“The molding needs two coats of enamel before the carpet installer comes on Friday,” Julian said without looking up.

He shifted his knees on the hardwood, and his ring of brass desk keys slid out of his trouser pocket and landed on the trim with a heavy clatter.

I bent down before he could reach across the tape measure and picked them up.

Among the brass house keys and the small silver desk keys was a flat silver key stamped with the initials M.R.S. and a four-digit unit number above the shield logo of Mercer Ridge Storage.

“Give me those,” Julian said, holding out his hand.