Puzzle 3 Graceland 

“It must have been the Quizzical League!” Teddy says with gusto. The two of you are wandering in a relatively uncrowded part of the Graceland estate, but he’s still speaking awfully loud for a Puzzle Society agent on a mission. He goes on: “That figure in the hoodie we saw in Hollywood—if we’d been there even a few minutes later, the Quizzical League would have gotten it.”

“Maybe,” you say, noncommittal. “Maybe not.” After all, you think, if that person knew where the envelope was, why would they not have taken it for themselves?

Out of the corner of your eye, you spy a faint reflection of light on the underside of a guitar placed artfully in a plush armchair—a sliver of something metallic. Something extra that doesn’t belong.

“Wait here,” you tell Teddy as you stealthily jump the barrier into the Jungle Room. You’d been keeping close track of the flow of traffic as you came in. Like all things in your life, you’d been meticulous down to the letter. There shouldn’t be any security guards or other tourists for at least the next 45 seconds, which should be more than enough time to …

… You’ve just about made it to the guitar when there’s the sound of heavy-booted footsteps from behind you. You dive behind a shag ottoman, but your clothes are completely out of keeping with the room’s groovy aesthetic. Discovery is imminent.

Yet before the approacher spots you sticking out like a sore thumb, loud hacking erupts from the other side of the hall.

“Cough—cough,” wheezes Teddy. “I’m—cough—choking on a peanut butter and banana—cough—macaron.”

The footsteps redirect toward the sound of the patron in danger. Another 45 seconds later, you’ve grabbed the envelope and vaulted back into the approved area of the museum. Teddy’s waiting for you around the corner, having made a miraculous recovery after deflecting the guards.

“Thanks,” you say. If he hadn’t covered for you, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world. But it would have been awkward.

“All good,” he says back with a smile. The two of you open the envelope and gaze down at the contents.