“That seems fair.” Duncan nodded around at the group. “Does everyone agree that seems fair?”
“I’m staying.” Ruth’s eyes were distant. “I want to stay to the end. I’m not letting this change things for me.”
Richard cast Ruth a look that was almost menacing. “To hell with that.” He turned back to Brother Sage. “This whole farce stops right here. We came here in good faith in the expectation that if we got to the end, we’d get our full amount of money. Well, you guys failed to keep us safe. One of us is dead. We’re in danger of another one of us getting killed. Therefore, the right thing to do is to end the program now and give us the full amount.”
Brother Sage pulled his thin lips in tight and small. “I’m afraid we’re not going to be able to do that. It’s not a reasonable thing to ask.”
“Why not?” Cormack pressed. “Richard’s right, as much as I hate to admit that. You know, the first morning that we were here, Richard told us that the reason everyone doesn’t get through to the end is because you’d have to pay out too much money. Sending people off the island is just an artificial bit of gobshite. Well, circumstances have changed, and we should be compensated.”
“Our budget is our budget, I’m afraid.” Sister Rose’s voice weakened under the glare of Richard and Cormack. “We’re involved in lots of charity work. We don’t have any additional funds allocated for this.”
“Then maybe we should go by need,” said Duncan. “Some of us require those funds more than others. If we all state our situation, maybe we’ll get somewhere with this. I’ll go first. My alcoholism cost me my job and my house. And then my wife told me she wants a divorce. My kids don’t even want to know me anymore. I deserve a new start.”
Cormack shot a questioning look at Richard. “You go next. C’mon, fat cat, ‘fess up, then. You don’t need the money.”
“We’re not going by need,” Richard retorted. “That wasn’t the deal we were offered. Who the hell here is going to start listening to Duncan? He’s background noise at best.”
Cormack grabbed Richard’s shoulder. “You claimed you were here for the treatment. Not the money. Well, the treatment’s done with. And you don’t need any of the money. Do the right thing and leave it for the people who need it. Tell them. Tell everyone how much money Richy Rich is making.”
Poppy moved in between Cormack and Richard, her eyes wet and reddened. “He doesn’t have to tell anyone anything.”
Richard’s shoulders slackened under Cormack’s grasp. “I’m not Richy Rich. The mentors know exactly what I am. When they—”
“You don’t have to tell anyone your background, Richard,” Sister Rose cautioned.
Richard’s features twisted. “No, it’s time I told the damned truth. When Sister Rose found me, I was living in the water channels under Las Vegas. Surviving on garbage scraps. In case you don’t know, there’s a system of rat-filled drains underneath Vegas that are taller than your head. A ton of people call them home.”
Poppy’s eyes filled with fresh tears. “You lived in a drain, baby chin?”
Nodding, Richard chewed on his lip. “Doesn’t rain much in Vegas, so you’re usually okay. But when it rains hard, you get flooded. All your stuff gets washed away. Sometimes people don’t wake up in time or they’re too drugged up to stand. They get washed away, too, and they drown. I saw quite a few dead bodies down there.”
Cormack dropped his hand from Richard’s shoulder but not without giving him a sceptical look. “So, what’s with the high-roller stories?”
“Force of habit.” Richard looked away. “I’ve been drip feeding my parents fake stories about myself for over two years.”
“Maybe it’s time to come clean with them?” suggested Poppy. “Maybe they’d give you some help?”
Richard snorted. “I might not be rich, but my parents are loaded. My father threatened to cut me out of my inheritance if I don’t follow the script. My older brothers are both hot-shot lawyers, and it was expected that I’d become the same. Me pretending to be some kind of wealthy entrepreneur isn’t making him happy, but at least it’s been holding him off. But once this whole monastery thing hits TV screens across America, it’s all over.”
Ruth crossed her arms tightly. “Okay, enough of these true-life confessions. No one cares. Brother Sage, nobody except for us and you mentors know about the program. Why don’t us challenge participants leave the island while the police are here and then return later? You could just say that Saul requested to come here on retreat or something. This way, we don’t tarnish a dead man’s name. He has a family who don’t know about his addictions.”