Page 84 of Misdirection

She’d thought about calling some mutual friends to get his updated number. But she didn’t. She figured it was a sign.

The music started. When the funeral director motioned to her, she walked out from the back. Tom accompanied her and sat with her on the front row.

She’d asked him to do so.

Then she went through the motions of the funeral, trying to keep the tears from coming too fast. If she let herself, she could totally crash and bawl all day.

But not here. Not in public.

Finally, it was her turn to speak.

The ladies at church had planned the funeral. They’d asked her to say something.

Olive hadn’t wanted to.

But for some reason she’d said yes.

Tom patted her back in silent reassurance that she could do this.

With trembling hands, she climbed onto the stage where her father had once preached. She stood behind the pulpit where he’d delivered his sermons—sermons that had been surprisingly good. That had brought people to tears sometimes. That had made them laugh. Led them closer to God.

Olive stared at the people seated in front of her as they waited for her to start.

The moment felt surreal.

She cleared her throat, trying to find her voice.

You can do this, she told herself.You can.

Sucking in a shaky breath, she finally started. “I don’t know what to say. What is there to say in a moment like this? I’ve often thought about what my dad would want me to say. I’m sure there are stories I could tell. Memories I could share. But none of those feel appropriate for this moment.”

Olive paused and sucked in a deep breath.

She glanced at Tom, who gave her an encouraging nod.

Then she continued. “People keep telling me just to speak from my heart. So I wondered what my heart was telling me. Then it hit me what I really wanted to say, and it’s this. To the person who killed my family, you are the scum of the earth. You senselessly took away something that was so precious. Whoever you are, it is my life goal to find you.”

Gasps sounded in the audience.

“And I hope you rot in?—”

Before she could finish, Tom appeared on stage, almost as if he’d been spring-loaded and ready to pounce. He took her elbow and escorted her back to her seat.

But she’d meant her words.

Olive would find whoever killed her family.

CHAPTER 36

TODAY

Olive pulled up to her apartment building and waved at Jason to let him know she was good. He continued down the road.

Then she’d parked in the garage next to her building. She didn’t bother changing out of her pencil skirt, blouse, and heels. Instead, she hurried across the street to Tevin’s van.

Tevin glanced at her as she climbed inside and slammed the door, his eyebrows suspended. “You good?”

That wasn’t an easy question to answer.

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