The Devil in Silver

“Now Dorry has this map all laid out,” Mr. Mack continued. “She drew it by hand but it’s detailed. She was in fifteen on Northwest 3, last in her row. She didn’t have a roommate. So who knows how many times she was back there. Plenty, I’m guessing.”

“Why would she?” Pepper asked.

“Maybe she’s been leaving the building whenever she wants,” Wally said.

Mr. Mack said, “I don’t think so, Mr. Gambino.”

An address that made Wally smile.

“That wasn’t Dorry’s way. Each one of us got the greeting and the tour from that woman. She never just thought of herself. She could be a trial sometimes, but she was never selfish.”

You should see a friendly face first. That was one of the first things she’d said to Pepper. And so he had. So had all of them.

Frank Waverly moved to the other side of the doorway and got to chopping. They watched him quietly for a moment. As hard as Frank Waverly was working, each man willed him to go even faster.

“But because Dorry was a soft touch,” Mr. Mack continued, “I’m going to tell you what I think she was really doing back there all these years. The map shows a way to get out of this building. Through an air duct on the second floor. But the map also shows a back path that leads to one room in particular. One that’s off-limits to patients, normally.”

“The silver door,” Pepper whispered.

Mr. Mack reached into the breast pocket of his jacket, but instead of pulling out that map, he revealed something else.

A key.

Mr. Mack said, “I think she took care of that thing like she took care of all of us.”

Wally slapped his own leg. “She took care of a fucking monster?! Nah, that ain’t right.”

Pepper looked at the ceiling. “She always said it was just a man.”

“She even wrote his name down,” Mr. Mack said.

Frank Waverly continued to chip and Wally Gambino laughed.

“That old bitch was double crazy!”

Mr. Mack pulled out the map. The sheet of paper had been folded into a small square. He handed it to Pepper.

“Why are you giving this up?”

“I got it memorized already.”

Pepper unfolded it. Wally couldn’t help himself, he went up on his toes and tried to see the map, too. They looked like two boys who’d just found a page ripped out of a porn magazine.

“Now what we’re going to do,” Mr. Mack announced, “is break through this door and then move over to the other side of the men’s hall and get the two fellas there. Then we go to the women’s hall and we do the same. Everyone’s expecting us. It’s going to take us awhile, I know, but everyone needs to be involved.”

“Involved with what?” Pepper asked.

Mr. Mack pointed at the door, slowly being revealed. “We’re going to teach that thing a lesson or three.”

Pepper scanned the map. Dorry was so good that she’d even detailed the number of steps they would find on the staircase that led from the first floor to the second. (Dorry had a bit of that OCD going strong.) The route to the air duct looked simple enough. As did the path to the Devil. She’d also scribbled a note. Funnily enough, the note wasn’t addressed to Pepper. Not to anyone specifically. Which made Pepper wonder how long Dorry had been planning to pass on this knowledge. How long she’d been hoping to take her rest.

Hello, my friend,

I’ve been in here a very long time, and I don’t want to be here anymore. I’ve stayed this long not for myself, but for everybody else. How much longer can I give until there’s nothing left? If you’re reading this, then I guess you have the answer.

This is the last thing I’m going to do. Giving you this map and this key. If you want to leave, there is a way. I’ve marked it. But let me ask you this: Where will you run? I’ll tell you one thing I’ve learned over my long life. This is the world, my friend. As much as anyplace else. Our trials don’t change, only the court.

This key opens a second silver door. I hope I’ve passed this on to the right person. Please don’t hurt Mr. Visserplein. If you look into his face, truly see his face, you’ll understand.

Please forgive me for my weaknesses.

Doris