Page 19 of Justice Denied

“Possibly.” O’Brien firmed her lips, indicating she wouldn’t be saying anything more. “Here’s my card. Your vehicle appears to be drivable. Contact me in a few days for a copy of the accident report.”

“I will, thank you.” Jetta pocketed the card, then checked her phone. 11:45 p.m. “I need to pick up Bingley from the vet by one.”

He glanced toward the traffic moving at a steady clip on the busy road, then back to her. “I had to park across the street.” He pointed to the parking lot of a Latino grocery store. “Would you like me to follow you to the vet and home?”

Relief coursed through her at his offer. She hadn’t realized how nervous she was about driving anywhere by herself. “Sure.”

He nodded, then waited for a break in traffic before jogging across the street. She climbed into her vehicle and started the engine as she waited for him to come her way. The emergency vehicles cleared the area and traffic soon returned to normal. When Seth pulled behind her, her heart skipped a beat—because she was relieved to have someone following her home, not because of his concern for her. Jetta didn’t want to focus on the latter, no matter how much her heart told her otherwise.

* * *

Seth hurriedfrom his driveway to Jetta’s, catching up with her as she inserted her key into the deadbolt at the front door. Bingley milled about her feet, his leash looped over her wrist. By the slump of her shoulders, exhaustion had staked a claim on her body, probably aided by an adrenaline crash. While he needed to go through the fire scene photos and submit some with captions to his editor, he had to ensure Jetta and her dog were safe and sound first. She’d hardly said a word at the vet, who had declared Bingley fully recovered.

While he didn’t want to overstep, he did want to do what he could to help. “If you’d like, I could take Bingley to my backyard until you’re settled inside.”

She removed the key before turning to him. “Would you? I’d forgotten I can’t let him out back until animal control comes by to check the yard.”

“Happy to.” He held out his hand, and she placed the leash in his open palm. “Take your time. We’ll be fine. Come on, Bingley.” With a wave to Jetta, he jogged back to his house, pausing at his side gate to open it. Once inside the enclosure, he secured the gate, then released Bingley to explore the space. The dog raced from one area to another, sniffing furiously before selecting a corner of the yard to do his business. That morning, Seth had done a sweep of this space as well as Jetta’s to ensure it would be safe for Bingley—a precaution he was glad he’d taken. He found a sturdy stick near the fire pit and tossed for Bingley to chase, having seen Jetta throw balls with the dog.

“Hey.” Jetta closed the gate behind her and joined Seth. “Thanks for this.”

“Anytime. We hardly use the backyard, so you can let Bingley play here for as long as you need to.”

The dog bounded up and dropped the stick at Jetta’s feet. She obliged with a toss, and Bingley ran after it. “You work forTheHerald, right?”

“I do, mostly as a photographer, although I do write some of the shorter news pieces.” As if on cue, Seth’s phone buzzed, probably Fallon or Brogan harping about the fire pics.

“Do you have to get that?” She nodded toward his pocket where an incoming call buzzed incessantly. Bingley brought the stick back, then flopped down in front of them to gnaw at it.

He glanced at the screen. Brogan. He let the call roll to voicemail. “I’ll get it later.”

Her gaze directed toward the dog, she hunched her shoulders. “Being a journalist, you know how to find things out, don’t you?”

He nodded. Her mouth pinched, and a line creased her forehead. Something was bothering her beyond the accident. He recalled she’d mentioned something about her father but had given no details. When she didn’t expound, he prompted. “What do you want to find out?”

“Whether my father was guilty of embezzlement.” She shot him a glance as if to gauge his reaction.

Seth didn’t respond, letting her tell the story in her own way. He thought he might have passed a test because her shoulders relaxed.

“It’s been fifteen years since he was accused of taking millions from Topher Robotics, where he was the chief financial officer. When the cops came to arrest him at our house while I was at a friend’s house, he collapsed with a heart attack. He didn’t make it.”

“I’m so sorry.” Seth responded to the pain in her voice, although he couldn’t imagine actually missing the man who’d fathered him. He didn’t know if his dad were alive or dead—and he didn’t care to find out. Not after the childhood he’d had. But he shoved those memories back into their scarred box hidden deep in his heart and refocused on Jetta. “What happened with the embezzlement charges?”

She shrugged. “I have no idea. I only found out about the accusation yesterday. I was still in elementary school, but my brothers and sisters were either in college or already working their first fulltime jobs.” Her lips quirked upward. “My dad always called me his little unexpected caboose.”

“How many siblings do you have?” He couldn’t recall how many kids Emily had mentioned over the years and envied Jetta her obviously close-knit family.

“Four. Jared’s the oldest and sixteen years older than me. Then comes Jenna, who’s fourteen years older.” Jetta ticked off siblings on her fingers. “Jason comes next, and he’s a dozen years older, and Jade’s only ten years older. All are married, but only Jared and Jason have kids.”

“What about you?” Heat climbed the back of Seth’s neck at his inane question. Obviously she was about to have a baby.

She chuckled, the sound thready. “I’ve sworn off men.”

His heart sank at the pain and determination in the words. He wanted to press for an explanation but instead turned the conversation back to her father. “You said they all knew about your father’s, er, problem?”

“Yes.” She directed her gaze to him. “Then this morning, I opened a package addressed to my dad that arrived in yesterday’s mail. It had a note saying the enclosed documents could help clear my father’s name.”

“Wow.”

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