Page 9 of Arrivals & Assets

But it was the equivalent of trying to put a bandage over a severed limb. It was far too little to stop the bleeding.

None of us were surprised that they pulled the plug. Still… I was disappointed when we were informed that our branch was closing.

“Did somebody come in and need something?” Jeremy asked as I finally opened the vault door.

“Hmm?”

“You took longer than expected. I figured you either talked to Ellie for a few, or somebody came in.”

I shook my head. “Neither. For some reason, I got lost in thought when I scanned my card.”

“Ah… the thinking door trap.”

“Huh?”

He chuckled. “Something about when one door closes, another opens. Makes people think.”

I snorted. “I just thought I looked like shit.”

He laughed. “Don’t trust the door. It can be like a funhouse mirror. It distorts reality.”

“Dunno about that.”

He reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “Come on.”

The change was immediate as soon as I stepped into the vault. The coastal humidity was stripped away, and the temperature dropped several degrees.

At the far end of the vault, Marcia and a guard from the transport company oversaw the packing of the remaining artworks.

“Over here,” Jeremy said from where he stood beside a wall-mounted panel.

“The computer interface is easier,” he started. “But I doubt it’ll be left once the IT team comes through, so I’m going to show you the panel controls.”

“Are we even going to find somebody to take over the lease who’ll want all this?” I asked.

“Probably,” he replied. “The building is in a good location, and the rich people are still here. They just weren’t here for us. I bet some jeweler or fashion store will see this and love it. It’s a secure space where they can store diamonds or thirty-thousand-dollar leather handbags overnight.”

He chuckled. “Or a dispensary.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “It’s too humid… plus theft concerns. You don’t want the product getting moldy.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

He smiled. “I’m giving you good information… if you listen.”

“Huh?”

“You’re the one in charge of getting the lease handed over, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you thoroughly read the contract for that closeout manager position, or whatever they called it?”

“I skimmed it.”

He shook his head. “Once we’re done getting hammered after work, read it again. My bet is they gave you some incentives tokeep from having to remove this… and the security system… and the fiber internet coming into the building.”