Things Withered Read Online Free PDF Page B

leaned out as far as I could to see the trajectory. I put my hand on the far corner of the sill to do it, holding on lest there be some kind of wild, unknown wind tunnel that yanked women out apartment windows to their death. And when I did, I put my hand into a kind of . . . grit.
    Which turned out to be salt. More or less undisturbed in the corners of the window by police and investigators (which makes you wonder, somewhat).
    Curious then, too.
    It was only after midnight. I took a chance and went up the elevator to seven. The building was old, the walls thick, but if you had very good hearing, you could hear the murmurs of folks going about their business behind the closed doors.
    7A was no exception. Behind that particular closed door I could hear a kind of singing, a
kind
of singing. I tapped on the door, very lightly, uncertain and yet completely convinced. In just a moment, Stephanie answered the door.
    Even in the middle of the night, she was lovely, fresh as morning. Wasn’t that nice. Perfect, really, except for her confused look.
    “I’m sorry to disturb you so late,” I said.
    She didn’t answer, and I sensed, or maybe heard something, from the back of the apartment, in spite of the hour. I had a horrible moment when I thought maybe I had interrupted a moment with a boyfriend and felt my cheeks getting red, my resolve fading when she said, “Not at all. Would you like to come in?”
    I did. She led me to the living room of the apartment, which looked so different from when Clara lived in it, for a minute I was rubbernecking, almost forgetting why I had come. Then in the living room, I saw it was true, Stephanie had not been alone at all. There were the two girls, her friends, Lily and Tracy, and Gwendolyn. Winnie.
    “Nice to see you all again,” I said.
    They smiled.
    I frowned, “It’s nice that you’re all here. I have some possible bad news. I’m sorry to say that I’m obliged to show the Bramley apartment to someone else. He had dibs on it, if you will.” Their faces were very serious.
    I shrugged helplessly. “I’m sorry, girls. There’s not much I can do. Of course, if something comes up and he can’t take the apartment, I’ll happily show it to your friend,” and I nodded, smiling, at Gwendolyn.
    I looked at my watch, “Oh my,” I said, “I can’t believe it’s this late. I’m sorry again to have disturbed you. I heard singing.”
    Tracy said. “We have a sort of a club.”
    “A glee club?” I said and we all laughed.
    “Something like that,” Lily said. Tracy giggled behind a perfectly manicured hand.
    I was about to leave when Gwendolyn said, “These other people, who are looking at the apartment?” I nodded. “Who are they?”
    “Well you see, he’s my boss, Richard Maynard. It puts me in an awkward position. If not for him—” I let it hang.
    “Richard Maynard?” Tracy said. “And he works in your building?”
    “That’s right.” The four of them looked at me, unblinking. I could almost hear their thoughts. “Richard Maynard,” I said again. Stephanie and I locked eyes for a moment.
    “I’ll leave you to your club,” I said. They smiled broadly at that, and Gwendolyn let out a throaty laugh that we might have called smoky, back in the day when people smoked.
    I waved to the girls sitting and let Stephanie walk me to the door. She opened it. Smells from the hallway were warm and clean.
    “Well, goodnight,” I told her. She smiled, but it was small and tight. I held the door a moment longer and looked her right in the eye.
    “I hope I have good news soon. About the apartment, I mean.”
    “Yes,” said Stephanie.
    I shrugged helplessly. “If something changes—”
    She smiled. “Let’s hope for the best.”
    “Let’s,” I said and I waited as she shut the door.
    Two major events happened in the next two weeks. I lost ten whole pounds, enough that I rewarded myself with a decadent lunch of a double cheeseburger with gravy on my fries. And poor