Chapter 7 - OLIVIA'S ACCIDENT
Everyone asked the same question next.
Did Thomas kill Olivia?
Ethan asked it first.
Mara answered:
“We don’t know.”
They reopened the crash file.
Olivia died when a tractor-trailer crossed the center line in heavy rain.
The truck driver, Samuel Price, survived.
He had tested negative for drugs and alcohol.
He said the trailer hydroplaned.
State investigators found worn tires and excessive speed for conditions.
No evidence of tampering.
No direct payment from Thomas.
No suspicious communication.
Then investigators found one connection.
The trucking company that owned the vehicle had received road-maintenance subcontracting work from Wade Infrastructure.
Ethan’s heart stopped when he heard.
Mara raised a hand.
“Connection is not causation.”
They audited the company.
No hidden payment.
No instruction.
No message.
No proof Thomas targeted Olivia.
Samuel Price had three prior safety violations.
The crash could still be exactly what the original report said.
Negligence.
Not murder.
Ethan wanted a different answer.
A villain large enough to contain all his pain.
Evidence refused.
He drove home that night and screamed alone in his garage until his throat hurt.
Then he read Olivia’s letter again.
Do not assume my accident was connected to this unless there is evidence.
She knew him.
She knew grief wanted patterns.
The absence of a murder plot did not make Thomas innocent.
May you like
It made the truth narrower.
And therefore stronger.
