Two maintenance guys were talking over each other near the hallway. A woman in a blazer was on her phone saying, « No, I already told them that. » to whoever was unlucky enough to be on the other end, somewhere deeper in the house.
Another panel let out the same ugly chirping sound. Lamps were on in one room, off in the next. Even the air felt tense, like everybody had been running in circles for the last half hour and getting nowhere.
Then I saw her. She was standing near a long dining table with one hand braced against the edge, listening to three people at once and trusting none of them. Calm face, straight posture, dark clothes that looked expensive without trying too hard.
She had that look some people have when they’re used to making things happen with one sentence. Only tonight, none of it was working. Her eyes landed on me. « You’re the electrician? » « Yeah, Cole. » For a second, she just looked relieved.
Not dramatic, not fake, just relieved. « Good, » she said, « because everybody in this house has a theory, and somehow the lights are still half out. » That almost made me smile. « Can someone show me the main panel, and then maybe everybody else gives me 2 minutes without talking? » One of the maintenance guys started explaining what he thought had happened.
I held up a hand. « 2 minutes, » I said again. She turned to the room and in a voice that wasn’t loud, but somehow cut through all of it, said, « You heard him.
Let him work. » That was the first moment the whole place got quiet. She took me down a side hall herself. Even in that mess, she moved like she knew exactly where everything was.
« The west side lost power first, » she said. « Then the security system started acting up. Then someone reset something, which I’m guessing made it worse. It usually does. » That got a quick look from her.
