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Luckily for Saation The incident was a prank, they said, due to ani s They received all kinds of cos with broo down each other’s Christarette s their children at risk for cancer “I say live and let live,” one of the officers said to Enid “But you knohat people are like these days There’s too h space And no manners Makes people hate each other”

There had always been petty issues between residents at One Fifth, but until now, they had been countered by the collegial air of pride the residents took in living in the building Perhaps the balance had been tipped by the Rices, ere so much wealthier than anyone else Paul had threatened to sue, and Enid had to give Mindy a severe talking-to, reh with a lawsuit, the building would be forced to pay legal fees, which would be passed on to the residents in the form of an increase in monthly maintenance payments After she saw the matter in financial terreed to back down and even wrote Paul and Annalisa Rice a note of apology A tense truce was established, but then detailed ite in Snarker Enid was sure the infor from Lola, but how could she prove it? As if Enid herself had so to do with it, Mindy took every opportunity to harass Enid about it, stopping her in the lobby to see if she’d read it and forwarding the blog to Enid’s e-mail address

“This can’t go on So

Enid sighed “If it bothers you soman”

“What?” Mindy said, outraged

“Hire him,” Enid repeated “Heabout One Fifth He’s at least halfway intelligent—I’ he kno to forry Pay him a decent salary and work hih time

to write anything on the side But don’t pay him so much that he can save up money to quit Give him insurance and benefits Turn him into a corporate drone, and you’ll never have to worry about hiain”

If only, Enid thought, all problems could be solved so easily She went into the kitchen andher mouth She hesitated, then took her tea into the bedroom She turned off the phones, pulled back the covers, and for the first ti the day She closed her eyes She was finally getting too old for all this drama

The recent events in One Fifth had made Paul Rice more paranoid and secretive than nors hehis jeans the wrong way, and then one of his precious fish died and he accused Annalisa of killing it on purpose Fed up, Annalisa went to a spa in Massachusetts with Connie Brewer for six days, and Paul was left facing a lonely weekend He spenthis own interests anyway, but he liked the co Annalisa around, and the fact that she’d left hiht someday leave him permanently

Apparently, Sandy Brewer didn’t have the sa into Paul’s office, “the girls are away this weekend Thought you ht want to come to my house for dinner There’s someone I want you to meet”

“Who?” Paul asked Ever since Sandy had flipped out about the two-orith for evidence that Sandy was trying to replace him Instead, Paul had found pay prostitutes to service hi business trips With Annalisa away, Paul wondered if Sandy would try to introduce him to a hooker

“You’ll see,” Sandy saidif Sandy had invited one of his prostitutes, Paul could leverage the infore

Sandy loved to show off what his success and hard work had brought hi for a for roo The third dinner co Akio Paul shook Craig’s hand, noting only that Craig was younger than he and possessed sharp black eyes They sat down to a glass of a rare white wine and a bowl of seafood bisque “I’ Akio said froany table “Your work on the Saenius”

“Thanks,” Paul said curtly He was used to being called a genius and took the compliment as a matter of course

“I’ with you”