In the Palm of His Hand novel · Chapter 7 of 24
Chapter 7: The Man in the Lobby
A man was sitting on the stairs of my building when I got home from class on Wednesday.
He was in the dark stairwell between the second and third floors, in a grey overcoat, with his elbows on his knees.
His hands hung loose between them.
On the right one was a heavy gold ring with a knot of rope carved into the face.
I stopped with my key in my fist.
"Miss Hanrahan," he said.
He had a pleasant, tired face, and a voice that was almost kind.
"You've got the wrong building," I said.
"I don't think I do."
I looked at the ring.
I thought of an alley and a wet black hand and a man who had said, A man with a ring.
My stomach went cold, and I kept my face still.
I had spent two years learning to keep it still beside people who were bleeding.
"I'm going to walk up to my door," I said. "And then I'm going to call the police."
"You can. They'll find a man resting on the stairs."
"What do you want?"
"I wanted to meet you. I've heard you're good with a needle."
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–6 of In the Palm of His Hand are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
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