“You’re the electrician?”the man asked, sounding shocked as he looked down at Barry’s arm.
“Freak accident with a live wire.”Barry whistled.“Won’t be making that mistake again.”
The guy still appeared shocked before he shook his head.“Right, okay, head down to the basement where the panels are.The electricity has been spotty since yesterday.Only half of the building has electricity.”The man swiped his forehead with the back of his hand.“Unfortunately, the A/C was a casualty.”
“I’ll get right on it.Is the elevator working?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks.”Barry nodded at him and headed to the elevator.Instead of going down to the basement, he hit the top floor.A man was king of his castle; maybe Miles’s office was up there.
It only took a few minutes to reach the top.The elevator pinged and the doors slid open.Barry stuck his head out, giving a cautionary look around before stepping out when the coast was clear.
The hallway was dim with the only light source coming from the floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the hall.The drywall was up with holes carved into the walls with wires sticking out of them with caps on the ends.That would explain why it was so dark.
The building was wired for lights, but not everywhere had lighting installed yet.Barry checked doors as he passed them.They all looked like hotel rooms and not Miles’s office.He really didn’t want to have to check every floor for it, but he didn’t see much other choice.
He opened his picture gallery on his phone and was looking for the tenth floor when Barry heard a door open behind him.He tucked his phone in his pocket and spun around to collide with a woman, sending papers flying.
“Oh!”the woman cried out, trying to catch the papers as they fluttered toward the ground.
“Sorry about that.”
The woman eyed him like he was a popsicle on a hot summer day that she wanted to lick.He was no stranger to women coming on to him, but her look did nothing for him.He only wanted Mac looking at him like that
“No problem,” she said breathlessly.
“Here, let me help you.”Barry dropped to one knee, setting down his toolbox to help pick up the papers.
“Thanks.”The woman lowered herself down as well, as gracefully as she could in a knee-length charcoal grey skirt, and picked up the remaining papers.She gathered her papers close to her chest and stood up.“Who are you?I haven’t seen you on the site before.”
Barry rose to his feet and handed her the papers he had collected.“I’m the electrician.Can you tell me where Mr.Banks’ office is?I got a call he’s having some trouble with the lighting, but my office didn’t tell me which floor he was on.”
The woman rolled her eyes.“Everything is always breaking on this site.I don’t know why Miles picked this side of the island where most of the storms happen.He should have listened to his consultants and built on the north side of the island.”The woman’s cheeks heated.“Sorry about my rant.Please don’t tell him I said any of that.”She looked up at him soulfully.
“My lips are sealed.”So, Miles had been advised to build on the other side of the island.So why pick this side?What was so important here?Barry would have to take a boat tomorrow and scout around the shoreline.
“There seems to be a lot of work that still needs to be done for an opening in three months.”
The woman rolled her eyes.“Tell me about it.Everything we install keeps breaking.Trying to import supplies is a nightmare.The painters are taking forever.They’ve only reached the fourth floor.”The woman closed her eyes and took another deep breath.“Sorry, there I go again ranting.”
“Like I said,” he leaned forward and whispered, “my lips are sealed.”
The woman adverted her gaze, a light blush gracing her cheeks.“Thank you.”
“You seem to know Mr.Banks well.”
“I should hope so, I’m his personal secretary.”
This woman could prove to be useful.Barry reached into his pants pocket and found one of his smaller listening bugs.It was no bigger than her pinkie nail.“As lovely as it is chatting with you, I need to find Mr.Banks’ office before I get into trouble.Do you know where it is?”
“Yes, sorry, his office is on the eighth floor at the end of the hall on the left.”The woman stepped closer, brushing her shoulder against him.“I can take you if you’d like.”She batted her eyelashes seductively.
“I appreciate it, but I think I can manage.If I have trouble, I know where to find you.”Barry smiled as he reached forward and swiped his finger across her purse, anchoring the bug on.
“Do,” she purred.
Barry started to walk past her but stopped when she cleared her throat.“Yes,” he asked, half turning back to look at her.
