wall and in big, bold gold letters was Russell Sterling’s name.

Autumn hesitated in the doorway, noting the scent of expensive leather, along with the faint aroma of cigar smoke mingled with something else. A pup with a shaggy coat and big floppy ears scrambled off a doggie bed and trotted over.

“This is Chevy,” Lindsay said.

“Hi, Chevy.” Autumn scratched his ears and patted his back.

Wes greeted him.

Brittney hovered near the wall, nervously licking her lips.

“He won’t bite,” Lindsay said.

“Chevy looks friendly. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to dogs.” Brittney cautiously stepped back.

“I’ll put him in the courtyard.” Lindsay led him to a set of sliders and let the pup out.

Sterling rubbed his palms together. “Where would you like to start?”

Autumn surveyed the layout of the room, her mind racing. She needed to get a set of Lindsay’s prints, but how? “Why don’t you sit behind the desk? Your daughter can take a chair across from you, maybe look like you’re going over some papers for the first shot.”

Brittney tottered across the room and began fumbling around in her purse. “I noticed your hair is a little mussed up, Lindsay.” She reached into her designer bag, pulled out a folding compact, and handed it to her. “You can borrow my mirror.”

“Thanks.” The woman took the compact. She flipped it open and began studying her reflection, turning her head from right to left. “I don’t see what you’re talking about.”

“Over on this side.” Brittney pointed to a section of hair that was out of view. “Maybe if you tilt the mirror a little more to the side. You might want to hold it tighter. My compact is slippery.”

Lindsay tightened her grip, shifting the mirror and reflecting it downward. “I still don’t see it.”

Brittney reached out and hesitated. “May I?”

“Sure.”

She smoothed the woman’s hair. “Perfect.”

“Thank you.” Lindsay held out the mirror.

Brittney carefully snapped it shut and placed it back inside her purse. Autumn turned her head. She caught Brittney’s eye and her “protégé” winked.

Wes began positioning Sterling and his daughter, directing them in order to get the best angle for the camera shot.

Meanwhile, Autumn crept across the room and joined Brittney. “That was genius,” she said in a low voice.

“Thanks.” Brittney beamed. “One down, one to go. I might have another trick up my sleeve.”

“We’re ready,” Wes announced.

“Let’s get to it.” Autumn segued into her second segment, asking all the right questions, wrapping up the final portion of the interview seamlessly. Unfortunately, there was still no sign of Sterling’s other daughter. “Is Tracy going to make it?”

“I’ll send her a text.” Lindsay pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped the screen. “She’s running behind. How much longer will you be here?”

Autumn glanced at her watch. She and Wes needed to head to their next taping. “Only a few more minutes.”

“Bummer,” Lindsay said. “Tracy is bummed.”

“So are we,” Brittney said.

The trio reluctantly packed up their gear and exited the building, trudging toward their van which was parked next to Carlita’s car that Brittney had borrowed.

Autumn set her backpack on the floor and heaved a heavy sigh. “Well, mission half accomplished.”

“Hopefully, it’s the half that gives us a match,” Brittney said.

“With the way my luck runs, I’m gonna guess we fingerprinted the wrong sister.” Autumn nudged Brittney’s arm. “But you pulled off a master move. You did a great job of collecting potential evidence.”

“Carlita’s tricks of the sleuthing trade must have rubbed off on me. It was kinda fun. Thanks for letting me tag along.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Autumn slid the van’s side door shut. “Because based on what we find, we might be returning for round two.”