Page 71 of Dead Man's Alibi

“Yes.Nate Bennet.”There was a kind of grim satisfaction in being the one to tell her—and that Samhadn’t.“The private investigator Jules hired.”

Again, shock seemed to land in her body like a blow.“The investigator.But… Jules thought he was so nice.She called him a goody two-shoes.”Olivia let out a little laugh, then seemed to remember the situation and breathed out as if in pain.“You really think he killed her?”

“Yes.”

Olivia lifted a hand to her chest, rubbed at it as though her heart hurt.“Sam was going to tell me if they arrested someone,” she said, as if talking more to herself than him.“Is this recent?Did she not know?But he works for her and…”

“Believe me.Sam knows.He doesn’t just work for her.”He let that hang for a moment, wanted to make sure the rest of the information landed like it should.Landed like betrayal.“She’s engaged to the guy.”

For a few moments, Olivia seemed to just stare at him—unblinking, unbreathing, unmoving.

He almost felt sorry for her, but it was hidden under feeling some kind of triumph that whatever Sam was doing cavorting with Olivia wasn’t going to work out.“Is there something I can help you with, Ms.Underwood?Or maybe I should be asking, is there something you can helpmewith?To ensure justice for your friend.”

She inhaled deeply.Looked at the building again, then him.“I… it probably means nothing if you’ve arrested someone, but Sam was asking me some questions about… things.”

“What kind of things?”

“When Jules went to the police.Who she spoke to.I didn’t have a lot of good answers, but Sam told me… She was so nice.”Olivia shook her head as if she couldn’t quite believe anything Jake had said.

But it was true and verifiable, so she’d know, one way or another, Sam had lied to her.

“Anyway, she told me to tell her if I found anything else about that.I didn’t, but I did find something I thought might be of interest.I started looking back through all my old emails with Jules.Not to find anything helpful, necessarily.It was more a… grieving thing, I guess.Anyway, I found this one that was an invitation to her digital calendar.It had been because we were planning a trip together two years ago, but it still worked.I could see her digital calendar.”

Olivia rummaged around in her bag and pulled out her phone.She started tapping at the screen.“She had a date with someone the night she died.”

Jake had been through Jules’s phone himself, but he hadn’t seen anything in her calendar app that suggested she used it.“A date?”

Olivia nodded.She held out the phone.A calendar was on the screen, and it was brought up to the day Jules had been murdered.Date with O.M.@ The Graff.

The Graff.O.M.She’d actually beeninMarietta if she’d made the date before she’d gone to the TikTok Motel.Maybe with the date?But who wasO.M.?Certainly not Nate Bennet.

Which meant this likely had nothing to do with anything, except this O.M.could be some kind of loose end, and Jake needed to ensure nothing got in the way.“Do you have any idea who this guy is?What the initials stand for?”

Olivia shook her head.“No.She didn’t mention a date to me.Or a guy.I mean, she was happy, so I’m not surprised therewasa guy, but… this is as much as I know.”

Jake nodded.He mulled it over and couldn’t decide what any of it meant.But Jules’s phone was still in evidence.He could look through her contacts, see if anything matched.There hadn’t been text messages or phone calls they hadn’t been able to identify, so it seemed unlikely, but he’d check.

Hell, maybe it was just some kind of code name for Bennet.Jake wouldn’t put it past him.Either way, he’d see this little blip through.

But first… “Ms.Underwood, I need you to do me a really important favor.”

She eyed him suspiciously.Smart woman.

“You’ve given Sam information, and I understand why you did,” he said, hoping to imbue his tone with akindnessandunderstandinghe didn’t feel.“But, Ms.Underwood, her fiancé is going to trial for this.I wouldn’t share any more information with her.Her heart isn’t in the right place.”

Oliva blinked a few times.Then eventually she started to nod.“All right, Detective.”She let out a shaky breath.She looked at the building sadly, then shook her head.“Will you, or could someone let me know about the trial?I want to be there.”

“Absolutely.I have your information.I will let you know.I promise.”

She smiled, but it was more a grimace than anything else.“Thank you.”She inhaled deeply again, then let it out.“Thank you, Detective,” she repeated, then turned and began to walk away.

Into the alley and back toward where she must have parked her car.

Jake watched her go.Triumph warred with that tiny niggling feeling that something didn’t add up.

Olivia Underwood certainly wouldn’t be going to Sam with any more information, but who was O.M.?

And could he disprove Nate’s entire case?