Chapter 33 #2
Just as Andrea put the water on the stove, a knock comes at the door.
Automatically, she pushes me aside and checks the peephole.
She pulls back and motions me toward the door, before signing, is that who I think it is?
I look through the opening to find a head of vibrant auburn hair and a familiar nineties jean-jacket, bouncing just in front of our apartment door.
We both let out a long breath before opening.
I can tell from Andrea’s body language that she wasn’t exactly delighted to have her visit.
Knee bent, foot and back against the entry wall, her eyes travel up and down the spunky girl with such scrutiny, I am happy not to be on the receiving end.
She clearly remembers Mairead’s last visit here, when she took the liberty to explore the apartment herself.
Or maybe it’s how she nonchalantly told me our manager was murdered, on her way out.
Lucky for Mairead, she doesn’t seem to even notice the way Andrea assesses her.
“Hi friend! Are you ready?”
I look at Andrea, then back to the oblivious girl atop our welcome mat. “Umm… Ready for what?” I ask.
She steps between us and lets herself migrate deeper into our apartment.
My roommate already appears flushed, her complexion matching that of the produce on the counter.
Following the unannounced visitor inside, we find her helping herself to the fridge, popping open a can of flavored seltzer water, and taking a seat at the kitchen table.
“Mairead! Ready for what?!” I press. My thoughts are pulled in various directions; I honestly can’t figure out why she’s here.
She takes a sip of the poached drink before answering. “For the escape room, silly. You promised me we’d go after you got better… Remember?”
Andrea stands just behind Mairead’s seated position mouthing, “what the fuck?”
“I know you don’t work today.”
Ok? Weird. I was supposed to work. How would she know? My best friend’s face might get stuck like this, because her perpetually puzzled expression hasn’t fallen since Mairead entered our home.
“Come on, sis! You can bring your cranky roommate too.”
Holy shit, Andrea might take a swing at this girl. Then I’ll have to deal with two murders in a one-week stint. Since when did my life become a B grade episode of Law and Order?
“Okay. We’d love to go.” I look at my roommate who all but throws her arms up in the air, allowing them to quickly fall down to her sides with a thud. All subtle cues must go over Mairead’s head because she squeals and instantly hugs each of us.
“Today is going to be perfect! I have it all planned. Hurry up and get ready, we hit the town in five minutes.”
I am not keen on going, but since I learned Mairead is Eamon’s sister, I need to learn more about the Murray family and how they may play a part.
I will learn what happened to my brother.
Even if it means keeping a bit more information from Andrea.
Let’s hope that bringing her along won’t turn around and bite me in the butt.
Mairead skips just ahead of us, like someone who just pounded several energy drinks.
Her purple Doc Martens and pink zebra print leggings, really compliment the bedazzled Lisa Frank piece.
She definitely has an eclectic taste in fashion, to say the least, but she makes it work.
We look as though we are following a magical unicorn into battle, as we all make our way to the first stop on Mairead’s perfect itinerary.
I just hope this time doesn’t involve petty theft or counting gravestones.
Andrea turns to me. “The code word is porpoise. All you have to do is say the word and we’ll leave.”
Mairead disappears into a restaurant with a wooden sign that reads: Tequila before we follow her into the restaurant.
The hostess leads us to a large table.
Once seated, Mairead insists lunch is on her.
She demands that we each get a flight of tequila to make the experience at the escape room more enjoyable.
“I’ve been to Jalisco before, where they make tequila.
I actually went down there to ID someone.
Pretty hard when they’ve lost their head.
” She casually remarks as she nibbles on complimentary chips.
Andrea mouths to me, “say... the… word.”
I shake my head with a reassuring smile, knowing a lot of what Mairead says doesn’t make sense… but now I’ve learned what kind of man her brother is, I’m hoping her words aren’t literal.
I can’t help but notice how Andrea has spent most of her lunch, studying Mairead, while I attempt to keep the conversation light.
We touch on just about every subject; from animals to fashion and even movies.
I would never have taken Mairead for a Sandra Bullock fan. She was all over the board and there wasn’t a subject she didn’t want to cover, especially once she pounded through each brightly colored shot glass.
Somewhere along the line, a laugh bubbled from Andrea’s serious state.
Since I inadvertently made a promise to stop all depressant substances years ago, I have become quite a lightweight.
By the third shot, I am definitely feeling the effects, and I still had three more to go.
Words pour from Mairead at an unnatural rate with no inkling of being intoxicated, other than being chattier.
Nothing damning or significant is shared during the flight of top shelf tequila and birria tacos.
Although it's become even more apparent, Andrea does not care for Mairead. Each of her sharp-tongued quips is laced with either sarcasm or intolerance.
Next stop is Escape Goats. Mairead is giddy, I am concentrating on appearing not as drunk as I actually am, and Andrea is… well, her usual ornery self. Unlike me, she is fine and prevents me from running face first into a light pole on the way over.
When we arrive at the escape room, I become a little worried the teen boy working at the counter will deny us entry.
There must be some kind of rule about being intoxicated while playing, especially when I’m unsure if I could find my way home at this moment.
Shockingly, he could care less about my condition, instead informing us that they are booked for the rest of the day.
Mairead isn’t too pleased with this development.
Deciding to remedy the situation by leaning through the sliding window and whispering something into the honest kid’s ear.
Maybe it was her feminine wiles or something she said, but his story changed.
Now, the most popular experience is suddenly available for us.
Candy colored lip gloss is smeared on the teen’s cheek, as he leads us to our assignment door.
We each grab a laminated instruction sheet from the wall pocket, before stepping inside the fully immersive escape room.
It is a quaint office setting with a large desk, bookshelves, floor lamp, and two chairs. A grandfather's clock ticks softly in the corner of the room, while we get to work exploring the maps and books lining the walls. This place emanates Sherlock Holmes’ vibes.
Mairead spins in a chair and Andrea tugs at each of the desk drawers, while I read from the handout.
“Callaway is notorious for getting away with his crimes. You have one hour to visit his office before he returns. Find out who his accomplice is and locate the explosive devices around the city before it’s too late. Don’t forget to escape the room before Callaway finds you here.”
My throat suddenly feels tight, and it isn’t because of the shots.
Andrea is already standing in front of me, tilting her head back slightly to look up to my face.
She knows my triggers, my weaknesses. How a single notion could bring me back to that room when I was a little girl. The explosion. Just saying the word makes my chest constrict. Last time, the smoke from the lantern dragon made me panic and blackout.
I want to leave this room, even if I don’t get anything from this outing.
Maybe I was just kidding myself, about gaining insight from the Murray family tree.
What does it matter that Mairead is Eamon’s sister?
It’s probably just a weird coincidence. Our meeting, her working at the same grocery store as me, it could mean nothing.
“Mairead, I’m not feeling so great. I think I should go.”
She’s still spinning in an armchair before the bookshelf, her head lulling back; she faces ceiling. I would have barfed by now if I were in her place. She lifts her head and stops the chair. “No way, we're locked in here for an hour. We have to solve the murder mystery!”
Andrea crosses her arms. “I’m sure they can unlock the door in an emergency… plus, it’s not a murder mystery, we’re finding where the ummm…”
“EXPLOSIVES are!” Mairead pipes up.
“Yeah,” Andrea says hushed.
I need to sit. I perch on the edge of the desk and start fanning myself with the laminate sheet.
Mairead swivels her head toward me. “What’s wrong?”
I’m dizzy and I can hear the whooshing sound as my heartrate starts to pick up. Everything in the room moves at a snail's pace. Why did I drink so much?
Andrea’s sagging mouth and downcast eyes tell me, I look pitiful.
I point to my bag I dropped near the door; she immediately goes over and brings it up to me. I shuffle through items looking for the one thing that I’ve learned can help with these episodes, sour candy. I rip open a bag of sour Skittles and start popping two at a time into my mouth.
Andrea quietly watches me, likely unsure how this could possibly be the remedy.
“Damn, I wish I had thought to bring snacks.” Mairead pouts.
Once I feel like the walls aren't closing in and the rushing sound subsides, I speak. “Sour candies can help with panic attacks. Someone taught me that recently.”
They exchange glances then look back at me.
Mairead still seems just as confused as before.
“There was an accident when I was young.”