Page 116 of Without a Clue

The midday sun hits on the surface of the saltwater pool, Mediterranean tiles shimmering green in the sunlight. A few ladies cluster at tables at the other end of the pool, playing some sort of card game at the instructor’s guidance. In my periphery, Crystal (now Mary) flies by on her hoverboard, laughing maniacally, while several staff with untucked shirts and flying bow ties race down the hall after her, fruitlessly pleading with her to stop.

I slip down into the same lounge chair I used for Jackie’s interview and for Neena’s. Immediately the same friendly butler pops up, offering to open the umbrella.

I assent.

“And something to drink, miss?” he says. “Perhaps something to keep up your spirits?”

I must look like death rolled over. I can only imagine after these days of living off stress and no sleep. “How bad do I look? Is it that bad?”

“Oh, miss . . .” He trails off.

“It’s that bad, isn’t it? I’m braced for the truth.”

“Perhaps a double shot of espresso. We don’t typically allow triple shots given the number of pacemakers on board, but just this once, I could slip you a third upon request.”

I squeeze the bridge of my nose.

“I’ll take that,” he says after a long pause, “as a request for a third. You also may consider removing the . . . for lack of a better term . . . debris from your hair. If I may . . .”

Before I know it, he’s gently removing something from the top of my head. Swiftly and with a polished air, whatever it is vanishes from his fingers and into his pocket before I can look.

I drop my head. But of course I’m walking around with “debris.”

“You know, miss, we do have a salon available,” he continues, whipping out a tablet before I can interject. “If I may, I can slip you into a quick appointment—”

“No, no,” I say, smoothing a hand over my hair and running into quite a few unfortunately unknown objects and bumps along the way. “I appreciate that. But I’m busy—”

“Oh, madam.” His eyes crinkle in a soft, fatherly way. “If you cannot allow yourself to relax here, I daresay you will spend the rest of your life wishing for relaxation but never finding any. Please, allow others to help you.”

“Unfortunately in my case, if I relax now, I just may never get the opportunity to relax again.” His look is so concerned at my dark comment, I add, “I’m working.”

His face clears.

He waves a hand out at Neena at one of the bridge tables, holding her cards like she’s having the time of her life. She elbows Jackie beside her, who frowns deeply at her cards. “Ah, but, madam, they are too.”

“It’s freakish, isn’t it?” I say. “Almost like they didn’t care about him at all.”

“Miss?”

I turn my attention back to him and sigh. “What is your name?”

Out of everything I’ve said, he looks the most taken aback by this. He pauses. Bows as he speaks. “Oliver, miss.”

“Well, Oliver. It’s nice to meet you. Officially. Do you have good friends?”

“Of course.”

“Friends who are there for you through thick and thin?”

“Naturally.”

“Consider yourself blessed. Because unfortunately, what I think I’m learning through all this is that I’ve never had real friends after all.”

“Oh, miss, but I’m sure you do—I myself have witnessed their companionship with you.”

“Money, jealousy, and ambition are powerful motivators. And with enough motivation, you could quite possibly mask your entire life.”

Because no matter how this all shakes out, one thing is certain.