Chapter 13

Elsa heaved her bulk from the back seat of the cab while the driver pulled her suitcase out of the trunk.  Looking up at the rows of balconies creeping up the side of the white brick building before her, she guessed which one belonged to the condo of her destination. 

The third one from the top on the left, she thought.  So, let me see... that would make it the one, two, three, four, five, six, seventh floor. Hmm, unlucky.  

The sound of her luggage bag being unceremoniously dropped onto the sidewalk beside her as the cab driver grunted ‘good-bye’ ended her little guessing game. She stacked her carry-on on top of her luggage bag and secured the pull handle of her bag into her grip before starting into the building.  It looked to be old enough to have come from the era of stairs.  She fervently hoped an elevator awaited her. 

She was not only relieved when she came upon the ornately gilded ele