Morningstar Manor

Dear Mr Sands,

Re: Accommodation at Morningstar Manor.

Further to a conversation with your employer, Mr Macintyre Moray of Moray Records, we are pleased to be able to offer you a small studio apartment in one of our staff areas. The rent for same will be deducted from your paycheck and paid direct by Moray. Power and heating are included with the rent.

We are sorry for the delay in finding room for you but the present tenant is moving out this weekend and it shouldn't take long to make good. Naturally you will want to move in as soon as possible so we will make arrangements for you to collect your key and sign the rental agreement any time after ten a.m. on Monday morning.

We hope you will enjoy your stay with us.

Yours sincerely,

J Vision.

There were certain jobs that none of the maintenance staff enjoyed - clearing the Valdez apartment had been one of them. Nick and Jack had done that so Phil thought it only just that he should be asked to do this one.

He let himself into the little apartment with a sigh and carefully disposed of all the perishables, then packed all the personal effects into neatly labelled boxes. So sad. The lady who lived here was young - ish - and quite attractive and had been nice to him whenever they had spoken. Pity she had to go. Last job was to change the locks and he did that and shut it up ready for the maids to clean.

As he stacked the last box on the trolley outside her apartment he was shocked to the core to see her approaching.

"Phil?" Andy asked. "What are - hey that's my stuff!"

"Er - sorry," Phil said and handed her a letter then legged it.

Andy read it with incredulity.

"Well - fuck me sideways," she snarled and reached for her phone.

Icene was laughing as they crossed the lobby and headed for the Mocha, bags bumping their legs and the doorframes. "Lets grab a table, dump the bags and I'll get coffee. What do you fancy Emily, other than tall dark and handsome of course."

She snickered softly as she headed for a large empty couch.

On Saturday afternoon before 2PM Emily sat down in the lobby of the Manor with her phone in her hand. She had found Icene's number from the book and put it in her cell phone, and now she looked it up and called her. She had not heard from her after their initial plans of going shopping, but now that the time for that was nigh, she called Icene to check if their plans still held.