CHAPTER THREE ⚜ THE ELEVATOR BOY

[Illustration 05] At the end of the corridor stood an antique cage elevator, a relic from the grand European hotels of another age. Behind its tarnished folding gate waited a young man dressed in a deep wine-red uniform, white gloves and a low-brimmed cap that revealed only his pale jaw and the curve of a smile. One gloved hand rested lightly upon the brass—as though he had been waiting there for a very long time. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8cailcCgc

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The elevator looked as though it had survived untouched from the grand hotels of another age. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡii93qh1aYO

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Its folding cage gate was made of brass, worked into elegant curling patterns now dulled by time. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdayHXusWCu

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Beyond it, walls upholstered in wine-dark velvet had faded almost to brown. An oval mirror hung at the back, framed by carved vines, its silvered surface clouded around the edges with age. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooWS7D0O1S

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It must once have been magnificent. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoteQuTzMBX

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Even now, beneath the tarnish and decay, something of that old beauty remained—solemn, graceful and deeply unsettling. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvbPcm886S

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It was the kind of beauty that made a person lower their voice without knowing why. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGvC37K9YD

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Above the door, an enamel dial arched from B to 7 . 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOAeHrQ3NU

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Its black needle rested on 6 . 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQehZqm6eju

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A young man stood beneath it. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkA2UBU1JtZ

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His uniform fitted him perfectly, with two neat rows of brass buttons running all the way to his throat. White gloves covered his hands. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JA7UUqV9O

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The brim of his cap sat low, revealing only the pale lower half of his face— 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENEL7xXDP6

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and a polite smile. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8kXI4Ym82

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“Going down, sir?” he asked. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnxHKpYhJC

93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgT9lUHlDzY “Yes—yes, please! Hold it!” 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltCU03612S

93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwZwfuwD5O Ryan stumbled into the elevator, dragging his suitcase behind him. “Close it! Close it!” 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTRiliJM7d

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The elevator boy took hold of the brass gate but did not pull it shut immediately. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgT9tCI9gsi

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“Please mind your step, sir.” 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUMTx2HaEh

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Once Ryan had crossed the threshold, he felt—at least marginally—safer. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf11giDQsBV

93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1Lhqmp44o Only when the gate began sliding closed did he finally dare to breathe. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SinzEskf8

93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQUs5Tea1t The elevator boy’s gaze dropped to Ryan’s bare left foot, then shifted to something tucked beneath his arm. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ebRyUBfnQ

93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rcGQ6Qs2p “Oh~ That red satin shoe belonged to the lady in Room 564. She was very fond of it.” 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUKXz057yW

93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0G3R9vOxfn Ryan followed his gaze. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xnrNC5dW9

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The shoe—at least three sizes too small—had somehow wedged itself beneath his arm without him noticing. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21K0XDojFR

93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7fvKCEL1E He flung it back out through the narrowing gate purely on reflex. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHnRCEccQs

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Thunk. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3meJ2MPit

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A muffled grunt came from somewhere beyond the gate. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpl8zJXLUk

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Neither Ryan nor the elevator boy saw which unfortunate soul it had struck, but the sound left little room for doubt— 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIn7KgnsoQf

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the shoe had hit someone squarely on the head. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlPFnzLiqW

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…Ouch , Ryan thought. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvGPG3G7I9

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The shadow struck by the flying shoe looked deeply offended. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJvZjngvfx

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It looked left then right. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Y2qCJ1WJi

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Its body remained perfectly still while its head slowly rotated through a full circle, searching for the suspicious culprit who had assaulted it with a lady’s shoe. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLJrrlDRDq

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Before it could identify the offender, the red satin shoe bounced away and came to rest beside a long-haired female shadow. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucEB5dyPaR

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She bent down, picked it up and cradled it tenderly in her arms. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TqVyFqRRH

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