Page 69 of Clued in to Love
“I don’t know.” Samesh stole a glance at the couple. “They said they’ve been working on untangling the lights for two hours. I checked in with the surrounding floats, and everyone backed up that statement. They were the only team here for an hour and a half.”
“Damn.” Was the universe conspiring against her? Was this a sign that she should quit? Or had Ben been secretly trying to sabotage her efforts? She wasn’t prone to conspiracy theories, but this was getting ridiculous. Could one thing go right? Just one? Was that asking too much?
“They are still in the front of the pack,” Samesh offered. “They have plenty of time to do the task again and still be in the top ten.”
Hilary suddenly envisioned lawsuits from the Graff family. There was no easy answer. She could either take them on their word, give them the clue, send them on their way, and risk the mayor’s wrath. Or she could force them to complete the challenge again, potentially jeopardizing their current topstanding in the hunt and future litigation from one of the most prominent families in town. “I don’t know what to do.” She paced back and forth, the tightness in her chest returning.
Samesh modeled slow breathing for her. “It’s not the end of the world.”
“I’m sure I seem like a train wreck to you. I would think that about myself, but when we raised the prize money to fifty thousand, the city’s legal team drilled in the importance of following the rules to the letter. Someone could sue.” She lowered her voice, subtly gesturing to William. “Do you know who that is?”
Samesh shook his head. “Who?”
“William Graff. Have you heard the Graff name? You’ve probably seen it on the side of buildings and bus stops around town. The Graff family is hugely influential. They own and manage commercial property throughout the high desert. What are the odds that a Graff would end up with a missing clue?”
“You think he would sue?” Samesh’s eyes widened with concern.
“I don’t know,” Hilary answered honestly. “I think I should call our legal team before we decide how to proceed.”
“Okay. I’ll tell them to hang tight for another few minutes while we sort this out.” Samesh was already moving toward them.
Hilary searched her contacts for the city lawyer. She had a feeling he wouldn’t be thrilled about taking her call on Saturday afternoon, but she was in over her head and had to control the situation before the mayor arrived.
“What can I do for you, Hilary?” The Chamber lawyer answered on the second ring.
She gave him a brief rundown of the situation as she walked toward the horse stalls. The aroma of fresh hay mingled with the mountain air.
“I had heard there was trouble,” the lawyer responded when she finished.
“You did?” Her stomach dropped. Had William Graff already reached out to his family? Then again, why did he need the money? The Graffs were known for their generosity. What motive could he have to compete against community members for money he didn’t need? Could there be another reason he had entered the scavenger hunt? Was he secretly working for the mayor? Theories bombarded her as she struggled to focus on the lawyer’s words.
“The mayor called me earlier to alert me to the possibility of cheating. I hope you’re paying careful attention to every detail, Hilary.”
“Yes, of course I am. I already assured the mayor that my staff and I scoured every single team profile and found no evidence of cheating.”
“I would keep your eye on that. The mayor isn’t happy the event is proceeding as planned, with allegations of cheating looming. I might advise you to listen to him.”
Was he threatening her? Hilary didn’t like his tone or the assumption that she was taking this lightly. Her paranoia was getting worse by the minute. Was this a stress reaction? She was making up wild theories that her husband or William Graff was intentionally trying to sabotage her.
“What I need to focus on right now is what we should do about the team with the missing clue?” She stole a glance at the light station. Did this mean there could be other bundles missing clues?
“That team will have to repeat the challenge. The rules are clear, and you’re not in a position to take any risks. I’ll send over the language you can use if you get any pushback.”
“Do I offer them anything in exchange?” Hilary felt terrible for the young couple. Marissa was right; it was bad luck.
“Such as?”
“Maybe have them skip one of the individual challenges?” Hilary suggested.
“No. That could be seen as giving a team preferential treatment and an advantage. Not a good idea.”
“The only option, then, is to have them completely redo the task?”
“Yes.” His decisive response made it clear that the conversation was done.
Hilary thanked him for his input and broke the news to William and Marissa. “Thanks for your patience. I needed to check in with the powers that be. Unfortunately, I don’t have great news. The race rules stipulate that no advantages can be given, regardless of the circumstances. I’m afraid you’ll have to do the challenge again.”
William plastered on a broad smile, attempting to lighten the mood.
