[Illustration 05] At the end of the corridor stood an antique cage elevator, a relic from the grand European hotels of another age. Behind its tarnished folding gate waited a young man dressed in a deep wine-red uniform, white gloves and a low-brimmed cap that revealed only his pale jaw and the curve of a smile. One gloved hand rested lightly upon the brass—as though he had been waiting there for a very long time.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53xiWuopOM
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The elevator looked as though it had survived untouched from the grand hotels of another age.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3ysng8O4R
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Its folding cage gate was made of brass, worked into elegant curling patterns now dulled by time.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKn8dhwkhH
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Beyond it, walls upholstered in wine-dark velvet had faded almost to brown. An oval mirror hung at the back, framed by carved vines, its silvered surface clouded around the edges with age.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEl8YGtSMWK
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It must once have been magnificent.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcIZNwiZHn
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Even now, beneath the tarnish and decay, something of that old beauty remained—solemn, graceful and deeply unsettling.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDLT0wGEVh
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It was the kind of beauty that made a person lower their voice without knowing why.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCnjeaI9I6
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Above the door, an enamel dial arched from B to 7.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFqXnAGSjr
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Its black needle rested on 6.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLW5QWfSZJ
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A young man stood beneath it.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3mHy57KDz
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His uniform fitted him perfectly, with two neat rows of brass buttons running all the way to his throat. White gloves covered his hands.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCciAceKNW
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The brim of his cap sat low, revealing only the pale lower half of his face—38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSqL3kMR7f
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and a polite smile.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt63ghOeMur
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“Going down, sir?” he asked.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMjVJvGRz4
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“Yes—yes, please! Hold it!”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzFwgJv7Pe
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Ryan stumbled into the elevator, dragging his suitcase behind him. “Close it! Close it!”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLHwA4erBz
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The elevator boy took hold of the brass gate but did not pull it shut immediately.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibbbnnZJRk
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“Please mind your step, sir.”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq48XlUCqz1
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Once Ryan had crossed the threshold, he felt—at least marginally—safer.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetJkPWtETM
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Only when the gate began sliding closed did he finally dare to breathe.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vC3Ky83QX
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The elevator boy’s gaze dropped to Ryan’s bare left foot, then shifted to something tucked beneath his arm.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrLEgYjwFw
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“Oh~ That red satin shoe belonged to the lady in Room 564. She was very fond of it.”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjWs6f0JDJ
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Ryan followed his gaze.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7MA23gu2x
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The shoe—at least three sizes too small—had somehow wedged itself beneath his arm without him noticing.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmShl6gfj2
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He flung it back out through the narrowing gate purely on reflex.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hx8nT3ILb
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Thunk.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRBE0KuiKo
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A muffled grunt came from somewhere beyond the gate.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6gdFC2kC4
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Neither Ryan nor the elevator boy saw which unfortunate soul it had struck, but the sound left little room for doubt—38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRQdh8aDrF
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the shoe had hit someone squarely on the head.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqO52WTeu7t
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…Ouch, Ryan thought.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHUUPQGcnR
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The shadow struck by the flying shoe looked deeply offended.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tY1onGsE2
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It looked left then right.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNxD7syO0e
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Its body remained perfectly still while its head slowly rotated through a full circle, searching for the suspicious culprit who had assaulted it with a lady’s shoe.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaXPM1Nos0
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Before it could identify the offender, the red satin shoe bounced away and came to rest beside a long-haired female shadow.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnaliC1DDd
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She bent down, picked it up and cradled it tenderly in her arms.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1AIEICS7Q
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and then Add to home screen.