gritty streets into a New Year’s greeting card, and even Sigrid, who seldom paid much attention to nature, found herself caught up in the beauty of bare tree limbs etched in white against the dark brick or stone of the buildings.
Hentz nosed the car in as close to the curb as possible. Last night’s rain meant that ice had formed beneath the snow, but they managed to get to the sidewalk without falling, although Sigrid and Elaine Albee both grasped the nearest arms when their booted feet almost slipped out from under them. The front door was locked, and Sigrid was surprised by the elevator man, who opened the door for them in his neat brown uniform.
“Weren’t you on duty last night?”
There were shadows under Sidney Jackson’s almond-shaped eyes and his face seemed pale and tired beneath its faint golden skin. “The day man walked off the job this morning so I got called back in. I couldn’t believe it when Mrs. Wall told me Phil got killed last night.”
The elevator was small, but the six of them managed to squeeze in.
“Vlad—he’s a porter and he got called in, too. He says Denise flipped out and they took her to Bellevue. She gonna be okay? How’d Phil die anyhow? Somebody cut him?”
“Why do you say that?” Hentz asked.
“I’m back and forth to the sixth floor all night and I didn’t hear anybody say anything about a gunshot. Jani took over for me around eleven so I could get home before the snow got too deep, and he told Vlad the same thing. So what did happen?”
Ignoring his question, Sigrid asked, “Did you see Lundigren last night around ten?”
“No, but he would’ve used the back elevator or the back stairs.”
“How well did you know him?”
“Good as anybody, I guess. Friendly enough, but he doesn’t hang out with us. He’s a hard worker an’ he keeps at it. Building this old, something’s always breaking down and the boiler needs watching like a baby—that’s why they called Vlad in. He knows boilers. But Phil, he’s right on top of things. He’ll get on you bad if he thinks you’re slacking off or not being a good representative for the building.” He gestured over his shoulder to the open elevator car. “He makes us keep the cage polished and we can’t let stuff pile up in the corners because Denise, she vacuums it out every day.”
The detectives noted that nothing in Sidney Jackson’s words gave any indication that he knew the victim’s true sex.
“Mrs. Lundigren is on the payroll?” asked Lowry.
He shrugged. “She helps Phil out with stuff like that. She’s okay as long as you don’t talk to her. She wants you to act like you don’t know she’s there. She cleans for Mr. Lacour and Mrs. Wall, and that reminds me: Mrs. Wall said for me tell her when you get here.”
“Who’s she?” asked Hentz.
“Chair of the co-op board.” A loud buzz interrupted him. “Gotta go.”
“One minute,” said Sigrid. “Lowry, you and Albee go talk to this Mrs. Wall. See if Lundigren had a personnel file. You know what to look for.”
They nodded and stepped into the elevator. Sidney looked at the remaining three dubiously as he pulled the brass accordion gate closed. “What about you? You can’t get to the stairs without a key.”
Hentz jingled the key ring they’d taken off Lundigren’s body. “We’ll manage.”
Followed by Dinah Urbanska, he and Sigrid walked across the Arts and Crafts ceramic tile floor and turned a corner into a short hall that led to two doors. One was for the fire stairs. After three tries, Hentz found the key that unlocked it. Inside the stairwell was the service elevator. While one could exit from the stairwell without a key, the door could not be left unlocked for access from the lobby side. The elevator here was larger and more modern than the one out in the lobby and it appeared to be self-service when they rang for it. The doors opened automatically without a key. Like the stairwell, the floor of the car was spotless and
Hentz nosed the car in as close to the curb as possible. Last night’s rain meant that ice had formed beneath the snow, but they managed to get to the sidewalk without falling, although Sigrid and Elaine Albee both grasped the nearest arms when their booted feet almost slipped out from under them. The front door was locked, and Sigrid was surprised by the elevator man, who opened the door for them in his neat brown uniform.
“Weren’t you on duty last night?”
There were shadows under Sidney Jackson’s almond-shaped eyes and his face seemed pale and tired beneath its faint golden skin. “The day man walked off the job this morning so I got called back in. I couldn’t believe it when Mrs. Wall told me Phil got killed last night.”
The elevator was small, but the six of them managed to squeeze in.
“Vlad—he’s a porter and he got called in, too. He says Denise flipped out and they took her to Bellevue. She gonna be okay? How’d Phil die anyhow? Somebody cut him?”
“Why do you say that?” Hentz asked.
“I’m back and forth to the sixth floor all night and I didn’t hear anybody say anything about a gunshot. Jani took over for me around eleven so I could get home before the snow got too deep, and he told Vlad the same thing. So what did happen?”
Ignoring his question, Sigrid asked, “Did you see Lundigren last night around ten?”
“No, but he would’ve used the back elevator or the back stairs.”
“How well did you know him?”
“Good as anybody, I guess. Friendly enough, but he doesn’t hang out with us. He’s a hard worker an’ he keeps at it. Building this old, something’s always breaking down and the boiler needs watching like a baby—that’s why they called Vlad in. He knows boilers. But Phil, he’s right on top of things. He’ll get on you bad if he thinks you’re slacking off or not being a good representative for the building.” He gestured over his shoulder to the open elevator car. “He makes us keep the cage polished and we can’t let stuff pile up in the corners because Denise, she vacuums it out every day.”
The detectives noted that nothing in Sidney Jackson’s words gave any indication that he knew the victim’s true sex.
“Mrs. Lundigren is on the payroll?” asked Lowry.
He shrugged. “She helps Phil out with stuff like that. She’s okay as long as you don’t talk to her. She wants you to act like you don’t know she’s there. She cleans for Mr. Lacour and Mrs. Wall, and that reminds me: Mrs. Wall said for me tell her when you get here.”
“Who’s she?” asked Hentz.
“Chair of the co-op board.” A loud buzz interrupted him. “Gotta go.”
“One minute,” said Sigrid. “Lowry, you and Albee go talk to this Mrs. Wall. See if Lundigren had a personnel file. You know what to look for.”
They nodded and stepped into the elevator. Sidney looked at the remaining three dubiously as he pulled the brass accordion gate closed. “What about you? You can’t get to the stairs without a key.”
Hentz jingled the key ring they’d taken off Lundigren’s body. “We’ll manage.”
Followed by Dinah Urbanska, he and Sigrid walked across the Arts and Crafts ceramic tile floor and turned a corner into a short hall that led to two doors. One was for the fire stairs. After three tries, Hentz found the key that unlocked it. Inside the stairwell was the service elevator. While one could exit from the stairwell without a key, the door could not be left unlocked for access from the lobby side. The elevator here was larger and more modern than the one out in the lobby and it appeared to be self-service when they rang for it. The doors opened automatically without a key. Like the stairwell, the floor of the car was spotless and
Similar Books
