Series Wednesday: Family Game night Page 44

                I open the envelope. “Oh dear sisters, this letter is for Grace once again she is just more fun to play with. Sorry Cahira step to the side. You are just Grace’s side kick on this one. To get Percy back is simple. One of these tied up loose ends has the key to Percy’s room. All you have to do is figure out which one has it. After you untie and talk to everyone get your key and pull the string on the dummy.  Then you will get Percy back. You remember dear sister you catch more bees with honey not vinegar.” I finish reading the letter. So he wants us to find the key to unlock Percy door by talking to all these people who are tied up. I look over at Grace. “Well let’s start untying these people and figuring out who has the key to Percy” I tell Grace. “I wouldn’t untie everyone,” Sara says.  Grace and I turn around and look at her. “Why not?” Grace asks her.  Sara points at a man tied up on the floor. “Well because he is a killer. He is on the FBI’s most wanted list. So, I don’t think untying him would be such a smart idea,” Sara says. I start to think about this. Sara makes fake IDs and she knew the man on the floor had asthma, maybe everyone here is somehow related to each other in a way. “Wait!” I say. “Wait for what?” Grace asks me. I lean into Grace’s ear. “Something isn’t right here. How does she know the guy is on the FBI list thing or that the other guy has asthma and why are all these tied up people so calm? I mean half aren’t even awake yet and the ones that are, well they are just looking at us. Something doesn’t feel right.”
                I can see Grace’s wheels turning. “Sara how do you know the guy on the floor?” Grace asks her. Sara looks around. “Which one?” She replies. “Do you know more than one person tied up here?”  Grace changes her line of questioning. “Yes of course, most of us have worked together before.”  Sara says. “Worked together?” Grace and I ask at the same time. “Yes, if he needs to disappear or a new look. I did the IDs and passports but not full back grounds. Larry does birth certificates and school records. So, a lot of times we team up on jobs.” Sara says like she isn’t talking about breaking laws. “So, everyone tied up here is a criminal?” I ask. “No, she is a hair dresser. I think she changes his look for him when he moves.” Sara points at a girl who hasn’t woken up yet. “I know we are all trying to figure out why we are here. But can someone please untie me?”  Larry says as he is wiggling around.
                We can’t just start untying people. “Untie him.” Grace says. “Wait what?” I ask her. She walks close to me and whispers in my ear. “If worse comes to worse we can turn them on each other.” Grace says with a smile.  I am not sure that is the best idea. She walks over to Larry and starts to untie him. Slowly more people start to wake up. “Where are we?” A lady says who she clearly works with her hands. She has blisters all over her fingers. “We are in a warehouse a man brought you here. You might have worked for him. What is it that you do?” I ask her. “I am a house cleaner,” the women says. So, we have criminals, a hair dresser and a house keeper. Everyone that has ever seen his face maybe. I wonder if he is trying to make us learn more about him still. Maybe he was really good to his house keeper and wants us to see he is a good person. “Did you ever work for a man, who... well…. he was on his own. A bachelor types,” the lady looks at me like I was crazy. “I can name 10 of my clients that fit that bill” she says. I shrug. “This one would have stood out. He had you there, but his home was impeccable. Almost as if he had you clean his house for no reason.” Grace says. “Yeah I know exactly who you’re talking about,” the lady says. “Tell us about him.” Grace asks.  “He was younger than most that lived in his building. I cleaned his place once every two weeks. He didn’t talk much or like ever. His place was always perfect. He just had me stream clean the rugs really.” She looks as confused as we do. “Was anyone ever there when you cleaned?” I ask maybe there is more to her story, that she doesn’t even realize.  She stands there and thinks about it. “I always thought it was strange but yes. He would always have meetings when I was there. He would apologize that he had no other time to take the meeting with whomever he was having the meetings with and he would say that he was just so busy and he didn’t know what he would do without me. He would say the house would be a disaster without me.”  Just as I thought. Her cleaning was all a show. She doesn’t have the key. She is just here as a show. I think maybe that is the point figuring out who here really knew him. It is just another game.