‘Well, with the lawsuit and everything, I really don’t want to step on anyone’s toes … ’ Hannah replied since she couldn’t be certain whether Julie might be involved in the residents’ dispute. In her line of work, diplomacy was a given and she’d always been a pro at poker face. Which could often be a blessing or a curse, depending on the situation.

‘Look, a lot of people in this building can be a pain in the butt, but he’s actually a pretty decent guy. Always gives out a great Christmas bonus. I think he’s just one of those old-school types who doesn’t like the way the world is changing around him and it makes him cranky.’

‘Well, I know that type all too well,’ Hannah admitted. ‘My grandfather was similar – gruff, no-nonsense, always talking about the way things were back in his day. Typical Irish male of his generation. From what I can tell from that note, though, the difference is that my granddad wasn’t so … angry about it.’

‘I think Ed’s just lonely actually.’ Julie shrugged. ‘Always used to be pretty friendly but now that I think of it I rarely see him around these days. Likes his privacy. Seems he gets all his groceries delivered online and doesn’t go out much, or have many visitors either. Poor guy probably doesn’t have anything to do all day but go online or watch the news, which would make anyone miserable,’ she added, rolling her eyes.

‘You might be right,’ Hannah demurred. ‘I went over and knocked on the door a couple of times over the weekend, wanting to introduce myself and assure him I’d be there to take care of issues with mail or anything else on Courtney’s behalf, but he never answered.’

Julie shook her head. ‘A lot of people here went crazy when they found out that her application had been approved. You’d have thought that the board had announced that we were opening up a petting zoo in the lobby and turning the roof into a stage for Cirque du Soleil.’

‘I don’t get it. Life’s too short, isn’t it? And Courtney’s great.’

‘Well, like they say, the rich are different. And some people take longer than others to get with the times.’

‘Case in point?’ Hannah held up her charger and grinned. ‘I suppose I really need to think about upgrading. And I don’t have an excuse either, being so close to the mothership,’ she chuckled, referring to the famed Apple store at the top of Fifth Avenue, a few blocks down.

‘Yep, like it or not, time moves on.’

‘Speaking of which … ’ Hannah checked her watch, ‘I need to get going for work. But first, coffee. Where’s the nearest Starbucks around here?’