The room was eerily silent. James face flushed red with anger.

  “You have no right to insinuate—”

  “James, I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into. But you have no legal reason to suppress my evidence, and you know it.”

  “But—”

  “I don’t care what they told you. I can get them without the evidence. But it won’t help Mrs. Tillman and the other people they screwed over. I know you. You’re a good man. Don’t do this.”

  “Bruce, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Tell them the judge said no. The evidence stays. Tell them you don’t think it’s that important. I don’t care what you tell them. This has gone on long enough.”

  Elizabeth walked over to the court stenographer and pulled out the roll of paper. James Moore looked at the judge and said, “I withdraw my request.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  The trial proceeded as planned. Bruce presented the evidence. The medical records were passed around the jury box, but the jurors didn’t seem impressed. Then the burned letter was shown. An expert was brought in to try to decipher the words. When it was revealed the writing was too faint and all methods had been tried to enhance the image, Bruce pulled out the other copy of the letter.

  The prosecution tried to argue that a copy was just that: a copy. And it couldn’t be taken as the same letter. However the expert was able to say with ninety-five percent accuracy the copy and the original were the exact same words. Bruce had even brought in equipment to show the jury the letter was real. The letter was the connection.

  And it was also written in the original Mr. Winterbottom’s own hand the year the company began. It was a clear admission the chemical they used to make their products was harmful to the workers without the proper protection. In the letter, the cost of the protective items needed had been figured and discussed. It was decided the cost for the gear would be more expensive than to just settle lawsuits for deaths at a later date.

  The letter was read aloud by the expert. As the original and the copy were laid side by side on the imaging equipment and compared, several elderly ladies who graced the jury box gasped. Elizabeth couldn’t help being happy with their level of shock. She was shocked as well.

  As the trial progressed, they got closer and closer to Elizabeth’s own testimony. For protection she’d yet to tell anyone, other than her father, Cole, and Bruce, who had been in her home that day. The three of them hoped by saving it for the trial it would be more of a help to the Tillman family.

  Finally on the third day of the trial, Elizabeth was called to the stand. Her palms were sweaty as she walked the short distance to the witness chair. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves and steady her racing heartbeat, she placed her hand on the Bible.

  “Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

  “I do.”

  “You may be seated.”

  At this close distance, Elizabeth could feel the judge’s nervousness. He repeatedly clicked the pen he held. What could they possibly have on him? When this trial was over, Bruce might have another case waiting in the wings.

  Bruce approached the stand and smiled. A peace descended upon her. All Elizabeth had to do was tell the truth.

  “Now, Ms. Smith. Can you state for the court who you are and where you work?”

  “I’m your assistant, and I work for the Hampton law firm.”

  “And how long have you worked for the firm?”

  “For five years.”

  “And have you always worked for me?”

  “No. I worked for Mr. Charles Hampton up until one month ago.”

  “Do you know George and Henry Hampton?”

  “Yes. They are Mr. Hampton’s sons. They are the other two partners at the law firm.”

  “And do you know George Hampton’s fiancée?”

  “I don’t really know her. We met briefly for the first time at George’s engagement party.”

  “So you know what she looks like?”

  “Yes.”

  James Moore stood. “Your Honor, I object. What is the point of this line of questioning?”

  “Just a moment more, Your Honor, and I promise all will become clear.”

  “Get on with it, Mr. Malone.”

  “Now, Ms. Smith, on the night of June fifteen, were you called to the hospital to stay with Mr. Charles Hampton?”

  “I was.”

  “And while you were there did you find a letter?”

  “Yes. While I was there, Mr. Hampton woke up. He was very agitated and kept slapping at the bed. It took me a while, then I finally realized he wanted me to look through his jacket. When I picked it up and ran my hand over his pocket he calmed down. I felt inside his pocket, and I found a note.”

  “Did you read the note, Ms. Smith?”

  “Yes.”

  “And what did it say?”

  “It was a letter from George. It said his brother, Henry, had done something, and he was tired of paying for his mistakes.”

  “Was that all?”

  “The letter also said George was going away.”

  “Nothing more?”

  “No.”

  “After you read the letter, what did you do with it?”

  “I called a police officer friend to come to the hospital, and I let him read the letter.”

  “And?”

  “Then I put it back in Mr. Hampton’s pocket.”

  “What happened next?”

  “Your Honor! I must protest. What has this got to do with the wrongful death of Mr. Tillman?”

  “Mr. Malone, the court is waiting.”

  “Yes, Your Honor. I assure you, your wait will not be in vain.”

  “Very well. Continue Ms. Smith.”

  “Cole Malone, Mr. Malone’s brother, was the police officer—”

  A hand slapped the table as Mr. Moore jumped to his feet. “Are you kidding me? Your Honor, isn’t it obvious this is all a ruse to mess with my client and their reputation? Mr. Malone’s employee is on the stand; Mr. Malone’s brother is the cop involved. Seriously! Do I have to say it?”

  “No, your objection is duly noted, Mr. Moore. But I want to know what the young lady has to say. Please continue.”

  “Like I was saying, Cole Malone took me back to Bruce’s townhouse. We’re neighbors, you see. And we talked about the letter. Then I went home. The next day I went to church, and when I came home, I laid down on the couch to rest and that was when I heard the noise.”

  “What noise, Ms. Smith?” asked Bruce.

  “A thumping noise from up above me. I was startled and I rolled onto the floor next to the couch. Hidden behind my coffee table I saw two pairs of feet in front of me. Then I heard voices. There was a female and a male. They’d been in my home looking for something.”

  “And what were they looking for?”

  “George’s letter.”

  The people in the courtroom burst out. The judge said, “Order, order in the court!”

  Bruce asked, “And do you know who these people were who broke into your home?”

  “Until today I only recognized one of them.”

  Bruce looked at her with amazement. “Are the people that broke into your home in the courtroom today?”

  Elizabeth lifted a steady hand and pointed her finger. “Yes. They are sitting right there.”

  “Let the record show that Ms. Smith has indicated Tina Winterbottom and her brother, Talbert.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  “Ladies and gentleman of the jury, you have witnessed a great tragedy here today. Not only has a man died before his time, but a company has corrupted its own children. Tina and Talbert Winterbottom couldn’t have known George’s letter didn’t reveal Tina’s plot to blackmail him. That was why they broke into Mr. Hampton’s home. And their break-in subsequently caused his heart attack.

  “After their inability to find the letter in the Hampton home, and Mr. Hampton’s admittance to the hospital, they began to follow Mrs. Hampton. They followed her home to retrieve clothes, and when she didn’t look for a letter, they assumed Elizabeth must have it. Perhaps Mr. Hampton had been concealing the letter and while Elizabeth was in the hospital room watching over him, he gave Elizabeth the letter. In fact they believed Elizabeth not only had the letter, but took it with her to her own home. That was why they illegally entered her dwelling to search for it.

  “And why was this letter so important? What did Tina Winterbottom have on George Hampton that she could blackmail him into a loveless marriage? Let me tell you what she had. She had Henry Hampton by the throat. Henry’s office defended the Winterbottom Corporation in all their wrongful death suits. As his lower tier of lawyers defended the company, Henry came across information that Talbert was involved in more than just a few petty crimes. In fact, he discovered Talbert may have helped to get rid of the former employees who were suing the company. That will be a case for later, I assure you.

  “It bothers me to admit this, but although Henry had his information on good authority, he kept it to himself. He was worried he would be implicated as well. When Tina Winterbottom discovered his transgression, she used it to her advantage. Tina informed George she would release the information she held on his brother if he didn’t marry her. If it implicated her brother in the process, oh well. George felt he had no choice except to agree.

  “But this case is not about the Winterbottom’s children and their mistakes, but rather about whether the company willfully allowed a compound in their products that killed their employees. I believe we have answered that question. The answer is yes, they did. The letter written in the first Mr. Winterbottom’s own hand years ago proves beyond a shadow of a doubt they knew from the beginning what they were doing. Even his children knew what was happening. Otherwise why would they have looked for information to blackmail Henry? In conclusion, I must say you as a jury have no other choice except to find for Mrs. Tillman and award her the amount she has requested. Thank you.”

  The prosecutor stated his closing arguments, and the jury was dismissed to deliberate. Bruce wanted to stay close by. He had a feeling the verdict wouldn’t take long. And he was correct.

  Thirty minutes after the jurors left, they returned, ready to announce their decision. Bruce led Mrs. Tillman and Elizabeth back into the courtroom. Elizabeth watched as the jurors filed in. Their faces were resolute. There had been very little discussion.

  The foreman stood.

  “Do you have a verdict?” asked the judge.

  “We do, Your Honor. In the case of Tillman versus the Winterbottom Corporation, we the jury find in favor of the plaintiff. This jury awards Mrs. Tillman a sum of one million dollars.”

  The courtroom erupted into a flurry of activity. The judge banged his gavel and called the room to order. The foreman finished reading and sat back down, exhaling a breath of air. After the jury was dismissed, James Moore walked over to Bruce and slapped him on the back.

  “Well done. I do believe that is the first time you’ve ever beaten me. I have to say, I’m glad.”

  “It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy,” said Bruce.

  Elizabeth hung back. Her legs strained with the effort. Now that the worry for her safety was over, she wanted to run to Bruce and throw herself into his arms.

  Tina and her brother, Talbert, were escorted out of the room in handcuffs, a smiling Cole not far behind. Bless him. He was nothing if not punctual. It had driven him mad to wait outside in the hall for the trial to be over before he arrested the two of them.

  Every time he would walk by her, Cole would grumble about the audacity of someone breaking into his future sister-in-law’s apartment. He caused Elizabeth to blush more than once. She tried to discourage him from such talk, except he wouldn’t listen. He thought it was a sure thing. Bruce and Elizabeth were meant to be, just as he and Julie were destined to be together from the beginning. If for some reason it didn’t work out, then he would just have to help it along. Admittedly, that was the part she worried about the most.

  As Bruce stood there, accepting his congratulations from Mrs. Tillman and her family, a steady stream of reporters, and the Hampton family, Elizabeth’s heart soared. How could she describe the love she felt for such a man? He’d put his career on the line for this case. He’d stepped out in faith to right a wrong, and he’d achieved it.

  Above the heads of the well-wishers, Elizabeth caught sight of his blue eyes. Their focus so intense she had to turn away. Had he known she was staring at him?

  Bruce smiled and shook hands with those around him, pushing through the crowd toward her. When he reached her side, he gripped her elbow and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Elizabeth, would you like to go home now?”

  “Yes,” was all she could manage. Crushed up against his frame in the throng of people, he pulled her deftly along. When at last they reached the outdoors, she inhaled deeply. The sun, which hit her face after the long day in the courtroom, was a welcomed change.

  Camera flashes blinked in rapid succession. Reporter’s microphones were thrust into Bruce’s face as he worked to get them through. “No comment,” was repeated by Bruce a dozen times.

  Elizabeth listened to the questions.

  “What will you do now, Mr. Malone? Are you headed to the DA’s office?”

  “What about a government position?”

  “What will happen with Tina and Talbert Winterbottom?”

  “Will you take back your old position just to prosecute them?”

  “Is it true George Hampton has disappeared?”

  Bruce opened the passenger door to his silver luxury car, and Elizabeth slid inside. Laying her head back, she thought about what those reporters had said. What was in Bruce’s future? Would she be around long enough to know?

  “Elizabeth, are you okay?”

  Elizabeth looked toward him. Bruce’s first thoughts had been of her. It would be okay to tell him her feelings, she knew it. Everything would work out. They could find a way past their religious differences, surely. Maybe there was hope for them after all.

  “Yes, Bruce. I’m fine. And you?”

  “Better than ever.”

  “Bruce, what will happen to George and Henry now?”

  “I’m sure there’ll be a hearing. They’ll have to find out exactly how much those two knew about what was happening to the plaintiffs. Then I’m not sure.”

  “Oh.”

  “You know, I can’t wait to get you back home. That way when I want to see you, I only have two doors to walk past.”

  “Oh, really? Have you missed me that much?”

  “More than you’ll ever know.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Bruce and Elizabeth were silent for most of the drive. The trial had been a strain, making the silence all the more welcoming. Bruce had collected all of Elizabeth’s belongings from Julie’s home. He’d been certain today that everything would be right with the world, and Elizabeth could come back and be close to him.

  When he’d gone to pick Elizabeth up that morning, Julie waited for him. He’d received a very long-winded speech about how much he needed Elizabeth in his life. About how stupid he was for waiting so long to proclaim his feelings for her. Why did everyone find it necessary to keep harping at him about things he already knew?

  Bruce wanted to tell her what was in his heart. He wanted to tell Elizabeth he was willing to attend her church and learn her views. He wanted to study God’s word and place it more readily in his heart. But when had there been time to tell her these things? The past weeks had been filled with worry for her safety. Worry for the progression of the trial. Worry for Mrs. Tillman and her family’s future.

  Now, all that was over. Now Bruce could think about Elizabeth. He could think about their future together. In his pocket rested a gift he’d purchased for Elizabeth a few days before. Bruce was being fitted for his tux for Cole’s wedding when he’d spotted it. It had called out to him. Nothing had ever signified Elizabeth more. Unfortunately there had been no time to give it to her. Something was always interrupting their time together.

  Looking to his side, Bruce noticed how comfortable Elizabeth appeared. Ever since Tina and Talbert had broken into her home, she’d been tense. But now, her relaxed manner indicated she felt safe. When they reached home, he was giving her the gift. That was final.

  Pulling up in front of their row of townhouses, Bruce noticed Elizabeth was staring down at her hands. The long slender fingers were intertwined together and rubbing each other vigorously. As he turned to face her, they attempted to speak at the same time.

  “Bruce—”

  “Elizabeth—”

  They laughed at one another. Awkwardness filled the small space. Bruce’s hand slid in his pocket, and the gift touched the tip of his fingers. He went to grasp it, when he was jarred by a shriek.

  “Elizabeth!”

  Elizabeth’s head turned to face her front door. Before Bruce had a chance to say a word, Elizabeth was out of the car and running up the steps.

  “Mom!”

  Bruce cringed as a tall, broad shoulder man surfaced next to his door. He didn’t knock. He didn’t smile. He grasped the door handle and jerked the door open. Bruce was surprised the door remained intact after the rough treatment.

  Bruce stepped out of his vehicle. His hand shot to his forehead to block the sun and give him a clearer view of the one in front of him. The man was his height, with silver hair and green eyes. His hand was thrust forward in greeting, urging Bruce to take hold.

  “I’m Paul Smith. You must be Bruce Malone.”

  “Yes, sir. I am.”

  “I understand you’ve been taking care of my little girl.”

  “Yes, sir. I’m trying.”

  With a laugh in his throat, Paul added, “If you succeed, then you’re a miracle worker. That little girl has been driving her seven brothers bonkers her whole life. Never could keep her out of trouble.”