Page 50 of Misdirection

She didn’t like the sound of his voice, the tension she heard crackling in between his words. “What’s going on?”

“I was able to unsplice some of that video from when Beau was killed.”

She sat up straighter. Tevin had her full attention now. “And?”

“It turns out someonedidhead down that hallway between the time Beau entered the corridor and when you entered.”

This was the information Olive had been waiting for. “Who?”

“I’m sure you’re not going to want to hear this, but?—”

“Just tell me. Don’t keep me in suspense.”

Tevin paused another moment before saying, “Jason. Jason Stewart went down the hallway after Beau.”

CHAPTER 20

“What do you think?”

Olive blinked and snapped from her thoughts.

When she looked up from her desk, she realized Bree was standing at the door speaking to her.

Olive had been preoccupied all morning after the bombshell Tevin had dropped last night. Could Jason really be behind this? She’d never heard an update on his out-of-town trip, and he did drive a luxurious Range Rover.

“Ms. Whiten?” Bree murmured.

Olive shook her head as she turned her focus on her assistant. “I’m sorry—say that again.”

“I just need your lunch order for the board meeting next week.”

Lunch? She had much bigger worries. “You pick for me. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Bree stared at her another moment before nodding. “Caesar salad with grilled chicken it is then.”

As her assistant scurried from her office, Olive leaned back in her chair.

Her thoughts again went back to Jason.

It had been a long time since she and Jason had truly known each other. But she didn’t think Jason had it in him to murder someone.

However, hehadbeen a Ranger. Certainly, he’d taken lives on the battlefield.

Maybe he’d changed in the years since they’d been friends. Maybe he truly was someone Olive didn’t know at all.

She needed to be objective about this.

If it had been anyone other than Jason on that video, that person would automatically be number one on her suspect list.

Olive had known from the moment she’d run into Jason that he harbored secrets. She could see them in his eyes.

Yet she had trouble picturing Jason as a self-motivated killer. She didn’t get the sense from him that he’d done something wrong or that he was motivated by money.

Maybe there was a good explanation for this. Maybe he was investigating something himself and was unable to share details. Olive knew better than anyone what that was like.

What Olivewassure about was that she still needed to keep an eye on Bennett. Ryan hadn’t come into work today, and his absence was the scuttlebutt around the office.

Some people thought he’d had a mental breakdown. Others thought he’d left for a spontaneous getaway to a tropical island to unwind from the tension of the job. Still others simply thought he’d taken a sick day.

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