“A tad?”

  “Okay, maybe a lot. You’re just so far away. If you would come home, then maybe we wouldn’t be so nosey.”

  “Dad…”

  “I know. You like where you are. That’s fine. We understand. We don’t like it, but we do understand. The little bird has to fly from the nest and all.” On the line, Elizabeth could hear him muttering about safety and people following her. Thomas must have told them about the subway. No doubt she would have to explain further if he ever gave her the chance.

  “I don’t understand,” her mother yelled.

  “Dad, please try to tell Mom I’m okay. You raised me to do the right thing.”

  “Ask her, Paul; ask her.”

  “What does she want to know, Dad?”

  “I hate to say this, because it makes Mrs. Campbell appear nosey. But she said you had company over last week until two in the morning.”

  Elizabeth didn’t speak. She hadn’t even thought about Bruce leaving her home so late causing a problem. Might as well tell them the truth. “Yes, that’s true.”

  Elizabeth heard the disappointed breath of air escape her father’s lungs. “Was it this Bruce character?”

  “Yes.”

  Before her father could express himself, she heard someone try to beep in on the phone.

  “Dad, can you hold? Someone is trying to beep in.”

  Elizabeth beeped over right as her mother was complaining about playing second fiddle to someone they hadn’t even met.

  “Hello?” Elizabeth answered.

  “Hello, Elizabeth. It’s Mrs. Hampton. Mrs. Janice Hampton.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Hampton. How are you?”

  “Not good, dear. Not good. Charles is in the hospital.”

  “Oh, no. Is everything okay? Is there anything I can do?”

  “No everything is not okay, I’m afraid. But there’s something you can do.”

  “Of course. What do you need?”

  “I hate to say this, but the boys, George and Henry, are indisposed at the moment, and I need to go home and gather some things. Could you come sit with Charles for a few hours?”

  Elizabeth was silent.

  “Dear? Are you still there?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Hampton. I guess I’m a little surprised is all.”

  “I know it’s kind of sudden. Especially after it would appear you were removed from your position because of me. The fact is I’ve always felt like you were a part of our family. I think if you were here watching over Charles, he would be safe. So will you come?”

  “Of course. It might take me a little while to get there.”

  “That’s fine, dear. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Ending the call with Janice and clicking back over to her father, Elizabeth heard her parents talking.

  “We need to go and get her.”

  “She’s too old for us to go get her, June. She’s a grown woman. We have to give her room to grow. Besides maybe this guy being around all the time is a good thing. At least she has people watching her.”

  “Hogwash. She’s my only daughter. She needs to come home and marry a good southern boy and have some grandchildren.”

  “You have tons of grandchildren, woman. And you have all your sons close by. Why can’t that be enough?”

  “Because I want my daughter!” her mother cried.

  Elizabeth’s guilt swelled. Clearing her throat to announce her return, she said, “Dad, I’m sorry. I have to go. My previous boss is in the hospital. His wife called me to come sit with him while she runs home for a little while.”

  “That sounds peculiar. Doesn’t he have any family? Why did they call you?”

  “The family can’t come right now. Besides, I don’t mind going to sit with him.”

  “That seems odd to me. You don’t need to be sitting with some old man in a hospital. Especially if it’s not your father.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I have to go.”

  “Take that Bruce guy with you.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Don’t go by yourself. It looks like he wants to be around you so take him with you. Don’t go alone. Do you hear me?”

  “I heard you, Dad. I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow after church.”

  Elizabeth didn’t give her dad time to say anything but good-bye. She hung up the phone and went upstairs to change and get ready to go to the hospital.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Bruce left Elizabeth’s townhouse and headed two doors over to his own abode. The first thing he did was pour himself something to drink. He sat down at the table. It was covered with files relating to the Tillman case. Massaging his aching temples, he wondered if he was ever going to solve this mystery.

  He stood and paced the length of his living room. Stopping, he looked out the windows at the glistening water. The small pond across from the row of townhouses was one thing that had drawn him to this neighborhood. He’d always loved the water. Just to be this close gave him a sense of satisfaction.

  As Bruce peered out the glass, he noticed a shadow of a woman. She was standing on the sidewalk and climbing into a taxi. When the lady closed the door, Bruce got a closer look at the woman’s face. Elizabeth. Where could she be going? Had something happened during her phone call? Had her parents convinced her to hop on a plane and fly home?

  Elizabeth’s cell number was programmed into his phone. Should he call her? If he called, would she think he was being an overprotective friend? That was all they currently were, right? Friends. They had confessed they liked each other on multiple occasions. Yet what kind of relationship was that?

  Running his hand through his hair in an agitated manner, Bruce set down at the table and tried to focus on something other than Elizabeth. He began riffling through papers. Amongst the old files, there was one case in particular that kept drawing his attention. It was for a man who died from a gunshot wound. Just like Mr. Tillman, he was covered in cancer and given only a few months to live. There had been no treatments available to help him.

  A month after the announcement that he was going to die, he was shot. Just walking to the mailbox to get the mail and bang. His case went straight down the toilet from there. Hampton lawyers claimed the cancer was never real. They said the wife had the medical records altered after her husband’s death for monetary reasons. Again the judge refused to allow documents to be presented showing the dead man’s medical history. Bruce looked at the judge’s name, hopeful that it was the same judge as some of the other questionable cases. But it wasn’t.

  There had to be a connection that he just wasn’t seeing. The only thing Bruce found in common with the cases so far was the Hamptons were always the lawyers for the defendants, which wasn’t surprising since they were on retainer with the Winterbottom Corporation. Nothing else matched. Sometimes Henry was the head lawyer, while other times it was George. Although in his personal opinion, they may have done nothing more than sign the paperwork.

  The plaintiff in these cases was always some poor fellow that died of extenuating circumstances, something other than their cancer, except for John Tillman. Bruce had less than a week before he went to court on behalf of Mrs. Tillman. He had the case file George Hampton had given him. He had talked to John’s widow. Quite frankly, he didn’t have enough. He needed to buy time. Where was the connection? A reason. Something to tie these other cases together. As soon as he found the thread that bound them all, then he would file a class action suit. Everyone that had been wronged by the Winterbottom Corporation would be avenged.

  The only problem was that in the process, Bruce would be taking down his own employer. He would no doubt be looking for new employment before long. That was okay. It was better to do the right thing than to live with doing the wrong thing for the rest of one’s life. Was that the situation George was in?

  Bruce couldn’t help but get the impression George was hiding something. The man was so friendly and informal most of the time. His actions at the party had seemed unusual, even for him. Bruce couldn’t have been more shocked if the man had shown up in a chicken costume. To allow that girl he was marrying to just run roughshod over him and make the engagement party so his parents wouldn’t even attend was completely out of character.

  Maybe if Bruce asked for help on the case, George would give it to him. No matter which way Bruce thought about it, nagging doubts assailed him. If George was hiding crucial information, then he needed to find out what it was without asking. Besides, if George had wanted him to know, then he would’ve already told him.

  Removing his glasses, Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose. His eyes blurred. Too many nights had been spent staring at these pages looking for the connection. As he glanced at the clock and noted the time as one a.m., he wondered if Elizabeth had returned home. What could possibly be keeping her out so late?

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  When Elizabeth arrived at the hospital, she had no idea what to expect. Going to the front desk, she asked for directions to Charles Hampton’s room. Her casual attire of sweat pants and a sweat shirt, and her hair pulled back in a ponytail, had the receptionist giving her a strange stare. Since she hadn’t known how long she would have to stay, she’d dressed for comfort. There was nothing wrong with that.

  As soon as Elizabeth entered the hospital floor where Mr. Hampton was situated, her awkwardness intensified. Why had Mrs. Hampton called her? Surely they had other members of the family that could come sit with Mr. Hampton. Everything about this seemed odd.

  When Elizabeth reached Mr. Hampton’s room the door was jerked open wide before her.

  “Oh, there you are! I thought you were never coming,” exclaimed Janice as she pulled Elizabeth into the room.

  Stumbling inside, Elizabeth replied, “I’m sorry it took so long. I didn’t know how long I would be here, so I gathered a few things to bring with me.”

  “No matter. I see you dressed in a relaxed manner.” Janice’s face seemed pleased. Elizabeth was glad she hadn’t attempted to look professional.

  “Yes, I did. Could you tell me exactly what you need from me?”

  Janice moved aside and allowed Elizabeth to look at her employer. Shock registered on her face to see Mr. Hampton lying on the bed hooked to various tubes and machines. The smell of antiseptic burned her nose and stung her eyes. The equipment whirled and churned in the room causing her heart to hammer against her chest.

  Charles Hampton lay back against a mound of pillows. A tube was shoved down his throat as a nearby machine went up and down in an effort to help him breathe. His skin was pale and drawn. He looked liked he’d aged ten years in one day.

  Elizabeth glanced toward Janice. Having appeared cool and collected before, now her hands were held in front of her body in a solemn pose. They twisted and turned under their own volition. A strange look sat upon her face. Elizabeth went to her and urged her to sit in one of the room’s chairs.

  “Mrs. Hampton, what happened?”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered, silent tears trailed down her cheeks. Her makeup ran, causing long black streaks to trail down her face.

  Elizabeth found a tissue and handed it to her. She rubbed at her tears, only making the mess worse. Gnawing at her lip, Elizabeth didn’t know what to say. Perhaps she should’ve listened to her father and brought Bruce along. In her heart, she knew he would have been more than willing to come. He would know what to do in this situation.

  Elizabeth tried again. “Mrs. Hampton, have the doctors told you anything? Did he have a heart attack? A car accident?”

  Choking back emotion, Janice spoke, “I went out today, you see. Saturday is my day to go out and just shop. I know I do that most days, except I go longer on Saturdays. Anyway, when I came home, I yelled for Charles. He always meets me in the garage and helps with my packages. This time, he just wasn’t there. So I went to find him. And when I walked into the foyer, there he was. He was on the ground. His face was turned sideways, and he had this white stuff coming out of his mouth. I tried to shake him. I tried to wake him. But he wouldn’t move. I called for help, except all the staff had gone home. I dialed 911 immediately. When they arrived, Charles’ pulse was faint. They brought him here right away. They think maybe he had a seizure. They just keep asking me if he’s ever had one before. I told them no. For some reason, I don’t think they believe me.”

  Elizabeth hesitated, perhaps the woman just needed moral support. “Mrs. Hampton, where are the boys? Shouldn’t George and Henry be here with you?”

  “Yes, you would think they would be, wouldn’t you? I don’t understand it. I can’t reach Henry. His secretary says he’s gone on an extended holiday. Golfing, I believe. And George, every time I try to call him, his cell goes straight to voice mail. It’s that harlot he’s engaged to. She’s keeping him from answering the phone.”

  Elizabeth said, “Okay. I’m here. If you need to go home, you can. I’ll call you if anything happens.”

  Janice patted her hand. “I knew I could count on you. Charles has always liked you. I must say, he and I had hoped one of the boys would take a liking to you.”

  “Mrs. Hampton…”

  “I know, dear. It wasn’t really feasible, was it? You’ve always had such a good heart and a kind manner. That’s why we’d hoped George or Henry would have feelings for you.” She released a healthy sigh, “It doesn’t really matter. Henry isn’t ready to settle down. And well, George. Poor George. I don’t know what to think about him. I mean, Tina Winterbottom is no woman to become friends with. And she is definitely not wife material.”

  Janice stood abruptly, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. “I guess I better go while Charles is asleep. Please call me if there is any change.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Elizabeth watched as Mrs. Janice Hampton stood tall and erect and walked toward the door, glancing back only once at her ailing husband.

  ****

  Wesley stood in the hallway wringing his hands as Janice Hampton walked past him. Why had they done that? He’d told them time and again to let it go. It would be okay. There was no reason to go to such extreme measures, but they wouldn’t listen. Now Mr. Hampton was in the hospital, and he felt responsible.

  Wesley made sure the elevator was descending before he snuck a peek into the room. Elizabeth sat in one of the hospital chairs with a book on her lap. A strand of hair was twisted around her finger. Every now and then she would peer up at Mr. Hampton, look down and close her eyes like she was praying, then go back to reading her book.

  Wesley leaned back against the wall. He was supposed to be a changed man. A new man. He’d given his life over to the Lord. So why was he still wrapped up in this mess? Going to the stairwell, he proceeded down to the bottom floor. Once there he found the hospital chapel. Walking inside and up to the front pew, he sat down. There he confessed his sins and made a plan to rectify what he’d done.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Elizabeth found a spot on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the room and sat down. She pulled out her Bible and began to read. The passage she was studying was in Romans. It had been the message at last Sunday’s church service. That God has a purpose for everything. As she reflected back on the last couple of weeks, she thought about this passage.

  It was certain her life had changed recently. The demotion at work, going back to her old look, meeting Bruce.

  Elizabeth smiled. Ah, Bruce. She closed her eyes, her face yielding a dreamy expression. He was the most handsome man at the Hampton law firm, and for some reason, he’d taken an interest in her. Elizabeth was unclear about God’s plan for them. She’d prayed countless times.

  As she prayed, she felt a sense she was helping Cole, and maybe she’d been put in the brothers’ path to direct them back to the Lord. As far as direction on her relationship, she received no guidance.

  Bruce was intelligent and seemed eager to learn more about the Bible and the ways of God. He’d attended Mass for most of his life, yet he didn’t seem to know one thing about the word of God, and he freely admitted it. After they’d attended church services the week before, guilt had eaten at him and they’d spent hours discussing everything from Jewish dietary laws to the countless times the Jews denied Christ. Every word of the Bible was new and exciting to him.

  Elizabeth enjoyed the conversations. It opened her eyes to things she hadn’t thought about since she was very young. Now reading Romans, she tried to focus on points she might have missed from her previous readings.

  So focused was Elizabeth on the words, that at first she didn’t hear the faint sound.

  “Help…”

  Startled, Elizabeth looked up to see Mr. Hampton’s hand raised. He was slapping the bed. Rushing to his side, Elizabeth squeezed his hand. There was a tube going down his throat, so there was no way he could have spoken to her. Was she hearing things?

  “Mr. Hampton. Can I get you anything?”

  His eyes were wide with terror. Frantically he beat against the covers of his bed, gesturing violently. Looking behind her, she had no idea what he wanted. The nurse’s call button was close by and Elizabeth picked it up to call for help. Nurses and doctors ran into the room.

  “There’s no problem. He’s awake. He wants something. But I’m not sure what it is.”

  “Scoot back, miss, while we take a look.” Elizabeth obeyed, and the doctor leaned over and spoke. “Sir, you’re in the hospital. If you’ll be still, I’m going to take the tube out of your throat. What I want you to do is cough when I say to. Okay?”

  Charles nodded.

  Elizabeth stayed far behind as the retching sound followed the tube’s removal. When the tube was out, Mr. Hampton coughed, making a dry hacking sound. His hand still beat the bed in a rhythmic motion. Elizabeth looked in the direction he was hitting and saw his coat lying on the back of a chair. While the room was in chaos, Elizabeth took the coat and on a hunch searched the pockets. A piece of paper brushed her hand. She slipped it into her jacket and out of sight. As soon as the letter was hidden, Mr. Hampton collapsed back against his pillow, his heart rate dropped rapidly.