No Escape by Julie Moffett
Chapter Fifty-Three
Lexi Carmichael
We looked toward the dining room door, the kitchen, and then at Lorenzo, waiting for Zachetti’s entrance, but no one entered. Puzzled, we shifted uneasily on our feet until Slash abruptly crossed the room and thrust out his hand.
“Mr. Zachetti, it’s an honor to officially meet you.”
Brando clasped Slash’s hand, shaking it. “I assure you, young man, the pleasure is all mine. Please call me Dante.”
Wait, what? Brando Porizio, the gamemaster, is Dante Zachetti himself?
There was a lot of murmuring in the room before Dante spoke again. “I apologize for the deception. I wanted a firsthand look at the family who decided to take on challenges that no one in the world, to date, had been able to solve. You, all of you, far exceeded my expectations in every way. The data you provided with your unique approaches and creative thinking to solving the puzzles has proven invaluable to me.”
I looked up at the portrait of a younger Dante Zachetti, wondering how I’d missed it. I could now see the resemblance, even though his hair was longer, thinner, and grayer, and he no longer had a beard. He’d completely fooled me, and the rest of us.
So, in a way, he’d won, too.
“You got me on that one,” I admitted. “I had no idea.”
“You disguised yourself as the gamemaster so you could personally watch us work our way through the rooms?” Dad asked, still in disbelief.
“Si,” Dante replied. “I’ll be honest with you. I sincerely did not believe you’d solve even one puzzle. Watching your minds work and how well you played to your strengths and creativity has inspired me.”
“Well, we do have a wide a range of complementary talents and skills,” Dad said. “A lawyer, computer and math experts, a military marksman, a priest, puzzle lovers, a nurse, a teacher, businessmen, and even a teenager. There’s more, but you get the idea.”
Dante dipped his head. “I do, indeed.” He nodded to Lorenzo, who disappeared out of the dining room without a word. “Now, I’m not the only the surprise guest at dinner tonight. Instead, we have a far more esteemed and distinguished guest with us. I’ve been informed that this guest considers himself a part of your family, as well. Please, welcome the Holy Father. Welcome to Castrum Augustus, Your Holiness.”
The pope strolled into the dining room without escort, dressed in his traditional white cassock with an attached pellegrina, or cape, which was embroidered with the papal coat of arms. A pectoral cross suspended from a golden cord hung around his neck, and he wore red shoes and a white skullcap. His eyes searched the room, lighting up when he saw Father Armando, Slash, and then me. A huge smile crossed his face.
Zachetti immediately went to one knee, but the pope urged him to rise, and the two men warmly shook hands. Slash knelt, too, kissing the pope’s ring before rising. The pope engulfed Slash in a warm hug, patting him on the back several times.
I glanced over at my mom, who looked shocked. Vittoria, Alessa, and Mia wore matching awestruck expressions. Mia and Juliette both knelt, and I gave a small curtsy.
The pope held out his hands, as if ready to bestow a blessing on us. “Please, I ask you not to engage in formalities with me tonight, as this is not an official event. I humbly wish to take my place among family, as that is who you are to me. I hope that you will indulge me tonight and treat me as one of your own.” He looked over at me. “Lexi, so good to see you again. How are you?”
I’d never seen my mom’s eyes go so wide as when he called me by my first name. She threw me a glance that clearly indicated I had some explaining to do. A stunned expression had also settled on Dad’s face as he looked between Slash, the pope, and me.
“I’m fine, thank you, Holy Father. It’s great to see you again.” Suddenly I wondered if he would make a comment mentioning how disappointed he was Slash and I got married in the rain forest, even though he knew we were having a church wedding in the spring. I paused, uncertain if I should say anything further or try to explain proactively.
He crooked his finger, urging me to come closer. When I stepped up next to him, he kissed me heartily on both cheeks and whispered conspiratorially in my ear. “I can’t wait to hear all about your rain forest adventure. Make some time this evening for us to chat.”
Relief swept through me, and I stepped back, nodding and giving him a thumbs-up.
“Well, now that His Holiness is here, I’d like to make an announcement,” Zachetti said. “In honor of his visit, and your outstanding—if not astonishing—performance on the challenges, I intend to make a substantial donation to the Catholic Church toward the founding of a brand-new orphanage to be built in Salerno, Italy, and named in honor of one of the church’s newest saints, Cristian Descantes.”
Everyone cheered and clapped enthusiastically, no one more than the pope. I noticed there had been no mention of a wager, but I saw the twinkle in the pope’s eyes as he glanced at me. I looked at Slash, and he smiled, taking my hand, and squeezing it gently. He hadn’t told his family that he’d identified his biological father yet, but I knew he was going to take the opportunity to do so while we were all here together. I thought Zachetti’s donation would be a perfect segue for that.
“As promised, the engaged couple will have free rein of my island, including my staff and my personal yacht for a period of ten days following their wedding.”
“Does that include special nocturnal visits to the Virgin Mary fountain?” I called out, grinning. Vittoria laughed, and Gio threw a napkin at me and promptly got scolded by his mother for it.
“What about the beehives?” Oscar added, and it was my turn to laugh and cover my face with my hands.
“I strongly encourage caution unless you’re with an experienced apiarist,” I warned, wagging a finger.
“The entire island belongs to the couple for those days,” Dante assured us. “Carlo, your chef, will prepare your favorite meals and exotic desserts. All expenses will be paid, and a generous stipend will be yours to keep. Let us lift our glasses to the happy couple. Congratulations!”
We leaped to our feet, lifted our glasses, and cheered our approval. After a moment, Dante indicated we should sit.
“Please, sit down and enjoy your meal,” Dante said.
Even though the pope had told us not to engage in any formalities, no one else sat until he had. Dante took the place to the pope’s right, while Slash sat to his left. I took the chair next to Slash, and my mom sat on the other side of me. We bowed our heads while the pope blessed our meal.
Even Ciro and Chiara looked awestruck to be in the presence of the pope. During the prayer, I peeked and caught them whispering by the kitchen door. Shortly thereafter, they served us the first course of the dinner, a rich tomato and bread soup. I was just glad it wasn’t spicy so I wouldn’t end up on the veranda with Oscar again.
“Lexi, you didn’t tell me you knew the pope,” my mom said between bites of soup. “How could such a detail slip your mind?”
“I told you I met him,” I protested.
“Met him, not knew him,” Mom said. “There’s a big difference, you know.”
“Well, I don’t really know him,” I said. “Although he did give me a necklace.”
“The pope gave you a necklace and you never bothered to mention this to me?”
“It’s a cross. Probably hopeful thinking on his part.”
To my surprise, my mom laughed. “You must tell me all about it, young lady. What other secrets are you hiding from me?”
I thought for a moment, accepting her question at face value. “Slash and I are honorary citizens of Salerno. Although Slash complains he’s yet to receive a hotel discount.”
Mom set her spoon down and reached over to pat my hand. “We need to have a girls’ night out before your wedding so you can catch me up on everything. And I mean everything.”
I set my wineglass down carefully. “What exactly does a girls’ night with you entail?”
“Whatever we want,” Mom said, waving a hand. “As long as we have fun. And now you know we can have fun together, right?”
She had a legitimate point. The prospect of spending time with my mom didn’t terrify me as much as it might have just a week ago. “Deal. As long as we set the parameters in advance.”
“Great,” Mom said, smiling and lifting her wineglass to me in a toast. “To a girls’ night out.”
“Okay, but before we make any more girl dates, I want to personally introduce you to someone. Come on.”
Mom’s eyes widened, but she stood up and followed me to where the pope sat chatting with Stefan and Juliette. When the pope saw me coming, he pushed back his chair and stood.
I immediately bent to one knee, so my mom tried to do the same—a bit awkwardly, since she was wearing a tight dress.
“What did I tell you about forgoing formalities for tonight?” he scolded me. When I rose, he kissed both of my cheeks and put his hands on my shoulders, studying my face. “It’s such a joy to see you, my dear.”
“Likewise. Thank you, Holy Father. I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to my mother, Clarissa Carmichael.”
I would never forget this moment for as long as I lived. For the first time in my life, I witnessed my mother completely tongue-tied. She stammered something, so I smiled as I confidently and smoothly guided the conversation while she recovered. Gah! What had happened to me? Had I turned into my mother?
We chatted for a few more minutes, and my dad joined us, so I introduced him, too. We eventually returned to our seats, and my mom couldn’t stop talking about how exciting it had been.
“I’ve learned a lot about you these past few days, Lexi,” Mom said, placing her napkin on her lap. “You’re no longer my little girl. You’ve found your path in life, and it’s one in which you are exceedingly competent. You’ve changed from a shy, awkward girl into a confident, independent, and wildly successfully woman. Shame on me for not trusting your decisions.”
I hadn’t ever expected to hear those words from her, so it took me a moment before I could speak. “I don’t know anything about being a mom, but I imagine it’s pretty hard when you have an awkward little girl who would rather cite math theorems and tote around a laptop than dance ballet to the Nutcracker. You and Dad did good work. I guess I turned out okay.”
Mom put her hand over mine and smiled. “Better than okay. The best.”
For the rest of the evening, we feasted on beef braised in red wine, roasted artichokes, and thick, crusty bread, while the pope chatted easily with everyone. When the dishes were cleared and the limoncello, coffee, and dessert were served, Dante motioned to Lorenzo, who disappeared into the kitchen. He stood, clinking his glass to get our attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my sincere pleasure to have hosted you. As I’ve mentioned before, I had no expectation that you, a family gathered to celebrate the happy occasion of a wedding, would solve a single escape room, let alone every single one of the challenges. But you did, against all odds, and so, in addition to the all-expenses-paid honeymoon here on the island that I am offering Vittoria and Gio, I would like to present you each with a little memento to mark your time spent at Castrum Augustus.”
Lorenzo returned, carrying a basket. He set it on the table next to Dante and stepped back. Dante reached into the basket and held up a small black velvet pouch. “Each of you shall receive an authentic, ancient, two-headed Roman coin for participating in the challenges. The two-headed figure is not Romulus and Remus, but the god Janus. Still, I hope it will remind you of the secrets of the castle. Ladies, for you, the coins have been fashioned as a pendant to be worn around the neck. Men, you will receive a coin mounted on a money clip. Father Armando, you will receive a coin as well, but as it’s unlikely you’d wear jewelry with a pagan god on it or carry a money clip, I had your coin embedded into a block of Lucite that you can keep in your apartment or have on your desk. I hope that you all look back at your time spent here fondly.”
There was a smattering of applause, and Mia wiggled in her chair as Lorenzo, Ciro, and Chiara handed out the gifts to each of us. Lorenzo handed me my bag, and I opened it, admiring the coin pendant. Totally cool. It would be a lifelong treasured item for me.
Once everyone received their gift, Dante spoke again. “Now that you’ve successfully solved all the puzzles in the castle, I would ask a favor. Please refrain from speaking of your experience here, other than in general terms, to protect the secrets of the castle, the puzzles, and their solutions. This will give me the opportunity to invite others to try to solve them, but also to refine my technique and approach. Since you’ve been singularly and astonishingly successful at solving even my toughest challenges, I extend an offer to you. As I develop new and restructured escape rooms, I would like to invite you to return in the future to test out any new challenges I’ve come up with—all expenses paid, of course. As compensation for your puzzle expertise, I will offer you all the amenities of the island during that time as a getaway vacation.”
My dad immediately stood up. “Well, you can certainly count the Carmichael family in. What an absolute honor it’s been to participate in these challenges, all while meeting my daughter’s wonderful new family and…” he looked over at the pope “…friends.”
Gio also leaped to his feet. “You can count on us, too. This was the most fun I’ve had in years, maybe ever. We’d love to come back to Castrum Augustus. And grazie mille in advance for the honeymoon. I know that Vittoria and I will enjoy every minute of it.”
There was a lot of laughter and good-natured ribbing before Dante asked us if we had any questions about the puzzles.
“I have one,” I said. “These challenges all seemed to feature numbers. For example, 753, which was the founding of Rome, of course, but there were numbers on the golden discs. Were the numbers random or was there any particular significance to them?”
Dante beamed. “Excellent question. The numbers on the discs were clues themselves, although it was not necessary to understand them to solve the final challenge. Still, they were there if the players were to recognize them. The number on the gold disc from the maze in the garden was 509. Rome first became a republic in 509 BC. The disc in the gaming room had the number forty-five, which was the year Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon and defeated the Republic’s army, establishing himself as the emperor. Rome, under Nero, burned in 64 AD, the number on the pool’s disc. Hadrian’s Wall was finished in the year 121, which was the library’s disc number, and that year also marked the height of the Roman Empire. The disc from the room with the bull was 395 AD, which was when the Roman Empire split into the western and eastern empires with capitals in both Rome and Constantinople. Finally, the fall of the Roman Empire and the official start of the Dark Ages is widely considered to be 476 AD, which was the number on the disc in the blackout room.”
I shook my head. “Wow, so clever! We missed those clues.”
“And yet you didn’t need them,” Dante said. “Just more opportunities to point you in the right direction, which was Rome, its founding, and its two founders—Romulus and Remus. But perhaps you didn’t need those clues because the rest of the escape rooms were too easy.”
The immediate chorus of “no” that filled the dining room was loud and clear.
“I assure you, Mr. Zachetti, the challenges were plenty hard enough,” Stefan said. “As it was, we barely finished most of them, with luck playing somewhat of a role in at least one or two.”
Others chimed in with their points of view. I wasn’t sure they’d convinced him, but he didn’t press us on it any further. We finished our heavenly dessert, coffee, and wine and then stood around chatting with the pope, Father Armando, Dante Zachetti, and each other. At some point, my dad approached Slash and me. He put a friendly hand on Slash’s shoulder.
“Slash, I have to say, I truly appreciate the fact that since I’ve been in Italy, I haven’t been shot at once or had my life put in danger. Which is a good thing, since this trip started off on the wrong foot. So, hopefully things are looking up on the danger front.”
At that exact moment, a loud, sudden popping noise sounded from behind us. Without a shred of hesitation, my dad hit the floor, covering his head with his hands.
I looked over my shoulder and saw Gio holding a napkin over the top of a now-open champagne bottle. I bent down to tap my dad on the shoulder. “Relax, Dad. Gio was just opening the champagne.”
My dad looked up, removing his hands from his head. “Oh, well. Old habits die hard.”
We laughed as Slash stuck out a hand and helped him up. My mom joined us, and we talked for a bit more until Stefan and Gio came over.
“Excuse me, may we borrow our brother for a moment?” Gio asked. He wavered a bit on his feet and seemed tipsy.
“Sure,” I said, although I wasn’t sure why they had to ask my permission, or why I had to give it. Gio slung his arms around both his brothers as they staggered onto the veranda, talking rapidly in Italian.
“That’s one good-looking group of brothers,” Dad observed.
“No kidding,” I said.
Mom gave me a sly smile. “So, I guess that means I’m going to have good-looking grandchildren.”
“Mom!”
She laughed and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek. “It’s just too easy with you. I’m kidding. Let’s get through your wedding day first, okay?”
There was no way I going to argue with that.