Page 8 of Before the Night Falls
“Sounds good.”
They would all work on other things while filming. Tyson had his enterprise to run. Deb had assigned Olivia and the gang to several other stories as well.
They’d stay busy, doing workouts in the morning, eating together on occasion, and debriefing about the program.
The first segment would air next week, and Olivia would do updates via social media on how things were going in the meantime.
“If you’ll follow me.” Hobbes motioned toward them. “We’ll bring your things in, and then I’ll give you a tour.”
Olivia plastered on her trademark smile.
But inside, she couldn’t help but feel unsettled.
It was silly, really.
However, this morning before she’d left her apartment, she’d found a single rose petal outside her door.
It was most likely an accident. Someone had probably brought someone else flowers, and a petal had fallen off. That explanation made the most sense.
But roses were The Admirer’s signature. It was how he started his reign of terror.
Now Olivia couldn’t get the petal out of her mind.
Because even though Brian Elliot was dead . . . sometimes she still felt as if he haunted her from the grave.
CHAPTERTHREE
Tyson wentto get ready for the interview.
Just as he’d envisioned, Olivia had that wide Julia Roberts’ smile. When she laughed, the motion overtook her whole body, making everyone around her want to laugh also. She was known for her banter with her cameraman and crew. It made her relatable.
But that wasn’t what stayed on his mind right now.
No, he was thinking about the van he’d seen pass the street in front of his house as they spoke.
His home was located in the country, and not many people used his road. But that wasn’t what had made him concerned.
It was how slowly the vehicle had driven by.
Tyson knew he was probably just being paranoid.
But lately, he’d sensed someone was keeping an eye on him.
He’d gotten threatening messages. Phone calls, texts, emails.
He hadn’t expected so much resistance for this new school. But, despite his good intentions, some people were adamantly against it.
The tribal council was split.
Traditional elders had expressed concern that Tyson’s modern educational vision might not adequately preserve cultural teachings and language instruction. Despite his heritage, they saw him as somewhat of an outsider.
There was also lingering skepticism from previous failed projects where outside funding disappeared midway, leaving the community with unfinished buildings and broken promises.
The proposed location itself created controversy, as it bordered land some families claimed ancestral rights to, adding a complex layer of internal politics to the situation.
Even Tyson’s success had become a point of contention, with whispers that he was using the project to enhance his brand rather than genuinely serving the community. This gossip had created an emotional hurdle he had to overcome in order to gain full support.
However, perhaps his biggest hurdle was Frontier Resorts. They wanted to open another casino—on the very land where the school was being built. Another empty promise of prosperity that would leave most of the community behind.
