He sat up and she did the same until they faced each other. “That night? My dad hit my mom,” he said in a rough voice she’d never heard from him before. “I heard him.”

“What?” His dad had a temper, sure, and sometimes he’d been a little scary when he was in a mood, but he was her uncle Paul and he’d never hit anyone. She was sure of it. “Maybe you just thought that’s what happened, but-”

He shook his head. “I’m positive. He hit her and she said she’d had enough, that it was the last time he’d lay a hand on her.” His voice shook and his body trembled.

Jessie suddenly shivered, too, nausea rising in her chest. “Wow,” she said. “Wow.” She didn’t know what to say to Seth or how to make him feel better. “I’m sorry.” Those were the only words that came to mind.

He stared across the room with glazed eyes. She didn’t know if he’d even heard her. “I never knew,” he said. “I lived in the house and I never knew my dad hit my mom. I should have known. I should have stopped him.” He rocked back and forth on the mattress.

Jessie couldn’t take another second. She crawled next to him and put her arm around his shaking shoulders. “How could you possibly know if your parents didn’t want you to? You’re the kid. They’re the adults. You can’t blame yourself.”

“I can and I do.”

He suddenly sounded like his father. His dad was an officer in the army, just like hers. He knew how to give orders and both men lived to protect the people they loved. Jessie didn’t consider herself overly smart, not like her sister Robin who went to Yale. But she understood people, especially people she loved. Seth had just discovered his father wasn’t the hero he thought, and he blamed himself for not knowing. For not stepping up and being the man of the house when his dad hadn’t been.

“There’s more,” Seth said before Jessie could say anything. But his tone of voice scared her. “After my dad stormed out, Mom was crying and I wasn’t sure what to do. I went back to my room for a little while, then I went downstairs to talk to her but your father was already there.”

Jessie nodded, still scared, not knowing what was coming next.

“I stood by the door and listened. Your father was furious. He was angry for not forcing Mom to leave Dad before now.”

“Which meant Dad knew about the abuse.” Jessie bit down on her lower lip.

Seth nodded. “And Frank swore that if Dad touched her again, he would kill him. But it should have been me who said that. It should have been me who took care of things long before.”

“It’s okay,” she said helplessly, her heart breaking for him.

He met her gaze. “You need to know, I don’t believe your father killed my dad,” he said before burying his face in his knees, his body convulsing in heaving sobs.

“Shh. I understand.” His father was gone and he blamed himself for not confronting him before he died, Jessie thought.

But she knew Seth also had to miss his dad. And he probably felt guilty for doing so since his dad had hurt his mom. This mess was tearing Seth apart and there was nothing she could do except be there for him now.

She swallowed hard and held her friend. A long time later, after he’d wiped his eyes and finally met her gaze, she swore she’d never tell anybody she’d seen him cry.


***

AFTER STARBUCKS, Molly surprised Hunter by asking him to drop her off at her friend Liza’s art gallery. Though he could see the desire to come along when he visited her father in her eyes, she understood that she’d only be a distraction. Molly knew Hunter needed to meet alone with his client for the first time, but she let him know that she still intended to be involved in the case from this point on.

In the meantime, she said she’d keep busy with her weekly volunteer session at the senior citizens’ center downtown. Before Hunter left for his meeting, Molly had introduced him to Liza, a brunette with a pretty smile and quiet intelligence who taught painting classes to the older folks who resided at the complex above the senior center.

Molly explained her role at the center in animated detail. She read, played gin rummy or just talked with the seniors. Her eyes and expression came alive with love and care when she spoke about them, and though she claimed she merely helped them pass the time, Hunter knew better. She not only listened to their frustrations, she provided legal aid, too, guiding them in the making of basic wills, and walking them through selling or renting their homes or apartments.

He thought he’d been the pro bono junkie, taking on the underdog because he’d been one himself while growing up. Helpless in the child-welfare system, he’d vowed he’d never be that defenseless again and he’d aid others who felt the same way. Now he discovered Molly shared his passion, too.

This was a new side to her character, or at least one he’d been unaware of until now. While in law school, Hunter and Molly had shared a singular drive to succeed with no thought to volunteer work, deep friendships…or much else. Nothing had been different when she’d moved to his hometown last year. She’d worked for a bank, handling real estate closings and other property-related cases but her social life had been nonexistent. She’d been focused on her family, on what she hoped would be a new beginning and the start of a relationship with her selfish mother.

If Lacey’s uncle had actually inherited the trust fund, Molly might have gotten the happy family unit she’d so desired, but Lacey’s resurrection had ended her uncle’s chances. Without the inheritance as a draw, Molly’s mother had dumped her fiancé and left town, once again without a thought for the daughter who’d banked on finally having her mother’s love. Any inroads Hunter had made with Molly as a result of her short-lived happiness had crumbled and she’d taken off, as well. At no time in her past had Hunter ever seen Molly emotionally settled.

Now, despite the murder charge hanging over her father, deep in her heart Molly was happy. She’d found the acceptance she’d been searching for, and that sense of peace had enabled her to broaden her horizons without fear of getting close to others. She had a job, a routine, friends and volunteer work. She had people she loved and cared about and she had a life worth living.

Hunter envied her those things and he was determined to win the case that would enable her to keep the life she’d created. Molly needed security to thrive and Hunter was determined to give it to her.

And so, Hunter realized, he found himself in the exact position he’d promised himself he would not be in. Caring about Molly’s father’s guilt or innocence, and her family’s future.

He cared about Molly.

Apparently he’d never learn to insulate himself from this woman, so the best thing he could do would be to win the case and leave before he got any more entangled.

CHAPTER SIX

AFTER DROPPING Molly off, Hunter knew he needed to keep busy, to avoid thinking about the conversation they’d had earlier and his trip down memory lane. Or the fact that he’d confided his deepest secrets and fears to the one woman guaranteed to cause him more heartache.

First, Hunter stopped at the local precinct and butted heads with the chief of police, a decent enough guy but one who went by the book and who believed he’d arrested the right suspect. Hunter knew he’d have to dig beneath the facts, starting with Molly’s dad.

According to Hunter’s paralegal back home, she’d faxed a copy of all the relevant papers in the case to the general’s house. Once Hunter spoke to his client about the night in question, he’d have a long evening ahead of him reconciling other witness statements with the general’s story. At the thought of digging into a good case and doing what he loved, the blood pumped harder in Hunter’s veins.

An hour later, Hunter found himself in the visiting room across from his new client. He studied the general, taking his measure as a man and as Molly’s father. In appearance, he was still a military man with closely cropped hair and an innate confidence despite his current situation that Hunter admired.

The general studied Hunter in return. “So you’re the lawyer my daughter hired. She says you’re the best.”

High praise coming from Molly, Hunter thought. He inclined his head. “I do the best with the evidence I’ve got in front of me.”

The general laughed. “Don’t be modest. I know who you are. I just didn’t know you and my daughter had a past.”

“She told you about us?”

“It’s more what she didn’t say. Besides, I’m a damn good judge of character and people. By the way she spoke of you, it wasn’t hard to figure out you two were involved.”

Hunter felt an uncharacteristic heat rise to his face. “Frankly I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll get me out of here. That would be a damn good start.” The general placed his cuffed hands on the table.

Hunter frowned and gestured to the guard. “Take them off.”

“But-”

“I’m his attorney and we need to talk. He’s not going to sit here for an hour like that. Uncuff him.”

The guard scowled but walked over to where Frank sat. “I’m going to be right here,” he said and patted his gun for effect before unlocking the shackles.

“Thanks.” Frank rubbed his wrists and leaned back in his seat.

“No sweat. We have a lot to discuss. You might as well be comfortable, because I want to hear all about your relationship with your partner and the night of the murder.”

Hunter pulled a yellow legal pad and a pen from his duffel. He hated the dank smell in the visitors’ room and he could only imagine the cell was worse. It was time the general began to deal with his recollections so Hunter could get him the hell out of here.

As much as bail was part of his legal strategy, Hunter couldn’t deny the need to see Molly’s grateful expression when he walked into the house with her father by his side. A part of him still wanted to be her hero and he hated himself for being so needy.

He cleared his throat. “Let’s start from the beginning. What was your relationship with the victim besides in general terms like partner and friend?” Hunter asked the older man.

“That’s easy enough. We enlisted around the same time, went through basic training together, climbed up the ranks together. Fought together, too.”

Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Vietnam?” he guessed.

The general answered with a quick nod of his head. “That was our first war and we decided Desert Storm would be our last.”

“Honorably discharged?” Hunter asked.

“In layman’s terms, yes.”

“I bought a house on the same street we’re living on now. Much smaller, though. It was all I could afford, but when the business took off and the children got bigger, I moved around the corner and Paul bought the house next door.” He shoved one hand into his back pocket. “My wife, Melanie, died a short time after.” The older man’s voice grew deeper with the memory.

“I’m sorry,” Hunter said.

“Thank you. Life isn’t fair. I learned that a long time ago and it was reinforced when my adult firstborn showed up on my doorstep and I knew nothing about her. How does a man deal with that?”

Hunter shook his head. “I have no idea.” He couldn’t imagine the general’s feelings of anger and betrayal.

“I could have killed Molly’s mother, let me tell you that. If I didn’t go after Francie for keeping my child from me, I sure as hell didn’t kill my best friend over stolen money.” A muscle pulled tight in the general’s temples, the stress obviously overwhelming him.

Hunter drew a deep breath and paused. He didn’t want to have the conversation he’d had with Molly, the one about guilt or innocence being irrelevant. “Let’s keep going,” he said in an attempt to keep the discussion on track. “So you and Paul Markham had a good relationship and you started up a real estate business.”

“That’s right. Property management as well as quick turnovers for profit.”

“Tell me about Paul’s personality. Was he calm? Mild mannered? Similar to you?”

The other man let out a harsh laugh. “Hell, no. We’re complete opposites. I think things through before acting. I consider options even when I’m burning on all cylinders. Paul had a hair-trigger temper that only got worse over time. Thing was, I never realized there was a reason for the change. I was his best friend. His partner. I should have known something was wrong. Even the little things had begun to set him off.” He kicked back his chair and rose to his feet.

The guard stepped up to the table immediately.

Hunter groaned and waved the armed man away, but he waited until the general reseated himself before moving back, arms folded against the wall.