Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
HILARY
Hilary hadn’t slept more than thirty minutes all night. The accusation of cheating in the game had been like a gut punch. It had to be a misunderstanding.
Her meeting with the mayor hadn’t gone well.
He was convinced that the scavenger hunt was rigged from the start.
“There’s big corporate money riding on this, Hilary, and I can’t have this kind of a financial scandal on my watch.
” He had paced around her office, wagging a finger in her face and demanding that the hunt be shut down immediately.
She had begged him for some time. They couldn’t just shut down the entire event without more information and proof.
He had reluctantly agreed to give her until morning.
She reviewed the status of every individual player and team.
The crux of the issue was that the first two teams had logged the ice clue within twenty minutes of the kickoff.
The mayor and his staff were convinced that the teams were getting “inside help.” They were operating under the theory that it would be nearly impossible for not one but two teams to have deciphered the clue, driven to the Old Mill District, found the secret writing in the ice sculpture, and logged it in twenty minutes.
The mayor was also accusing Hillary or one of her staff of enabling the cheating.
He wanted to know who had access to the clues and solutions.
Instead of picking up takeout and trying to make amends with Ben, she had slept in her office, poring over each of the teams to see if she could make any connections with team members and her staff, as well as staff from the parks department.
Their legal department had written strict guidelines that spelled out that no city employees or their families could win the prize money.
There were pages and pages of legalese that Hilary had practically memorized.
Hilary hadn’t found a single connection.
The mayor was overreacting or intentionally trying to undermine her power.
The more likely scenario was that the two top teams were quick.
It wasn’t as if the clues for the scavenger hunt required code-cracking abilities or a Ph.D.
After all, this was a family event where teams were searching for fun challenges marked by candy canes.
It was absolutely bonkers that the mayor would suggest any cheating was going on.
When she and her team came up with the clues and activities, they tried to create a range of difficulties.
There was only one ice sculpture in Bend.
It wasn’t that hard to put it together. Plus, the entire goal of Passport to the Holidays was to get people out and about in Bend’s many shopping districts, restaurants, pubs, and coffee houses.
The entire event was a promotion—a city promotion.
Tourists who came to participate were exposed to new spots, where they hopefully spent their holiday dollars and poured more money into the local economy.
She glanced at the clock.
Crap.
She was due at the mayor’s office in thirty minutes and felt like she’d been at an all-night frat party. She stood and walked over to a small mirror hanging opposite her desk.
Oh, this is bad.
She was still wearing the same clothes from last night, and the puffy bags under her eyes were a dead giveaway that her only sleep was a brief nap when she’d dozed off at her desk.
She walked down the hallway to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Thankfully, she kept a toiletries kit on her desk. She often did press appearances and liked to have lip gloss and a brush nearby in case she needed to be on camera on short notice.
Hilary re-tied her braids and pinched her cheeks to give them more color. Had her jawline always looked so sucked in? Was her skin always this dull? She stared at her reflection. Looking back at her, the woman was a shell of who she’d been. She looked tired, and not just from one sleepless night.
She sighed, applied lip gloss, and attempted to smooth out the wrinkles on her shirt.
The mayor’s office was in City Hall, which was only a couple of blocks away, but Hilary wanted—no, needed—a coffee before the meeting. She gathered her things, zipped up her parka, and stepped outside.
Arctic air assaulted her cheeks, jolting her awake.
It must have snowed more overnight. There was a new layer on the sidewalks.
It was as if the entire city was blanketed in holiday magic.
Pure, untouched snow formed a seamless carpet covering the sidewalks, buildings, and rooftops.
Icicles dangled from the eaves, and colorful holiday lights reflected on the bright snow.
Shops and boutiques were adorned with festive wreaths and garlands.
There was no denying that Bend was a holiday wonderland.
The innate beauty and charm of her hometown made her job that much easier.
Now she just needed to reassure the mayor everything was on the up and up with Passport to the Holidays.
She was glad to have her boots as she navigated the walkway.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries at the coffee shop beckoned her inside.
She ordered a large black coffee, hot, and an egg bagel.
Then she took her breakfast to a corner table and checked her phone.
There were messages from her staff, who had also been up late trying to prove or disprove the mayor’s cheating theory.
There were also texts and phone calls from Ben.
Ben, shit. Ben.
She had called to tell him about the fiasco with the mayor, but she hadn’t intended to sleep at her desk.
Hilary took a few long sips of the strong coffee before calling him. He didn’t answer. He probably had an early training client.
“Hey, sorry. I worked through the night. Have a meeting with the mayor in a few. It’s going to be a long day. I’ll check in when I can, but don’t count on me for dinner.”
Until she could resolve the cheating issue, she would have to be at work.
Even if the mayor and his team listened to her input and let the hunt continue, she had a lot to do.
There were more clues to be placed throughout the city, checkpoints to set up, and updates to be given to the teams via the app, all in addition to her regular work.
Hilary could only imagine how irritated Ben would be at her message, but she didn’t have time to worry about it. She was already operating on fumes and needed to be at her sharpest to convince the mayor that nothing nefarious was going on.
She finished her breakfast and headed to City Hall.
“He’s waiting for you.” The receptionist at the front desk pointed to the mayor’s office.
Hilary knew the way. She’d spent plenty of time in his office.
The mayor had a way of making Hilary feel like she was back in school. The city government had been a bit of a boys’ club, and she was one of the first women making inroads. It wasn’t easy, but Hilary had no intention of giving up the fight or letting them win.
“Hilary, come in.” The mayor sat behind a large, dark walnut desk designed for intimidation.
He was in his late sixties and desperately trying to cling to his youth by wearing neon snowboarding gear like the twins’ friends wore on the mountain.
It was a known secret that the mayor had blown out a knee a decade ago and hadn’t skied since.
“Have a seat.” He locked his eyes on her, reflecting his need to control the situation.
She squared her shoulders and approached him with a confidence she didn’t fully own, but she wasn’t about to let him see that.
“Mr. Mayor, I’ve been reviewing every team’s account all night, and I can assure you that there isn’t even the slightest shred of evidence of any cheating.
I think the top teams got lucky. The scavenger hunt is designed for family fun.
These aren’t nuclear codes we’re asking teams to try and crack. ”
“Ha.” He cackled and reached for a pen. Before continuing, he scribbled something on a yellow legal pad.
“Listen, Hilary, I know you and your staff have put a lot of energy into this event, and the city appreciates it. We really do, but this is a grave matter that cannot be taken lightly or brushed off. Businesses have donated their hard-earned cash for the prize money. I like to think of myself as the city’s father, and at this moment, I’m a very concerned parent.
You will face potentially damaging lawsuits if you let Passport to the Holidays continue. ”
The city’s father? Ewww.
Hilary didn’t need a “dad lecture” from the mayor.
“I’m not brushing it off.” Hilary leaned forward to hand him the paperwork she’d brought with her. “I assure you, we’re taking this very seriously, but as I said, there’s absolutely nothing to indicate that any of the teams are cheating or that there’s been involvement with my staff.”
He didn’t even bother to look at the documents. “That’s not what I’ve been told. I’ve been informed that you have a mole.”
“A mole?” Hilary wanted to pinch herself. Was this a weird dream? This was wild. The joke about Bend was that it was a mountain town with a drinking problem. Its laid-back lifestyle attracted outdoor lovers and adventure seekers. Yet the mayor was talking about moles?
“Someone on your staff is intentionally feeding teams information to give them a leg up in the competition.” He tapped the tip of his pen on the notebook.
“Where are you getting this?” Hilary could hear how incredulous her tone sounded, but she didn’t care. The mayor was acting like this was some kind of government conspiracy.
He tossed his pen on his desk and gave Hilary a challenging stare. “I have my sources.”
Sources?
“Okay, I’m not sure what else you want from my end.” Hilary shifted in her seat, squaring her shoulders and meeting his eye. “I’ve personally reviewed each team’s progress thus far. I’ve looked at every message sent through the app. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Like I said last night, we must shut it down.” He folded his arms across his chest.
“With all due respect, Mr. Mayor, we can’t do that.
It will be a PR nightmare. Do you know how much we’ve spent promoting Passport to the Holidays?
We have visitors who booked hotels and Airbnbs months in advance.
Every member of the Chamber of Commerce has been advertising the event.
This is a huge influx of cash for our local economy.
We can’t cancel the hunt.” Hilary tried to stop her knee from bouncing.
She could feel the floor rattling under her feet.
“I take full responsibility. The first clue was too easy. We’ll rectify that for next year, and I’m having a staff meeting later this morning to review the rest of the clues and activities.
We’ll make sure that none of them are too easy or obvious.
If you’d like, I’d be happy to send them to your staff for another set of eyes, too. ”
“I appreciate the gesture, but I stand firm that the hunt needs to be called off.” He leaned against his chair and narrowed his eyes as if waiting for Hilary to contradict him.
“It’s not your call, though.” Hilary hoped their conversation wouldn’t come to this, but she wouldn’t be bullied either. “This is a Chamber of Commerce event. We’re funding it along with Bend’s small business community.”
“In my city.”
Hilary couldn’t stop herself from scowling. His city?
She knew he had an ego, but she hadn’t realized it was so inflated.
He’d been in office for as long as she could remember.
Hilary had heard rumors from staff that he had been challenging to work with in the past, but until now, she’d never had an issue with him.
She was fine to let him lead parades and cut ceremonial ribbons.
This was different. There was something else going on. She was sure of it, but the question was, what?
“I’ll gladly send over the lineup of events, activities, and clues once my staff has had a chance to review them.” Hilary stood. She was done with this conversation.
“I hope you’re right about this,” the mayor warned. “Fifty thousand dollars isn’t pocket change. If my office proves there’s cheating or your staff is involved, I’ll have no choice but to recommend that the Chamber remove you immediately.”
“Noted.” Hilary left him with a curt nod and power-walked outside.
The frosty air matched her mood. She had come to the meeting in good faith but was now ready to fight.
She didn’t know what his angle was, but she was convinced he had an ulterior motive for canceling Passport to the Holidays.
She was pretty sure it was her. He wanted to control her like he controlled everything else in town, and she wouldn’t let that happen.