Exploration

Exploration

    She thought this would be like any other day, but she should have known better. No two days were the same in that place. Bad things did not happen per say, just strange things. Things no one bothered to investigate nor seem to care. It was cold and getting colder. She grabbed her scarf and matching gloves, of course. Purple, her favorite color. Her black wool coat and she was out the door and headed to the office. Smith, Logan & Free was the largest law firm in town and was in the biggest building in town. She thought as she drove slowly in all the snow and ice that had found itself on the roads overnight. It was cold but the view was beautiful. The snow laid on the roads and house tops and trees just beautifully if you had an imagination to see it.  She had learned to either see the bad or you can learn to see the good. She chose the latter. Linda had been with the three-person law firm for over ten years working her way up the ranks. She is hoping this year to make partner. Her office maybe the largest but it is not the oldest. That honor goes to McMillian, Larson & Daley. She had to admit she was surprise even got the job. There were others more qualified than her. She was so grateful. So, she was willing to work hard to become partner. It was not long after McMillian, Larson & Daley had moved out of 2254 Locust Rd that her law firm moved in. It was strange no one knew why they moved. What made that strange was their now location? It was much smaller. So many rumors that went around town to why. But the one that stuck and ran wild was that at 2544 their paralegal had been found down in the attic of the building. The case was never solved. And the ghost of Lucille Lacy is still there working on law briefs.

McMillian, Larson & Daley has been around since the 1930’s, a long time indeed. But Linda paid that no mind nor did she give much attention to the Lucille Lacy case. However, what she did take note of that Mr. Justin Free kept certain doors in the office itself locked as well as in the building. She also thought that was strange. From her first day that was a rule, do not go in there, do not open that door.

But even with that there was one thing stranger, and that was, none of those doors were ever locked. Now, that was weird to her. Her thinking was if you do not want anyone in them, lock them.

Linda made her way across town in record time. She shook the thoughts of the legacy of 2254 Locust Rd. out of her mind. She knew why her mind went there on this day. Today there was going to be an inspection of the building for renovation purposes. She laughed as she thought when she first found of out about the changes. How are you going to do any renovations, when you will not let people into certain parts of the place? Linda entered to building, speaking to the first receptionist and then the next as she headed to the elevator that takes her to the sixth floor. Mr. Logan was already on it and he greeted her with a smile. Good Morning Linda he said. Morning Mr. Logan she replied. He has had a thing for her since she started, and she knew it. I am ready for the renovation Mr. Logan, aren’t you? He looked up from his watch with a look of fear. He quickly replied, “No. if I had my way, we wouldn’t be doing this renovation crap.” He caught her off guard because he is always so pleasant. Why not Mr. Free, it is time. we make some small changes at lease. Linda, change is not always a good thing, he snorted at her as he exits the elevator. She could not understand his sour behavior, but nonetheless, she had work to do. She checked her emails and saw one that said the workers will be in the building by 1pm. She also noted that she had been tasked with showing the workers around, i.e. opening certain doors to certain rooms.

    She did not know how to feel about that, why her, why not a male worker? She decided it was what it was so be it. She called to Jessie to buzz her when the workers arrived. Jessie, on cue at 1pm buzzed her and Coin Constructions was standing in the lobby directly in front of her. Linda asked how many workers had come, she replied only two. She told Jessie to send them up and she did. Linda greeted them at the elevator door, Wilson, the owner of Coin Construction, Woodard, his foreman and Junior Wilson, his son. She extended her hand and shook all three of theirs. Which floor do you want to start on she asked? Wilson pulled out a floor plan and showed it to Linda. There are only six floors in this building. The partners want me to do floor work on only three, why? He asked the questions as if Linda had an answer, of which she did not. He continues, and, on those floors, he has several doors he does not want opened. He? She enquired, who is he? Mr. Logan, he replied. She thought to herself, on the way up this morning, on the elevator he acted as if he did not want any renovation done, but he does. What about

Mr. Smith and Mr. Free, have you spoken to either of them, she asked? He replied no. Mr. Logan has been my only contact regarding this job. I guess since he is the oldest partner, he has the last and only say so, he replied. She looked at him and assured it that he was right about that. Well, I guess we can start on this floor. He reminded her that there are no rooms off limited on this floor. He suggested they moved to the fifth because there were at least two doors. He wanted to see how and what needed to be done. Mr. Logan only told me about his wanting the floors to have new hardwood and new sheetrock on the walls. Linda thought that would be simple enough. They decided to take the stairs to the fifth floor.

They entered one room and then another with Linda leading the way. That floor had two bathrooms, one big conference room, two big offices and one room’s door had a sign on it with big bold letters that read, DO NOT OPEN. They continued and Coin Construction had a chance to do all their measurements to the other floors. It took all day, and she hardly had a chance to do any of her own work. As she walked them back down to the lobby, Mr. Wilson told her weather permitting, he would be back in the morning 8am sharp. Linda acknowledged his time frame and said goodbye. She noticed the weather was looking bad but thought that is the type of winter weather they always had. Jessie said goodnight and encouraged Linda not to be in the office too long. She went back up to her office it was quiet and peaceful. She thought to herself in all the time she has been there, there were not only rooms she had not been in, but there were also floors she had not been on. She kind of enjoyed showing the men around. She did what she had not did before and tonight she was going to take it further. There is no better time and she had good reason to do so. She thought the fifth floor would be the place to start. She took the stairs and when she stepped off, she turns to the left and made her way down the hallway. The fifth floor she had been on before because Mr. Free’s office was on the that floor. His wife had done a beautiful job of decorating it just right. That one door with the DO NOT OPEN sign caught her attention. She walked up to it, put her ear against the door to listen, she did not hear anything. So, what was the big sign for and the big secret? Why can’t anyone go in an unlocked room?

   She could not take it anymore. She places her had on the knob and turned. She admits much to her surprise it did open, even though she had been told it was not locked but she did not believe it. The door

opened and she stepped in and she saw what her eyes did not expect. Inside was a conference room table with high back chairs. The table had a tablecloth on it. She looked at it closely and on it looked like it could have been a map of some sort but it wasn’t finished.