Page 30

CHAPTER 30

“ H ow did you and Rebecca meet?” Olive crossed her legs as she sat in a folding chair across from Matt in his office.

He sat in a blue corner chair, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Nova had added some powder to his face so it wouldn’t look shiny on film. But sweat kept popping through.

“Rebecca and I met in college,” he started. “She was in my world literature class. As soon as I saw her, I knew she was something special. She absolutely lit up a room when she walked inside.”

Olive smiled. “I can see that.”

“It took a long time for me to work up the nerve to ask her out. I thought for sure she’d say no. In fact, I almost didn’t ask. Then we were in a study group and ended up working together. We hit it off and started hanging out. One thing led to another and . . .” Matt shrugged. “What can I say? I got my wish. She kissed me first.”

“Took some of the pressure off of you, huh?”

A sad smile tugged at his lips. “Yes, I guess you could say that. We were inseparable after that. As soon as she graduated, we got married. A couple of years later, I got offered a job here in Oasis, and we moved. We had the same visions every newly married couple has. We wanted the house, the two-point-five kids, the family vacations. But life took an unexpected turn.”

He sounded sincere—sincere enough that Olive felt for him. If he was in on this, he was a good actor also. What were the odds?

“Can you tell me about the day Rebecca was diagnosed?” Olive asked.

Matt blew out a breath. “Rebecca hadn’t been feeling well. We thought it was just allergies or the stress of moving, starting a new job, etc. One night she felt especially bad, and I insisted she go to the doctor. That set off a series of tests and . . . here we are.”

“I can’t imagine how difficult that was.” Olive paused. “What have you learned throughout the whole experience?”

“I’ve learned that there’s only so much a person can take before they break—because there is a breaking point. It’s savage trying to handle the amount of stress this situation has caused. I wouldn’t wish it on my greatest enemy.”

As Matt continued to talk about their struggles, Olive’s gaze drifted out the window.

Her breath caught.

A man stood in the parking lot.

Not Motorcycle Man.

No . . . it was a man who looked an awful lot like the one Olive had seen meeting with her father in the parking lot that day when she was eight.

Olive had tried to put the man out of her mind during the rest of her interview.

He’d been there one minute, and he was gone the next.

Had he just been a figment of her imagination?

She wasn’t sure. And it wasn’t fair to think about that now, while she was supposed to be investigating something else.

But she would definitely be thinking about the man and why he might be in Oasis more later.

Olive knew her time with Matt was almost up. He had to get back to work. In fact, he’d already missed several phone calls, and two coworkers had stopped by to ask him questions.

After their conversation as she and Nova began to pack, Olive considered having a change of heart. This whole case was truly complex. She almost preferred something cut and dried over a case that tugged at her heartstrings.

Matt’s phone rang, and he glanced at it. “It’s Rebecca. Excuse me a minute.”

“Of course,” Olive said.

She and Nova continued to quietly pack up their equipment—the cameras, lights, and microphones.

“What?” Matt’s voice rose behind them.

Olive paused, sensing something was wrong.

“Okay, I’ll be right there.” He pulled the phone from his ear and reached into his desk drawer, pulling out his car keys. “I’ve got to go.”

“Is everything okay?” Concern rushed through Olive.

“No. Rebecca isn’t doing well, and I need to get her to the hospital.” He rushed toward the door. “She’s throwing up blood.”