Chapter 6 - THE APARTMENT BEFORE MICHAEL
Building records said the tower was completed eighteen years earlier.
Michael bought the penthouse seven years ago.
Then spent fourteen months renovating it.
Architect:
Brenner & Vale.
Contractor:
StoneBridge Luxury Interiors.
Jack requested original plans.
The city archive version showed something the building engineer’s current plan did not.
A vertical service shaft.
Old dumbwaiter and utility chase.
It ran through the north wall between the pantry and guest bedroom.
In the original building design, every luxury unit had a narrow service lift connecting to a back-of-house corridor.
Five years after opening, the service system was decommissioned.
During Michael’s renovation, his section of shaft was supposedly:
FILLED AND SEALED.
Jack stared.
“Supposedly.”
Robert sighed.
“Here we go.”
They scanned the pantry wall.
Solid.
Guest room wall.
Solid.
Then Jack noticed the wine cabinet.
Built into the wall.
Custom walnut.
Floor to ceiling.
He removed bottles.
Back panel sounded different.
Hollow.
StoneBridge’s retired foreman came in.
He looked at the cabinet.
“I didn’t build that.”
“Who did?”
“Owner changed vendors near the end.”
Records showed:
Mercer Architectural Fabrication.
Small specialist firm.
Closed three years ago.
Owner:
Cole Mercer.
No relation to Gavin Shaw.
Jack opened the cabinet backing.
Behind it:
a steel panel.
No handle.
Magnetic release hidden under shelf.
Click.
Panel opened.
Behind it was darkness.
A vertical maintenance shaft.
Robert stared.
“There’s your exit.”
Jack shone a light.
Ladder rungs.
Cables.
Pipes.
Dust.
Then he looked at the floor.
No fresh dust disturbance.
Robert frowned.
“Maybe not.”
Jack climbed down six feet.
Found a second platform.
And one clean shoe print.
Size eleven.
Black rubber sole.
The killer had been there.
May you like
But the shaft did not lead to the hallway.
It went down.
