Page 35 of Deception

Mitzi strung her thin arm across the back of the booth as she leaned back casually. “I’ve been trying to get to know some of the staff at the hospital. Have I mentioned how much I love small towns, especially ones where they use the wordy’allall the time? It’s just adorable.”

Olive found it heartwarming as well, but she stayed focused. “Did you discover anything?”

“I was getting to that.” She tapped her pink-tipped fingernails on the table. “Rebecca is all the talk around town in case you didn’t know.”

“I gathered as much.”

“Well, one of the nurses I went out with last night is totally enamored with the woman. She thinks Rebecca should be an inspirational speaker, write books, and maybe even get her own talk show on national TV.”

Olive’s eyebrows shot up. “She’s definitely under Rebecca’s influence.”

“I’d say. So she probably won’t be much help.”

“It doesn’t sound like it. Anyone else?”

“Another nurse, Sherri, worked directly with Rebecca. At least, that was my impression. You know they can’t really say patient names without getting in trouble. But since Sherri works in the cancer unit, her path should have crossed with Rebecca.”

“And?”

“Whenever Rebecca came up in our conversation, Sherri stayed quiet.” She took a sip of her coffee.

“Is it because she’s a rule follower and doesn’t want to say anything she shouldn’t?”

Mitzi raised her shoulder toward her tilted head. “That’s a possibility. But more than that, I think it’s because Sherri didn’t see eye-to-eye with the nurse who raved about Rebecca. I think Sherri knows something.”

“Can you get some information out of her?”

Mitzi grinned. “That’s what I’m hoping.”

Olive gave her an encouraging nod.

If anyone could do it, Mitzi could.

Olive and Mitzi continued talking, not missing a beat. It was easy with Mitzi, who was a natural gabber.

“There was one other nurse, Anne, who recently quit,” Mitzi continued. “I’m trying to track her down. Everyone was shocked when she quit because there were no signs she was unhappy. But on the day she left, everyone could tell she’d been crying. She left a meeting with the medical director, a man who’s known to mostly care more about the hospital’s bottom line than anything else.”

“Sounds promising,” Olive said. “Keep me updated.”

Mitzi shifted in her seat. “Okay, enough about me. How about you?”

Olive filled her in on everything that had happened, not leaving out any of the details. Motorcycle Man, the pictures on his flash drive, the message on the hotel mirror. She included how Maria had died in a hit-and-run and the cameras in Rebecca’s house.

“It sounds like we’re getting somewhere.” Mitzi took a sip of her drink. “Someone is already suspicious of us, possibly suspicious of Rebecca. But it sounds like Rebecca is beginning to trust you. Now we just need to get more details.”

“More proof,” Olive added.

Mitzi gave her a look. “That’s the hard part.”

“I agree.”

Mitzi’s gaze locked on Olive’s. “It sounds like you need to be careful also. That whole photographer on the motorcycle thing doesn’t leave me feeling good.”

“You’re not the only one,” Olive agreed. “I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes wide open.”

“You and me both.”

Olive took another sip of her tea.

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