Bert and Gertie were driving back from Chicago. Their conversation turned, not to the events of the day but to the events of the previous evening and to what they might face on their return. It was growing darker and, cocooned in the car, they fell into a confidential mood.
“Must be all over but the shouting by now, huh Daddy?”
“Yes, but don’t underestimate the shouting. Tell me, what exactly do you remember about what you saw this morning? It’s highly unlikely that anyone else would have been in there after you this morning, and not reported it. I’m guessing that by shortly after seven Gervase, as he made his morning rounds, discovered a man in the pool.”
“Are you asking me about the stuff in the pool? Did what you saw then, match what I saw?”
“Exactly.”
“It was the same guy, for starters. I remember the hair and the swim trunks. There was other stuff in the pool, things I wouldn’t expect.”
“Such as?”
“There was the rescue pole. Why in the pool?” Bert nodded but didn’t reply. This item belonged on his own checklist. “And maybe two beer cans. Empties?” This also tallied. “And coins in the bottom?”
“A small contribution of my own.” Bert admitted. “Don’t ask.” He had yet to tell Gertie he’d witnessed this whole disaster with Guy. He would keep silence, if at all possible.
“And what looked like a rope across his back with a bottle at each end, like the kind Mrs. James uses for flotation exercises. Except these weren’t floating, they were way down in the water. I didn’t really see clearly, I was in and out so fast.”
“That’s definitely new to me. There was nothing like that, at all. And you say the TV was on something different, too. So somebody else was there after me but before you this morning. The only other person I saw last night was Kitty Doyle. She said she was just coming back from a trip and we took the elevator up together.”
“Well, I suppose it could have been any resident. Weird enough to have been her though, pulling off something like that. But look who’s talking. You know what bothers me?”
“Many things, I would guess.”
“No, the guy was creepy in the worst way. But it’s like we’ve all been, whoever “we” turn out to be, sharing a giant eraser, passing it from one to another and each erasing, or finishing him off, a little more each time. Each person involved somehow in wiping him away. It’s really sad, and terrifying to think that anyone could be so uncared for.”
“That’s very considerate, considering his treatment of you.”
“Oh, I know, and I’m sure I’d do the same thing again, if I had to. In my heart, I don’t think I killed him but it doesn’t help. What do you think he died from? Really, the first time?”
“Let’s all hope that it was accidental drowning while intoxicated, and trespassing. And that he got into the pool all by himself. When we get there, let me handle the talking first, Gertie.”
Downtown Milwaukee skyline seen from the south
They arrived back at the POPS to a blaze of flashing and winking hazard lights, and had to show ID to get into the parking garage. They were asked to check in at the lobby. Gervase was there, looking all worn out.
“What’s going on, Gervase?”
“The police have been here all day. First, there was a drowning here during the night, in our swimming pool. Then, part of the bluff has collapsed on the construction site next door, they say on account of all the rain. That’s being investigated, too.”
“A drowning, you say. Who was it? And is our building safe?”
“Yes, so far, we’re told the building is stable, and no, not a resident. They’ve released his name after notifying the family. It’s Rusty Mangold.”
“Really?” Bert attempted surprise.
“Confusing at this point. The police have set up the meeting room for interviews and are asking everyone to check in with them. By the way, Pocano was a very good dog. We were still together and in on the first discovery, with Mrs. James. He stayed with Mrs. James in the lobby for a long time.”
“Wait, you say Mrs. James discovered the drowning? Poor lady!” Gertie looked uncomfortable.
“She’d just gone in to do her laps after the girls left for school, and I was on my way back up with the dog when she called me. There are some irregularities. Best you go along to the meeting room. And for the record, you’ve heard about none of this, please.”
“Well, thank you for dealing with our dog in the midst of all this, Gervase. Appreciate it.” Gertie said, as she and Bert turned down the hall.
“I’m doing the talking, remember?” Bert murmured. Martin asked them what by now were very routine questions. They said they had left before seven this morning and had been out of the city all day. Their departure time had already been corroborated by Gervase’s account.
“Miss Steinhardt, I understand from some of the other residents that you often swim in the evenings. Did you last night?” Martinelli picked up the interview.
“No, I didn’t.” Gertie truthfully replied. “We had an early start this morning, so I had a soak in the whirlpool instead and went to bed.”
“And you Mr. Steinhardt? Did you leave your unit last night?”
“I fell asleep in my chair, then took Pocano out for a short walk.”
“At what time? Did you see or talk to anyone?”
“After my walk, I waited for the elevator, with Miss Doyle. I’d say about a quarter past nine.”
“Real nice dog you have there. Smart.”
Upstairs, they turned off their lights and tried to see outside, down to the bluff, or where the bluff used to be. Standing quietly alone together, they watched, as the blinking warning lights illuminated the scene below; a slow motion strobe light, in a rhythmic on-again, off-again sequence. A topple of trees and a tangle of branches dangled down towards the lake while figures scrambled along the only level ground remaining after the slide, flashlights weaving patterns in the air like pinprick searchlights.
“It’s a little like looking through my old Viewmaster, with a new picture each blink. Look Daddy, the old lighthouse is still there, see?”
“Shall we take that as an omen, do you think, Gertie?”
“Maybe. So this is as a result of all of the grading and clearing going on there? Followed by heavy rains?”
“It’s very likely that this will delay any more work there, for the time being. I’m sure there will be an engineer’s report evaluating the extent of the slide and any potential problems for the adjacent structures. We are set back pretty far from the bluff but still I hope to hell our building isn’t compromised. Damn this whole business. What a mess, start to finish.”
“Daddy, do you ever get the feeling that this building has a personality, like we’ve said is true about Asphodel? I mean, here we are, going about our lives, in what seems like this almost perfect place, not thinking about any effect we might be having. Do you ever wonder if the building notices what happens in it?”
“Gertie, I think it’s getting late and we’ve had a rough twenty-four hours. If there’s going to be a ghost turn up, I sincerely hope it shows itself to somebody else, not us.”