"Your brother's ledger."
He shrugged.
"I keep working on it."
"Alone?"
"Been doing it alone for years."
Clara studied him.
"How far have you gotten?"
He gave a faint, humorless smile.
"Far enough to know I ought to have been smarter."
She looked down at the leather book.
Then back at him.
"Elias, you have half the evidence."
He frowned.
"Half?"
"The property records are here. The money trail is in Chicago."
He sat still.
Clara continued.
"Nathaniel may be a cruel man, but he isn't careless. Every transfer will have a corresponding entry in the banking house."
Elias leaned forward.
"Can you recognize those entries?"
"I copied some of them myself."
His expression changed.
Clara reached for the ledger.
"And I remember how he arranged the accounts."
She looked up.
"If you let me help, perhaps we can prove what happened."
Elias shook his head.
"No."
Clara stared.
"No?"
"It's dangerous."
"Everything is dangerous."
"Not like this."
She stood.
"Elias, my husband may have sent me into a blizzard to die. Do you honestly believe returning to town and pretending none of this happened will make me safe?"
He looked at her.
She stepped closer.
"Your brother deserves the truth."
His jaw tightened.
"And so do I."
Elias glanced toward the window.
The storm had begun again.
Snow moved past the glass.
For a long moment, he seemed to be weighing the risk.
Then he turned toward her.
"If we do this, there'll be rules."
Clara raised an eyebrow.
"Rules?"
"Nobody goes into town alone. Nobody touches the evidence without making a written record. And if I tell you there's danger, you listen."
She folded her arms.
"Only if you agree to the same."
He frowned.
"What?"
"If I recognize something in the accounts, you listen. If I tell you a signature is forged, you don't dismiss it because I'm a woman."
His expression softened.
She continued.
"And you don't get to decide what I can bear simply because you're stronger than I am."
Elias stared at her.
Then, slowly, he smiled.
"You're a difficult woman."
Clara lifted her chin.
"Apparently."
He extended his hand.
"Partners?"
She looked at his enormous hand.
Then placed hers inside it.
"Partners."
His fingers closed around hers.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Clara smiled.
"And one more thing."
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
She looked toward the bed.
"You're not sleeping in that miserable chair again."
He gave a short laugh.