Where Are You Now?

40

I f there was one person Lil Kramer disliked more than Howard Altman, it was Steve Hockney, Derek Olsen’s nephew. That was why when he arrived unannounced on Friday morning, Lil felt thoroughly rattled. Howie’s advice to her and Gus-that it would be unwise to rush to Pennsylvania as if they had something to hide-they had originally welcomed with gratitude. But she was totally aware of Olsen’s shifting alliances between his nephew Steve and his assistant, Howie, and seeing Steve alone terrified her.

Howie is on the outs with Olsen, she thought, and Steve is going to take over. She was glad Gus had gone upstairs to change the filters in some of the air conditioners. He was in a foul mood after cleaning the staircase between the second and third floors. One of the college kids had spilled beer there during the night.

“They must have been dragging up a keg,” he had grumbled minutes before Hockney arrived. “Spilled beer all over the whole flight. Wouldn’t have killed them to have mopped it up themselves.”

It’s a good thing Gus noticed it before Hockney got here, she thought. He’ll probably make a big show of checking out the halls and the staircases trying to find something wrong. A sudden feeling of fatigue overcame her. Maybe, after all, it would be nice not to be busy all the time. Trying to sound civil, she invited Hockney in and asked if he’d like a cup of tea. He flashed her a broad smile as he strode past her.

He certainly is good-looking, she thought, and he knows it. He always was full of himself, and when he was around twenty, Olsen had to bail him out of a few problems. He almost went to jail. Now there was a certain insolent glitter in his eyes. He declined the tea but settled on the couch, his arm over the back, his legs crossed.

“Lil,” he began. “My uncle turned eighty-three last month.”

“I know it,” she said. “We sent him a card.”

“You’re better than I am.” Steve smiled again. “But I feel it’s time that I took over a lot of the management of his affairs. You know him. He won’t show that he’s feeling his age, but I can see that he is. I also know that Howie Altman is getting on his nerves a lot lately.”

“We get along with him,” Lil said carefully.

“He’s been bullying you about giving up this apartment, hasn’t he?”

“I think that’s over.”

“He’s a bully. I know my uncle would listen to you if you made him aware just how nasty Howie has been and can be to you both.”

“Why would I cause trouble when it’s none of my business what Mr. Olsen thinks of Howie?”

“It’s because I want your help, Lil. You seem to forget that I was here in the building when Mack MacKenzie all but accused you of stealing his watch. That was only a few days before he disappeared.”

White-lipped, Lil stammered, “He found that watch. He apologized.”

“Did anyone hear him apologize?”

“I don’t know. I mean, no, I don’t think so.”

Hockney unfolded himself from the couch. “Lil, you’re lying about the apology. I can tell. But don’t worry. I never told anyone about Mack’s watch and I never will. We don’t like Howie, do we Lil? By the way, I’ll tell Uncle Derek that this building is the jewel in his crown, thanks to the way you and Gus keep it.”