Misdirection (Pros and Cons Mysteries #1)

Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

O live ducked behind the stairwell door and pressed herself against the concrete wall, waiting to see who was coming behind her.

As she peered through the small crack between the door and wall, she spotted one of Conglomerate’s employees walking past. Ryan Jones. Defense Technology Specialist.

He must have taken the skywalk from the Conglomerate building to the parking garage.

He was on her list of suspects.

As he moseyed by, cell phone to his ear, snippets of his conversation hit her ears.

“I know what I’m doing,” he murmured. “You’ve got to trust me. I’ll carry through on my promise.”

Olive’s heart raced.

Was he talking about the deal? Was he the one behind it?

It was a possibility.

“Just back off, okay?” he muttered, an angry edge in his voice.

Ryan stopped by his car, climbed inside, and slammed the door.

Olive let the door close but remained where she was.

She could only speculate what that conversation had been about. But it sounded incriminating.

Olive straightened her shoulders and headed toward the coffee shop. As she walked, she mentally reviewed what she might say to Jason. What he might say to her.

She needed to be at her best to get through this conversation with him. Jason would easily see through her lies if she wasn’t careful.

Once there, she paused in the entry and spotted him at a corner table, his hulking frame out of place at the small table.

Jason was all man now. He’d filled out in the right places—his shoulders and arms mostly. He’d taken off his sports jacket, and she could see the vague outline of a tattoo through the sleeve of his white shirt.

When he glanced up at her, however, his eyes were as a frigid as a block of ice.

That realization made her heart pang—a feeling she wasn’t accustomed to. She prided herself in maintaining her distance. In keeping up walls.

But seeing Jason reminded her of a different time in her life, one that was more innocent.

Keep your distance now too, Olive.

She kept her chin up as she paced toward the table.

All the skills she’d learned about keeping up appearances would need to be utilized for this meeting.

Thank goodness, she always used her first name when on assignment. If she’d had to explain to Jason why she was using an alias, things would really get complicated.

He watched her as she approached, and something quickly filled his gaze before disappearing.

Had that been approval?

If so, it hadn’t been an emotion he’d wanted to feel. He’d quickly stuffed it down, replacing any positive thoughts with a look of condemnation.

“I wasn’t sure if you would show.” He shifted in his seat before taking a sip of his coffee.

“Here I am.” She pulled out a chair and sat across from him.

He didn’t bother to ask if she wanted anything to drink. Which was fine because she didn’t. Besides, she was allergic to caffeine, which made her mornings and social gatherings less fun.

“I never expected to see you again.” Jason’s voice remained hard. “Especially not here.”

“I could say the same for you. It’s been a long time.”

His gaze became even more hooded. “A long time since you just up and left without an explanation.”

She shrugged, determined not to let his words affect her. “I didn’t have a choice. I was sixteen. It wasn’t as if it was my decision to leave like we did.”

“No, it was your family’s.”

Bitterness edged his voice, bitterness Olive didn’t understand. “Then why the hostility toward me?”

“Stop acting like you don’t know.” He stared her down. “What happened to our baby?”

“ Our baby?” Olive shook her head. “Jason . . . there was no baby. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Stop, Ollie.” His voice hardened. “My mom came clean to me. Told me about how you were pregnant. About how your family left to start a new life somewhere else.”

Her mind reeled as she tried to process his words. “I don’t know where your mom got that information. But I’ve never been pregnant. I think I would know.”

His eyes narrowed cynically. “Why would my mom lie to me?”

“I have no idea. But maybe you should be talking to her about this.” Olive started to get up. She needed to end this conversation before her emotions got the best of her. He was being ridiculous.

How had he ever gotten this job with delusional thoughts like that?

She didn’t have time for this drama right now.