Page 30 of Gilded Saint

There’s a bike with thick wheels to one side, propped so perfectly it could be part of the decoration. A pot with a plant with green fronds sits on the far side against a concrete wall. The bike and the plant are the only two items in the entry.

“If those spikes are hurting your feet, please feel free to take them off. This is your home now, love.”

Judy has removed her black leather shoes and holds them in one hand. She’s wearing thick wool socks that jut out below her loose-fitting trousers and a pale pink blouse. A gold cross dangles from a short chain around her neck.

I bend my leg and remove one heel, then the other. Judy charges up the stairs without a backward glance.

The concrete is cool against the bottoms of my bare feet. My dizziness increases as I climb the stairs.

“If you’re afraid of heights, they say it helps to focus on either the floor or the inner part of the building.”

We arrive at what I presume is the main floor. It’s smartly decorated. In fact, it’s so perfectly decorated that it doesn’t feel lived in. There are rooms like this in our family's home. Formal rooms that no one spends time in, but to the far side of this room is a kitchen. The design, like the rest of the flat, is modern with slate gray panel cabinets and a heavily streaked marble inset behind the stovetop and matching countertop. Twelve mid-century modern chairs surround the long, narrow wooden table below gold-rimmed circular lights.

The mid-century modern decor incorporated into the mix of contemporary furnishing infuses a touch of warmth. The white pine floor offsets the dark elements, and crisp white walls lend a Scandinavian aesthetic.

Monochrome art evoking Picasso, Ritcher, and Degas adorns the walls. Two black sculptures perched on pedestals catch my eye. Veils cover the women’s faces, but their breasts are exposed. It’s an interesting choice, and I can’t help but wonder how Leo interprets his art. What does his attachment to monochrome mean? What kind of human prefers a world void of color?

“Down this hall are two bedrooms. I placed your wardrobe in the bedroom closest to the primary suite. If you wish for anything to be moved, simply let me know. Okay, love?”

I nod.

“The closed door at the end of the corridor is Mr. Sullivan’s suite. Through the galley in the kitchen is Mr. Sullivan’s office, and the door remains locked.”

She steps into a bedroom, and I follow. The floor-to-ceiling glass wall is too much from this height. As if reading my mind, Judy sets about pulling the cream floor-to-ceiling drapes closed, narrowing the view outside to a thin strip of horizon.

“The mobile charging on the side table is yours. My number, John’s, and Mr. Sullivan’s, are pre-programmed. If you need to leave, you can call John and he’ll ensure a driver is readied.” She claps her hands. “I believe that’s it. Remember, anything you need, simply message me. Are you quite all right, love?”

I open my mouth, and she says, “Oh, and food. I don’t currently have a chef scheduled, but if you would like one, simply let me know.”

“No, I’m good…I can cook for myself.”

“Oh. The menu drawer. Follow me.”

I do so, and she pulls a drawer filled with menus.

“These all do take away, and some do delivery. I’m sure as you get settled in, you can figure out what you’ll be needing.”

“Yes.”

“Have a goodnight, dear. I hate to rush but must be off.”

It’s midafternoon, but I don’t correct her as I watch her leave. The faint swish of the lift doors wafts up from the entry below.

I wander back down the hall to the bedrooms. Lightheadedness has replaced the dizziness. I sit back on the bed, hungry but not hungry enough to do anything about it. I was curious about unpacked clothes, but too stunned with this turn of events to open the closet door.

The mobile vibrates. I startle and stare. The screen lights with a bright gray, then dims to black.

I stretch across the bed, reaching for the device.

Leo Sullivan

If you leave the flat, take John with you. It’s not safe for you to go out alone.

Chapter12

Sam, aka Leo, aka Saint

The clay disk hurtles through the air, and a shot shatters the quiet a second before the ceramic explodes into fragments.

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