A few employees laughed nervously.
Pierce opened the brass door.
“Good night, sir.”
Walter stepped into the storm.
Pierce closed the door behind him.
Through the glass, Walter saw Kyle lower his phone.
Saw Nia standing frozen.
Saw Pierce smiling.
Then the warmth disappeared as Walter turned toward the bus stop.
Snow came hard.
The city bus had stopped running temporarily because of an accident farther north.
Walter’s phone battery had died.
He sat beneath the shelter.
Minutes passed.
His hands began shaking.
Maybe Camille had been right.
Maybe seventy-four was too old for experiments.
Then Walter saw someone crossing the street.
Nia.
She wore her thin work coat.
No hat.
She carried the red scarf Walter had left near the fire.
“Walter!”
“You’re going to freeze.”
“So are you.”
“The bus?”
“Stopped.”
“My phone’s dead.”
Nia looked toward the Ashford.
“Then you’re coming back in.”
“Pierce will fire you.”
“He said if he sees you.”
She pointed toward the side alley.
“He won’t see you.”
Walter laughed despite the cold.
They crossed together.
At the staff entrance, the old metal door stuck.
Nia pushed.
Nothing.
Walter placed one hand beside hers.
“Somebody used to prop this door open for me.”
“When?”
“Long time ago.”
“Push.”
They pushed together.
The door opened.
A bellman named Dale saw them.
He looked at Walter.
Then at Nia.
“I didn’t see a thing.”
Nia smiled.
“Thank you.”
They moved inside.
Walter stopped.
“Why did you come get me?”
Nia looked toward the snow outside.
“When Mom had her stroke, she went down on the sidewalk on Halsted.”
Walter listened.
“She was alone.”
Nia swallowed.
“Some woman sat in the snow with her. Held her hand almost forty minutes until the ambulance came.”
“Who?”
“Never found out.”
“She gone when you arrived?”
“Yeah.”
Nia looked at Walter.
“So I guess I’m still paying it back.”
Walter felt something tighten in his chest.
Ruby.
Nia’s mother.
The stranger in the snow.
People helping people they would never meet again.
Maybe that was what held the world together when systems failed.
Then footsteps came from the hallway.
Pierce.
He saw them.
And whatever compassion remained in the building disappeared from his face.
“Nia Robinson.”
She froze.
“You brought a trespasser through a secure door.”
“He was freezing.”
“You’re terminated.”
Walter stepped forward.
“She let me in because you put me out into that.”
Pierce pointed toward him.
“And he’s trespassing.”
Then to Dale.
“Call the police.”
Walter started:
“Mr. Pierce, my name is—”
“I don’t care what your name is.”
Nia grabbed Walter’s sleeve.
“Please.”
He looked at her.
“They’ll arrest you too,” she whispered.
