“Of course I will!” But Carol could tell that Olivia was excited for the process of snooping. It likely appealed to her mischievous side.
When they hung up, Carol thought about Jim. She had told Olivia she wouldn’t be telling Jim about their minidetective agency yet. She knew it would worry him, and she didn’t want anything stopping the forward momentum, but the time felt right to bring him into the fold. Jim was smart, maybe he would have some ideas of what to do, and she liked the thought of her husband being in protective mode for the two women. Not that anything bad was going to happen, but if it did, Jim would be there to help. When she got home he had dinner ready and the table set and she felt a surge of love and warmth toward him.
“I knew you’d be hungry, so I got everything ready,” he said with a smile. It was true. She was starving after going to the coffee shop right after work. She sat gratefully across from him. He asked about the meeting and she told him about the Venmo donations and the ideas for how to honor the baby. Then she took a deep breath.
“Jim, honey, there’s something else you should know. Olivia told me something yesterday that we have to keep a secret, for her own safety if nothing else. She feels terrible but… she actually decided to look at that note that Faith gave her to give to Tom. She opened it in the restroom.”
Jim’s eyes grew wide and he stopped in midchew.
“I know, I know, honey,” Carol went on. “Don’t get mad at Olivia. She feels awful enough. Here’s the thing. The note listed names. No one knows what it means but what if poor Faith knew something bad was going to happen? But there’s more…”
“More?” Jim said through his mouthful of food, nearly choking on it.
“Yes, the names were Steve, the guy who said he was Faith’s boyfriend; some woman named Kelly with some guy Joel; Laura, who is one of the bosses at Channel 9 and who Olivia knows;and… get ready for this one… Matthew, the weekend weather guy, along with his fiancée.”
Jim put his fork down, swallowed hard, and stared at Carol.
“Only Olivia, me, and now you know this outside of Tom and maybe the police if Tom shared it with them. So Olivia and I decided to do a little snooping just in case these names actually meant something.”
“What are you talking about, Carol? You’re doingwhat? You’re snooping around for a killer? Are you crazy? This is a police matter is what it is.”
“Jim, I need your support. We’re not doing anything bad. I saw Steve at the coffee shop and Liv saw Laura and Matthew at work. They don’t know we’re snooping. We’re just asking a few extra questions.”
Jim leaned back in his chair and pushed his plate away.
“I don’t know what to say. What has come over you, Carol? Do you think you’re going to uncover something the cops don’t? Why not just call the cops?”
“Because they probably already have the same info we have. Sometimes citizens can uncover more than police. We see it on20/20orDateline.Maybe we can help the police. We owe that to Faith. It’s the very least we can do.”
Jim stared at her. She knew it would take a bit to warm him up but she knew he eventually would come around. He wouldn’t leave his wife and his niece out to dry, he loved them both too much. And Jim liked to solve puzzles and close loops too. Unfinished business never sat well with him. It was part of the reason he enjoyed roofing. It was a clear, delineated process that involved a team of people working together, and it yielded almost immediate and very satisfying results.
Jim was quiet that evening as they watched TV and got ready for bed. But when he looped his arm over her hip in their sleep position he said, “Honey, I support you and Olivia, you know that. I’ve been thinking hard on it all night and I actually have an idea. Something we learned on48 Hoursa few months ago…”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Olivia
June 5
The first thing Olivia saw when she woke up was a text from Aunt Carol.
Jim is looped in on everything. He actually had a crazy idea last night. Call us as soon as you can.
She didn’t waste time even getting up to use the bathroom or to brush her teeth. Olivia called right away. Carol answered and put it on speaker.
“All right, hear me out,” said Jim. “At first I was against this whole thing but I know how you two are when you get a notion in your heads about something so I knew I wouldn’t be able to persuade you or especially my better half over here. So then I got to thinking about something you both could do other than just asking questions. I started to ponder about the incredible access to the station you have, Liv. If you really want to try to get info, I have a tool for you.”
“A tool?” Olivia was picturing one of Jim’s hammers or saws. What would she do with that?
“Yup, I got up out of bed last night and ordered it on Amazon. It’s already here at the house. That crazy fast delivery they have.”
“But… what is it?”
“I got you a pen with a camera hidden on the side. You can record anything. Super clear audio and video and you can download their app to watch. Has a long battery life and only needs recharging every once in a while. I thought you could plant it in the weather office so you can see what Matthew is up to when no one else is around. Maybe hear his phone conversations, things like that. No one would notice a single pen on a desk, right? And Michigan is a one-party consent state so you are allowed to record things without the other person’s knowledge.”
Olivia gulped, her mind starting to race.
“Geez, Uncle Jim, that’s quite an idea. I don’t know what to say. Aunt C, what do you think?”
