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“No. Not even cold spots have been reported. Some have said it’s haunted, but they haven’t provided proof or any stories to support it. There is nothing online that I can find relating to Merritt.”

“Callie, can hauntings just start?”

“Yes, and no. Nanci, hauntings don’t follow rules. A suddenly quiet place can become overwhelmed, and vice versa. Have you had any investigators in?”

“No, definitely not.”

“I’ll keep digging. Has there been any threat or menace?” Callie asked.

“No. In fact, it seems benign, almost fun. Merritt Mike yells ‘howdy’ at people. The three horsemen appear and disappear in the same spot. The pumpkin head puzzled me, though. There’s also been a man in black—the witness likened him to Errol Flynn,” I replied.

“I have to admit it’s interesting, but we can’t get to Merritt for a while. I can add you to our list if you want?”

“Please. We want some answers.”

“No probs,” Callie said. “I’ll let you know what dates we have free. Hang in, Nanci. We’ll find you some answers.”

“Thanks, Callie!” I cut the call and sighed. Well, there went that lead.

Chapter Five.

Sabre

I’d not been around much the past few days because the HVAC business was still based in Johnson Siding. We’d had a lot of calls recently, so we were very busy. I was finally taking the day off to stay in town and help my brothers.

After breakfast, I headed out to the stables. Tracker had asked for some help keeping visitors back. Although it was only nine in the morning, I hadn’t expected so many visitors this early.

Main Street was absolutely teeming with people. Everywhere you looked, they queued at shops and local businesses. The restaurant and the diner both held long queues for tables.

“Holy crap, I don’t think I’ve seen it this jammed other than opening day,” I said to Tracker.

“Ever since that damn photo of Merritt Mike went viral, it’s been like this,” Tracker replied.

“It doesn’t help that someone else also took a blurred picture of him. Then, somebody got that shot of the man in black,” I added.

Tracker nodded. “Honestly, brother, while the profits have been fucking amazing, and nobody should complain, a break from the craziness would be appreciated.”

I couldn’t disagree. “I think Law mentioned that our crime statistics have increased by three hundred per cent. Bow said most of our arrests have been for theft or trespassing.”

“With the amount of footfall we are receiving, that isn’t too much of a surprise,” Tracker agreed. We entered the stables and lowered the barriers that kept uninvited people out. Visitors could peer over the chest-high barriers and see the horses, but they weren’t allowed in unless Tracker or I let them.

We began fussing the horses inside.

Tracker had a routine I was only too happy to follow. I was unsure around these huge creatures, especially as Tracker’s own horse had a nasty habit of nipping people he didn’t like. The asshole—the stallion could be a bad-tempered brute, same as Tracker.

As I stroked a rather sweet mare’s head and scratched behind her ears, I saw movement and glanced up.

A group of individuals stood at the entrance. They appeared completely spellbound, staring at a point above our heads towards the rear of the stable. All of them had their phones out, recording something. I followed their gaze and stiffened.

“Houston, we’ve got a problem,” I muttered. Tracker, still fussing with his horse, turned, and his hand paused.

“We’ve got more than a fuckin’ problem. That’s the understatement of the year, brother,” Tracker replied.

At the back of the stable, where the unopened doors cast dark shadows, was something I never expected to see. Three male ghosts, all transparent, hung from a beam. They swung slightly, even though there was no breeze, and their dead, ghastly faces stared towards us. I didn’t mind admitting I was freaked. I noticed that none of the animals reacted to the vision we were staring at.

The figures disappeared right before our eyes. The farthest from us vanished first, then the closest, and finally the middle. Each of the three ghosts wore mining-related clothing. I shook my head, turned to Tracker, and opened my mouth before closing it again.

“Fuck. It looks like you’re about to become a major attraction,” I bitched.