Page 22 of Misdirection

“I hope you can find the person who did this to Beau. Does anybody know what happened?” she asked.

Jason stared at her again as if he realized exactly what she was doing by changing the subject. But maybe he figured their conversation was safer this way also.

Finally, he said, “Last I heard, no. I’m headed back to the office after this. I’ll see if the police have any updates. It musthave been a shock to find him.” His tone was tempered, almost as if he were trying to weigh her reaction.

“Yes, it was. For sure.”

His gaze, one that didn’t miss anything, continued to focus on her. “What were you even doing in the SCI corridor?”

“Trying to research a contract, if you must know.”

“It’s restricted access.”

“I realize that. But, as I’m sure someone told you already, I’m authorized to be there.”

He narrowed his eyes. “It’s still strange to me. I never saw you as being the corporate America type.”

“Maybe in the same way your mom never saw you as being a security guard type.” The words had a bit of a punch to them.

Olive really just wanted him to stop asking questions. The less he knew the better.

She paused and cleared her throat. “Did I hear you’ve been traveling out of the country?”

She almost didn’t want to ask. Didn’t want to know the truth.

Because traveling out of the country, if that were true, would make him a suspect.

His eyes remained grim, as if he were calculating his responses. “I did. My brother and I went to Costa Rica for six days. He just went through a nasty divorce, and I thought he could use a getaway for a few days.”

Olive tucked that information away. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Just to be thorough, she would need to verify his story. She’d ask Tevin to do that for her.

Jason shifted as if he was about to ask something uncomfortable.

Olive braced herself. What would he inquire about now? Would she have to feed him lies?

She didn’t want to do that. She really didn’t. But she was backed into a corner right now.

And Olive wasn’t the only one with secrets. She saw them in Jason’s eyes also.

Suddenly this situation felt a lot more dangerous.

CHAPTER 8

Thankfully, Jason’s phone rang before any more questions could leave his lips.

Olive glanced at his cell as it rested on the table. A picture of a woman appeared—a beautiful woman with black hair that fell in waves around her face and a wide grin that reached her blue eyes.

“Excuse me.” Jason’s voice suddenly turned softer. “I need to take this.”

He stood and paced away, talking in low tones to the woman on the other end.

Olive strained to hear. Not because she needed to know who this woman was as part of her assignment. But because she was curious. Did Jason love this woman as much as he’d loved Olive?

If she could have smacked herself for the thought, she would have. Why had her thoughts even gone there?

When Jason reappeared a few seconds later, Olive made sure to erase any curiosity from her gaze as he sat down across from her again.

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