you know, the meredith family acquired this building after st. john's hospital closed in 1952. it was the very first mayflower to open on the east coast.
the company wants us to patrol the premises every couple of hours, but i do my rounds every three hours and that's more than enough. anyway, you'll see, there's not much going on. it's pretty calm around here.
here you go.  men's department, or what's left of it anyway.
thank god you didn't show up any later. this place gives me the chills at night. .  no electricity, and all these mirrors.  you know, i live in brooklyn near a jewish neighborhood, and when someone dies, they cover all the mirrors in their house. some say that it's just to renounce all vanity during the mourning period, but others say something else.  they say it's to keep the soul of the dead from being trapped in the mirrors.  believe it or not, there's always a bit of truth in any superstition. am i right?
i guess you just have to keep your eyes away from them.
what?
that's gary lewis, the fellow who worked here before you. he was completely obsessed with these damn mirrors. he'd spend the entire night polishing them.
no idea. just didn't show up one night. i take it he's found a better opportunity somewhere else.
i'm not one to complain, but i never really liked him much.  could never be bothered to say hello or at least ask "how are you doing?".  i mean, damn, do we work together as a team or what?! you, on the other hand, seem like a nice guy. how long has it been since you left the nypd?
why did you resign from the force? you were a detective, is that correct?
third floor.  ladies' department. you gotta be careful here. when the wind blows, sometimes the tiles fly off the roof and they'll just snap your ear off, if you follow what i'm saying.
well, i'll let you get acquainted with the rest of the store on your own.
follow me, i'll show you our "headquarters" and i'll get you one of these uniforms.
we were a pretty big team working here before the fire. when you stop to think that of all the department stores in new york, this one was the most beautiful, the most luxurious.  it breaks your heart, it really does.
here you go. this is where you'll be spending most of your time. at least you've got electricity in here. it's nice and warm, and there's even a tv.
lorenzo junior, my grandson.  say hello lorenzo.
lorenzo and i are going to the movies tonight.
here, this should fit you. lorenzo, put your coat on.  we are already late. there's a drop of jack daniel's in the cupboard.  to keep yourself warm.
well, ben, the place is all yours.
oh! i forgot the most important thing.  the flashlights! you'll be needing one of these at night. we've got two of them. they run on batteries. don't forget to charge them.  see you in the morning, ben.
i'll call the company tomorrow morning and have them come take a look at it.
i've just been through the craziest day here.  no kidding! your ex- colleagues came to pay us a visit.
you know gary, the guy who was working here before you, the cops found him dead in a subway station in harlem. i never liked him too much, but poor guy, he didn't deserve to go like that.
no.  they wouldn't tell me.
well, ben? i better get going, mrs. sapelli is waiting for me at home. have a good night at work, ben. oh, and by the way, about that leak, they're sending someone over to work at it the beginning of next week.