Jase bolstered. He set the tray down on the floor and reached for the phone. “It’s probably nothing.” Debra gulped, her mouth becoming drier than dust as Jase talked into the handset. His reassuring smile as he replaced the phone allowed her to release the jittery breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. “Apparently this has happened before,” Jase soothed. “Maintenance has come up with a novel way of getting the doors open—something to do with a very strong butcher’s knife.” Jase’s smile disappeared and he mumbled something under his breath. Debra didn’t catch the words but suspected they’d soon be repeated to the responsible, but innocent maintenance staff members. The faulty lift had been reported, and according to the records she’d checked last night, a huge invoice had been processed to pay an Invercargill company to fix the problem—purportedly. Moments later metal screeching against metal far worse than the sound of fingernails on a blackboard sent shivers up and down her spine.
