Page 16

CHAPTER 16

O live squeezed Rebecca’s arm. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Are you still okay to do the interview?”

Rebecca tearfully nodded. “Absolutely. I just need to get myself together.”

“Take all the time you need.”

She sniffled. “The best thing I can do is to keep my thoughts occupied. This interview will be perfect.”

“If you’re sure . . .” Olive paused, trying to carefully proceed.

Rebecca seemed truly upset. But what about the green sedan that had hit Maria?

Had it belonged to Rebecca’s supposed cousin? Was Rebecca secretly in on this?

If only Olive could outright ask those questions. But she couldn’t.

Even if she did and Rebecca was guilty, the woman would never admit it. She had too much on the line.

Olive cleared her throat. “Will your husband be joining us?”

“No, he had to go into work,” Rebecca told them. “He works for a marketing company, but his boss keeps threatening to fire him.”

“Why?” Olive tilted her head curiously. “That seems heartless.”

“Exactly. I mean, I’m grateful Matt has a job. But he’s had to miss so much work because of my appointments. I guess his boss can’t afford to keep paying him when he’s gone so much. But I don’t know what we’ll do if he’s fired. Since my cancer came back, I’ve had to give up my job as a teacher.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Rebecca shrugged. “It is what it is, as the saying goes. God will provide. He always does.”

Was that true? Olive wondered.

It would be nice to believe the sentiment was real.

But looking back on her life, she didn’t see any evidence of it.

Olive hated to be negative, but maybe faith truly was just a crutch for the weak . . . or a target for con artists.

Olive needed to gracefully change the subject from faith to cancer.

“We should probably get started.” She turned to Rebecca. “Where would you like to set up?”

“Wherever y’all think is best.”

Olive glanced at Nova. “What do you think? You’re the creative director.”

Nova glanced around the room before stopping on a wooden armchair with thick beige cushions in the corner. “I think that could be a great place to set up the interview. There’s just enough natural light coming in from the window to add a little bit of drama. Plus, there are some lovely pictures on the wall that will add a personal touch to your story.”

“Whatever y’all want will work for me.” Rebecca clasped her hands together in front of her. “Can I get you something to eat or drink?”

“We ate at the hotel, so we’re fine,” Olive said. “But thank you.”

Olive could see why people liked this woman. Rebecca was pleasant and cheerful and a ray of sunshine in the storm. Something about her drew people in and made them want to be her friend.

As Nova began to set up the camera, Rebecca gave the signed contract to Olive.

Then Rebecca shifted almost nervously.

“Is this your first time doing an interview on film like this?” Olive asked, curious about the reaction.

“I did an interview with a local news station before one of my fundraisers. It was a twenty-second clip that aired. That was nerve-wracking enough.” Rebecca touched her cheek. “I’m not sure if I have a face for TV or not.”

“I think you’ll do just fine.” Olive had a feeling Rebecca knew exactly how photogenic she was. The woman was pretty and well-dressed—the kind of girl who was popular in high school and had a lot of friends.

“Well, thank you for the confidence.” Rebecca did a little curtsy before laughing as if self-conscious.

“If you’ll just give us a few minutes, we’re going to test the lighting and the sound,” Olive said. “Then we’ll get started.”

Part of her couldn’t wait to dive in and see what they might uncover today. The other part dreaded breaking people’s hearts. It almost felt like there was no winning in this situation.

As Olive glanced around the room, something caught her eye—something small and out of place. She needed a better look, but Olive didn’t want to examine it too closely with Rebecca nearby. She’d need to wait for the right opportunity.

She turned to the woman. “On second thought, I think I really could use a glass of ice water before we start. Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” Rebecca said. “Just give me a moment.”

She left the living room and headed toward the kitchen.

As soon as Rebecca was gone, Olive walked toward the TV.

If she’d seen what she thought, she didn’t want to be too obvious.

Instead, she pretended to look at the pictures surrounding the TV.

In reality, Olive’s gaze was drawn to a small device perched on the corner of a black picture frame. She’d spotted it and suspected she knew what it was. But she wanted to be sure.

It was a camera.

The question was, had someone left the device there to spy on Rebecca? Or had Rebecca left it there to spy on them?