“I guess I was just a bad intern,” said Olivia. “And, well, there is one more thing I did. I planted the pen cam in your office to try and gather evidence against Matthew when I thought he killed you.”
“That wasyou?” Faith asked. Olivia nodded.
Faith grabbed Olivia’s hand.
“Wow, you seem like a very feisty young woman, Olivia. I truly admire that. It took me a long while to find the courage tobe one and here you are, just in your twenties. You’ll be a great investigative producer, or whatever you want to do.”
“Thank you,” said Olivia as a gush of warmth filled her stomach.
“No,thank you.”
“Do you forgive me for opening the note?” asked Olivia. She was surprised at how much she felt she needed that closure.
“One thousand percent,” said Faith. “Do you forgive me for not remembering your name in the parking lot that day? I should not have just called you ‘intern.’”
“One thousand percent. And as long as we’re opening up to each other, there is one more thing I want to say,” said Olivia. “Remember how you told me ‘Good luck at Channel 9’ as you were leaving in the parking lot after you gave me the note?”
“Yes.”
“It seemed a bit odd, almost like something you would say to someone when you know you’re not going to see them again. I thought about that a lot after your supposed death. I dismissed it as a coincidence but it makes sense now. You knew you weren’t going back that night, right?”
“Correct,” said Faith softly. “Very good detective work. I guess I was too transparent. But I meant it. I wanted you to have a good experience there even if I didn’t.”
“You didn’t?”
“I shouldn’t say that. It was my childhood dream, my dad’s favorite station, and he was the one who got me into meteorology. But the reality did not live up to it. I tried my best, you know, to connect with viewers, but I couldn’t connect with coworkers much. And some viewers got out of hand and became stalkers. It was just… a lot. Being a public figure is an incredible amount of work. I needed to escape. Please promise you won’t turn mysister and me in. We’re not bad people. We’re good people. We just wanted a fresh start.”
“I promise, I told you that. Your secret is safe with me. Promise me you won’t ever tell anyone I planted the pen cam or opened the note. I could get in a lot of trouble for the pen cam.”
“I promise,” said Faith. Her eyes filled with tears, and she squeezed Olivia’s hand. The women stood up and looked at each other one more time, smiling. Wordlessly they nodded and walked out of the bus shelter. The line for cabs was down to just three people, and Faith stepped behind the others while giving Olivia a little wave. Olivia lifted her hand back, turning and walking toward the hotel.
As she made her way through the streets, she thought that it might have been nice to find outhowFaith had done this. The mischievous part of Olivia wanted to know how one fakes one’s own death and escapes. But she realized as she passed the Bellagio fountains, now quiet and waiting for their next show, that maybe in the end it was good if she didn’t know. Some things were better left unsaid.
Back at the hotel, Olivia wondered if her aunt and uncle were asleep. The three of them had adjoining rooms with a door between the two. Kicking off her shoes, Olivia changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt and put her ear to the door. She could hear the TV and Jim’s laughter. She knocked softly.
“Come in,” called Carol, and Olivia opened the door. Carol and Jim were sitting up in bed in their pajamas, shoulders leaning into one another, watching one of the comedy shows. Their faces were glowing from the TV and from what felt to Olivia like an internal light of happiness. They both grinned at her.
“Hey late-nighter, how was your walk on the Strip?” asked Jim.
“Good,” replied Olivia. “Believe it or not, I actually did an act of charity.”
“Oh yeah, what?” asked Jim.
“I saw a woman near a bus shelter who needed help.”
“What did you do?” asked Carol.
“I gave her the help she needed,” Olivia said.
“Did she ask you for money?” Jim pressed.
Olivia hesitated for a moment, thinking how to respond. She decided that her aunt and uncle did not need to know that Faith had faked her own death. Sometimes a hero could remain just that. It would be Olivia’s secret. And Faith was now a hero to Olivia in a different way. Aunt Carol could continue to eulogize the Faith she knew and loved.
“Something like that,” Olivia responded. “I gave her what she needed to get back on her own two feet.”
“What a sweetheart you are,” said Carol. “That was awfully nice of you. I bet she really appreciated that.”
“She did.” Olivia nodded as a lump threatened her throat. “She really, really did.”
