my shock and disbelief.” He sighed, the sound bouncing along the darkened stairwell as he picked up a pack she hadn’t noticed before and handed her his flashlight.
Surprised, she took it from his calloused fingers. “You gave up easily.”
“No, ma’am. I’m army and we don’t give up. We just get the job done.” His tone was bitter.
Sage huffed. “So you’re going to shadow my every move until I leave this place?”
“That’s an affirmative.”
“You aren’t a soldier anymore.”
Her attempt to rile him didn’t work. He shot her a lazy smile. “Consider me your friendly neighborhood carpenter. You never know when you might need a guy with a bag of tools.”
Biting back a remark, Sage led the way down the stairwell toward the orchestra seating where the nearest exit would be. Maybe Antonia had gone right for it after the last quake, and if they didn’t hurry, she’d make it outside before they caught up.
Wally pranced ahead of them and disappeared.
Suddenly she heard a shrill bark.
A figure loomed out of the darkness, and Sage screamed.
In a moment Trey was in front of her.
Heart pounding, she couldn’t see around Trey’s blocky shoulders until he stepped to the side to reveal an old man, bald head shining in the lantern light. Wally stood next to him, tail wagging vigorously. Even the gloom could not hide the look of irritation on the man’s face.
“Whaddya doing here?” he demanded of Sage, thrusting his lantern in her direction.
Trey held up a calming hand. “Hey, Fred. Sage, this is Fred Tipley, the caretaker. Wally is his dog. I thought you were going to pack up your apartment today, Fred. Isn’t that why you asked me to check in on Wally?”
“Forgot something,” Fred grumbled, eyeing the dog. “I was just on my way back to my truck. Seems Wally busted out of the utility room again.” The look he gave the dog pawing at his pant leg softened the edges of his face. “You’re a troublemaker, Wally, sure enough,” he said, giving the dog a pat. His eyes narrowed as he straightened. “Where’d you find him? Not safe to go poking around this place.”
“He found me,” Trey said. “No poking involved.”
He pointed a gnarled finger at Sage. “What about her?”
Sage gave him a smile. “I’m working for Barbara Long. I’m her cousin, actually. She asked me to take some pictures.”
“Not now, she didn’t. Miss Rosalind would have called me. She manages things here, not Barbara.”
Sage eyed him closely. “Barbara and her husband own this theater and I’ve got permission to be here.”
He grumbled some more. “Dumb idea to come here in the dark. Wood’s rotted. Plenty of places to hurt yourself. Didn’tcha feel that earthquake? Been happening on and off all day. Ain’t you got no sense?”
Trey raised his voice a notch. “Fred, we’re just finishing up here and then we’re leaving for the day. I can keep Wally with me so you can go pack and I’ll make sure the doors are locked when I leave, okay? Call me when you get settled into your new place and I’ll bring Wally.”
“Nah, never mind about that. My plans have changed. I’m here now so it’s you two that need to go.”
Sage bent to pet the dog that was sniffing at her shoes. “When was the last time you saw Barbara, Fred?”
He answered with a shrug. “Can’t remember. While ago. Heard she was in New Mexico or something.”
Right. A very pregnant woman travels to Santa Fe at a moment’s notice.
“Did you ever talk to her?”
“Maybe once or twice.”
“Did she hire you to work at the Imperial?”
He folded his wiry arms across his chest. “Why the third degree? I just make sure the doors stay locked and keep trespassers out.”
Had he been the one who left her trapped? Sage saw from the tight set to his lips that she was not going to get any more information from him. A bead of sweat rolled down his wrinkled forehead and he swiped it away with the back of his hand. She would find out what she could about Fred Tipley and definitely mention him to the police that afternoon.
She felt Trey’s gaze on her. He quirked an eyebrow. Done with your interrogation, detective? his eyes seemed to say.
Not anywhere close to done. Not until I find Antonia.
A metallic clank startled them all. Fred whirled in the direction of the stage. “You hear that? Someone’s there.”
“It’s probably Antonia,” Sage said, starting down the stairs again.
“What is she doin’ backstage? I heard she was hired to paint the frescoes in the lobby only,” Fred muttered. “Don’t nobody do what they’re told anymore?”
“Maybe she got disoriented in the dark,” Trey said. He tried to edge ahead of Sage but she elbowed him back.
“Now you gotta stop right there,” Fred said, stepping in front of them. “Miss Rosalind said no one is to be messing around here. I could lose my job.”
Trey called over his shoulder as they went around him, “Fred, I’ll take care of things. We’ll locate this other trespasser and I will personally escort all of us out of this place.”
Fred made no attempt to follow, but his voice carried along the stairwell. “It ain’t right. I’m gonna have to call Miss Rosalind. It ain’t right. Wally, come here.”
The dog barked and darted off again, eliciting an angry tirade from Fred.
Trey kept pace behind her and Sage felt a twinge of guilt. She called to him. “Rosalind may not take this well. I don’t want to cost you your job or anything.”
“A job is a job. I can get another one. I’m mostly just biding time, watching my brother’s place while he’s away.” He paused. “How about you? Where do you call home?”
“Nowhere,” she said, angry at herself for saying it out loud. “Not here, anyway. I’m just in San Francisco for Barbara.”
“Kind of risking your relationship with the Longs, aren’t you? Chances are you are going to be out of Derick’s good graces after Fred makes his report.”
She nodded. “I’m willing to take the chance. After I talk to the cops this afternoon, I don’t think Mr. Long is going to ask me in for tea.”
They took the rest of the steps as fast as they dared until they found themselves at tall metal doors that marked the stage entrance. Her skin prickled as she imagined the walls closing in on them, the darkness reaching out from behind
