Page 28 of Deception

She’d done just what her dad had taught her—she’d dressed the part.

She frowned at the thought.

“Thanks for letting us come,” Olive said.

“Of course.” Rebecca extended her arm behind her. “Come on in.”

Olive observed the interior of the home. A large living room stretched to her left, a kitchen beyond that. The place wasn’t as open concept as she assumed it would be.

But the inside of the house was nicely decorated with slipcover couches and chunky wooden tables. A walker stood in the corner as well as a tank of oxygen.

Olive would really like to find some of Rebecca’s medications or even some paperwork from the hospital. But that would take more snooping.

Her gaze went back to the living room. Family photos were everywhere—on the wall, on shelves, and on tables.

Rebecca must have seen Olive looking at the pictures. “A local photographer heard what I was going through and offered to take these pictures for us.” She ran her hand along the side of one photo featuring her daughter. “This is Willow. Isn’t she gorgeous?”

“She really is.” The girl had chestnut-brown hair that came to her waist and a bright smile—just like her mom.

“She only goes to preschool three days a week, so my neighbor is watching her today,” Rebecca continued. “Georgina helps me out a lot. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

Olive made a mental note to talk with that neighbor sometime.

The people closest to Rebecca would have the most insights on the details of Rebecca’s life. They’d be the ones most likely to see the cracks.

Had any of them ever confronted her? Rebecca would probably never admit it.

“You’ll have to excuse me today.” Rebecca ran a finger beneath her eyes, which had become teary.

“Is everything okay?”

She shook her head. “It’s just that our housekeeper . . . I just found out last night that she was killed in a hit-and-run accident. I’m trying to stay strong, but I’m still processing everything.”

CHAPTER 16

Olive squeezed Rebecca’s arm. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Are you still okay to do the interview?”

Rebecca tearfully nodded. “Absolutely. I just need to get myself together.”

“Take all the time you need.”

She sniffled. “The best thing I can do is to keep my thoughts occupied. This interview will be perfect.”

“If you’re sure . . .” Olive paused, trying to carefully proceed.

Rebecca seemed truly upset. But what about the green sedan that had hit Maria?

Had it belonged to Rebecca’s supposed cousin? Was Rebecca secretly in on this?

If only Olive could outright ask those questions. But she couldn’t.

Even if she did and Rebecca was guilty, the woman would never admit it. She had too much on the line.

Olive cleared her throat. “Will your husband be joining us?”

“No, he had to go into work,” Rebecca told them. “He works for a marketing company, but his boss keeps threatening to fire him.”

“Why?” Olive tilted her head curiously. “That seems heartless.”

---