Page 77 of Dead Man's Alibi

Olivia shook her head.“It’s none of your concern.”

Frustration warred with sense.Sam had to work really hard to keep her tone even, to come off friendly and professional instead of livid and demanding.“Olivia, I don’t know what Hayes told you, but he—”

“He told me someone was arrested—something you failed to mention, even though you promised you would.”

Sam hated feeling chastised, because she’d had her reasons.She’d absolutely had her reasons.“Because they have the wrong man,” she said through gritted teeth.

“The wrong man?Or your fiancé?”

Sam inhaled slowly, trying to calm herself.There was no undoing what Jake had done if she got belligerent with Olivia.“He can be both.I know thetruth, Olivia,” she said earnestly.“And so does Jake Hayes.He’s purposefully hiding it.He’s somehow a part of whatever happened to Jules, and I am working on proving it.I promise you.”She desperately searched her brain for some way to get through to the woman.“Did Jules ever make it sound like Nate was… a threat?Doing anything besides bending over backward to help her without returning her”—Sam cleared her throat, searching for a kind word—“interest?”

Olivia’s expression flickered a little at that.She didn’t answer, but to Sam, thatwasan answer.

“I don’t know what Hayes is trying to accomplish,” Sam said earnestly.“I don’t know why he’s so dead set on pinning this on Nate, but I know Nate did everything he could to help Jules.He wouldn’t have hurt her.It’s not who he is.”

Olivia glanced at the restaurant and then back at Sam.She looked like she was about to say something.Maybe offersomething, but the entrance door swung open and Olivia looked toward it.

Sam didn’t.She focused on Olivia,willingthe woman to talk.“Please, Olivia.I know—”

“Sam.”

Sam closed her eyes for a second, wishing she could have had just a few more minutes with Olivia.She’d felt a kind of softening, but she wouldn’t get there now, not with that low, male voice interrupting them.

So she turned and stared down Jake.“Hayes.”

“I’m sure this is just a happy coincidence.”

She resisted telling him to fuck off, but only because she physically bit her tongue.

Jake moved so that he effectively boxed her out of Olivia’s line of sight.“Olivia, I’m sorry if she’s harassing you,” he said quietly.He gently put his hand on Olivia’s elbow.“Let’s go inside.She won’t follow or we’ll call the Bozeman police.Let them handle her harassment.”

Sam balled her hands into fists.Shewouldfollow, police or no, if she thought it would get through to Olivia.But Jake had gotten his hooks in her somehow, and all that would happen if she went in there was an unnecessary scene.

Jake looked back over his shoulder at her while he held the door open for Olivia.“She means well.But she’s misguided.”Then, when it was clear Olivia wouldn’t see because she’d moved inside, hesmirked.

God, she wanted to throttle him.But she didn’t.She stood where she was and tried to work through the whirling thoughts.The raging fury.

So Jake had beaten her to Olivia.Her one potential lead.That was fine.That wasfine.Because she was going to follow Jake until he gave something away.No matterwhat.

She whirled to stalk back to her rental car.Then changed course.No.She wasn’t done with Hayes yet.Making sure to keep herself hidden behind other cars, she moved through the parking lot to where his truck was parked, taking up two spots like an asshole.

She knew the truck would be locked, but she still checked the handles.Looked around the outside of the vehicle.Was there any way to fasten one of her listening devices somewhere it might matter?She couldn’t getinsidethe interior, but maybe if he and Olivia ended up outside the truck later, she’d be able to pick something up if she put it somewhere close to a door?

Major long shot, but—

“Sam?”

Sam didn’t jump.She didn’t act guilty.She’d been an investigator too long to let surprise incriminate her.

She just clicked the button on her key fob, pretending to be looking for her car.She turned toward her name being called, then she didn’t need to act, because she wasn’t thinking about Jake’s truck and the listening device in her purse.

“Brian.”She’d once considered Marietta Police Officer Brian Mathews something of a friend.He’d helped her find details about what was going on with her father for years.But last year he’d gotten a little toopushyin thewhat he expected for paymentdepartment.Then he’d been a dick to the Bennets and… yeah, she hadn’t had much to do with him since.

He laughed.“Isn’t this weird running into each other out here?What are you doing out in Bozeman?”

“Oh, just working on a case.”She frowned.

He wasn’t in his uniform, and he wouldn’t have jurisdiction out this way anyway.Surely, he wasn’t meeting Jake and Olivia since he wasn’t a detective, but it was too weird.