“We can always write to them,” Amy suggested, “or we can try them on the phone until we find someone in.”
“I guess we’ll have to,” Peggy agreed. But then she noticed the doorbell, almost invisible under many layers of thick green paint. “Wait a minute! Let’s see if the bell works. Maybe there’s a watchman, or somebody else.”
A push at the button produced a loud ringing from deep within the building. Its sound seemed to echo for seconds after Peggy released the button.
“If there’s anybody in there, that’s going to bring him,” she said. After a few minutes’ wait, she decided to try again. This time, at the same instant that she touched the doorbell, the door swung open, revealing a man in dirty overalls who stood blinking at the light and regarding them with a scowl.
“Whatta ya want?” he grated.
“Are you the superintendent?” Peggy asked politely.
“I’m the janitor. Whatta ya wanta know for?”
“Well, we’re just wondering about the theater upstairs—”
“Theater? Ain’t no theater here, kid,” the man growled, and started to shut the door.