Brooklyn Graves by Triss Stein

concerned about the other windows and are testing them for safety.” She swallowed hard and ended, “I am sorry not to oblige Thomas, but that is all. No access until the work is done.”
    â€œWhen will that be?”
    â€œWe do not know. These kinds of things are unpredictable “
    I remembered my visit to the stained-glass studio and had an idea. “That missing window? Is it somewhere we could see it? Is it here? Or a local studio? Even is if is down, we could get a look, see what Dr. Flint needs? It would only take a minute.”
    She stood up quickly. “That is impossible. And I must ask you to leave now. I already have another meeting scheduled for right now. “
    We had no choice but to stand ourselves. Ryan surprised me again. He looked right at her and said, “I still don’t see why someone couldn’t escort us into the mausoleum. We only need a few minutes.” His eyes darted nervously, but he held his ground. I guessed he was more afraid of Flint than of Dr. Reade.
    I brought up reinforcements. “We could pass-on your helpfulness to Dr. Flint and he would certainly thank you and any boss you’d care to name.” I smiled, I hope reassuringly.
    â€œImpossible to both requests.” She was shooing us toward her door. With a final smile as fake as any I have ever seen, her last words were, “I am truly sorry.”
    We founds ourselves in the corridor, Dr. Reade’s door firmly closed behind us. We walked and talked.
    â€œI don’t get it. And I don’t know what to tell Dr. Flint. He’s, uh, kind of used to getting what he wants.”
    â€œVery strange. Very. I have no idea what’s next. He’ll just have to manage his speech without those details. Do you think they were actually that important?”
    â€œDoubt it. He is a fussbudget, just like the lady said.” Ryan’s voice and expression were equally gloomy. “But he will have a fit.”
    â€œStop.” I looked up and saw that we were in a strange corridor, nowhere near the lobby as we had intended to be. “We are lost! There’s an exit arrow up ahead.”
    We turned, followed the sign, realizing that the building was a circle plan around a small garden and we had gone the long way around. We passed offices relating to the cemetery business, and then offices relating to the historic landmark function. Something that looked like an archive, with steel shelves and acid-free storage boxes. I certainly knew those. And another that was filled with metal files, color-coded. A door that said, Chaplain, a sign pointing to Chapel. Another to Maintenance Services. At last we found ourselves pointed toward the lobby.

Chapter Seven
    â€œHey!”
    Someone in the parking lot was calling me. He came closer, talking as he came. I recognized him as the annoying young man in the gift shop.
    â€œI see you going all over here. You went into the admin building, and I saw you the other day with some of the bigwigs. I couldn’t get a thing from that kid in the shop, but you must know something.”
    â€œI know lots of things.” His attitude brought out the smart aleck in me. “I don’t know that any would interest you.”
    I looked around for Ryan. He was absorbed in his cell phone.
    â€œAw, come on! I’m just trying to find out what happened here, and I bet you do so know. You look very connected. And people have a right to be informed.”
    Me? Connected? Oh, sure. I almost laughed, but now I was curious myself.
    â€œOh? How do you think I can help you? “
    â€œSomething happened here. They’re trying to keep it quiet, but I know there was something late at night. Why don’t you just tell me what the story is?”
    â€œYou were harassing that nice young woman in the shop, weren’t you? I saw you with her the other day, too.”
    â€œWhat, harassing? I was just doing my job, asking questions. I was