Page 25 of Enigma

Olive squinted, trying to get a better look at the plate. She could only make out the first three letters.

Determination caused Olive’s spine to go straight.

She knew one thing for sure.

Lloyd Stewart was in grave danger, even if he didn’t know it yet.

Wheeler switched to the final piece of footage. “There’s more.”

The screen showed Lloyd getting into the passenger seat of the sedan. But instead of the woman forcing him in or restraining him, Lloyd appeared to be having a conversation with her. At one point, he even seemed to nod in agreement.

“It’s almost like . . . he went willingly.” Jason’s voice sounded low and quiet as his jaw twitched.

“Looks that way. Though there are plenty of ways to coerce someone that don’t show up on camera,” Wheeler pointed out. “Threats against family members, for instance.”

The implication hung heavy in the air.

Olive watched Jason’s jaw tighten as he processed the possibility that his father had been threatened using Jason as leverage.

Jason stood up abruptly, running his hands through his hair. “We need to call the police and file a missing person report. We need to officially get the cops involved.”

Wheeler nodded. “I’ll take care of that, though they’ll probably want to talk to you.”

“Of course.” Jason stood and gave him a business card. “Anything you need, call me.”

“Will do. What are you going to do now?”

“I’m going to look for my father myself,” Jason said.

“Be careful.”

As they left the security office with their stack of printed surveillance photos, Olive couldn’t shake the bad feeling in her gut.

“It feels like we’re being fed a careful story,” she told Jason as they walked back toward the hospital’s main entrance.

“What do you mean?” He glanced at her.

Olive’s nerves prickled with unease. “Maybe someone wants us to follow a specific trail.”

“Interesting theory.”

“And not to sound dramatic, but the question is whether that trail leads to Lloyd or into a trap.”

CHAPTER 15

Jason began walking fast again after they left the security office. His long strides forced Olive to hurry to keep up as he headed toward the parking area.

She saw the tension in his shoulders, saw the way his hands were clenched into fists at his sides, and she knew he was fighting the urge to do something—anything—rather than stand around talking while his father was missing.

“Jason, wait,” she called.

But he was already pulling out his phone, dialing as he walked.

She caught up to him just as he lowered the phone from his ear, his expression growing more frustrated.

“Nancy’s still not answering.” His voice sounded tight with worry. “I’ve called her four times since we left Dad’s room.”

That meant that Nancy was either in on this or she was in trouble.