Page 32

CHAPTER 32

A s soon as Olive reached the waiting room, her gaze connected with someone behind the front desk. Mitzi.

She gave Olive a look to indicate they would talk later. Maybe Mitzi had some more details for them.

Then Olive’s gaze went to Rebecca and Matt. They were seated in two chairs close to the emergency room doors. A nurse stood in front of them and took Rebecca’s vitals. Matt’s arm was stretched on the chair behind Rebecca.

She and Nova stopped a respectable distance away, trying to give them space.

“Y’all don’t have to stay.” Matt’s voice sounded dull with emotion as he glanced up at them.

“It’s true,” Rebecca said before pressing her eyes closed. “I know y’all have other things to do.”

“We hate to leave you.” Nova sounded surprisingly compassionate as she said the words, a change from her normal grumpiness.

“I’m used to this.” She let out a feeble laugh.

Silence stretched a moment.

Then Rebecca’s eyes opened, a new thought lighting her gaze. “I know the timing of this sounds weird . . . and I can’t believe I’m suggesting it. But this could be some good B roll footage for the documentary. You know what I always say—if life hands you lemons . . . I think this could be one of those times.”

Olive’s eyes grew wide also. “You want us to record this? Are you sure? I mean, the moment seems so . . . so private.”

Rebecca nodded resolutely before pressing her eyes closed in misery. “I want viewers to see exactly what I’m going through. I don’t mind if you record me. But you can’t get anybody else in the background.”

Another thought filled Olive’s mind. Rebecca had known she and Nova were meeting Matt today. What if she’d staged all this because she wanted this raw footage to make her story seem more legitimate? To pull on people’s heartstrings?

Nova glanced at Olive and shrugged. “I could use my phone camera to get some footage. It will seem less intrusive to anyone else who’s here in the waiting room.”

“Whatever works for you.” Rebecca nodded as she kept her eyes squeezed shut.

Nova pulled out her phone and began to record from a distance.

Olive remained standing, out of the frame, and observed the waiting room. Several people sent looks their way.

In a town this small, there was a good chance most people here knew of Rebecca’s story. There was a good chance the nurses like the one taking Rebecca’s vitals right now also knew what was going on.

Her sickness had become something the whole community carried together.

It was a really beautiful thing . . . if it was real.

Ten minutes later, Rebecca was taken back.

Matt went with her while Olive and Nova remained in the waiting room. They moved to a corner for more privacy. Olive had grabbed her computer and backpack from the Jeep so she could catch up on some things while they waited.

More people had come into the waiting room, which didn’t afford Olive and Nova the opportunity to talk much—even though Olive was chomping at the bit to do so.

But as soon as the other patients were called back, Olive turned to Nova. “What are you working on?”

“I’m corresponding with some of Rebecca’s old classmates from high school and college, trying to get one of them to talk.” Nova slouched in her seat, barely moving her lips as she quietly said, “But what I really want is to see Rebecca and Matt’s financials.”

“Did you figure out a way to do that?”

Her lips tugged downward in a frown. “I need to see more of their mail so I can pinpoint their financial institutions.”

“How do you plan on doing that?”

“I can go pick up their mail for them—at least, that’s what it will look like. If anyone asks, I’ll say Rebecca’s at the hospital, but she doesn’t want anyone to know she’s at the ER so please keep this quiet.”

It sounded as if she’d thought this through. “That sounds like a good plan. But it’s still risky.”

“Yes, it is, but this might be the best—or only—time to go for it.”

Olive couldn’t argue with Nova’s assessment. “I don’t think we should both leave the hospital.”

“I can do it.” Nova held out her hand. “Give me your keys, and I’ll go. If, by chance, it turns out Rebecca or Matt leave early or you hear about someone going to their house for any reason, let me know.”

“Of course.” Olive handed Nova the car keys.

Olive would wait to hear if there were any updates, to see if she could find out anything new. If Rebecca wasn’t really sick, she couldn’t hide that from doctors, right? There was no way she could fake lab results. But because of medical laws, the staff at the hospital could never admit anything. Their only hope was that Mitzi would overhear something.

Olive sighed. That made this assignment more complicated. They needed evidence before the FBI could get involved and subpoena any records.

But the task felt impossible . . . as well as heartless.