Barking orders like a general. When everyone had dispersed, Swig turned to Milo. “I know what you’re thinking. We’re a bunch of civil-service bumblers. But this is absolutely the first time since I’ve run this place that we’ve had anything close to an escape. As a rule, nothing ever-”
“Some people,” said Milo, “live for the rules. Me, I deal with the exceptions.”
We walked up and down C Ward as Milo inspected doors. Several times, he had Swig unlock hatches. As he peered inside, the noise from within subsided.
“Can’t see the entire room through these,” he said, fingering a hatch door.
“We’ve gone over every room,” said Swig. “First thing. Everything checks out.”
I said, “That unmarked staff elevator door. I assume the inmates know about it.”
“We don’t make a point of explaining it,” said Swig. “But I suppose-”
“Reason I mention it is that yesterday Peake and Heidi came from that direction. It was the first time anyone remembers Peake leaving his room for any length of time.
I’m wondering if he saw someone enter the elevator, got an idea. Does it stop on every floor?”
“It can,” said Swig.
“Has anyone checked it?”
“I assume.”
Milo bore down on him. “You assume?”
“My orders were to check everywhere.”
“Your orders were not to carry weapons.”
“I’m sure,” said Swig, “that- Fine, to hell with it, I’ll show you.”
Brown door, slightly wider than those that sealed the inmates’ cells. Double key locks, no intercom speaker. Swig keyed the upper bolt and a latch clicked. The door swung open, revealing yet another brown rectangle. Inner door. No handle. Single lock in the center of the panel. The same key operated it, and a flick of Swig’s wrist brought forth rumbling gear noise that vibrated through the walls. A few feet away was a smaller door, maybe two feet wide and twice as high.
“Where’s the car coming from?” said Milo.
“No way to tell,” said Swig. “It’s a little slow, should be here soon.”
“The first time we were here,” I said, “Phil Hatterson called upstairs, spoke to someone, and got the elevator sent down. You can’t do that with this one.”
“Right,” said Swig. “The call box for the main elevator is in the nursing station. A tech’s in there at all times to monitor meds. Part of station duty’s also monitoring inter-floor transport.”
“Did Frank Dollard ever have that duty?”
“I’m sure he did. The staff circulates. Everyone does a bit of everything.”
“When the elevators are keyed remotely, what determines where they stop?”
“You leave the key in until the elevator arrives. When an approved person-someone with a key-rides up, he can release the lock mechanism and punch buttons in the elevator.”
“So once the lock’s been released, this operates like any other elevator.”
“Yes,” said Swig, “but you can’t release anything without a key, and only the staff has keys.”
“Do you ever remaster the locks?”
“If there’s a problem,” said Swig.
“Which never happens,” said Milo.
Swig flinched. “It doesn’t take something of this magnitude to remaster, Detective.
Anything out of the ordinary-a key reported stolen-and we change the tumblers immediately.”
“Must be a hassle,” said Milo. “AH those keys to replace.”
“We don’t have many hassles.”
“When’s the last time the tumblers were changed, Mr. Swig?”
“I’d have to check.”
“But not recently, that you can recall.”
“What are you getting at?” said Swig.
“One more thing,” said Milo. “Each ward is sectioned by those double doors. Every time you walk through, you have to unlock each one.”
“Exactly,” said Swig. “It’s a maze. That’s the point.” “How many keys do the techs need to carry to negotiate the maze?”
“Several,” said Swig. “I never counted.”
“Is there a master key?”
“I have a master.”
Milo pointed to the key protruding from the inner elevator door. The rumbling continued, louder, as the lift approached. “That it?”
“Yes. There’s also a copy in the safe in one of the data rooms on the first floor.
And yes, I checked it. Still there, no tampering.”
The door groaned open. The compartment was small, harshly lit, empty. Milo looked in. “What’s that?”
Pointing to a scrap on the floor.