Page 33 of Enigma
“Ifwe find him.” Jason stared out the windshield. “Olive, what if my father isn’t the victim in this? What if he’s still part of whatever network it is that killed your family?”
The possibility had been lurking in the back of Olive’s mind, but hearing Jason voice it aloud made it feel more real and more frightening.
“Then we deal with that when we know for sure,” Olive said. “But Jason, even if he’s still involved, that doesn’t mean he deserves whatever’s happening to him now.”
“Doesn’t it?” Bitterness stained Jason’s voice. “If he’s been taking money from the people who murdered your parents, if he’s been lying to me for years . . .”
“Then he’s still your father. And he’s still in danger. Whatever he’s done, whatever he’s still doing, we find him first. We get answers second.”
Jason remained quiet a long moment, processing the implications of Tevin’s discovery. Finally, he put the car back in Drive and pulled onto the road.
Olive’s heart pounded in her ears as the seriousness of the situation pinched her muscles. “Where are we going?”
“We need to find somewhere to stay for the night. It’s getting late, and we both need our sleep. We can start again fresh tomorrow.”
She knew he was right. They did need to get some rest.
As they continued down the road, Olive couldn’t shake the feeling they were about to discover Lloyd’s involvement went much deeper than either of them had wanted to believe.
The question was whether Jason would be able to handle the truth when they found it.
By the time Jason and Olive found a hotel, it was nearly midnight.
The Hampton Inn on the outskirts of Clearwater wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and anonymous. The night desk clerk barely looked up from his computer screen when they walked in.
“Two rooms.” Jason paused. “Actually, one room. Two beds.”
After what had happened at Nancy’s house, it was safer for them to stay together. But Olive had to admit that she could use some space from Jason. Still, logically speaking, this was the best option.
They trudged upstairs and found their room. It was standard hotel fare—beige carpet, floral bedspreads, a small table by the window that looked out over the parking lot.
Olive sat on the edge of one bed and finally allowed herself to feel the exhaustion that had been building all day. Her jaw throbbed, the cut on her arm stung despite Jason’s careful bandaging, her neck was sore, and every muscle in her body ached from the fight.
“We should try to get some sleep.” Jason dropped into the chair by the table. “There’s nothing more we can do tonight.”
“I know.” Olive looked at her phone, checking for any missed calls or messages. Nothing from Lloyd. Nothing from Nancy. Nothing from anyone who might have answers. “But how are we supposed to sleep when your father is out there somewhere?”
“By accepting that we’ve done everything we can for today.” Jason’s voice carried the same frustration she felt. “We followed up on every lead and checked every place we could think of. The ATM footage might give the police more information, and Tevin’s financial records could point us in a new direction tomorrow.”
Olive nodded, knowing he was right but still feeling the weight of helplessness. “I keep thinking about what the convenience store clerk said. That your father seemed fine, not like he was in trouble.”
“I know. That’s bothering me too.” Jason ran his hand over his face, a gesture that showed his own exhaustion. “Either someone’s very good at controlling him without it being obvious or . . .”
“Or he’s involved in this more than we want to admit,” Olive finished.
They sat in silence a moment, both processing the implications of that possibility.
Finally, Jason stood and moved toward his overnight bag. “I’m going to change and try to get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be another long day.”
Olive waited until Jason had gone into the bathroom and she could hear the sound of running water before she picked up her phone. She scrolled to Simon Long’s contact information but hesitated before pressing Call.
He might have some answers for her, and there was no time to waste. But she wasn’t ready for Jason to know about this development. Not yet.
However, she hated keeping secrets from him.
Guilt jostled inside her.
The phone rang once, twice, three times.
