Page 41 of Enigma (Pros and Cons Mysteries #6)

T he next morning, Olive tried to put her thoughts aside so she could concentrate on whatever former Chief Patterson might have to say.

Today, it was more challenging than usual, however.

She kept thinking about her argument with Jason. That morphed into Simon’s revelation that her mom might not only be alive, but she also might be behind this mysterious organization coming after her and Jason.

It was almost too much to comprehend.

But maybe Patterson would have some answers for her.

She was ready to talk to him. Ready to get out of the Tahoe and the mostly silent ride she’d endured with Jason.

He was clearly still not happy with her, and she couldn’t even argue with him about it. If she was in his shoes, she would feel the same way.

Chief Patterson’s house was a modest two-story home with a large, detached garage on the outskirts of Oasis.

That was where Olive and Jason found Patterson working under the hood of an old Chevrolet pickup truck.

The man was in his late sixties, with a weathered face and careful posture.

Olive didn’t remember him from her time living here, but Jason seemed to remember meeting him at a couple of high school football games.

“Dean called this morning.” Patterson wiped his hands on a greasy rag as Olive and Jason approached. “Said you wanted to talk.”

“Yes, sir.” Olive paused in front of him. “I’m Olive Sterling.”

“Related to James?

“I’m his daughter.”

Patterson studied her face in the light from the garage. “I can see the resemblance. You’ve got his eyes.” His expression was unreadable. “Though I hope that’s where the similarity ends.”

Olive bristled—not in offense but with dread. “What do you mean?”

Patterson gestured toward a few lawn chairs arranged near his workbench. “Have a seat. This might take a while.”

They settled into the chairs. She’d been contemplating whether or not to ask him about her mother also. She still wasn’t sure she wanted to put that information out there.

The tenderness of the possibility still felt too fresh.

“I know you’re not here to chitchat, so I’ll just jump right in,” Patterson started.

“Your father never did anything I could arrest him for, but everything about him set off my cop instincts. Little things, mostly. Inconsistencies in his stories, behavior that didn’t quite match his supposed background. ”

“What kind of inconsistencies?” Olive caught herself holding her breath as she waited for his response.

“Well, for starters, he claimed to have grown up in rural Oklahoma, but he didn’t know basic things that anyone from that area would know. Couldn’t tell you what county Tulsa was in, didn’t recognize the names of high schools in towns he claimed to have visited regularly.”

Olive wasn’t surprised by Patterson’s words. After all she’d experienced in her adolescence, how could she be? She’d seen her father manipulate situations left and right.

But the retired police chief’s words only confirmed all her suspicions.

Was anything about her dad authentic and real?

Sometimes Olive even had to wonder if his professed love for her, his daughter, was true or if that was an act also.

And maybe that was the real reason she had so much trouble committing to a relationship.

Patterson took a long sip from his thermos before continuing. “And then there was the money.”

Olive’s heart pounded harder in her ears, wondering where he would go next. “What about the money?”

“Your family lived modestly, nothing flashy. But every now and then, I’d see signs of more cash than a small-time traveling salesman should have.

He made frequent visits to the bank, was known as a risk taker at poker night, and was seen whispering to strangers from out of town too many times to count. ”

Jason shifted in his seat and leaned forward. “Did you investigate him?”

“Informally. I made some calls and tried to verify his background. The thing was that his documentation was legit—his social security number, driver’s license history, even credit reports going back years. But it was almost too perfect if that makes sense.”

“Like it had been constructed rather than lived.” Olive understood immediately.

“Exactly. Real people have messy histories—late payments, address changes that don’t make sense, gaps in their employment. Your father’s background was seamless, which in my experience usually means it was professionally created.”

Maybe Olive should have felt surprised, but she didn’t.

The pieces clicked into place in her mind. “You think they were all part of the same operation?”

Patterson wrinkled his forehead as he locked gazes with her. “I think your father was running some kind of organization, and Oasis was just one of many locations where they operated.”

“What kind of organization?” Olive asked. “Do you have any theories?”

Patterson walked to his tool chest, jerked a drawer open, and pulled out an old, stained notebook. When he opened it, Olive saw pages and pages of handwritten notes.

“These are some of the notes I’ve been keeping for the past ten years,” Patterson said. “I’ve been trying to understand what your father’s operation was really about and how much of it still exists.”

“And what conclusion did you reach?” Olive wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear the answer. She held her breath as she waited for his response.

Patterson closed the notebook and looked at her with something that might have been sympathy. “I think your father was very good at getting people to trust him. But I don’t think he always liked what he was doing. Whenever I spoke with him, I thought I saw guilt in his gaze.”

That was something she’d never thought about. She’d assumed her dad loved tricking people out of their money.

But she’d also heard him arguing with people in the middle of the night.

There was still so much that didn’t make sense.

“What did you think he was up to?” she asked.

“Truthfully? Money laundering.”

She nodded slowly. “I guess that makes sense.”

“I think he had a network—of people, of buildings, of financial accounts. I’ve worried that something has been going on in this town for a long time.”

“How so?” Olive asked.

“We’re small enough that strangers stand out, but not so small that a few new families would seem unusual. We’re close enough to major highways for easy transportation, but far enough off the beaten path that federal law enforcement doesn’t pay much attention.”

“Do you think any of those people are still here?” Olive asked. “People who worked with my father?”

Patterson’s expression grew grim. “That’s a good question. And to be honest, I’ve had my eye on Dr. Schmitt since he moved here.”

“What?” Jason blanched. “Why?”

“I happen to know he paid cash for his house. He also keeps to himself—he hasn’t made much of an effort to integrate, if you know what I mean.”

Olive exchanged a look with Jason.

What if Dr. Schmitt strong-armed Lloyd into taking over Lloyd’s practice? What if that was all part of some kind of grand plan someone had put into action?

She knew Jason was thinking the same thing.

“I’ve been keeping my eyes open. I’ve seen vans going through the area at night. I’ve seen people from out of town arrested and acting like they’re out of their minds.”

Olive’s breath caught. Acting like they were out of their minds?

She remembered the mind-altering drug she’d discovered while researching a children’s home in Maine. Anton had been behind it, using students as test subjects to perfect his drug.

What if he’d already put that drug into use?

The thought of how dangerous that could be made her shudder.

“One more thing.” Patterson shifted closer to them. “I’ve had suspicions that someone at the police department may be in on this also.”

Olive’s breath caught.

Dean. Could it be Dean?

What if he was part of all this? What if he’d married Chelsea to get close to Lloyd? If he’d become a cop so he could manipulate evidence or turn a blind eye to illegal activities?

She didn’t want to think that could be true, but she’d be a fool not to examine every option.

Patterson gave them a sharp look. “And I think you two need to get out of Oasis before someone decides you’ve learned too much.”