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“We have to talk about this,” Samuel said, staring out over the estate.
Maire suddenly went light-headed, off-balance. Funny how two people could share one singularly horrible, life-changing night together and then never speak of it again, slouching off to their respective lives like it never happened.
“Yes, we do,” Maire agreed. “But it’s almost nine. Everyone will wonder where we are.”
“It’ll just take a minute,” Samuel countered. “We have to decide what to do, what to say.”
“I can’t do this right now,” Maire said, getting to her feet and moving toward the door. She reached for the doorknob, but Samuel blocked her exit. He was standing too close to her. Too many old memories, old feelings hit her all at once.
She had to focus on today’s challenge. If she lost, there was a chance she would go home. She couldn’t let that happen. “We’ll find somewhere else later on. If we stay in here too long, they are going to think we know each other,” she said.
“Maybe they’ll just think we are going to work together to solve the clues.”
“Even worse,” Maire said, her voice rising. “We do need to talk, I know, but not here. Someone watching will make the connection between us. We’ll be recognized. It will bring up questions, people will start digging.”
“So what’s your solution?” Samuel asked in exasperation.
“I don’t know,” Maire said helplessly. “But I really, really need this money.”
Samuel looked as if he wanted to ask her why she was so desperate. Instead, he said, “I think we have three options. One, we just own up to it right now. Say, Wow, what a weird coincidence. We went to college together years ago.”
Maire was already shaking her head.
Samuel went on, “Number two, we pretend we don’t recognize each other. It’s been twenty years; we didn’t know each other that well, just socially. You have a different last name, I’ve put on a few pounds, I have a goatee. It’s not impossible to think we didn’t make the connection, at least not right away.”
“What’s the third choice?” Maire asked, eager to get downstairs.
“We quit,” Samuel said simply. “We come up with an excuse, an injury, something. And we drop out.”
Maire bit on her lip, considering. She wasn’t quitting. That was out of the question. She checked her watch. It was almost nine. They had to go, or the others would become suspicious.
“Okay,” she finally said. “I think for now we pretend we don’t know each other and then act surprised if it’s brought up. We did barely know one another,” she said, as if trying to convince herself. “Now, go.”
Again, Samuel hesitated, and for a moment the years fell away and a boyishness settled across his face. He always had such a gentleness to him. Except for that night. They both had become people they didn’t recognize. “How are you, really?” he asked.
Besides wishing he had never come to look for her that night? she wanted to ask. Instead, she whispered, “Please let me go. Please.”
Samuel shook his head as if disappointed and then stepped aside.
With relief, Maire opened the bedroom door and was grateful to find the hallway deserted. She stepped into the corridor and walked quickly toward the staircase.
“Good morning!” came a booming voice from behind her. “It’s Maire, right?” Maire turned. It was the senator, dressed in a red One Lucky Winner T-shirt and shorts.
“Yes, it is,” Maire said, trying to keep her voice light, friendly. “Good morning to you. How’d you sleep?”
“Fine, fine.” He waved away her question. “Congrats again on winning last night. Any chance that you’d be willing to share what your Super Clue was?”
“Thanks, but I don’t think so,” Maire murmured, acutely aware that everything they were saying was being recorded and filmed. Moving down the corridor, she saw the blinking light of two cameras.
“How about a Game Changer? Did you find one?” the senator asked as they came to the grand staircase.
Maire thought of the tiny white pill hidden in her pillowcase, but she sure wasn’t going to tell the senator. Instead, she gave him an enigmatic smile.
“I get it,” the senator said contritely. “No pressure. But in the spirit of full disclosure, I haven’t found one yet, but that TV guy did. Couldn’t figure out what it was, but guess we’ll find out. Why don’t you see if you can get more out of him? We’re going to have to up our game today. I may not be much at these physical challenges, but I’m smart.” The senator tapped his temple. “I could be a real asset if it comes to solving puzzles and the like, just keep that in mind.”
It was all Maire could do to keep from running back to the bedroom and slamming the door. Instead, she forced a smile to her face. “I will. Thank you for that.”
At the bottom of the stairs, the other contestants were standing around a table filled with pastries, bowls of fruit, and coffee. Camille was wearing yellow, sipping on a latte, and Ned was dressed in electric orange, peeling a banana. A camera operator was set up a respectful distance away, but impossible not to notice. Maire turned only to find the lens of another camera fixed squarely on her. She murmured her hellos and busied herself with pouring a coffee.
