Grayson Read Free Page B

better repair, but somehow I doubted it. This place was a disaster area.
    “Don’t worry. He won’t bother you. You won’t even know that he’s here,” he said, noticing my frown.
    I nodded hesitantly and he seemed to relax.
    “Talk soon.” He gave me a Hollywood wink and walked toward the door, leaving me with the frown on my face.
    It wasn’t until after he’d left that I realized that he hadn’t gone upstairs to say hello or check on his father. Hadn’t he said it had been months since he’d been here?
    I turned in a slow circle, absorbing the room and trying to combat the chaotic energy bouncing into my personal space. It would take me weeks to clean and thoroughly catalogue everything. I’d told Charles that as we’d walked around and he’d said to do the best I could. I worried now about even my best efforts. This would be a challenge. There was an absurd amount of stuff in this room alone. If not for the high domed ceilings, the space would be severely claustrophobic. My head tilted up and my gaze connected with the ceiling. It brushed along a beautiful pastel mural of dancing cherubs that was still in fine condition. The plaster was cracked and peeling in several areas, but I could still discern the delicate lines and the dynamic essence of the painting. This house had been gorgeous at one point.
    I spent the next two hours lifting tarps, deconstructing piles and relocating statues and small pieces of furniture. I was simply trying to clear a space where I could work. It was strange knowing that someone else was in the house and I worked as silently as I could.
    Strangely enough, despite the clutter that was boxing me in, there was a quiet calmness to the house. Several times I felt a stillness in the air, a suspended moment of tranquility. It made the back of my neck prickle with awareness and my breath quicken. I shrugged it off as me being silly and focused on my tasks.
    After a while, the thick plumes of dust started to get to me. When my coughing became persistent, I decided to call it a day. I pulled the heavy mahogany door shut as I left the house. It was early evening by the time I stepped onto the small patch of grass outside the house. The music of the city, familiar notes, filled my ears and lured me away, but something pulled me back and made me stop and turn back to the old house. Something made my gaze travel up to the second floor and I thought I caught sight of a slight rustle of drapery.
     
     
     
    The next day I dropped off my supply list with Rudy, the doorman in Charles’ building, declining when he asked if I wanted to take it up to him personally. I had a few hours between classes and thought I’d get some work done. I knew the next few days were going to be tough. I worked three twelve hour shifts a week at the hospital which gave me a great deal of flexibility, but the days I worked could sometimes be grouped together. I’d be working the next three days, plus I also had to fit studying and classes in.
    I keyed my security code into the pad and entered the townhouse, noting the thick film of dust hovering in the air and coating the clutter like freshly fallen snow. I’d stirred things up the last time I was here and even the musty odor seemed more pungent. I left the front door wide open to let in fresh air and dilute the smell.
    Following the narrow path to the back of the room, I approached the small space I’d cleared yesterday. There was dust everywhere. I was afraid to put my jacket or purse down on the small coffee table I’d ferreted out of the debris. I remembered seeing a sponge and some rags in the kitchen and headed in that direction. At least if I could clean that small area, I’d have a relatively clean place to work, and could start sorting the books into a discard pile.
    When I got to the entrance of the kitchen, my palm flew to my mouth as I stifled a gasp. My eyes caught the edges of a large blur, a sudden flash of harried movement. It was quickly