Floors: Read Online Free PDF

Another hole with a ladder appeared, and down he went again, arriving in the maintenance tunnel on the third floor. Five minutes later, he arrived back in the basement boiler room, where he tucked the purple box under his cot for safekeeping. He was already out of breath, but he climbed all the way back up to six in order to set the AC that Ms. Sparks couldn’t figure out.
    “Don’t tell me you didn’t have a signal,” Ms. Sparks screamed when he finally returned to the lobby, her beehive cone of hair dancing back and forth over his head. “Remi nearly peed his pants!”
    Leo couldn’t understand why she hadn’t let Remi leave for what would amount to a two-minute break, but he wasn’t about to ask her in the mood she was in.
    “And you took forever fixing the air-conditioning on six,” Ms. Sparks continued as Remi hopped off in the direction of the bathroom. “What if the Yanceys decide they don’t want to stay here after all? What then? How do you think Mr. Whippet will feel about
that
when he gets back? Well? Say something!”
    Leo cleared his throat. He hadn’t caught the name of the girl or her parents as he’d flipped the AC switch up, down, and up again, then turned the temperaturedial all the way to zero and back to sixty-six. Once it had turned on, the girl plunked down in front of the cold air and stared at Leo like he was a pile of stinky dirt.
    “You know, Ms. Sparks, the AC unit in that room isn’t so complicated. Should I explain it to you one more time?”
    Ms. Sparks’s face looked like she was trying to make fireworks shoot out of her ears. She hated it when she couldn’t figure out how the hotel worked, which was practically all the time.
    “I’m writing you up, Leo Fillmore. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    Being written up by Ms. Sparks had an uncertain meaning. Leo had been written up dozens of times, but where these write-ups went was a mystery. He had a feeling they went into her desk as evidence for a future trial of his skills and character at a time of her choosing.
    When Remi zipped back through the lobby looking relieved, Ms. Sparks was on the phone having a long conversation with Ms. Pompadore about where to get the best hats in Manhattan.
    “Thanks, Leo, I needed that.” Remi sighed. “Did you meet the zillionaire’s daughter? She’s a real charmer.”
    “I fixed the air-conditioning, which seemed to make her happy.” Leo kept his voice to a whisper, and signaled Remi to do the same. The smaller boy adjusted the red pants and bow tie of his uniform and tried to play it cool. “But I think that little kid is going to give us some trouble. She’s a cranky six-year-old and she’s bored. Bad combo.”
    “I hear you, man.” The zillionaire’s kid was named Jane Yancey, and Remi ticked off her attributes on his fingers. “Jane Yancey: six years old, bored, spoiled.
Super-size
bad combo.”
    “Listen, Remi, I might need your help on a few things this week. Can I count on you?”
    Remi’s face lit up. He was dying to escape the company of Ms. Sparks and explore the Whippet Hotel.
    “Does it have anything to do with that box? The purple one?”
    Remi was curious, but he was also new to the hotel. Leo could use this to his advantage.
    “Nah, it’s just something I use to work with the ducks.”
    “Ooooh, right. Like duck food and stuff.”
    “Right, duck food.”
    Remi was all smiles.
    “
Anything
I can do that gets me away from this door, I’m in. Just say the word.”
    Leo was starting to think this might work out okay. Having a go-to guy to cover for him in a pinch could really come in handy. He’d brought his knapsack full of hotel tools with him and opened it up just as Ms. Sparks covered the receiver and yelled across the lobby.
    “Don’t you have some pipes to fix?”
    “Yes, ma’am. I’m on my way.”
    “Good. Stop on floor three on the way. Hiney did a hoo-hoo.”
    “Who calls a dog poop a
hoo-hoo
?” Remi whispered, shaking his