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Theodosia studied the angle of the roof. “I figure if I creep down slowly, maybe I can…”
“What?” Drayton said. “Slide down?”
“No, that would probably be too dangerous. Probably just try to inch my way down a bit.”
Theodosia climbed out onto the roof. Now that she was outside, feeling a breeze wash over her, looking at rounded treetops and dark sky with its faint glimmer of early stars, she felt better. As if she’d finally been set free.
“The slope of the roof is fairly gentle, maybe forty degrees at best,” Theodosia said into her phone.
“Tricky,” Drayton said. “What’s it made of?”
“Looks like slate tiles.”
“Tricky and slippery,” Drayton said.
“I’m fairly sure I can ease my way down to…WHOOPS!”
Slick as grease through a goose, Theodosia’s feet flew out from under her and she landed hard on her backside. Then she was hurtling down the roof, bumping over the tiles, practically out of control. Her high-pitched scream quavered as it was picked up and carried by the wind.
NOOOO!
Theodosia’s phone flew out of her hand and tumbled down ahead of her, where it was stopped cold by the back-end peak of a dormer. Which also thankfully stopped her wildly caroming body.
BAM.
Theodosia hit hard and flopped up against the back of the dormer like a pancake hitting a plate. Shaking her head, feeling more than a little queasy, she tried to get her breathing under control as she checked for broken bones or bruised ribs. When she didn’t find any, when she decided she was actually in one piece, she looked around and tried to get her bearings.
Yes, I’m still on the roof. But wow, what a crazy, unexpected ride.
When Theodosia was somewhat recovered, except for a slightly banged-up knee, she reached down and grabbed her phone.
“Are you still there?” Drayton was shouting. “Theo, talk to me! Please tell me you didn’t fall three stories and break your fool neck.”
“I’m still in one piece, Drayton. In fact, the crazy thing is I’m quite a bit lower than I was before.” She glanced around. “I’m perched on some kind of ledge between the first and second floors.”
“Glory be. Now what?” Drayton said. “I should call the fire department?”
“Wait one,” Theodosia said. She glanced around and saw two large metal loops hooking over this portion of the roof. Barely ten feet from where she’d landed. A sudden burst of inspiration pinged inside her brain. She knew exactly what they were. And what she would do.
“No need for emergency vehicles,” Theodosia said. “As luck would have it, I just spotted the remains of an old fire escape hanging off the back of the building. I think it’s an old safety feature left over from when this place was a convent.”
“It was a convent?”
“Only for a few years, back in the thirties.”
“But the fire escape is still there? Talk to me, Theo, you’ve got me worried sick.”
There were a few moments of silence as Theodosia clambered over to the edge of the roof, then she said, “The fire escape is rickety and rusted as all get-out, but I’m going to give it a shot and climb down.”
“No!”
“Drayton, relax, I’m six steps down already.” Theodosia’s heart was in her throat as every step she took made a hollow-sounding clunk. Then, finally, she said, “Okay, I just hit a narrow metal grate that I guess is some kind of landing. It’s a little tippy so I’ll probably have to…” She studied the elaborate gear. “Yeah, I’ve got to jimmy this old gear so I can get the ladder to drop all the way down.”
“Be careful,” Drayton warned.
“I’m trying. But this doggone thing is stuck.” There was the ungodly squeal of metal grinding against metal as Theodosia worked at the gears and the old fire escape protested mightily. “Maybe if I kick it.”
Balancing carefully, holding on to both sides of the railing, Theodosia delivered a hard kick. There was a teeth-rattling CLANK and a long, drawn-out grinding noise. And then, suddenly, WHOOSH!
