The SVE Club

38. New Plans

    Sam sat perched on the sofa, uncomfortable and awkward. Midas hadn't been home, but she'd been let into the house (with a strange security system she'd never seen before) and led to a living room, where she was directed to sit across from the owner of the house. The man looked upon her from behind dark sunglasses, a smile reaching his lips but not his eyes.

    "Finn Pierce," the man said, extending his hand. Sam shook it politely. "And you are?"

    "Sam. Sam Wilson," she answered. "I go to school with-"

    "Ah, yes. I've heard a lot about you Miss Wilson," Pierce said.

    "From Midas?" Sam asked, not believing him.

    "Of course. He's my son. He tells me everything," Pierce said with a grin. "I assume you're looking for him?"

    "That's right. We're supposed to work on a class project," Sam half-lied.

    "Well, I can't say I know where Midas has gone off to, but I suspect he'll be home soon," Pierce said, glancing at his watch. "He's never out for long. So tell me about this school project. What subject is it for?" He stared at Sam somewhat intensely for the subject matter. His eyebrows were knitted together in an expression that Sam couldn't place. Who else had given her that strange look before?

    "It's for English," Sam said. "Some sort of PowerPoint. I wasn't paying attention; Midas knows all the details." She grimaced involuntarily. All of a sudden, she had a splitting headache.

    "Are you alright?" Pierce asked, noticing her expression.

    "It's nothing," Sam said, trying to ignore the pain. "Just a headache."

    "I can send for an aspirin," Pierce said. In that moment, the headache nearly disappeared.

    "No, no, that's alright," Sam said. "I'm already feeling better."

    Just then, a maid stepped into the room, nodding a greeting towards Sam. She watched Pierce expectantly, obviously waiting for an order.

    "Ah, Janice, be a dear and fetch Miss Wilson some aspirin water, would you?" Pierce said. "I would like a cold water for myself as well."

    Janice nodded and was turning to leave when she stopped in her tracks. She paused for a moment. Her eyes widened and she again turned to Pierce. "But sir-"

    Pierce smiled somewhat thinly. "That will be all, Janice."

    Janice averted her eyes and left the room. Sam stared in amazement after her. "How did she know to come so quickly?" she wondered out loud.

    "Janice has been working for me for a very long time," Pierce said simply. "You might say that it's as if she could read my mind."

    Sam nodded, thinking this over. Her headache had returned and she now looked forward to Janice's return. They sat in awkward silence for a moment, Sam praying that Midas would come soon.

    The silence was interrupted when Janice entered the room, carrying two glasses. She handed one to Sam, giving her a slight smile, before turning to give Pierce his drink.

    Pierce cleared his throat. "Janice, I think you've got our glasses switched around."

    Janice turned absolutely pale. "I'm sorry, sir," she muttered and she turned to fix her mistake. Before she left the room, she bent down to whisper something in Sam's ear, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Do not drink it," she hissed urgently. Sam nodded hesitantly and then Janice left.

Strange, Sam thought, peering into her glass. There seemed nothing out of the ordinary, but did she really want to risk it?