Cut off from the Continent

“Be careful!” said Vera to Zhanna when the last slipped in a hall and was ready to fall. She picked her up by the elbow.

“Thanks.” Zhanna murmured and released her elbow rushing to the small table of the red color.

“Why is it water on the floor?” Seva asked in wonder.

“Oh,my God!” Zhanna shouted. And everybody forgot about the pools on the floor. “Where are our mobiles!”

“What?” Ivan asked tensely.

“They are gone! I can’t see them!”

“Where are they?” Arthur was surprised. Lida turned pale.

“Have a look!”

And Zhanna moved forward that box where they had put the mobile phones. She moved it up to the end.

Vera came the first to watch as she was standing close to and began checking by her hand on a bottom of the box hoping to find a hiding place in which mobile phones were. Then she said helplessly.

“They are gone.”

“Do you want to say that …” Lida put her hand on the chest. “Can we call the police? Oh!”

“We should go downwards and try to call.” Ivan said.

“Or ask the neighbors.” Arthur noticed.

“The neighbors?” Ivan thought. “As I know not a single apartment on that floor is sold jet. On the ninth floor there is a repair. Builders work there till six pm. The eleventh floor is empty too. Half of apartments are sold but there still nobody was there. I know that windows are light up on the fifth floor in the evenings. May be on the seventeenth floor.”

“How could you live there?” Arthur grinned.

“The apartments are expensive here.” Ivan justified. “I don’t know exactly on which floor people live. But if you want we can try to go down.”

“To my mind it’s easy to go down on the ground floor then to the street and ask somebody for the mobile.” Vera said and moved Ivan from her way. “I shall go.”

“A very self-confident woman.” Angelica noticed. “She had found the body! And she said that I am weak!”

“She is strong.” Arthur noticed coming out from the apartment.

“It is better for us to keep together.” Lida said seriously and followed him.

In the corridor where Sergey's body was she screamed and began to shiver.

“Well, well, calm down.” Ivan came after and hugged her. “Do not look there, Lida.”

“What happens here?” suddenly they heard the woman’s shout again from the elevator’s platform. Ivan with Lida then Seva and Zhanna rushed there. Angelica was the last to leave the apartment.

On a platform they saw Vera pulling the handle of the door to the stairs.

“Don’t do it so hard.” Arthur told her.” It’s locked from within.”

“It can’t be locked! “ Angelica said. “I have come here the last and saw that the door was opened and the key was in the lock!”

“Ah, you’re the last!” Lida looked at her. “That means you have locked the door and took the key!”

“Arthur, I can’t.” Vera turned back to him. “You’re the man, say something!”

He tried to open the door.

“It’s such a heavy door!”

“Yes, it’s iron.” Ivan signed. “It’s like in the bank. An absolute safe guarantee.”

“And they say the advertising lies!” Zhanna complained.

“We see. That’s not right. Have a look.” Arthur said again still breathing hard.” Well made!”

“Wait.” Ivan said suddenly. “Why are we going to break the door? I think it is better to use the elevator!”

“Let’s try.” Vera said angrily.

Angelica had already unsuccessfully pressed on the button of the elevator. She turned back and asked.

“Why isn’t it working?”

“Darling, it does not work.” Vera noticed.

“What’s the matter? Why?”

And they all looked at Ivan. He shrugged shoulders.

“I don’t remember it had happened before! It worked!”

“Perhaps, it was made by the murderer?” Lida blinked.

”How?” Arthur asked. “Cut the wires? If you know the technology then you will understand that it is impossible. The elevator’s board is below. Nobody from us went down.”

“But what happened then?” Lida asked. “It couldn’t be the fate. The door on a staircase is locked and the lift does not work. The phone is off and mobiles phones are gone. What is it?”

“We still have the balcony.” Ivan reminded. “Аngelica, what is there on the balcony?”

“A handrail.” she was surprised.

“The real woman…” Arthur hemmed.

“As far as I know there is a hatch there.” Ivan said slowly. “And a fire ladder in case of the evacuation. It is possible to go down to the next floor below. There the door on a staircase is open.”

“Well, thanks God!” Zhanna signed. “That’s the way out!”

Ivan was the first to go. The others followed him. Two men Ivan and Arthur went to the balcony. The last bent down over the hatch and tried to open it. It was as heavy as the door. In a minute Arthur said hardly breathing.

“It is closed from outside!”

“From outside?” Angelica echoed him.

“Yes. Someone blocked the hatch from the other side. That we could not go down through it.”

“May be, it was made by tenants?” asked Lida.

“I have already said that the ninth floor is empty!” Ivan was irritated. “Nobody lives there.”

“Then who closed the hatch? The murderer?” Lida was afraid.

“Аngelica, was it made by you?” Arthur addressed to her.

“How could I do that?” Angelica asked.

“You went down on the ninth floor and blocked the hatch.”

“With such high heels?” Angelica screamed.” It’s impossible!”

“If you’re a good climber.” Zhanna said.

“Yes!” Vera added. “The mountain climber!”

“Tell me that I am a man.”

“May be.” Seva shrugged shoulders.

“What nonsense! Shall I take my clothes off?!”

“No need to do it.” Ivan was tired.” Let’s return to the reception and think about it.”

“It’s cold there too!” Angelica reminded.

“I did not go down! I am not mad!”

“Why did you come here if you do not suffer a neurosis?”

“A neurosis! Such people could kill!” and she suddenly looked at Lida.

“I?” Lida was frightened. “How do you think I was able to do it?”

“We shall see!” Arthur was excited.

“Wait…” Vera looked up. “There is the hatch in the ceiling! Perhaps, it is opened.”

“It’s hardly ever.” Arthur shook the head.” I have checked. It is also closed from the other side. But if you want I shall check up again.”

He went to a fire ladder and climbed upwards. Then with an effort he pressed on the hatch trying to lift it. After some attempts Arthur jumped off from the ladder and said cleaning his hands.

“It is useless. I think it’s something on the hatch. I do not know who did it, the murderer or builders but we shall not get out this way. It is useless.” he repeated.

“It is better if we all shall return to the reception.” Ivan reminded. “And we shall discuss a situation. The main thing is to keep together. Nobody knows about the plans of the murderer.”

“Plans?” Zhanna asked. “Do you want to say that … By the way, why was Sergey killed?”

“That should be find out.” Ivan summed up.

He left the balcony the last following Arthur and accurately closed the door.

“So, we shall return to an initial point.” Arthur gloomy joked. “Let’s go back to the reception.”

Angelica headed the procession. She was mad because of her accusation. Her stiletto heels were clicking down the floor.

The Poisonous Arrows

So, people cut off from the continent on the tenth floor had nothing to do than to return to the reception room to discuss a current situation. Seva passing through the hall murmured.

“And nevertheless: why is the water here?”

The others were too nervous to react to any pools with water in the hall.

“Please.” Arthur had gallantly passed forward Zhanna was going after Angelica. Zhanna looked at him suspiciously. “Are you afraid to turn to me?” Arthur grinned. “Don't be afraid. If I am the murderer, the maniac that's not time to kill you.”

“It seems not the right time for jokes, isn't it?” Zhanna asked.

“Will you order to begin sobbing?”

Without answering she went in the reception room. The other islanders followed her.

“Look! That’s his ashtray!” Lida exclaimed. “It is here and he… is dead.”

“Well, cry over stubs.” Arthur was laughing. Lida looked at him angrily but did not answer she put the massive ashtray from dark glass on the table where the totem was.

“I am sure I will find the decision.” Ivan addressed to everybody falling to the armchair. “That's not time to panic.”

“Agree.” Arthur was calm. “It is necessary to search for variants. The lift will be not eternally off!

“And if for that time while it is off, the murderer will kill us?” Zhanna asked.

“We are all together.” Ivan reminded. “And I do not see aggression in anybody.”

“Wow, you're the psychologist! “ Angelica sniffed flopping herself in the armchair. “I am sure your science is a fiction. And you are kidding us!”

“Sergey is killed!” Vera reminded falling into the armchair. “Whether is it an aggression sign?”

“But the murderer won’t show off.” Ivan answered. “So, he is an excellent actor. That’s so smart to hide the chisel in the basket of paint after the murder.”

“By the way, why did he kill?” Zhanna asked.

“It's easy to find out.” Ivan answered.

“And how?” Angelica asked with astonishment. Everybody were sitting and waiting for the explanations from Ivan. He looked at "the totem" which was in the centre of the table and said.

“What was the reason? That’s Sergey's story. I saw that it was hurtful to everybody. Without an exception, no need to say anything. But it touched everyone. After that we had gone to write notes. By the way, how could I forget!”

Suddenly he slapped himself on the forehead and jumped.

“What is the matter?” the islanders started to exchange glances.

“I have a mobile phone! And I did not put it in the box! It is in the room!”

“Well, thanks God.” Lida exclaimed.

“Too early to joke.” Angelica grinned looking as Ivan was running for the phone.

And she was right. A minute later he returned and said.

“My phone disappeared. From my table.”

“And what did you expect?” asked Angelica.” If the murderer climbed down through the hatch he would forget about your mobile phone… Do not make me laugh!”

“But I do remember.” rubbing his forehead Ivan said. “When I brought the totem box in the room I put the phone on the table.”

“And I do remember.” Seva supported Ivan. “I have paid attention because I thought to buy the same model. It is the new one with a lot of functions.”

“But I remember nothing.” Arthur declared. “I haven't seen any phones. Seva, were you the last to see the phone?”

“What do you mean?” worried Seva.

“I did not pay attention.” Zhanna complained. “If there was phone on the table or not.”

“I didn’t either.” Vera nodded.

“We are like all women absent-minded.” Angelica complained pulling out from the pack a cigarette.

“And I say that there was the phone!” Vera declared. “I wrote my fear on a sheet of paper the same time!”

“You are telling that because of Angelica, aren't you?” Ivan said softly.

“On the contrary!”