Page 19

CHAPTER 19

O live’s conversation with Sabrina had taken more time than she’d anticipated. Even though Olive would love to go into the school office and talk to more people, she’d told Mitzi she’d meet her in a half hour—and that didn’t leave her much time.

Maybe Sabrina would share something of importance later.

The next closest town to Oasis was thirty minutes away, so Olive needed to leave now in order to be on time. She could always come back to the school later.

She stepped from the building and headed to her Jeep. As she did, she quickly scanned the parking lot.

She didn’t see anyone watching her. But she needed to remain on guard.

Olive had so many memories of Sabrina. The two of them had been like sisters. They’d shared secrets—not all of them, of course. Olive didn’t dare tell anyone her suspicions about her dad.

But the two of them had planned trips they’d take when they had money—Bora Bora preferably, but they’d settle for Aruba. They’d talked about having barbecues with their families—because their husbands would definitely be best friends. They’d even talked about raising their children together, even though Olive should have known better.

Olive pulled up to a local coffee shop. As soon as she went inside, she spotted Mitzi in the corner, still wearing pink scrubs. Olive slid into the booth across from her.

Mitzi was beautiful—blonde and bodacious were the best words to describe her. Plus, her extroverted personality made her instantly likable.

Her personality and looks made men flock to her like moths to a flame.

Mitzi was in her early thirties, and she’d worked at Aegis for seven years, making her a senior agent. Before that, she’d worked for the CIA—something she never talked about. She’d only mentioned it in passing once and had never brought it up again.

“Nice look.” Mitzi scanned Olive up and down. “Very bohemian.”

Olive looked like a hippy, and Mitzi looked sexy. That sounded about right.

“I thought it fit the persona I need to capture.”

“I’d say.” Mitzi grinned. “I went ahead and ordered for you. Hope that’s okay.”

“Depends on what you ordered.”

Mitzi nodded to the paper cup on the table. “Mint tea with honey.”

“Perfect.” Olive wrapped her fingers around the warm cup.

With that settled, they got down to business. Olive insisted that Mitzi go first.

Mitzi strung her thin arm across the back of the booth as she leaned back casually. “I’ve been trying to get to know some of the staff at the hospital. Have I mentioned how much I love small towns, especially ones where they use the word y’all all the time? It’s just adorable.”

Olive found it heartwarming as well, but she stayed focused. “Did you discover anything?”

“I was getting to that.” She tapped her pink-tipped fingernails on the table. “Rebecca is all the talk around town in case you didn’t know.”

“I gathered as much.”

“Well, one of the nurses I went out with last night is totally enamored with the woman. She thinks Rebecca should be an inspirational speaker, write books, and maybe even get her own talk show on national TV.”

Olive’s eyebrows shot up. “She’s definitely under Rebecca’s influence.”

“I’d say. So she probably won’t be much help.”

“It doesn’t sound like it. Anyone else?”

“Another nurse, Sherri, worked directly with Rebecca. At least, that was my impression. You know they can’t really say patient names without getting in trouble. But since Sherri works in the cancer unit, her path should have crossed with Rebecca.”

“And?”

“Whenever Rebecca came up in our conversation, Sherri stayed quiet.” She took a sip of her coffee.

“Is it because she’s a rule follower and doesn’t want to say anything she shouldn’t?”

Mitzi raised her shoulder toward her tilted head. “That’s a possibility. But more than that, I think it’s because Sherri didn’t see eye-to-eye with the nurse who raved about Rebecca. I think Sherri knows something.”

“Can you get some information out of her?”

Mitzi grinned. “That’s what I’m hoping.”

Olive gave her an encouraging nod.

If anyone could do it, Mitzi could.

Olive and Mitzi continued talking, not missing a beat. It was easy with Mitzi, who was a natural gabber.

“There was one other nurse, Anne, who recently quit,” Mitzi continued. “I’m trying to track her down. Everyone was shocked when she quit because there were no signs she was unhappy. But on the day she left, everyone could tell she’d been crying. She left a meeting with the medical director, a man who’s known to mostly care more about the hospital’s bottom line than anything else.”

“Sounds promising,” Olive said. “Keep me updated.”

Mitzi shifted in her seat. “Okay, enough about me. How about you?”

Olive filled her in on everything that had happened, not leaving out any of the details. Motorcycle Man, the pictures on his flash drive, the message on the hotel mirror. She included how Maria had died in a hit-and-run and the cameras in Rebecca’s house.

“It sounds like we’re getting somewhere.” Mitzi took a sip of her drink. “Someone is already suspicious of us, possibly suspicious of Rebecca. But it sounds like Rebecca is beginning to trust you. Now we just need to get more details.”

“More proof,” Olive added.

Mitzi gave her a look. “That’s the hard part.”

“I agree.”

Mitzi’s gaze locked on Olive’s. “It sounds like you need to be careful also. That whole photographer on the motorcycle thing doesn’t leave me feeling good.”

“You’re not the only one,” Olive agreed. “I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes wide open.”

“You and me both.”

Olive took another sip of her tea.

As she did, a shadow paused by their table.

She looked up and saw a man in his early forties wearing green scrubs standing there. His gaze was on Mitzi.

“Sorry to interrupt, but you work at the hospital in Oasis, right?” he said. “You’re new.”

A grin spread across Mitzi’s face, and her persona changed from casual to flirtatious.

She batted her eyelashes, clearly using her feminine wiles.

“I am.” She leaned forward, her lips pursed now. “I saw you there earlier.”

He extended his hand. “Dr. Darren Peters.”

“I’m Mitzi.” She gingerly placed her hand in his.

“Are you also new in town?”

This man could have some answers. Olive just needed to let Mitzi have a go at him.

Knowing that, Olive slid from the booth and rose. “I hate to run, but I do need to get going. It was good catching up.”

Mitzi gave her a nod.

As she walked away, she heard Mitzi and Darren talking.

A doctor at the hospital would be a great contact.

Now she just needed to let Mitzi work her magic.

But as soon as Olive stepped outside, she paused.

Her skin on her neck crawled.

There it was again. That feeling of being watched.

She glanced around the dark parking lot.

Then her phone buzzed.

Cautiously, she pulled her gaze away from her surroundings and glanced at the screen.

A picture appeared.

A picture of Olive and Mitzi having drinks together a few moments earlier.

Someone had been following her. Watching her.

And this person wanted her to know it.

How had someone even gotten this number? Only a few people here had it—including Rebecca and now Sabrina.

In the distance, she thought she heard an engine rev.

A motorcycle engine.