nineteen

I stopped breathing. Adrenaline coursed through my bloodstream. This was the very last thing I’d expected. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to adjust to the dark, afraid to call out. No one, including me, was supposed to be here. I hadn’t heard any sound when I was rummaging in the various offices. I did my best to quell my fear and tried to take a quiet breath. Feeling the edge of the desk, I inched my way toward the door to the corridor in hopes of reaching the elevator.

There was a rush of air, and a painful blow hit my side. I fell and felt the rough carpeting against my cheek. Clambering to my knees. I couldn’t see a thing, but whoever had hit me was still in the room. I pressed my hands against the floor, getting ready to sprint for the elevators. I heard breathing but wasn’t sure it wasn’t my own ragged breath. I moved quickly toward where I was sure the door was, but I hit the wall. Reaching out, I felt for the door jamb. The door was shut. I’d left it open.

A piercing alarm began to sound. A loud intermittent buzzing from the elevator. Had one of the guards realized the freight elevator was no longer on a lower level? I grasped the knob and pulled the door open. I lunged into the dark hallway and ran past the bank of three elevators to the freight elevator, where I grabbed for my purse and half fell inside. I pushed the red button in and jammed my finger into the B-level button, praying the doors would close quickly and take me to safety. I heard a low growl that made my blood run cold. I braced myself for another onslaught in case my assailant leapt out of the dark. It was only a few seconds, but it felt more like minutes before the doors closed. As the elevator picked up speed heading down, I wiped perspiration from my forehead. The lighted buttons flashed through each floor … 39 … 31 … 28 … 21 and finally A … The elevator stopped on A level.

Two security guards stood poised in front of the open door. One man’s hand was placed inside his jacket. I didn’t want to think what he was holding. I did my best to wipe the panicked look off my face, but I was still reeling from the blow to my ribs. I took a deep breath and pulled myself up to my full height.

“Ma’am, what do you think you’re doing?” the taller one said.

“Uh … I work on the 41st floor, and I left my wallet on my desk, so I just popped in to pick it up.” I really was breathless and it was the only story I could think of quickly. “But somebody else is up there.”

The two men exchanged glances. “Somebody else is up there?”

“Yes, and whoever it was hit me and knocked me over.” My ribs were starting to ache.

“Yeah, well, you and this somebody else didn’t exactly pop by the security desk and sign in, now did you?”

“Well, no … I guess I should have, but I thought …”

“Ma’am, step out of the elevator, please.”

The guards moved back as I stepped out. They were clearly nervous.

“Look, I’m sorry … I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble, but there really is somebody up there who shouldn’t be there.”

“Could we see some identification please?”

“Of course.” I decided the best course of action was to give them what they wanted. My hands were shaking but I managed to extract my wallet and license. “Here’s my driver’s license. I work for Meyers, Dade & Schultz. You can contact David Meyers. He’ll vouch for me.”

The older guard stepped over to the security console and consulted a clipboard. “I don’t see your name on this list.”

“I know. They probably didn’t have a chance to add it. I just started today. I’m temporary, for a week.”

“How did you get into the building, ma’am?”

“Aren’t you going to go up to the 41st floor and see who’s there?”

“Ma’am, how did you get into the building?”

“Well, actually, I was at the restaurant on Sutter Street, and I just drove underground through the truck tunnel. I’m parked on B-level.”

The two guards exchanged looks. The older man said, “Didn’t you close the steel door tonight?”

“Uh … no.” The second man seemed defensive. “I thought you did it.”

“Jeez.” The older guard took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. “For Chrissakes, go close it. Now.” The chastened guard hurried away.

“Look, lady, I don’t know if you know, but you certainly should. There’s been a murder here. On that very floor. And the cops have been crawling all over this place. There’s supposed to be a security guy monitoring those floors. I’ll take you to your car and I want you to leave the building. And I’ll have to report you being here.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll tell you who I am. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause anyone any trouble.” I tried my most contrite expression. “But you really should have a look upstairs.”

“We just want you to leave. I don’t want anything happening to you and we don’t need any more trouble, okay?”

“Yes. Okay.”

He motioned me back into the elevator and hit the button for B-level. He was silent as we descended.

“Now, where’s your car?”

“Right around the corner here. On the other side of the column.”

“Just get into your car and pull out of the building. It’s almost time for us to shut the metal grate down.”

“Metal grate?”

“Yeah, it’s a big steel mesh that comes down and closes off the front entrance from the street. We don’t shut it before ten o’clock in case anyone needs to drive in or out.”

“What happens if someone wants to get in after that?”

“They hit their horn to alert us. We can open it electronically and see who’s there and check their ID.”

“I see. Well … thank you.” I climbed into my Geo and smiled shakily once more to a very annoyed guard. I started the engine and drove up the ramp to A-level, passed under the uplifted gate arm, and took the ramp out to Montgomery Street. I was sure a bruise was forming on my side. Whoever attacked me could have been Jack’s killer and I had more than likely surprised him … or her. Maybe the only reason I’d been able to escape was the alarm on the freight elevator. And whoever it was obviously had ways of getting into the building undetected. What about the security that Adam Schaeffer had promised? The guard’s comment indicated that someone should have been on duty up there. And even if the guards did decide to check things out, I was sure the intruder would be gone, or hiding. And there were plenty of closets and storerooms to hide in.

I drove straight up and over Nob Hill and headed out to the Avenues. I was too tired to pull into the garage. I parked on the street and dropped the garage opener in my purse. As I climbed out of my car, something registered in my peripheral vision. Was it a shadow or movement in the doorway across the street? I locked the car and hurried up the front stairs to my doorway. The overhead light bulb was burned out and needed to be replaced. I was grateful for that, because now I wasn’t visible in the dark entryway. I stayed completely still and scanned up and down the street to spot any sign of movement. A dark shape near the end of the block seemed to vanish into a crevice between two house fronts. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling I was being watched.