basic security assessment to find weaknesses in their buildings. But this is different.”
“Why?”
“My client is trying to determine if this building is worth converting into a hotel for a new vintage brand she wants to establish. So I’m doing more than just looking at it, as-is. I’m trying to guess the what-ifs with possible changes when she converts the structure. That gets trickier. The outside looks great and fits with what she wants. The inside seems stable enough after years of renovations and she had an architect confirm that. But I can’t help thinking there’s a security issue I’m missing that might be a problem down the line. And if I don’t find it now, I’m worried it’s going to be overlooked later when she starts remodeling it for her hotel line.”
Cal pursed his lips, likely surprised Bull wasn’t dismissing his curiosity. He ate another spoonful of dessert as he stared at the plans. “How old is the building?” he casually asked, edging closer to Bull’s spot behind the table.
“Pretty old. It’s gone through several renovations and restorations in the last eighty years.” Bull grabbed the stack of photographs Anthony had taken and spread them out along the table’s edge. “These are pictures of how the building looks now.”
“Plans are better. The pictures just show the facelift.”
A smile pulled at the corner of Bull’s mouth. “True. But I can tell if the contractors actually made the changes or just covered them up with a wall or two. Any deviation in one place tells me they likely cut corners elsewhere.”
Cal stared at the plans once more, almost as if in a trance before shaking it off and glancing over to Ben in the living room. With the movie cued up and ready to go, Cal excused himself and joined Ben on the couch while Bull settled in for a few more hours of work.
Bull rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. With a looming deadline, he had to finish his assessment and give Rachel an answer. He glanced over at Ben sleeping at his side. Bull sighed on an exhale, visually tracing Ben’s features. He didn’t have the heart to wake Ben on his day off.
He carefully slid out from under Ben’s arm and slid a pillow in his place. Unable to resist, he ghosted a kiss to Ben’s forehead before stepping out of the bedroom.
With a yawn, he walked out of the hallway and through the living room. He stopped mid-step at the sight of Calvin leaning over his worktable.
“Sleep well?”
Cal glanced up. “Dumbwaiter.”
“Uh…good morning to you too,” Bull said with a chuckle. He stepped into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee, then strolled over to the table and stood shoulder to shoulder with Calvin.
“Something like a dumbwaiter.” Calvin pointed to the plans, his fingertip on the column Bull had circled the night before. “It would provide easy access to each floor if you’re small enough to fit in it.”
Bull stared at the plans. To the naked eye, it appeared as if it were another decorative column, just slightly wider than the others. But there had been something off about the difference that hadn’t sat well with him.
“You knew something wasn’t right.” Calvin looked up at him as he pointed to the wider column etched on the plan. “That’s why you marked it off?”
He nodded. Plans hinted at areas that required further investigation, spaces he would usually check with greater detail during a site visit. “There are enough beams already in place for structural support, so the columns are just aesthetics. This particular column is wider and was there before the others were added with the renovation.”
A half smile spread across Calvin’s face. “If you hadn’t marked it, I probably wouldn’t have thought of it. I remember once seeing the plans for a bank that had been renovated. They had stripped out the tanks and compressors of the pneumatic systems but keep the tunnels in place. They hadn’t realized it, but those tunnels provided an easy way to travel beneath the bank. If this column is part of something old, you need to look inside to be sure.”
Bull absently nodded. “This is the only column wide enough for someone to shimmy through. Even if there’s no entry point from the roof, it would be easy to blow out the barrier between the roof and the wide beam opening to gain access if it were needed.”
“And once you’re in, you know what that means?”
They looked at each other. “It’s