The Apartment Read Free

panic.
    â€œWho the hell are you?” he boomed in a voice that echoed like a Chinese gong.

CHAPTER TWO
    â€œW ho am I?” Hilary cried indignantly. “The question here is who are you!” It was a wonder she hadn’t fainted from sheer terror. How dare this…this bully break into her home—her very first home—and make demands of her. “Furthermore, what are you doing in my apartment?”
    â€œYou’ve got this all wrong, lady. I’m the one who lives here.”
    Hilary folded her arms and gave him a look that suggested she wasn’t stupid, nor would she let him intimidate her. If she could deal with her mother, then she was capable of handling King Kong.
    â€œI happen to live here,” she told him as forcefully as she could. He might outweigh her by a hundred pounds and tower a good ten inches above her, but she refused to be browbeaten. “Now I’d like to suggest you leave. Otherwise I’ll be forced to contact the authorities.”
    The intruder’s eyes narrowed as he took in her best finishing-school voice. A slow, deliberate smile appeared. “Dave Krier put you up to this, didn’t he?”
    â€œI assure you I don’t know anyone named Dave,” she informed him stiffly. “Now kindly leave and take that…that sandbag with you, before I call the police.”
    â€œBe my guest.” He crossed his massive arms, his dark eyes cold and arrogant. “It should be interesting, since I have a lease on this apartment.”
    â€œYou couldn’t possibly have a lease,” Hilary responded tartly, “because I have a lease.”
    â€œProve it.”
    â€œYou prove it!” she demanded, refusing to be cowed. It was only too clear the man was lying, but for what purpose, she could only speculate.
    â€œFine, I will.” He stalked over to the bag that had been the cause of her curiosity earlier. He opened it, reached inside and withdrew a thick envelope. He shuffled through some papers, then peeled one away and examined it.
    â€œI signed a six-month lease,” he said. “Allen Greer’s signature confirms it.”
    â€œAllen Greer,” Hilary repeated slowly as she read over the agreement. “I…rented this place from his wife more than a week ago.” She had the papers with her as well, but they were in her room.
    â€œMrs. Greer rented you the apartment?”
    â€œApparently there’s been some misunderstanding,” Hilary said slowly, collecting her thoughts. She read over the paper and noted his name, neatly typed, on the top of the lease agreement.
    â€œThen we should allow the Greers to settle this,” Sean suggested. “It’s apparent each of them rented out the unit without the other knowing.”
    â€œYes, but I’m afraid the Greers aren’t going to be much help.”
    Sean frowned fiercely. “Why not? Once we contact them, we can settle this thing once and for all.”
    â€œBecause,” Hilary said, growing impatient, “the Greers aren’t here. When I last spoke to Mrs. Greer, she told me they would be gone for the next six weeks.”
    â€œSix weeks!” Sean exploded, and Hilary swore his voice boomed like thunder through the living room.
    â€œThere’s no reason to yell.”
    â€œListen, lady, I’ve got every reason to be upset. I have no intention of moving.”
    â€œBut you’ll have to—you don’t have any choice,” Hilary said, as calmly as she could under the circumstances. “I moved in here first and possession is nine-tenths of the law. The least you can do is the gentlemanly thing and—”
    â€œForget that. You can do the honorable thing and move. By the way, who’s to say which one of us was here first?”
    â€œWell, I was, of course,” Hilary claimed indignantly, “because you ate my leftover dinner.” He was frowning again, realizing, she hoped,