Cursed Read Free Page A

basement for the laundry,” she explained as she swung open the door exposing an old hallway; dark and obviously not updated. The hallway was well swept and there were some beautiful ornate coat hooks and an old faded black and white photo of a skyline in a dark wood frame. From one of the coat hooks hung a small brass bell.
    Mrs. Casey stepped into the hallway behind her, “And it is also how you reach the roof deck so everyone in the building has access from this hallway. When the house was built, this was the back stairway that the staff used so it runs all the way to the basement.” Sarah looked at the half stairs, half ladder leading up to a hatch door and realized it was the best the builder could do with the limited hallway space but it was a beautiful design.
    “Could we take a peek?” Sarah asked enthusiastically.
    “I don’t see why not.” She raised her voice level and called over her shoulder. “Mr. Brown?”
    He was in the kitchen, just out of sight, but his presence was felt. Sounding almost startled by being included in the conversation, he said, “Yes, by all means.” The women could hear the limping footsteps as he moved closer to the doorway but stayed out of eyesight. “Just please be careful. I unlocked the door for you earlier.”
    Sarah grabbed the railing and started up.
    “I’ll wait for you down here, dear. You go ahead.” She smiled and waved in the direction of the hatch.
    Sarah pushed open the hatch and climbed the rest of the way out. Most of the roof was covered with teak wood flooring; large empty planters dotted the deck and there were built in wooden benches. Navy blue furniture covers were spread over the chairs and tables that had been left in their groupings in preparation for winter.
    She could imagine herself up here in the summer. The thought of planters full of flowers made her smile. As she looked out at the other rooftops and the pretty garden built in the middle of the street below sealed the deal for Sarah. She had to have this apartment; she felt she was home.
    Scampering back down as quickly as she could to the warmth of the hallway, she noticed the door to the apartment still open and was momentarily alone in the hallway. She took a closer look at the picture that she noticed a few minutes before and then joined Mrs. Casey back in the kitchen.
    “The deck is sensational. It must be wonderful in the summer,” she said, addressing Mr. Brown but pointedly looking at the cabinets. “Do the other building occupants spend a lot of time up there?”
    He cleared his throat before answering. “Not really. Most are older and don’t like the ladder.”
    “Oh,” She replied dejectedly. She had hoped that she had found a topic that would draw him into the conversation. There was a heavy silence and he decided to say something which surprised Mrs. Casey and caused her to momentarily turn towards him before she remembered to redirect her gaze.
    “Mr. Karavetsos , the previous tenant, left the furniture but if you need me to move it out, there is storage here in the attic space across the hall.”
    “Um, thank you. Actually, it’s beautiful. Much better than what I have stored in Connecticut at my parents' house. I would really like to rent this apartment and would be happy to use the furniture while I am here.”
    “Wonderful, dear!” Mrs. Casey cut in. “I will get your application and we can check in with each other tomorrow after Mr. Brown and I have a chance to speak.”
    “Okay, thank you.” Sarah felt Mrs. Casey gently take her arm to guide her towards the door, quietly announcing it was time to leave.
    “Thank you for your time Mr. Brown. I will call you later from the office.” Mrs. Casey called back over her shoulder.
    “Of course, Mrs. Casey. It was a pleasure.”
    Mrs. Casey hurried out with Sarah and down to the lobby before she spoke. She seemed quite happy and as they made their way out to the street Sarah found out why.
    “That was the first time