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“I was wondering if you’d look at my father’s case.”

He furrowed his brows, and his scowl deepened. “What?”

Erik’s shock came as no surprise. Her father had been tried and convicted of murder over four years ago. In that time, he’d maintained his innocence, and Imogene believed in him. She’d personally worked hours upon hours on his behalf, trying to prove he wasn’t guilty. I know him; he didn’t do this. She’d become his biggest advocate. He was wrongly accused. Finally, after years, all her effort paid off, and he’d been granted a new trial.

Then four months ago, everything changed.

This was a delicate topic and not one Erik seemed interested in. But she wouldn’t know if he’d help if she didn’t ask.

“Well, I have all the files. Everything, and I’ve been through them a bunch of times. But I was hoping maybe you could take a look. I have to be missing something, right?”

Imogene shifted in her seat, trying to maintain eye contact, but he was making it difficult. He was staring at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“What do you say?” She was hopeful. It lasted a fraction of a second.

“Why would I do that?”

She raised her brows. “Because I’m asking.”

He scoffed. “You’re asking me to waste my time on a closed case?”

A forced closed case. Her dad had never gotten his second trial.

“Technically, it’s not closed,” she blurted.

“Your father is dead. It doesn’t get more closed than that.”

As if she needed the reminder. He hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true. But the coldness in his tone struck her like an ice-cold water bucket dumped over her head. Her father’s death was still fresh. Four months wasn’t a long time. She bowed her head, locking her eyes on her mug.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, but she heard him. “I can’t help you.”

She wasn’t above pleading her own case and throwing in a little reminder.

“But you helped me before,” she pleaded. “With the money?”

He sat back in the chair, hooked his ankle over his knee, and clasped his hands. “Yes, I did, and I’m still working on it. That was different.”

Imogene had fronted the money for her father’s defense in both trials. After her father died, she was expecting the money set aside for his second trial to be returned. Rightfully, it was hers. When she’d voiced her concern, Erik stepped in, and the law firm issued her a refund, but it was missing a lot of cash. Over one hundred thousand dollars. She’d initially transferred the money from her inheritance from her grandparents, and the sale of her condo, to her father to fund his case. She was told it would be put in an account. But after Erik’s investigation, it turned out there were two separate accounts for her father. And now? Over a hundred thousand dollars remained unaccounted for. It was as if it vanished with no explanation.

“How is that different?”

“It was for you, not him.” He narrowed his gaze. “And in case you’ve forgotten, I already looked over his case years ago. My conclusion was the same as the courts. Guilty.”

So predictable. It was a fair assessment for an outsider.

“But he was granted a new trial, and…”

Erik held up his hand, silencing her.

“And I’m confident had he lived to see a second trial, it would’ve had the same outcome.” He dropped his foot to the ground and adjusted his jacket. “Your father was a convicted murderer who was killed in prison by an inmate. Most people would call that justice.”

Imogene hadn’t been given many details from the prison regarding his death. Her father had been alone in his cell when he was jumped by another inmate and stabbed. He wasn’t found immediately, and ultimately bled to death. The spokesperson said they couldn’t give her anything more until they concluded their investigation. She was still waiting to hear back four months later.

Imogene sucked in a breath, trying to rein in her emotions. This wasn’t the first time she’d heard it. Wouldn’t be the last. But it stung a little deeper coming from him. They were family. Yes, distant and newfound, as he relentlessly pointed out. But family just the same. And for Imogene, he was her only living relative.

“Why are you still pursuing this?” There was no missing the disappointment in his tone. Erik shook his head and sighed. “It’s over.”

She bit her lip and mumbled, “Not for me.”