Page 20 of Enigma (Pros and Cons Mysteries #6)

J ason pulled the car to the side of the road, the tires crunching on gravel as he put it in Park.

Olive squinted as she opened her email app on her phone.

“What did Tevin find?” Jason’s voice carried the weight of someone who wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

Olive scrolled through Tevin’s message, feeling more troubled with each line. “He found a bank account belonging to your father.”

“What kind of account?”

“The kind someone uses when they don’t want other people to know about it.” Olive continued reading, her frown deepening. “Jason, there have been several large deposits into this account over the past six months. We’re talking six-figure amounts.”

Jason’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Six figures? From where?”

“That’s the problem. The deposits are coming from a business called ‘Oasis Financial Services.’ They’re very generic and very anonymous.” Olive looked up from her phone. “What do you think this means?”

Jason shook his head, conflict playing out across his features—disappointment warring with the desire to believe his father was innocent. “Dad said he got away from what happened in Texas. He told us he cut all ties with that network years ago.”

“He still has his medical license, right?”

“Yes. He works part-time at a home health clinic in Tampa. Just a few days a week, helping elderly patients who can’t get to regular doctors’ offices. It’s legitimate work.” Jason’s voice sounded flat, as if he was trying to convince himself as much as her.

Olive chose her next words carefully, aware she was walking into sensitive territory. “Do you think these people are still manipulating him somehow?”

The question hung in the air between them.

She wasn’t quite sure Lloyd was being manipulated—his behavior at the hospital, the way he’d seemed almost resigned to telling them the truth, suggested someone who might be more involved than he’d initially let on. Though he’d appeared contrite earlier, maybe that was all an act.

“I don’t know,” Jason said. “Six months ago, I would have said absolutely not. Dad seemed . . . settled. Happy even, especially after he started dating Nancy. But now . . .” He gestured at Olive’s phone. “How do you explain that kind of money?”

“Maybe we should ask him,” Olive said. “When we find him.”

“ If we find him.” Jason stared out the windshield. “Olive, what if my father isn’t the victim in this? What if he’s still part of whatever network it is that killed your family?”

The possibility had been lurking in the back of Olive’s mind, but hearing Jason voice it aloud made it feel more real and more frightening.

“Then we deal with that when we know for sure,” Olive said. “But Jason, even if he’s still involved, that doesn’t mean he deserves whatever’s happening to him now.”

“Doesn’t it?” Bitterness stained Jason’s voice. “If he’s been taking money from the people who murdered your parents, if he’s been lying to me for years . . .”

“Then he’s still your father. And he’s still in danger. Whatever he’s done, whatever he’s still doing, we find him first. We get answers second.”

Jason remained quiet a long moment, processing the implications of Tevin’s discovery. Finally, he put the car back in Drive and pulled onto the road.

Olive’s heart pounded in her ears as the seriousness of the situation pinched her muscles. “Where are we going?”

“We need to find somewhere to stay for the night. It’s getting late, and we both need our sleep. We can start again fresh tomorrow.”

She knew he was right. They did need to get some rest.

As they continued down the road, Olive couldn’t shake the feeling they were about to discover Lloyd’s involvement went much deeper than either of them had wanted to believe.

The question was whether Jason would be able to handle the truth when they found it.

By the time Jason and Olive found a hotel, it was nearly midnight.

The Hampton Inn on the outskirts of Clearwater wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and anonymous. The night desk clerk barely looked up from his computer screen when they walked in.

“Two rooms.” Jason paused. “Actually, one room. Two beds.”

After what had happened at Nancy’s house, it was safer for them to stay together. But Olive had to admit that she could use some space from Jason. Still, logically speaking, this was the best option.

They trudged upstairs and found their room. It was standard hotel fare—beige carpet, floral bedspreads, a small table by the window that looked out over the parking lot.

Olive sat on the edge of one bed and finally allowed herself to feel the exhaustion that had been building all day. Her jaw throbbed, the cut on her arm stung despite Jason’s careful bandaging, her neck was sore, and every muscle in her body ached from the fight.

“We should try to get some sleep.” Jason dropped into the chair by the table. “There’s nothing more we can do tonight.”

“I know.” Olive looked at her phone, checking for any missed calls or messages. Nothing from Lloyd. Nothing from Nancy. Nothing from anyone who might have answers. “But how are we supposed to sleep when your father is out there somewhere?”

“By accepting that we’ve done everything we can for today.

” Jason’s voice carried the same frustration she felt.

“We followed up on every lead and checked every place we could think of. The ATM footage might give the police more information, and Tevin’s financial records could point us in a new direction tomorrow. ”

Olive nodded, knowing he was right but still feeling the weight of helplessness. “I keep thinking about what the convenience store clerk said. That your father seemed fine, not like he was in trouble.”

“I know. That’s bothering me too.” Jason ran his hand over his face, a gesture that showed his own exhaustion. “Either someone’s very good at controlling him without it being obvious or . . .”

“Or he’s involved in this more than we want to admit,” Olive finished.

They sat in silence a moment, both processing the implications of that possibility.

Finally, Jason stood and moved toward his overnight bag. “I’m going to change and try to get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be another long day.”

Olive waited until Jason had gone into the bathroom and she could hear the sound of running water before she picked up her phone. She scrolled to Simon Long’s contact information but hesitated before pressing Call.

He might have some answers for her, and there was no time to waste. But she wasn’t ready for Jason to know about this development. Not yet.

However, she hated keeping secrets from him.

Guilt jostled inside her.

The phone rang once, twice, three times.

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 wrong between 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.