A gentle rain falls in the cemetery, and the sky is getting dark.

Looking back, I think I did you wrong by following my assumption that you would have the Rushmore version of my idol.  That assumption certainly closed the door on anything I might have considered about working with you long term.  But I can't say it was a mistake for me to get you out when I did either.  We had a good alliance going with Writer and Royal, and maybe if there had been a second vote on Grover Cleveland we could have built on that further (although there's a large possibility I would have tried to blindside you there instead.)  But coming into the merge I was connected to almost everyone in some form or fashion and I had to figure out how I could untangle all those interconnections by peeling back the outermost layers in a way that didn't disturb the inner layers.  Letting you go was the first step in that process.  I had other alliances involving Writer and Royal and I could gently push them to let you go too because of those.  I had more interconnections with almost everyone else, so you were really in a tough spot to pick a target that round because I couldn't abide the easier targets you went for.  There was really only one other person in the merge that you could have targeted and I would have considered siding with you, which was Duke, but he had his own alliance network that would have likely made it impossible to get him out there anyway.

I really appreciate how aggressively you came to play the game.  Taking the mutiny over to Ivanhoe and going for the throat of the majority took some serious backbone.  Even though it didn't work just the gumption to try it impressed me.  But I maintain that it was a mistake for you to use your Double Vote there, and a bigger mistake that you publicized Writer's part in you coming to possess it.  Even bigger still was the fact that you went against what he wanted in the vote that round.  Exposing him but not supporting him ended up putting him on the block too and it's no wonder he was the next person voted out after you.  I think your indelicacy with privileged information there is the biggest thing that made me wary of really working with you.  I saw how badly you had damaged Writer's position even though Writer was always very careful about his secrets.  It was bad enough that I was in danger of losing one of my closest allies because you had undermined him, I couldn't put myself in a position where I'd be directly undermined by you too.

TBH I think I might just publicly announce I'm going to play an idol and let them squirm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uc-mP4yQC4

Congratulations to the Hon. Peter Whitman, Mayor of Ponderosa

The chapter in which Richie starts brainstorming how to get Peter blindsided before he tells anyone anything about the Heist or the existence of the Idol

Ah, the honeymoon phase.  Getting to know everybody.  I'm having pleasant conversations with most people.  I haven't played in a while but I am really excited to be here.  I absolutely adore this theme.

I look forward to chatting with you lovely spectators as well!

Your friend,
Richie