Kit's alarm rang an hour after he was already awake and gazing at the snowflakes fluttering past his apartment window. He pulled the comforter up to his chin, unsure what to do with the free day that stood ahead of him. His mother had asked to be left alone ever since she’d come back, the dusty polaroid was no longer burning a guilty hole through his conscience, and classes had been canceled because of the snow. Finally, he decided he’d just start the day and see where it would lead him.
Two hours later, Kit buttoned up his coat and headed out the door. As Kit waited for the elevator, he couldn’t help but notice the eerie silence hanging through the building. Almost as though he were the only one in it. When the elevator doors finally opened, he did a double take: though the elevator was empty, Kit could have sworn he had seen a white-haired figure’s reflection in the elevator mirror. Blaming it on the little sleep he’d gotten the night before, Kit stepped in, pressed a button and watched as the doors shut -only to have a dirty hand appear out of nowhere and stop them.
Kit smiled awkwardly and mumbled a “‘Morning!” at Victor Marx, the Maitland’s handyman. His boots and overalls were as dirty and ragged as always, and he was carrying his bag of tools.
“Someone call you in this early?” asked Kit, wondering how he’d made it across town with all the snow.
“Just the new lady living in Mr. Evans’ old place. Complaining about noises this time -we all know there ain’t no noises. Just her being paranoid about dear old Mr.Evans!”
Kit didn’t know how to respond but was unwilling to let an awkward silence accompany them all the way down. “Talking about Mr. Evans, what do you think happened? Why do you think someone would have wanted him… dead?”
At that, Victor’s face turned a little grim. “He was the sweetest old man I knew. Maybe he should’ve just stuck with ‘ignorance is bliss’.”
Kit was absolutely bewildered. “If you don’t mind my asking, what do you mean?”
“Well, word is, the old man knew something he wasn’t supposed to, and that’s what got him killed.” And with that, Victor strolled out of the elevator as the doors opened, leaving Kit staring after him.
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