Those Christmas Angels (Angels Everywhere #5)(17)

“She thinks she only needs an hour or two.”

“The poor thing,” Shirley said. To Goodness’s surprise, she moved to stand over the older woman. Gently pressing her hand to Anne’s forehead, Shirley leaned forward to whisper, “You did a beautiful job.” Then she lifted her hand and eased away.

“Look,” Mercy said, pointing at Anne.

The softest of smiles touched the woman’s lips, almost as if she’d heard Shirley speak.

“Roy?”

Roy glanced up at George Williams, his high-priced corporate attorney. “I’m sorry, did I miss something?” Judging by the pained expression on the other man’s face, apparently he had. Williams had been discussing the profit-and-loss statement for Griffin Plastics, a company Roy was interested in purchasing. He’d half heard Williams drone on about “synergies”—which, as far as he could determine, just meant that Griffin would be able to make the cases for his security software. Sighing, he directed his attention to the papers on his desk. “Let me look these over and get back to you this afternoon.”

The attorney frowned, gathered his files together and stuffed them in his briefcase.

“Before you leave I have a question,” Roy said.

“About the Griffin figures?”

“No.” Roy reached for a pen and made a few scribbles on a clean sheet of paper while he collected his thoughts. “Late last week, I had a minor…altercation with a bicycle rider.”

“Altercation?” George Williams repeated.

“She fell—” he chose the word carefully “—off her ten-speed and hit a tree.”

The attorney’s eyes widened and he pulled a blank pad of paper toward him.

“She was unhurt,” Roy rushed to add. “As an innocent bystander, I immediately phoned the paramedics and notified the police.”

“So, you’re telling me that you were in no way responsible for her…fall?”

“That’s correct.”

“In other words, you happened along shortly after the accident, and out of consideration for this biker you stopped your vehicle and saw to her welfare?”

The attorney was describing a rather different scene than the one that had actually occurred, but Roy let him. “Yes,” he said slowly, thoughtfully.

“Your concern is?” Williams asked.

“The woman claims I caused her accident.” Just thinking about it irritated Roy. Although there was no evidence to validate her accusation, Julie Wilcoff had insisted he’d run into the rear of her bike. But he hadn’t even seen her until the last second and had instantly slammed on his brakes. In mentally reviewing the incident, Roy had decided that the sound of his car behind her must have startled Julie; she’d lost focus and hit something in the road, which was the reason she’d catapulted off the bicycle and into the tree.

That, however, didn’t explain the damage to her ten-speed. The bicycle clearly showed there’d been an impact from the rear. The back wheel was destroyed, the metal twisted and crumpled. Anyone looking at the bike would believe he’d hit Julie. But Roy knew otherwise, and there was no evidence on his car to suggest he’d collided with her.

“What injuries did she sustain?”

“None. She was unhurt. In fact, she refused medical treatment from the paramedics.”

Williams frowned.

“I took her to my personal physician and he couldn’t find any injuries, either.”

The attorney scribbled furiously. “What have you heard from her since?”

“Nothing.” That concerned him the most. With his name and his money, he was a natural target for frivolous lawsuits. However, any suit Julie filed might find a sympathetic jury. She could have a case, innocent though he was. It certainly wasn’t unheard of for a jury to award a huge settlement for a minor infraction, depending on how effectively the case was presented.

“I did feel bad,” Roy said cautiously. “The accident occurred on company property and I replaced her bicycle.” The new one was twice the machine her old ten-speed had been.

Again Williams made a notation. Roy worried that replacing Julie’s ten-speed might be seen as an acknowledgment of guilt. He should’ve thought of that earlier.

“Did she have a reason for being on company property?” Williams asked.

“I employ her father.”

The frown was back, creasing his brow. “I see.”

“Wilcoff was only recently hired.” Roy had let chance make the decision. He’d studied the applications, chosen the top three and written the candidates’ names on slips of paper, which he’d placed in an empty coffee mug. He’d drawn one name—Dean’s. So perhaps all of this was fated….

“Have you spoken to the father since the incident?”

Roy hadn’t. “Any suggestions on what I should do now?”

“I wish you’d said something sooner,” the attorney murmured, his expression darkening.

Roy probably should have, but until now he hadn’t seen the need. It hadn’t been a serious accident. By her own admission and confirmed by his doctor, Julie was perfectly fine. This sort of situation had never occurred before. Williams was probably right; Roy should’ve consulted a lawyer immediately.

“Trouble?” he asked, unwilling to borrow any. He had problems enough.