Page 36 of Justice Denied

“Sounds like you have many good memories of living there.”

The wistfulness in Seth’s voice made her think his upbringing wasn’t nearly as idyllic as the one she’d given her children. “Yes, I do. Mixed with the not-so-good too, of course.”

“It must be hard to contemplate leaving.”

In the low light of the room, his features lay hidden in shadow, but she detected a yearning in him for such memories of his own. “It is.” She sighed. “But I’ve sensed God nudging me to let go of the past and embrace my future with him more and more.” She tapped her leg cast under the covers. “It took an accident to push me to finally make the changes I should have made years ago.”

She yawned as sleep began to press down on her shoulders and eyelids. She lowered the head of the bed so she was more reclined than sitting up, allowing the quiet inside the room to lull her toward sleep.

“Why are you so certain your husband didn’t embezzle the money?”

“Because I knew Jay.” She smothered another yawn. “You know that adage about looking up a word in the dictionary and finding that person’s picture? You would find Jay’s photo next to the wordhonest. He went out of his way to be above board in every aspect of his life. Did you know he pushed for annual audits by an outside firm the first year he was at Topher Robotics? Peter Topher nixed the idea, saying he didn’t want outsiders messing with his books, but every chance he got, Jay hounded Peter, and then Ryan, Peter’s oldest son, for yearly audits. Maybe if he’d been successful, the embezzlement would have been uncovered sooner.”

“But it was uncovered eventually and all evidence pointed to Jay.”

Emily shook her head. “Jay never talked much about his work—another hallmark of his integrity—but he did let it slip once a few years before the accusations against him that he thought someone was stealing small sums of money from the company. He must have been thinking out loud and immediately clammed up when I asked him what he’d meant.”

“Can you remember his exact words?”

She closed her eyes, willing her mind to dredge up the long-ago conversation she’d deemed unimportant at the time. “I did mention it to the police after his death, but they weren’t interested in investigating any longer since the person accused of the crime couldn’t be prosecuted. It might be in the police report, if it has been kept somewhere.” She breathed in and out slowly, casting her thoughts back to the April day. Rain poured down, and she’d talked Jay into taking Jetta to school rather than making her wait in the deluge for the bus, which usually ran late on days like this.

He’d agreed, but clearly had been distracted because she’d seen him put on his trench coat while Jetta was still eating breakfast. Emily had hustled to catch him before he could leave the house and that’s when she’d overheard his muttering. Her eyes popped open. “I remember. He said, ‘It has to be one of three people, but why would any of them take such a risk for so little money?’”

“One of three people taking small sums of money,” Seth repeated.

“That’s all he said. He dismissed it as a work issue when I asked him what he meant.” Sleep beckoned more insistently as she fought to keep her eyes open.

“This could be helpful. I’ll pass it along to the former FinCEN agent who’s helping us with the financial side. Now, rest easy, Mrs. Ainsley. I’m not going anywhere until the morning.”

“Thank you, Seth.” She lowered the bed’s head until it was nearly vertical, her preferred way of sleeping. Emily allowed her body to fully relax for the first time that night, closing her eyes.Lord, thank you for bringing Seth into Jetta’s and my life. Heal the hurt I sense behind his kind exterior. And I also pray you would bring the two of them together, if it is your will. Help us uncover the truth behind what happened to Jay too. Amen.

* * *

Seth shiftedin the chair next to Mrs. Ainsley’s bed, drawing the light blanket he’d found in the closet onto his chest. While it had been comfortable when he’d first sat down, a few springs had sprung in the seat. No matter how he maneuvered, one of them dug into his backside. Mrs. Ainsley’s soft breathing assured him she had fallen asleep, something Seth had been hoping to do until the chair declared war on his body.

He rose and paced to the windows with floor-to-ceiling drapes. After slipping behind the heavy curtains, he gazed out onto an inner courtyard. Garden lights framed paved walkways that wound around mulched beds. The bright moon, coupled with the low lights, illuminated the space. Flowers in muted fall colors of orange, red, and yellow had been tucked in among shrubs and small trees. The mix of greenery with color created a welcoming oasis at odds with the sterile interior of the facility.

Leaning his shoulder against the window, he allowed himself to revisit the memories talking with Emily had dragged to the surface. Despite Jay’s death, she had created a loving environment for Jetta and her older children. His own childhood had been so different.

The memories played like a jerky home movie across his mind’s eye. The fights between his mom and her man-of-the moment that always escalated into broken dishes and smashed knickknacks. Then the awful yelling that went on for hours before the boyfriend slammed out of the house. His mother gathering up whatever things he’d left behind and chucking them out of the apartment window to the street below. The curses raining down along with shirts, shoes, and toothbrushes.

Her anger spent, his mom would then shout for him to clean up the mess because she was going out. Which translated into heading to the nearest bar to find another man. Somehow, she always did, and the next morning, a new face would be across the breakfast table. He never bothered to learn their names. Instead, he’d watch their eyes to see if they would be nice or mean. If a mean one, he would find more excuses not to come home. For a nice one, he’d try to weasel out some cash for food or a needed clothing item.

The predictable, familiar cycle rinsed and repeated every few months throughout his childhood until one day, Hunter Thomas flipped the script. Definitely not the time to revisit that particular memory, not when he needed to stay alert to keep Mrs. Ainsley safe.

He peeked around the curtain to ensure Mrs. Ainsley slept, oblivious to his inner churnings. In some ways, that night made him into the man he was today. It certainly was why he’d chosen to keep watch over Mrs. Ainsley. He’d vowed to never let a woman get hurt on his watch again.

Seth returned his gaze to the courtyard, seeing not the peaceful space but Jetta’s lovely face. Her skittishness reminded him of his mother, who tried to hide the bruises from her revolving-door lovers. He didn’t think Jetta played the field like his mother had, which meant her ex-boyfriend must have been a piece of work. If Seth ever saw the man, he’d be hard put not to plant a fist in his jaw for the way he’d treated Jetta. How men could use their strength to dominate women, Seth would never understand. Women should be treated with respect, with dignity. He would never treat a girlfriend in such a way. Not that he’d ever had a chance to find out.

All he knew for sure was he wouldn’t keep his distance, not when someone was trying to hurt Jetta and her mother. The next time might result in injury or worse. But keeping them safe meant risking his own heart. Jetta had slipped past his defenses before he’d been aware the fortress he’d constructed around his heart had been breached.

Not that it mattered. Long ago, he’d resigned himself to spending life alone. He was too broken to ever be whole enough to be loved. No matter how much he wished it not to be so. A lifetime of experience had taught him that simple truth.

He shoved away from the window and quietly returned to Mrs. Ainsley’s bedside. She hadn’t moved, her features relaxed in sleep. His own mom had never relaxed, her movements either jittery or abrasive, depending on her mood. He ignored the torture chair and snagged the blanket. Moving back to the window, he stretched out on the floor, covering his body with the blanket. Within seconds, sleep claimed him.

ChapterFourteen

Seth craned his neck to see if Jetta had taken Bingley outside for his morning walk. He’d arrived home a few hours earlier, having slipped out of her mother’s room at the rehab center around six when the day shift brought more people to the floor. While he had slept a few hours on the hard floor, scenes from his childhood had made his rest less than peaceful. He tightened the laces on his running shoes.

---