Page 59 of Misdirection

“Is there anybody else you can think of?” Chief Maier studied her face.

She hesitated before shaking her head. “Maybe. I just can’t think straight right now.”

Her words were true. Her thoughts were too scattered.

“Did anything else look strange at your house tonight?” he asked.

That was when she remembered that the trash cans had been moved. She’d figured the killer had moved them to cut the power to the house. But he wouldn’t have needed to do that. Most likely, he could have reached over them.

What if the killer had moved the trash cans for other reasons?

She drew her gaze up to the chief’s. “Was there any sign of forced entry?”

“No,” the chief said. “Not that we’ve found yet.”

A sick feeling grew in her stomach.

“Ollie?”

She squeezed the skin between her eyes as tears began to pour down her cheeks. “I left my window unlocked when I snuck out. When I got back home, the trash cans were moved. I always use them when I sneak out at night. One of the first things I noticed when I got back from the party was the trash cans weren’t in the same place I left them.”

“What are you getting at?” The chief tilted his head.

“I think this guy moved the trash cans so he could climb up on the roof and then get inside through my window.” A sob escaped from her. “This is all my fault.”

Then before she could stop it, the contents of her stomach rose in her throat.

Olive vomited all over the chief’s car.

CHAPTER 24

TODAY

As far as Olive was concerned, Bennett was still her main suspect.

She was especially intrigued by the man she’d seen him meeting yesterday.

She needed to focus most of her efforts on him right now.

When she came in this morning, she hid two of the mini cameras Tevin had given her in her office.

But when she went out to use the bathroom, she also placed a camera on a decorative painting of Chicago located across the hall from Bennett’s office. The camera was small—the size of a pencil eraser—and white so it blended in with the wall. No one should see it.

Olive wanted to know whenever Bennett came and went.

She’d also placed a hidden microphone on a couple of desks in the administrative area so she could listen to the assistants talk. Sometimes, the assistants knew more than anyone—and were up on more of the gossip. Sometimes that gossip might contain a tidbit of truth.

Back in her office, Olive pulled up the camera feed on her computer and made it a smaller window on the top of her screen.

As she kept an eye on Bennett’s movements, she caught up on some correspondence.

Two hours later, Bennett stepped from his office. Based on his coat and the way he locked his door behind him, he was leaving the building.

Was he going to meet with that man again? If he was, this time, she needed to be close so she could hear exactly what the two of them were discussing.

She quickly pulled on her own coat. Then she rushed from her office, told Bree she had to step out for a moment, and then she followed Bennett. He’d already entered the elevator. She watched the numbers atop the metal doors to see what floor he would stop at.

The first floor—just as she’d guessed.

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