Chapter 16: Vane Tightens the Perimeter

The boiler room door was still unlocked on Friday morning.

Elliot knew this because he walked past it at seven forty-three, on his way to the refectory from the east corridor, and tested the handle with two fingers the way you'd test the temperature of a pan — briefly, without breaking stride, not turning to look. It gave. The latch had not been replaced overnight. He filed this under *still available* and kept walking.

By Friday evening, something had changed about the east corridor itself.