Page 34 of Enigma

Then it went to voicemail, where a generic voice told her to leave a message.

“Hey, it’s me.” She glanced toward the bathroom door to make sure Jason couldn’t hear. “I need to talk to you. Call me back when you get this, no matter what time it is.”

She ended the call and stared at the phone, willing it to ring. Simon had been instrumental in helping her bring down the culprit hurting students at Lighthouse Harbor.

He seemed to be a very resourceful man, and if anyone might have insights into what was happening with Lloyd’s disappearance, it would be him.

But the phone remained silent.

Olive set it aside and pulled some clean clothes from her bag. When Jason emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, she took her turn getting ready for bed, trying not to think about how vulnerable they were in this anonymous hotel room or how many people seemed to know exactly where to find them no matter where they went.

As she brushed her teeth, she caught sight of herself in the bathroom mirror. The bruise on her jaw was darkening, and she looked exhausted in a way that went beyond just physical tiredness.

This case was taking a toll on her that she wasn’t sure she was prepared for.

When she came out of the bathroom, the lights were off and Jason was already lying on one of the beds, staring at the ceiling. The television was on with the volume low, casting a blue glow across the room.

Olive settled onto the other bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

They fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

Outside, Olive heard the distant sound of traffic on the highway. Inside, the hum of the hotel’s air conditioning competed with sounds from people coming and going from other rooms.

Normal sounds of a normal night, which felt surreal given everything that had happened.

“Olive?” Jason’s voice was soft in the darkness.

“Yeah?”

“Whatever we find out about my father, whatever he’s done or been involved in . . . I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad I don’t have to face this alone.”

Her chest tightened with emotion when she heard the honesty in his voice. Despite everything that had gone wrongbetween them, despite the fight they’d had about trust, they were still partners in this. They were still a team when it mattered.

“Me too,” she whispered.

But as she lay in the dark, listening to Jason’s breathing gradually slow into sleep, Olive couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking into something designed to tear them apart.

CHAPTER 21

TEN YEARS AGO

Olive woke up to the sound of her mother crying.

It was barely dawn, and pale gray light was just beginning to filter through the thin curtains of their rental house. She heard her mother in the bathroom, the soft, muffled sounds of someone trying very hard not to be heard.

The night before, there had been another late-night argument between her mom and dad. Olive had pressed her pillow over her ears, but she’d still caught fragments—harsh whispers, something about “problems” and “loose ends” and “cleaning up your mess.”

When it finally ended, she’d heard the front door slam and her father’s car start up in the driveway.

Now her mother was crying.

Olive slipped out of bed and padded quietly to the bathroom door, which was slightly ajar. Through the crack, she saw her mother sitting on the edge of the bathtub, her face in her hands.

“Mom?” Olive whispered, pushing the door open.

Her mother looked up, and Olive gasped. A bruise was forming on her mother’s left cheek, dark purple against her pale skin.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Her mother’s expression instantly shifted, becoming the familiar mask of gentle concern. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”