Chapter 12: The Notice

I was down the stairs in my boots and Perry's sweatshirt before Gordon Culverhouse reached the front step.

"Mr. Culverhouse," I said, and held the door. "You're early."

"I was in the neighborhood," he said, and looked past me at the lobby floor, which was still wet.

"A burst riser on a Monday night. I got an alarm from the insurance sensor."

"We got it shut off in four minutes."

"I'm told it was closer to ten."

He stepped inside and set a clipboard on the front desk table.

Behind me I heard doors open on every floor.

The tenants were coming down in sweaters and slippers.

They gathered on the stairs and the landing.

Perry came down last and stood at my shoulder.

I felt the warmth of him through my sleeve.

"Good morning, everybody," said Gordon, in a voice that was trying to be friendly.

"I'll keep it short. After last night I've had my lawyer review the building's condition.

"The Linden Arms is a hundred and four years old and it needs more than I can give it."

He took a sheet of paper from the clipboard and a roll of tape from his pocket.

"So I've entered an agreement to sell the property to a developer. This is the formal notice."

He taped it to the wall beside the mailboxes.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL.

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