Page 35

CHAPTER 35

O live stepped from the hallway and back into the ER waiting room.

She’d already texted Mitzi about Dr. Peters’ possible connection to Rebecca, just to give her a heads-up.

As Nova joined her in the waiting room, a man standing at the nurses’ station caught Olive’s eye. She’d seen him somewhere before but couldn’t place the location.

The man, who was shorter than Olive’s own five-foot-six-inch frame, was probably in his early thirties with thinning, light brown hair, a thin build, and wire-framed glasses.

As soon as the man saw Olive and Nova, his expression changed. He recognized them also.

He stepped closer. “Weren’t you in the office earlier today? Goodmen Marketing?”

“We were.” Olive suddenly remembered the man from the office. “We were interviewing Matthew Hansen.”

“I’m Brad,” he told them. “I work with Matt. I heard what happened and wanted to come check on them. How’s Rebecca doing?”

“It’s hard to say,” Olive started, not wanting to say too much. “She seems to be hanging in.”

He tilted his head compassionately. “I understand. I just wanted to swing by so Matt and Rebecca could know we at the office are thinking about them.”

“That’s very kind of you.” Olive imagined Matt’s coworkers probably had to come out quite often to check on them.

Then she realized that this guy might be a good person to talk to.

“You said you work with Matt?”

“I do. I have for the past three years. He’s a good guy. I just feel terrible about all he and Rebecca are going through.” Brad’s voice didn’t contain any doubt. He truly believed Rebecca and Matt were experiencing a hard time.

“That’s nice that the company is there to support him,” Olive said.

“Yeah, it’s been really hard on them. Whatever we can do to help.” Brad crossed his arms.

“I heard it’s been difficult on Matt having to take all these days off work.”

Brad squinted. “Really? Our boss has given Matt liberal leave. His own mom had cancer, so he’s been pretty understanding. Even volunteered to let y’all come out to film the interview there.”

That didn’t match what Rebecca had told them.

Olive bit down before saying, “I’m so glad to hear that.”

Brad let out a breath. “Yeah, back in the day, Matt and I liked to blow off steam together whenever we could.”

This man suddenly had all of Olive’s attention. “Oh, yeah? You two golf together or something?”

Brad laughed. “No, no golfing. As a matter of fact, we used to ride together.”

“Ride together?” Olive had a feeling he wasn’t talking about horses.

“Motorcycles. We used to take long rides when we could. There’s nothing like being on the open road and feeling the wind whipping around you.”

Olive tried not to show any surprise. But she’d had no idea Matt was a motorcycle guy.

She glanced back at Brad. “I bet riding is fun. I’ve thought about trying it myself. I suppose Matt doesn’t ride much anymore, not with everything else going on.”

“No, unfortunately, he doesn’t.” Brad frowned.

Although if Matt’s wife needed money for treatments, it seemed like selling an extra vehicle might be a good solution.

“Does he still have a motorcycle?”

“I don’t really know, to be honest.” Brad shrugged. “If he’s sold it, I haven’t heard. It was a beauty, so I sure hope he didn’t.”

What was the possibility Matt was the one who’d been following her? Maybe he was checking up on Olive to make sure she was legit? Or maybe he wanted to scare them off.

If either of those possibilities were true, was Matt the one who’d shot at them? Why would he do that? It seemed extreme.

Olive wasn’t sure. But she’d definitely be thinking about this new theory more.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Olive asked Nova as they walked outside to the Jeep.

“That Matt might have something to do with this?”

“Exactly,” Olive said. “Maybe he doesn’t want us to do this documentary, and he’s trying to scare us off. Maybe he thinks we’re going to discover the truth, and he doesn’t want to blow everything.”

“It’s worth exploring.”

But . . . something was bugging Olive. “Matt really did seem grieved over everything that’s happened, didn’t he?”

“He did,” Nova agreed. “But what if Matt is grieved because he and his wife have dug themselves into a hole they can’t get out of?”

“I guess that’s a possibility,” Olive murmured. “But then there’s the whole USB drive. Why would Matt be taking pictures of his wife around town and putting them on a USB?”

“Maybe he doesn’t trust her either. Maybe there’s some infidelity going on—maybe between her and the doctor. Doesn’t that sound like a soap opera?” Nova raised her eyebrows.

“It definitely sounds like a soap opera—and probably a leap. Although . . . I have to say I’ve seen stranger things happen.”

“You and me both.” Nova nodded.

They paused by the Jeep, and Nova turned toward her. “What now?”

Olive’s thoughts raced through the possibilities. “Could you go back to the hotel and look more into Matt’s background? I’m not saying he’s behind this. But I am saying there could be more to him than meets the eye.”

“I’m inclined to agree. I’ll get right on that. And I’ll keep trying to get in touch with some of Rebecca’s old friends too.”

“Good.” Olive nodded slowly. “Between that and Mitzi going out to dinner with the doctor tonight, maybe we can finally make some headway.”

“Let’s hope.”

They climbed into the Jeep and took off down the road.

Nova hadn’t asked Olive what she was going to do. Maybe that was a blessing.

Because Olive should be pouring all her time and energy into this case.

But she couldn’t stop thinking about the man she thought she’d seen outside Matt’s office. The same man who’d met with her dad seventeen years ago.

Could he be the one who’d left that note on the back door of her house? The one that said, “Like father, like daughter”? The one who’d been in the woods and hit her over the head before escaping?

Maybe there were more answers in this town than Olive had assumed. Answers about her dad and what he’d really been up to.

She wanted to find out what they might be.

For that reason, she wanted to head back to her old house. Maybe talk to some neighbors. Maybe even talk to members of Jason’s family.

Someone somewhere had to know something.

Even though she had come here to investigate Rebecca, Olive was bound and determined to find some answers about her own past also.