Broken - Isadora Quagmire

Chapter Fifty Seven - The Letter

"How are we going to get out of here without them knowing?" Duncan asked.

"We just need to wait until they're distracted, then we just leave" said Quigley.

"We can't just leave, can we?" I said. "We can't just leave Count Olaf, he'll find us"

"Isadora's right. We never think this through. We tried to escape at Caligari Carnival, for example, and we were caught"

"But that was in the middle of the Hinterlands. The Hotel Denouement is in the city"

"You're right" I said. "We'll wait until they're asleep. Then we can find a way to break down this door"

So we stayed in the closet, waiting. It took a long while but at last, we heard Count Olaf, Esme and Carmelita return from dinner. Some time later, we heard the chimes of the legendary Hotel Denouement clock Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

"We should go now, it's midnight, they ought to be asleep by now" said Quigley.

"How do we get out?" asked Duncan.

"Look through some of Esme's stuff" I said. "There may be a hairpin"

Duncan found a hairpin in one of the boxes. I went over to the door.

"Maybe you should try turning the handle"

"I haven't even tried yet, Quigely"

"But it's been like three minutes"

"I was getting the pin ready, you can't just put a random hairpin in a lock and hope it'll unlock a door"

"But you've put the pin in the keyhole"

"But I haven't even turned it yet"

"Duncan, tell Isadora that she should be done by now"

I threw the hairpin onto the ground and then stood up. "Why don't you try it then?"

"Happily" said Quigley. He walked past me then turned the door handle and the door opened.

"What?" I said.

"What did I tell you?"

"Can you two keep it down?" said Duncan. He walked past the both of us and found the key to the main door.

After opening the door, Duncan and the arguing me and Quigley walked until we found the stairwell, we thought it was too risky to use the elevator.

"Did either of you check that the door was locked when we entered the closet?" I asked.

"I didn't know it was my job" said Quigley.

"I did. It was locked earlier" said Duncan.

"Then how come it wasn't locked before" asked Quigley. He opened the door on the ground floor. We made our way towards the exit. The elevator opened with a ding.

"Oh, cake-sniffers" Carmelita sang.

"Why was the door unlocked, Esme?" I asked.

"Because it was way easier than dragging you all the way down here. You took way longer than I suspected though"

"Why did you want us down here?" asked Quigely.

"Where's Count Olaf?" asked Duncan.

"He's just outside. Why don't you go and say hello?"

"I don't think we should" I said.

Carmelita pulled out a harpoon gun and pointed it towards us.