“Don’t pretend to go lawyer on me,” Elena cut in, followed by a torrent of words. “Being a zealous advocate is what Liz is supposed to do. Recently, she’s lost her nerve and won’t do what she should to protect my future or fight for my rights. Matt and I were building our financial future together, but now he’s gone. People think I have a big house, but it has two mortgages that I can’t afford to pay. Matt’s business is close to going under. And he gambled a bunch of his retirement savings in cryptocurrency that’s worth a fraction of what he paid for it. All I have left are the proceeds of some life insurance policies that Liz isn’t willing to collect for me. Because his death was accidental, the amount payable under the policies is doubled. But I’ve not seen a penny and don’t know when I will.”

  “Slow down and make sure this is important for me to know.”

  “You need to hear all of this. Matt’s ex-wife has both hands out, claiming she’s just taking care of her daughters, but she’s looking out for herself. There’s no telling how much Matt paid Anne directly without telling me about it while he was alive. Oh, and the biggest insurance policy was taken out by Matt’s company. Winston Boone, the man who controls some kind of trust that owns the policy, doesn’t want to share any of it with me. Liz is afraid to confront him or Matt’s ex.” Elena finally stopped.

  “I’m sorry,” Connor said.

  “I don’t want sympathy. I want you to talk to Liz and tell her to do what’s right. She thinks I’m irrational, but she’ll listen to you. She knows how smart you are and believes everything you say.”

  Connor measured his words carefully. “Elena, if you’re not willing to trust Liz, maybe you should consider hiring another law firm.”

  “I don’t want to start over!” Elena hit the arms of the chair with her hands. “Liz knows everything about me! Even stuff you don’t. I could tell when I met with her that she knew I was right, but she needs the courage to act.”

  “When did you meet with her?”

  “Just now. I came straight from her office to see you.”

  Connor could imagine how uncomfortable the meeting must have been for Liz.

  “If you feel strongly that Liz isn’t going to fight for you, then I still believe you should consider changing attorneys. People do it all the time.”

  “Why won’t you talk to her? You didn’t have a problem telling Matt and me what you thought we should do.”

  “You came to me asking for help.”

  “What if Liz asks you for advice? I like Liz. She listens. And I know she cares about me and my situation. But we’ve had a breakdown in communication and need to get it fixed.”

  The way Elena talked and the look in her eyes made Connor wonder if she was under the influence of drugs or some type of medication.

  “Why don’t you take a breather, and we’ll talk in the morning,” he said.

  “Only if you promise you’ll contact Liz. You have permission to tell her anything I said. You know how to do that summarize thing without bouncing all over the place and being emotional. What do you call it? Reflective listening?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.” Elena stood up.

  “I won’t talk to Liz unless she calls and wants my advice,” he said.

  “Okay. I’ll send her a text.”

  Connor followed Elena out to the waiting area and into the hallway. When he did, Michelle was walking toward them.

  “Good afternoon, Elena,” Michelle said as they approached each other.

  Elena continued without responding.

  Michelle joined Connor in the office suite. “That was odd,” she said.

  “Rude would be a more appropriate description,” Connor replied.

  “I’ve never exchanged more than a few words with her since she started attending the church.” Michelle shrugged. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you met with her. I hope that wasn’t a problem.”

  “I don’t think so, but with Elena it’s impossible to be certain how she views a conversation. I’m not going into any details, but she’s very upset with Liz Acosta.”

  “Just guessing, Liz is more in the right than Elena.”

  “Probably,” Connor agreed. “Have you been in the sanctuary this whole time?”

  “No,” Michelle replied sheepishly. “I started out there and spent time praying but then started thinking about a caramel latte and drove over to the coffee shop on Baxter Street. The coffee didn’t equal your spiritual experience, but it was one of the best lattes I’ve ever had. I was very thankful as I drank every drop.”

  Connor grinned. “Then it was worth the trip.”

  He turned toward his office.

  “One other thing about Elena,” Michelle said.

  “What?”

  “I’ve thought about her reaction to her husband’s death. Does she strike you as a grieving widow? I know she and Matt were having marital trouble and came to see you. But I get the feeling she’s moved on very quickly. It’s sad, but sometimes one spouse is relieved when the other spouse dies. That makes me feel sick in the pit of my stomach. I don’t expect you to answer, but it’s been bothering me. I’ve heard she’s more interested in collecting a bunch of insurance money than anything else.”

  “Who told you that?”

  Michelle ran her fingers across her lips. “I can’t tell you. But it wasn’t anyone who works with Liz Acosta.”

  * * *

  Liz was about to leave the office for the evening when she received an email from the company in California that she’d hired to unlock the cell phone. The technician wanted to know how to transmit the information. Liz immediately called and asked to speak to the woman who sent the email. Ms. Hua answered, and Liz identified herself.

  “Was it hard to access the phone?” she asked.

  “No. Whoever owned it wasn’t trying hard to block anyone from getting in. There was a four-number passcode that we cracked in about thirty minutes.”

  “How much data did you find?” Liz asked.

  “Not much. There were no texts or voice-mail messages. The owner wasn’t identified by name, but we were able to pull off twenty calls he or she received. Of that twenty, there were only six numbers. I’ll send you those along with the dates and times of the calls. Everything took place over a three-day period.”

  “Three days?”

  “Yes, the phone was over a year old, but I suspect the owner frequently changed out the SIM card to prevent a long-term record of activity. I saw from your transmittal information that the phone was found in the woods. Perhaps the phone was lost shortly after a SIM switch.”

  Liz mentioned the date of Matt’s death.

  “The last call came through at 7:32 a.m. on that day,” the technician replied.

  “No videos, no photos?” Liz asked.

  “There wasn’t anything in the photo or video album.” Ms. Hua paused. “But an unusual game I’d never seen before showed up as a download. Something called snooker. It’s like billiards. The player’s name was Colours 6, which is the number of balls other than multiple red balls and a white cue ball used in the game. It was developed many years ago by British soldiers stationed in India.”

  Liz knew nothing about snooker. “Okay,” she said. “Send over the phone log as an email attachment.”

  “Even though I couldn’t ID the owner, do you want me to see if I can locate the names of the individuals who called the phone? That wasn’t included in my work order, but I can try to do it, especially if they weren’t trying to remain anonymous.”

  “Absolutely. I didn’t know that was an option.”

  “I’ll work on it before I leave for the day.”

  Later that evening, Liz kept checking her office email to see if she’d received the identity of the callers to the cell phone. She was in bed and about to turn out the lights when she looked one more time. There was an email from Ms. Hua sent two minutes earlier. Scanning the numbers, she immediately got out of bed and called Connor.

  “I hope I didn’t wake you up?” she asked when he answered.

  “No, are you okay?”

  “The company we hired in California successfully accessed the cell phone you found in the woods. Whoever had it received several calls around the time of the hunt. Two of them were from Elena Thompson.”

  “Elena?”

  “Along with a call from Matt’s ex-wife, Anne, and a man named Neil Peterson who works at Daughbert Technology. I’ll send you the email as soon as we hang up.”

  Connor didn’t respond.

  “Are you still there?” Liz asked.

  “Yes, just thinking. It makes sense that someone from Daughbert Technology would contact a person who was on the property the day of the hunt. The company had the whole place reserved. But what would be the connection between Elena and Anne Thompson and a guy walking around in the woods?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to ask Elena. There was a string of activity early in the morning on the day of Matt’s death. Elena’s second call was one of them. Some of the other calls took place the day before.”

  “Who owned the phone?”

  “Unidentified. The owner may have recently replaced the SIM card to scrub it clean.”

  “Is that what the company in California figured out?”

  “By deduction. The phone was a year old. It contained no photos, videos, or text messages.”

  “No texts? That’s odd. And why would an employee of Daughbert Technology have a phone like that in the first place?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Liz glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was close to midnight. She decided not to mention her conversation earlier in the day with Raul.

  “Okay,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to sleep until I told you about this. Good night.”

  Connor spoke before she could hang up. “When are you going to talk to Elena?” he asked.

  “Tomorrow. We had a rough meeting this afternoon, and I hope she’ll calm down overnight. My boss and I are trying to help her navigate all that’s going on.”

  “Elena left your office and came to see me. She was very upset and talked about a lot of things, including an insurance trust that Winston Boone controls; at least that’s the way it sounded to me. I didn’t ask for details. She was venting and wanted me to convince you to do what she says. I told her no but suggested that if she’s not willing to trust you, she should hire someone else. I hope that’s okay. Representing someone who won’t take your advice seems untenable to me.”

  Liz felt the blood rush to her face. All the stressors of the last few days seemed to be piling on top of her at once. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  “You told Elena to fire me?” she exclaimed. “She’s the biggest client I’ve brought to the firm since I got here! Granted, she’s unpredictable and difficult at times, but working through issues is part of the process. I’m perfectly capable of handling any personality conflicts with my clients, just as you are required to do with your parishioners at times.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. I was caught off guard and didn’t think about that angle. At the end of the conversation, Elena talked about how well the two of you communicate. I don’t think she’s going to fire you.”

  “If she does, I’ll know why.”

  “Liz, I’m really sorry.”

  “Me, too, Connor. And it’s really late.”

  Still a little confused by Connor’s advice to Elena and more than a little irritated, Liz ended the call. But falling asleep quickly was out of the question.

  Chapter 33

  After a restless night, Connor got out of bed while it was still dark. He threw his daypack into the Jeep and left town. He drove to the dirt road adjacent to the Burnt Pine Tree property. Strapping a lamp to his forehead, he plunged into the woods and didn’t slow down till he was partway up the hill to the overlook, where he intended to watch the dawn. He’d brought along a couple of bottles of water, an energy bar, and a locally grown apple. Leaning against a tree in the gray light of the approaching day, he took a long drink of water and continued his rapid ascent. He arrived at the top with five minutes to spare. He sat down on the familiar rock and took a bite of apple. He watched as the orange crescent of the sun appeared in the distance above the horizon.

  No weight of glory descended upon him, but he felt calmer than when he’d left the house. The sun became huge, the day new. He rubbed his hands together against the morning chill, then put them in the pockets of his jacket. It was always amazing how the sun would slowly appear, then suddenly shoot up into the sky.

  It was going to be a clear day. The sun banished the morning chill. He slipped off his jacket and finished eating his energy bar. His phone in the front pocket of his shirt buzzed. He had cell service even in the woods. It was Liz.

  “Good morning,” she said when he answered. “How are you?”

  “Sitting on top of a hill enjoying the new day.”

  “You went for a hike?”

  “Yeah. I left the house before five. I barely slept last night. I’m sorry for what I said to Elena.”

  “And I shouldn’t have been so hard on you last night. I understand why you said what you did.”

  “That doesn’t change my need to apologize. Should I call and tell her I was wrong?”

  “Don’t do anything. Leave it to me.”

  “Are you at the office?”

  “No, I’m about to get in the car but wanted to clear things up with you before starting my day.”

  Connor nudged a piece of moss with the toe of his boot.

  “Switch to Facetime,” Liz said.

  Connor waited until the request came through and accepted it. Liz was sitting in her car.

  “That’s a big tree,” she said.

  “Not really. Let me show you another one that is actually two huge poplar trees growing out of the same trunk.”

  Connor moved fifty feet toward the tree made famous in his sermon.

  “Are you scrambling over boulders?” Liz asked. “The picture is jumping all over the place.”

  “Yeah, there’s not a trail.”

  He reached the dual trees and held the phone so that they came into view.

  “It’s impossible to fully appreciate on a small screen,” he said. “But hopefully you get the idea.”

  He moved the phone so it panned up the trunks.

  “Wow,” she said. “Could we put that hike on the list for the future?”

  “Absolutely. I do this one all the time. It’s my favorite. The rock where I was sitting when you called is one of the best overlooks in Etowah County. I took this hike the day Matt died.”

  “Will you cross the Burnt Pine Tree property on your way down the mountain?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let me know if you find anything else in the leaves.”

  “I don’t know if I want to.”

  “Did you have any more thoughts about the numbers pulled from the cell phone?” Liz asked.

  “Yes, but I’m not sure what to do.”

  “I wish we could talk to everyone who called and find out what they’re willing to tell us, but we’re limited.”

  “Why?”

  “Both Winston Boone at Daughbert Technology and Anne Thompson are represented by lawyers. Neil Peterson isn’t an official at the company, so I guess I could call him, but the last time we talked he told me he didn’t want me to contact him again.”

  “You can talk to Elena.”

  “Of course, and I will. It’ll give us something else to focus on.”

  * * *

  Just as Liz finished the phone call with Connor, the back door of the Devon house opened. Carrying a small package wrapped in aluminum foil in her hands, Bev made her way toward Liz, who lowered the window of the car.

  “I saw you talking on the phone through the kitchen window and wanted to catch you before you left,” Bev said. “I was up early baking this morning. This is a loaf of homemade honey-wheat bread.”

  She handed the bread to Liz. It was still warm.

  “Why is it wrapped in foil?” Liz asked.

  “To keep it from drying out. Wait about ten minutes before you unwrap it.” Bev paused. “But you’re on your way to work. Maybe I should keep it here and do it for you.”

  “I’d like to share it with the people at the office. Once they smell fresh bread, I’m sure they’ll want a slice.”

  “That’s fine.” Bev glanced down at the ground for a moment before looking up with a sadness in her eyes. “Have you heard the news about Connor?”

  Bracing herself, Liz asked, “What news?”

  “Matt Thompson’s death may not have been an accident, and the police believe Connor knows something about it. I’m worried sick.”

  “Who told you that?” Liz asked.

  “A woman whose nephew works at the sheriff’s department. Do you know what’s going on?”

  Liz hesitated. If she told Bev that Connor had hired the law firm, it would send a message that the rumors were true.

  “From what I’ve heard, Connor hasn’t done anything wrong. In fact, I was talking to him this morning when you looked out your kitchen window. He went for a hike before dawn so he could sit on a hill and watch the sun come up. He showed me a video of a huge tree with two trunks growing out of the base.”

  “Oh, he preached a sermon about that.” Bev brightened up. “It was really good. You can listen to it on the church website.”

  “I should do that.”

  “I’m glad you and Connor have become friends. That makes my heart happy.”

  The older woman stepped away from the car.

  “Thanks again for the bread,” Liz said.

  Becky saw the bread when Liz walked through the door. Moments later there was a swarm of activity in the kitchen.

  “You’d think we were starving without any food in the pantry at home,” Jessica said as she waited to cut off a slice.

  Once Jessica had a slice of buttered bread on a plate, Liz followed the assistant to her workstation.

  “I could tell you wanted me to get back to work,” Jessica said, sitting down. “Do you have something urgent that needs to get done? I finished Harold’s dictation before I left the office yesterday, so I have a gap in my schedule.”