Flowers in a Dumpster by Mark Allan Gunnells Page B

fitted with opaque glass, and a stunning chandelier hung down for at least two stories. Quite an impressive sight. Alec held up his cell phone and took a picture of it.
    He was interested to see what else Winnie Davis had to offer, but the grand tour would have to wait. He’d come here specifically to see the tower and he wanted to get up there right away.
    He started up the stairs, his footsteps echoing throughout the quiet building. He paused on the fourth floor, the last one before the tower. The skylight overhead reminded him of a scene from Titanic , although he doubted water would break through the glass and sink the building. He would file away that surreal image for later, along with the rest of the random sights and sounds, snatches of dialogue and dream fragments. All tools of his trade.
    Off the fourth floor rotunda was a narrow staircase, blocked off with a velvet rope. He assumed it led to the tower. Without giving it much thought, he unclipped one end of the rope and headed up the stairs. Halfway up, Alec noticed a trap door, which opened onto the tower, bolted with a massive padlock.
    Alec stopped and stared at the padlock, frowning at the sight. Why would the school lock up the tower? Was it being used for storage? Regardless, Alec knew he had to get up there. He would have to find the right person to—
    “Excuse me, do you need some help?”
    Alec started at the sound of the voice, nearly losing his balance. Putting a hand against the wall to steady himself, he looked down at an older gentleman with glasses standing in the doorway of an office. Alec recognized the face immediately.
    “Dr. Rob,” he said, making his way down the stairs.
    The older man frowned quizzically. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”
    “And here I thought I was unforgettable. You’re messing with my self-image.”
    “Well, you do look vaguely familiar. Were you a student of mine?”
    “About a million years ago. Alec, Alec Steven—”
    “Alec Stevenson!” Dr. Rob finished, stepping farther out of his office. “I’ll be damned, I haven’t seen you in . . . how long has it been?”
    “Well, I graduated in ’95.”
    “No. Can’t be.”
    “Afraid so.”
    “Well, how’ve you been?”
    Alec shook Dr. Rob’s proffered hand. “Can’t complain, you?”
    “Not bad. So what brings you back to Limestone?”
    “Just visiting some ghosts of the past. Checking out the new and improved Winnie Davis.”
    “She’s something, isn’t she? A real beauty. Want to see my new office?”
    “Sure,” Alec said, following his former professor inside. The large office was almost as impressive as the skylight, with an entire wall dedicated to bookshelves. “Wow, you have a lot of space here.”
    “Tell me about it,” Dr. Rob said, wearing a youthful grin. “And I have closets on either side that are almost as big as the office itself. It’s almost like having three offices, more than enough space to keep my hundreds of books.”
    “Yeah, I remember the office you had when I was a student, it was kind of a . . . ”
    “Book cave?”
    “I was going to say a ‘shithole’ but book cave works, too.”
    Dr. Rob dropped into the chair behind his desk. “I’m pretty happy with it. If it only had a window, it would be perfect.”
    “You’re moving up in the world, and it only took you, what? Three decades?”
    “Closer to four, I’ve been at Limestone since ’73.”
    “Man, that was the year before I was born.”
    Dr. Rob peered at Alec over his glasses. “It’s not nice to insult a fan.”
    “A fan, huh?”
    “Oh yes, I have all three of your novels.”
    “Really?” Alec said, turning to peruse the shelves.
    “Not here, I keep those at home.”
    “I see. I couldn’t help but notice you said you have all three of my novels, not that you’ve actually read them.”
    “I’ve read the first two, but I have to admit I haven’t gotten to the latest one yet.”
    “Well, if you listen to the critics, you’re not missing