Page 7 of Obscurity (Pros and Cons Mysteries #5)

B ack inside the lodge, Elias was already directing guests toward the dining room, his hospitality mask firmly back in place.

Olive made mental notes of everyone present: Dr. Z checking his phone—probably the stock market, Maya being consoled by Connor Walsh as he showed her photos on his camera, and several other guests whose stories she hadn’t heard yet.

What she didn’t see was any sign of Tevin.

Her colleague should have arrived by now, using his cover as a podcaster documenting underground festival scenes for his music website, “Off the Beaten Track.” The plan was for Olive and Jason to maintain their distance from Tevin.

They needed to appear as if they didn’t know him so they could gather more intelligence.

Speaking of which . . . she was wasting valuable time right now.

She needed to explore more of this lodge.

She wanted to get a feel for the layout—just in case.

She had no proof Chloe had ever been there.

And though Elias was allowing people to stay here and others to simply park here before heading to Grayfall, she was unsure about his exact involvement in things.

“Excuse me,” Olive murmured to Jason. “I’m going to run to the restroom.”

Code: I need to investigate something.

“Take your time,” he told her.

She headed toward the restrooms, located down a narrow hallway away from the lobby area. But as she approached the door leading to the ladies’ room, voices from somewhere nearby made her pause.

“I can’t keep doing this,” a man muttered. “People are starting to ask questions.”

“Questions are fine. Questions keep them distracted.”

The voices came from outside, probably near a service entrance or loading dock.

Olive pressed closer to the wall, straining to hear more.

“Three people, Leif. Three. How long before someone connects?—”

“They won’t. As long as we stick to the plan, they won’t.”

Leif. Elias’s assistant. Was he talking to Elias?

“But if some of these people start poking around Grayfall?—”

“They won’t get the chance. But keep your eyes on them. Especially that husband and wife who just arrived. There’s something about them I don’t trust.”

Ice formed in Olive’s veins.

They were talking about her and Jason. She was certain of it.

Was her cover already blown? She prayed that wasn’t the case.

Olive edged closer to what she realized was a service door. She needed to hear more of that conversation. Needed to see who Leif was speaking with.

Before she could eavesdrop anymore, a footstep sounded behind her. Then, “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

Olive spun around to find a woman in her thirties wearing a lodge polo shirt and carrying a clipboard. The name embroidered on her shirt read “Rita—Guest Services.”

“I was just looking for the restroom.” Olive hoped her voice sounded casual despite her racing heart.

“Just around the corner there.” Rita pointed helpfully. “Are you enjoying your stay so far? I know today’s been a bit . . . eventful.”

“It’s been interesting, for sure.” Olive glanced toward the service door, but the voices had stopped. Disappointment pressed on her. “I’m looking forward to the music festival tomorrow.”

“Oh, I just know you’re going to have a great time.

Keep in mind that the hike to the venue can be quite challenging, especially if you’re not used to mountain terrain.

” Rita’s smile was friendly, but something in her eyes felt calculating.

“Mr. Mercer always recommends staying with the guided groups for safety.”

Before Olive could respond, the lodge’s front door opened, and she caught sight of a familiar figure entering the main area.

Tevin. Relief filled her.

He’d finally arrived, his worn messenger bag and vintage band T-shirt perfectly selling his cover as an indie music podcaster.

A few festival wristbands from previous events decorated his wrist, and he carried the slightly rumpled appearance of someone who spent more time in dive venues than corporate offices.

Every instinct told Olive to go to him, to share what she’d just overheard, to coordinate their next moves. But Olive felt Rita watching her, and she sensed others in the main room taking notice of the new arrival also.

“Well, I should run to the bathroom.” Olive offered a quick smile. “Thank you for the directions—and the advice.”

Rita smiled back, though the action didn’t reach her eyes. “Of course. And remember—stick to the marked trails. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”

On the surface, the words sounded like friendly advice.

But the way Rita said them felt unmistakably like a threat.

There appeared to be a lot of that going on around here.