Hour of Need (Scarlet Falls #1)(50)

She had been the object of public disapproval as a pregnant high school dropout, but she was no longer an insecure teenager. She felt bad for Corey, but that didn’t excuse his behavior.

Maybe bullying ran in the family.



Grant let Ellie into the house. She stopped to give the dog a scratch behind the ears. She’d changed clothes since he’d seen her at the arena a short while ago. The worn jeans and sweater hugged her curves just as well as the suit she’d been wearing earlier.

“Ellie!” Carson ran toward her and flung his arms around her waist. “Is Julia home?”

Ellie stooped to give him a return hug. AnnaBelle butted her head between them, and Ellie wobbled.

Grant steadied her with a hand on her shoulder and took the dog’s collar with his free hand. “AnnaBelle, no knocking visitors over.”

“It’s all right.” She put a hand on the floor and regained her balance. She ruffled Carson’s blond locks and smiled at him. “I’m used to the warm welcome. Yes, Julia is home. She’s taking care of Nan.”

“Is Nan’s foot all better?” Carson asked.

“I’m afraid that’s going to take a while. I’ll bet she could use some cheering up.” Ellie stood. “You want to go over and say hi?”

Carson’s nod was eager and quick.

“Go put on shoes and a jacket.”

Carson ran toward the back of the house, his socks sliding in the hall.

Ellie glanced at Grant. “I’m sorry. I should have asked if it was all right with you. He’s over at my house so frequently, I didn’t think.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure he could use a change of scenery,” Grant said. “As long as you don’t think he’ll be in the way.”

Ellie shook her head. “Nan is already bored. He’ll entertain her for a while.”

Carson raced back. His jacket hung open and his snow boots were on the wrong feet. Ellie and Grant went out onto the porch to watch him race across the front yards to Ellie’s front door. Julia let him in.

“Where’s Faith?” Ellie asked.

“In the kitchen with my sister.”

“Good,” Ellie agreed, but her eyes turned wary. “When you called, you said you had something for me.”

Grant suddenly wished she’d give him half the warmth she’d shown his nephew. “Let’s go into the office so we can talk in private.”

He’d decided to come clean with her. None of the files he’d found were the sensitive Hamilton case. There was no point in hanging on to them. Maybe if he gave them to Ellie, she’d start to trust him.

He closed the door behind them. Ellie turned and backed away from him. Her thighs hit the seat of the old chair, and she eased back into it as if exhausted.

Grant turned the desk chair to face her and sat. He pointed to a box on the desk. “You can take those files to your boss.”

Ellie’s eyes brightened. She lurched to her feet. Her boot caught on the chair leg, and she toppled forward.

“Whoa. Easy.” Grant sprang forward and caught her by the shoulders just before her forehead hit the edge of the desk.

She scrambled to get her feet underneath her body. Her face flushed.

“There’s no rush. Those files aren’t going anywhere.” Satisfied she had regained her balance, he released her arms. “I already made one trip to the ER today. Let’s not make it two.”

Her face paled. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually this clumsy.”

What the hell was wrong with her? He understood why she’d been upset at the hospital, but there was no reason for Ellie to still be a mess. Her grandmother was fine.

She lifted her chin and straightened her sweater. She lifted the files from the box and thumbed through the tabs. Disappointment sagged her shoulders and for a brief moment, Grant thought she was going to cry.

Then it hit him. He knew exactly what she was looking for.

“It’s not there,” he said.

“What isn’t here?” she asked, her voice wary.

“The Hamilton file.”

The look she shot him was defensive and desperate. She didn’t deny that’s what she was seeking. “Do you have it?”

“No.” He shook his head.

She dropped the files back into the box. “How did you find out about it?”

“I saw a news broadcast this afternoon. In an interview, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton claimed that Lee was their attorney and that he’d found new evidence in their daughter’s case right before he was killed.” He’d spent some hours reading every article on the case he could find online about the suicide.

“I didn’t see any news this afternoon. We were stuck in that ER cubicle for hours. Did the Hamiltons say what kind of evidence?”

“They said they didn’t know.”

Ellie dropped into the chair. Her face was still pale, her focus inward.

“Tell me what’s going on, Ellie.”

“Nothing.” She brought her hands to her face and pressed her fingertips to her forehead.

“I know something is wrong.” Grant moved closer. He reached out and took one of her hands in his. He pressed his palms around her cold fingers. “Maybe I can help.”

Her eyes lifted to meet his. For a moment, turmoil and helplessness looked back at him. Then she pulled her hand free and clenched it tight enough to whiten her knuckles. “I’ll take these files back to the firm tomorrow.”