Page 53 of Enigma

“This is the Oasis Police Department. The building is surrounded. Exit through the front door with your hands visible.”

“We don’t have a choice.” Olive stared at the police cars surrounding the building. “If we try to run, it just makes us look guilty.”

Jason nodded. “At least we got photos of everything.”

After securing the safe and putting the panel back in place, they stood.

Olive looked at him, her stomach tightening with dread. “What are you going to tell the police? Will you make up an excuse?”

His jaw ticked. “I’m going to have to play it by ear.”

“I’ll follow your lead.”

She didn’t want to do this. But they didn’t have any other options.

It would be a lot harder to find answers if they were in jail.

Jason glanced at her. “You ready for this?”

She nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

They made their way to the front of the building, the beam of police lights cutting through the darkness as they approached the main entrance. Olive raised her hands as they stepped outside, Jason doing the same beside her.

“Don’t move!” an officer shouted. “Keep your hands where we can see them!”

The parking lot was a sea of red and blue lights, and at least six patrol cars were now positioned at strategic angles around the building. Officers had taken cover behind their vehicles, weapons drawn.

“We’re unarmed,” Jason called. “We’re coming out peacefully.”

As they walked slowly toward the nearest patrol car, one of the officers stepped forward into the light. He was tall and broad-shouldered . . . and familiar.

The officer lowered his weapon slightly. “Jason?”

Jason stopped walking, his expression shifting from resignation to shock. “Dean?”

Dean Johnson—Jason’s brother-in-law, married to Jason’s sister Chelsea—stared at them a long moment before holstering his weapon completely.

This could be a good development, Olive mused—or a terrible one.

CHAPTER 35

“What are you doing here?” Dean’s voice was a mixture of disbelief and professional concern.

“It’s complicated.” Jason shrugged.

“Breaking into your dad’s old medical practice is complicated?” Dean gestured to the other officers to lower their weapons. “Jason, you’re going to have to do better than that.”

Olive watched the interaction carefully, noting how the other officers deferred to Dean despite his obvious personal connection to one of the suspects. He had seniority here, which could work in their favor or against them depending on how this played out.

“How did you know we were here?” Olive asked.

Dean’s eyes shifted to her, recognition dawning. “Olive Sterling. I should have figured you’d be involved in this somehow.” His tone wasn’t hostile, but it wasn’t friendly either.

“I did help stop this entire town from being manipulated out of money by a very convincing con artist.” She shouldn’t have to remind him of the woman she’d helped put behind bars a few months ago, but she did anyway.

She needed to use whatever leverage she had right now.

“You’re right. You did. And for that, we owe you the benefit of the doubt.” He paused long enough to sigh. “We got a call about thirty minutes ago. Someone reported seeing two people breaking into the building.”