Page 19 of Obscurity (Pros and Cons Mysteries #5)

T he silence that followed Grayfall Guardian’s departure stretched uncomfortably long, broken only by the sound of shifting backpacks and the nervous clearing of throats.

Olive watched Max’s face cycle through expressions—annoyance, calculation, and finally a forced return to his professional guide persona. He lowered his radio after calling in the incident.

“Well, that was interesting.” His laugh sounded hollow in the mountain air. “You get all kinds of characters living back in these hollers—old-timers who’ve been here so long they start seeing ghosts in every shadow.”

“He seemed pretty specific about Grayfall.” Dr. Z studied the forest where the man had vanished. “What did he mean about things that don’t belong? I’ve covered festivals in remote locations before, and locals usually support the surge in the economy.”

“Mountain folklore.” Sorrel moved closer to the group’s center. “These old mining towns have been abandoned for decades. People start telling stories to keep outsiders away. They want to protect their territory. That’s all.”

Olive noticed how both guides kept glancing toward the forest where the man had vanished, their casual dismissals not matching their obvious tension. This wasn’t their first encounter with people like the Grayfall Guardian, was it?

As Max shifted, Olive caught sight of the gun in his waistband.

Her chest constricted.

Had he brought it to keep this group safe? Or to keep them in line?

She didn’t want to find out.

The woman who’d hurt her ankle waved her hand in the air to get people’s attention. “Maybe we should listen to him? I mean, he lives here. Maybe he knows something we don’t.”

“He probably knows that scaring tourists is a good way to keep his favorite fishing spots secret,” Max interrupted. “Trust me, locals around here have been pulling this kind of nonsense for generations.”

Olive caught Jason’s eye and saw her own skepticism reflected in his gaze.

The guides were working too hard to dismiss the warning. Their explanations felt rehearsed rather than genuine.

Sorrel consulted his watch. “We’re already behind schedule. The opening ceremony starts in three hours, and we still have another hour of hiking ahead of us.”

“Opening ceremony?” Maya held up her phone despite the poor signal. “I thought the first performances didn’t start until eight. My content calendar is totally based on that schedule.”

“You know, the welcome activities,” Max explained. “They’ll start around six, along with a cookout. There will be a Meet and Greet with some of the artists, vendor booths, that sort of thing. You’ll want to get settled in your accommodations before things begin.”

“Won’t the other groups who left behind us be late?” someone else asked.

“We’ll fill them in.”

Tevin quietly observed the exchange while adjusting his hiking boots.

Then he stood and shouldered his pack. “Well, I’m ready to see what all the fuss is about.

We’ve come too far to turn back now. This is exactly the kind of authentic experience I cover on my podcast. In fact, I think some ghosts might make this even more memorable. ”

His words seemed to break the spell of uncertainty that had settled over the group.

Other hikers began adjusting their packs and preparing to continue, though Olive noticed several people still glancing nervously toward the forest as if expecting the Grayfall Guardian and his friends to appear again and ambush everyone.

“That’s the spirit.” Max’s shoulders dropped as the tension drained from his face. “Follow me, everyone. The best part of the journey is still ahead.”

Olive wasn’t so sure that was true.

As the group began hiking again, Olive felt sweat trickling from her temples and down her back. It was hot out here, and her water was almost gone. Max had said there was a stream where they could refill, but she’d seen the water there.

It looked muddy. No way was she drinking that. She didn’t see anyone else drinking it either. If they did, Olive hoped they were prepared to have stomach issues later today.

The weight of her backpack was beginning to make her back ache.

She was in shape, so she could only imagine how some of the people who weren’t as active were doing.

Three other groups should have left the lodge already, no doubt with their own “guides” with them.

Were their guides more friendly than Max, Sorrel, and Tom?

For their sakes, she hoped so.

As Jason began chatting with Max—probably a strategic move—she fell into step beside the woman who’d hurt her ankle. She’d fallen back toward the end of the group and was among the last stragglers.

“Is your ankle okay?” Olive whispered.

“I guess.” The girl’s voice carried doubt.

“It’s just . . . my grandmother always said to listen when locals give you warnings.

They know things outsiders don’t. She went to the ocean once, and a local warned her about the riptides there.

She didn’t listen and almost drowned. Another woman warned my whole family not to eat at a restaurant in town.

We did anyway and got food poisoning. Now, I always listen. ”

Something about her words caused a chill to wash over Olive.

“I’m Olivia, by the way. What’s your name?”

“Becca. Becca Morrison. I’m a journalism student at West Virginia University.” She paused before adding, “I’m actually here working on a research paper about music festivals and their impact on rural communities.”

“Find anything interesting in your research?” Olive tried to sound casual as she asked the question.

“Not yet. I’m just starting.”

“Why start with Grayfall?” Olive asked.

“It sounded interesting.”

Olive couldn’t help but think there was more to her story. “You ever heard of the guy who’s organizing this festival before? Brad Something?”

“Kellerman,” she answered, something hardening in her voice. “As a matter of fact, I have. He’s started numerous companies before.”

“Do most of his companies have something to do with music?”

“No, he’s been all over the place—everything from new apps to technology. One thing is for sure. He leaves a trail of destruction wherever he goes.”

Olive raised her eyebrows. “Is that right? Like what?”

Becca glanced around to make sure the guides weren’t listening, then leaned closer. “Like there was this one girl who worked for him back in Tennessee. She hasn’t been seen since her internship ended.”

Olive’s pulse spiked. “I had no idea.”

She truly hadn’t heard about this yet. It seemed like something that would have popped up in her research.

Becca’s voice dropped lower. “People said she just left early, but her family swears she never made it home.”

Olive’s pulse continued to pound harder, faster. “What do you think happened to her?”

“I wish I knew.”

Olive didn’t like the sound of that.

Why hadn’t she seen anything about this other missing woman in her research? She’d been thorough.

It was definitely something she needed to look into . . . if she ever got a signal on her phone.

Just then, a scream cut through the air.

Something else had happened . . . but what now?