Chapter 26

Ross drops Richard back at the office, then helps me pack my small number of possessions into the car—a few clothes and personal items, my steam-driven laptop, and my books. None of the furniture is mine, and I wouldn't want it in my lovely new apartment anyway. When we return to the apartment block, with Ross staggering slightly under the weight of a cardboard box full of books, the concierge gives me a key. I notice that he is wearing a fresh shirt and is now sitting upright and alert at his desk.

"You've given me the wrong one," I say. "This is for 127A. Mine is 47A."

"That's the one Mr Haswell said I was to give you."

"Oh. Right." Puzzled, I take the lift to the twelfth floor, Ross following me.

The twelfth-floor apartment is amazing. High above the city, the gorgeous park view is below, but now the view opens far over buildings old and new, across the river, and out to the hills beyond. There are three bedrooms, a huge lounge and dining area overlooking those stunning vist