Page 75 of Obscurity
His guard immediately went up. “Depends on the question.”
“Are you happy with how this festival is being run? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like people are being unnecessarily put in danger.”
For just a moment, Max’s professional facade cracked. She saw frustration, moral conflict, and what might have been regret flash across his features.
Would he share?
Olive held her breath as she waited, praying this worked and that she could turn him.
Max opened his mouth as if he was going to share something.
Then he clamped his lips together, and his gaze hardened. “I don’t discuss operational details with guests.”
“If you know about something that’s going on here?—”
“I was just hired to do a job,” Max said. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
“So you’re going to sit back and do nothing while other people get hurt?” Olive stared at him. “I can see it in your eyes. That bothers you.”
He stared straight ahead and grunted.
Olive sensed he was struggling with what to do.
She waited, hoping her words had gotten through to him. Jason remained quiet, probably realizing Olive had a betterchance of getting through to Max—especially after what had just happened.
He could be their chance to find out more information.
Finally, he looked back at Olive, resolve hardening in his gaze. “You and your husband should focus on enjoying the rest of your weekend and staying out of trouble.”
Her shoulders sagged with disappointment.
They’d been so close. But something had him spooked enough to stay quiet.
Was someone threatening him also?
The warning in his voice was clear: He wouldn’t answer questions, but he also wouldn’t necessarily act against them if they stayed under the radar.
It wasn’t the alliance Olive had hoped for, but it wasn’t outright hostility either. Since her enemies seemed to outnumber her potential allies, even neutral parties might prove valuable.
The question was whether Max’s apparent moral conflicts would eventually override his professional obligations—and whether that would happen in time to make a difference.
CHAPTER 53
Max grumbled that Olive and Jason needed to stay put for a while.
He arranged for dinner to be brought to them as they sat behind the old pharmacy. The meal arrived courtesy of the same overwhelmed catering staff, and it was every bit as disappointing as everything else about the festival experience.
Two paper bowls containing what appeared to be canned chili, plus a bag full of stale crackers and warm sodas—hardly the “gourmet wilderness dining experience” that had been advertised.
Olive and Jason sat side by side at an old picnic table. She picked at the congealed mess, while Jason ate mechanically, his attention clearly focused on something other than the disgusting food.
The silence between them stretched uncomfortably until he finally set down his plastic spoon and looked directly at her.
“Why didn’t you tell me about what happened at the gas station?” His voice was quiet but carried an undertone of hurt. “I asked you if you had any problems getting here, and you said everything was fine.”
Olive’s stomach clenched—and it wasn’t because of the questionable chili. “I didn’t think it was relevant to our investigation.”
“A man tried to assault you, and you had to physically defend yourself. How is that not relevant?” Jason’s tone grew more intense. “What if he’d had a weapon? What if there had been more of them? What if?—”
