Hour of Need (Scarlet Falls #1)(43)

She gasped.

Though the image was dim, Ellie recognized the picture of her house. Grant, Taylor, and Julia stood on the front lawn, their images grainy but recognizable in the dark. Grant held Taylor by the arm. Under the photo was a caption: Have you found the file?

Helpless tears prickled the corners of Ellie’s eyes. Hoodie Man had been at the house last night when Julia was outside, vulnerable. If Grant hadn’t been there, Hoodie Man could have gotten her daughter. She typed need more time and hit the Send button.

What was she going to do? Would more time even help? She had no idea where to look.

Her phone buzzed with a return message: time is running out.

The piles of work on her desk blurred. Ellie had to get inside Lee’s house. Though Grant’s words had been ambiguous, she knew he had some of the firm’s files. Hoodie Man wasn’t going to wait.

She shuffled the expense reports on her desk, but her mind wasn’t on her work. Her phone buzzed from her drawer. Alarm coursed through her. What else did Hoodie Man want?

Nan’s cell phone number appeared on the display. Ellie’s already thudding heart went into overdrive. No. They couldn’t have hurt Nan. She stabbed her keypad three times with a shaking finger before successfully hitting the Answer key. “Nan?”

“Don’t get upset. I’m all right.”

Fear washed cold through Ellie’s veins. “What happened?”

“It’s not a big deal.” But her grandmother’s voice sounded weak. “I just slipped on the steps. I didn’t want to call, but Grant made me.”

“Let me talk to him.” Ellie heard Grant’s voice in the background, then the sound of the phone being passed.

“Ellie?”

“What happened, Grant?” she asked.

“She fell in the driveway, and her ankle is pretty swollen. Wrist, too.” Concern deepened his voice.

“I’ll be home in twenty minutes.” Ellie opened her bottom drawer and pulled out her purse.

“I’m going to take her to the ER,” Grant said. “Why don’t you meet us there?”

If he didn’t want Nan to wait twenty minutes, then her injuries must be more serious than a twisted ankle.

“All right.” Ellie ended the call. Purse in hand, she knocked on Roger’s door.

“Yes,” he called.

She opened the door. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” Actually she’d totally forgotten he was in a meeting with the accountant.

Roger’s expression went from annoyed to worried as he met her gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“My grandmother fell.” Ellie’s voice shook as she said the words out loud. “I don’t know how badly she’s hurt, but she’s on her way to the emergency room. I have to leave.”

“Of course. Are you all right to drive?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you.” Ellie gripped the doorknob.

“Go. Take the rest of the day. Let me know how she is.”

“Thank you.” Ellie found her car and drove to the hospital. The fifteen-minute drive felt like hours. Dread filled her belly. Was this a warning? A taste of what could happen if she didn’t do as she was told?

She parked her car in the hospital emergency room parking lot. The shakes spread through her entire body by the time she locked her car and hurried across the asphalt. Her shoes slipped on a patch of slush. Her feet went out from under her, and she went down with a splash. Pain radiated down her leg. She rubbed at her hip. She’d forgotten to change into her boots. Heels were not made for walking on snow and ice.

Nan is fine. Ellie had talked to her grandmother. So why was she freaking out? Because it could have been much, much worse. She got to her feet and brushed ice crystals off her wool coat. The hem of her skirt was soaked through and streaked with brown old-snow filth.

The ER doors slid open. She wiped her feet on a thick black floor mat. Skirting a yellow Caution Wet Floor sign, she stopped to scan the waiting room. A dozen people huddled on chairs, filling out forms on clipboards. She spotted Grant on the other side of the room.

He stood as she walked over. His face was grim. “They just took her back.”

“What’s wrong? It’s more serious than she said, right?” She tugged off her gloves. Fear pooled in her belly. Nan was fit for her age. She’d stayed active in the church and community since retiring, but there was no denying that she was getting older.

“Take a deep breath and calm down. She’s tough.” Grant’s tone was firm.

“She’s seventy-five, but she refuses to act it.” Ellie unbuttoned her coat. “She said she was staying home today.”

“She was just bringing in a package,” Grant said. “Some snowmelt dripped off the roof and froze on the porch. Your gutters probably need to be cleaned.”

Ellie spun toward the check-in counter. “She should have stayed in the house.”

He caught her by the arm. “Sit down and relax for a minute.” His tone sharpened into a command.

The order irritated Ellie’s already-frayed nerves. Her gaze dropped to his hand. “Excuse me?”

Grant loosened his grip. Sighing, he moved in front of her, blocking her path, and took her other arm, this time gently. “If she sees you like this, it’ll upset her.”