She was bracing herself for the climb up the long flights of stairs—and wishing even more that she’d left the carton of papers in the law library—when the elevator finally began to move. “And there’s absolutely no doubt,” she muttered, “the way my day has been going, who is going to get off when it gets to the lobby.” It was like the man had radar, knowing precisely when and where he was least wanted.

      She stepped to the side as the door opened. To her surprise, however, instead of Cooper, the occupant was a jeans-clad workman who was straining to carry a thick slab of dark-stained wood which was nearly as broad as his outstretched arms. He nodded to Hannah as he maneuvered the slab out into the lobby, then stopped just a few steps away to readjust the padding which had started to slip away from the wood.

      She said, “It would be easier to move something that size on the service elevator. You do know Barron’s Court has a service elevator? It allows this one to be left free for the residents to use.”