She edged along the deck wall, keeping under the overhang where the footing was more sure. Although even there it was slippery. It was snowing from every direction. The Adirondack chairs, the firepits, the grill—all of it was covered in a thick blanket of white. Near the far edge of the deck, down on the lower level, the hot tub was bubbling uncovered, eating as much snow as it could. She tried to figure out where he was, but the wind gusts kept blowing snow in her face every time she turned to look in a new direction.

She spotted him. Near the far edge he was leaning back against the railing, waiting for her. The wind howled and whined as she made her way over. He didn’t say anything, only stared with hatred.

“How much do you want?” Claudine asked.

“How much what?”

“Money.”

The bartender laughed.

“That’s the only thing you people think about, isn’t it?” he said. “I don’t want your money.”

“What do you want?”

“Confirmation. The truth, and I’d say I got it.”

Claudine moved her hand slightly so she could feel the tip of the dagger pressed against the soft inside skin of her arm. The pinch from the blade sending another shock through her body.

“Coming into tonight, I still had some doubt,” he said. “She told me your names. In the letter. It had to be you. I questioned if tonight would work. Doubted I could stand there in front of you both and pretend like I was just some regular bartender. Follow your directions for twenty dollars an hour. Pour your drinks and smile. I didn’t know how long I’d last. Thought you’d find something suspicious even before the gift was opened. There were too many variables.”

“What in the hell are you talking about?” Claudine shouted at him through the snow.

“It could have unfolded so many ways. If it was picked much later in the game. Or not at all. There was even a chance it could have been the extra gift on the table. Maybe it wouldn’t have been opened. This has been in the works. I heard about your office party game; hell, the whole town has. But it took me a couple years to figure out properly how to pull this off.”

He boldly took a step toward her.

“You should have seen your face when that girl opened it. There were times when I thought about confronting you straight up. Coming to your office or stopping you on the street. But it definitely wouldn’t have been as sweet as that look. As your face. No, this was the only way. What was it like? Have you ever felt a paranoia that deep? That’s what my mother felt every day of her short life after what you did. Knowing that you walked the same streets.”

“Your mother? Who was your mother?”