Page 108 of No Escape

“Maybe it’s a reference to another address, or perhaps a location in Rome?” Juliette asked.

“R and R could mean rest and recreation, or rest and relaxation,” Dad said. “Just throwing it out there.”

“My guess is that it’s a person or persons,” Father Armando said. “Maybe R and R are the names we have to give the gamemaster. Or maybe it’s the name of a business.”

“What about the 753?” I asked. “Is there any significance to that number?”

Alessa smacked her head. “Yes, of course. Why didn’t I think of it before? Seven fifty-three is the year Rome was founded. I saw it etched somewhere during one of the challenges.”

“Yes, I remember it,” Gio said. “We were here, in this room, looking at—”

“This statue,” Juliette interjected. She pointed at the base of the statue with the wolf suckling the two babies. “The number is etched here in Roman numerals—DCCLIII, or 753.”

“Si, when we first saw this statue, Vittoria reminded me this is a replica of the famous statue the Lupa Capitolina,” Gio said.

“Who are those babies?” I asked.

“Romulus and Remus,” Juliette replied. “The founders of Rome. Could that be the R and R we’re looking for? The two names we need?”

For a moment we all stared at Juliette, openmouthed. Then Slash swept his mother off the floor and gave her two kisses on the cheek. “Si, that’s it, Mama, the two names. It was in front of us the entire the time.”

“Yes,” I said, everything clicking into place. “Thosearethe names we need to give the gamemaster. After all, he said it was possible to solve this escape room without having solved any of the other challenges, and he was right. He gave us major clues with every challenge. The twins in the fountain in the garden maze, the identical pair of fishes painted on the side in the pool, and this statue of the twins in the map room.”

“Don’t forget the identical columns at the entrance to the garden maze,” Dad added. “Your mom noticed that right at the beginning of the challenge.”

“Yes, and the twin Atlas statues holding up the table in the game room, as well as the twin men holding up the table in the planetarium,” Alessa said. “Could it have been a red herring to get us to think the twins might have been Castor and Pollux?”

“I don’t think so,” Father Armando replied. “Castor and Pollux were Greek. I expect we were supposed to recognize that, although we didn’t. Thetwinswere the point the gamemaster was making. Everything else about the castle and the challenges focused exclusively on Italy and Rome.”

“If we’d recognized the macro picture of the challenges and recognized the emphasis on Roman history, sculpture, and twins, I suspect we might have come to the conclusion it was Romulus and Remus without having to solve a single puzzle,” Slash said. “The gamemaster was right in his assertion. Impressive.”

“So, you mean, the answer has been hiding in plain sight?” Gio asked. “Right in front of us, and we just didn’t put the pieces together?”

“If we’d solved it too early, Gio, we would have missed out on all the fun,” my dad said, clapping him on the shoulder. “And what an adventure it’s been.”

“It certainly has.” Slash grinned and put an arm around me, kissing the top of my head. “Come on, everyone. Let’s go get dressed and give the gamemaster our final answer. I think our work is done here.”

Chapter Fifty-Two

Lexi Carmichael

“Are you ready,cara?”

I really wished he wouldn’t ask me that question before a party. Ever. It wouldn’t matter how many years would pass, I’dneverbe ready to go to a party, at least not socially or emotionally. But at least tonight I was dressed, and that was half the battle. Besides, there was the Italian food to look forward to, so there was that.

Taking a deep breath, I tucked my long brown hair behind my ears and smoothed the waist of the formfitting, floor-length, sequined gold gown. The best part of the dress was the science behind the way the sequins caught the light and sparkled, no matter which way I turned. I knew that the glint and flash were due to specular reflection, a mirrorlike reflection of light waves off a surface. No matter which way I moved, the relative angles of the sequins would change with my motion, resulting in flashes of light. That part was pretty cool.

“Are you sure I look okay?” I asked.

Slash slowly walked around me in a circle, finishing up by wrapping his arms around my waist from the back. “Bellissimo.That gown is gorgeous, those earrings are perfect, and the shoes are a nice touch. It all came together nicely.”

“Because you made the perfect suggestions.”

“Only because you asked for help.”

It was more like I’dbeggedhim for help. Thank God he didn’t mind helping me pick out dresses and outfits that would look good on me, be comfortable, and yet were totally appropriate for the occasion. Fashion was so subjective with too many variables, and I often got overwhelmed. I used to buy whatever was on sale for work, but I found myself enjoying how Slash patiently explained each fashion option and why he thought it would suit me. In the end, he made suggestions and let me make the final decision. That sensible approach to fashion worked for me, and, to my surprise, I was learning to understand what suited me best in terms of style and comfort.

“Now, let’s relax and enjoy our final evening in this extraordinary castle,” he said.

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