Page 58 of Deception

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.

CHAPTER 33

Olive watched as a man rushed into the ER and headed to the information desk.

“I’m here to see Rebecca Hansen,” he started.

He instantly had Olive’s attention. She hadn’t seen him before. He was on the shorter side with a sharply receding hairline and thin build.

She tried to shut out the sounds of a kid playing on an iPad two rows over. A conversation between a husband and wife about how they needed to change their vacation plans. A man who’d nicked his thumb with an axe, and now he sat moaning with a bloody cloth on his hand.

She didn’t want to miss a word the man at the desk said.