boundaries.”
“Okay, I have a feeling we’re not talking about the puppy anymore.”
“I’m talking about Colin. Has he shown up for work yet?”
I shook my head no.
“That man needs to be fired.”
“But he’s worked for Papa for years,” I said. “How can I fire him?”
“Easy, you hire someone else. Someone who actually shows up and does work.”
I frowned and cuddled the pup, who decided she was going to sleep. “So I have two handymen?”
“No, you fire Colin when he comes in to work, if he comes in to work.” She took the dog out of my hands and gave me a stern look. “The lobby bathroom fixtures are leaking again. The windows in room 206 are stuck and that’s only the beginning.”
I blew out a hard breath. “You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. Call the newspaper and put in a classified. I’ll take the pup and find you a dog crate that’s the right size.”
“Fine.” I picked up my phone and remembered the fire escape. “Frances . . .”
“Yes?” She studied me through her thick glasses. They were round plastic frames that reminded me of that old cartoon character Mr. Magoo.
“Is there a reason the fire escape is so well oiled?”
Frances drew her brows together. “Maybe Liam told Colin to oil it so that it would be safe for you on the third floor.”
“Do you really think that Colin would oil the fire escape but not fix stuck windows or leaky faucets?” I had to ask her. It bothered me that it was so easy to climb up on the back balconies of the McMurphy.
“Now that you say it like that, I suppose the answer is no. Perhaps Liam did it?”
“Can you see Papa climbing the fire escape with a WD-40 can?”
“No, not this last year.”
“It’s a mystery.”
“Are you thinking that’s how Joe Jessop got into the McMurphy?” She cuddled the sleeping dog against her chest.
“I don’t know, but I think it bears looking into.” I moved up the stairs. First stop was the second-floor back door. The floor was deathly quiet. My footfalls were muffled by the dreadful carpet. The plaster on the ceiling mocked me. Benny said it could not safely be painted. My best bet was to bring in a plasterer and redo all the ceilings. I shuddered at the thought of how much that would cost.
Truth be told, the money Papa had left me disappeared at an alarming rate. If I didn’t get customers in here soon I’d be more than broke. I’d be penniless in a falling-down money pit.
I checked the back door. It was properly locked. I unlocked it and stuck my head out. The fire-escape ladder was still up from when Mr. Beecher and I put it up the night before. I probably ought to have Colin or his replacement tie the ladder so that it wouldn’t be so easy to scale.
I checked the doorjam. It looked a bit rough, as if someone had tried and failed to punch it open. The thought made my skin crawl. What if whoever murdered Joe had tried to come in through the fire escape? What if they had tried on the third-floor apartments?
The fact that it could have been me dead in the second-floor utility closet had not gone without notice. I tried to push the thought away, but it suddenly overwhelmed me. I braced myself on the locked door. I didn’t want to die. I had only begun to lay the foundation to live.
My cell phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket and did my best to stand up straight. “Hello?”
“Allie, it’s Frances. Officer Manning is here and he has a warrant to check your apartment.”
“What?” I took off toward the stairs.
“You have to stop him. He’s coming up. I’ll call my cousin.” The phone went dead in my hand as I strode to the stairs. I caught him on the landing. The man could rock a uniform.
“Hello,” I said. “Frances tells me you have a warrant?”
“Yes, I have a warrant to search the entire building—that includes your apartment.” His blue gaze was sympathetic. “I will need you to unlock all the rooms and let me in upstairs.”
“Wait.”
“Okay, I have a feeling we’re not talking about the puppy anymore.”
“I’m talking about Colin. Has he shown up for work yet?”
I shook my head no.
“That man needs to be fired.”
“But he’s worked for Papa for years,” I said. “How can I fire him?”
“Easy, you hire someone else. Someone who actually shows up and does work.”
I frowned and cuddled the pup, who decided she was going to sleep. “So I have two handymen?”
“No, you fire Colin when he comes in to work, if he comes in to work.” She took the dog out of my hands and gave me a stern look. “The lobby bathroom fixtures are leaking again. The windows in room 206 are stuck and that’s only the beginning.”
I blew out a hard breath. “You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. Call the newspaper and put in a classified. I’ll take the pup and find you a dog crate that’s the right size.”
“Fine.” I picked up my phone and remembered the fire escape. “Frances . . .”
“Yes?” She studied me through her thick glasses. They were round plastic frames that reminded me of that old cartoon character Mr. Magoo.
“Is there a reason the fire escape is so well oiled?”
Frances drew her brows together. “Maybe Liam told Colin to oil it so that it would be safe for you on the third floor.”
“Do you really think that Colin would oil the fire escape but not fix stuck windows or leaky faucets?” I had to ask her. It bothered me that it was so easy to climb up on the back balconies of the McMurphy.
“Now that you say it like that, I suppose the answer is no. Perhaps Liam did it?”
“Can you see Papa climbing the fire escape with a WD-40 can?”
“No, not this last year.”
“It’s a mystery.”
“Are you thinking that’s how Joe Jessop got into the McMurphy?” She cuddled the sleeping dog against her chest.
“I don’t know, but I think it bears looking into.” I moved up the stairs. First stop was the second-floor back door. The floor was deathly quiet. My footfalls were muffled by the dreadful carpet. The plaster on the ceiling mocked me. Benny said it could not safely be painted. My best bet was to bring in a plasterer and redo all the ceilings. I shuddered at the thought of how much that would cost.
Truth be told, the money Papa had left me disappeared at an alarming rate. If I didn’t get customers in here soon I’d be more than broke. I’d be penniless in a falling-down money pit.
I checked the back door. It was properly locked. I unlocked it and stuck my head out. The fire-escape ladder was still up from when Mr. Beecher and I put it up the night before. I probably ought to have Colin or his replacement tie the ladder so that it wouldn’t be so easy to scale.
I checked the doorjam. It looked a bit rough, as if someone had tried and failed to punch it open. The thought made my skin crawl. What if whoever murdered Joe had tried to come in through the fire escape? What if they had tried on the third-floor apartments?
The fact that it could have been me dead in the second-floor utility closet had not gone without notice. I tried to push the thought away, but it suddenly overwhelmed me. I braced myself on the locked door. I didn’t want to die. I had only begun to lay the foundation to live.
My cell phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket and did my best to stand up straight. “Hello?”
“Allie, it’s Frances. Officer Manning is here and he has a warrant to check your apartment.”
“What?” I took off toward the stairs.
“You have to stop him. He’s coming up. I’ll call my cousin.” The phone went dead in my hand as I strode to the stairs. I caught him on the landing. The man could rock a uniform.
“Hello,” I said. “Frances tells me you have a warrant?”
“Yes, I have a warrant to search the entire building—that includes your apartment.” His blue gaze was sympathetic. “I will need you to unlock all the rooms and let me in upstairs.”
“Wait.”
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