Notorious D.O.C. (Hope Sze medical mystery) by Melissa Yi, Melissa Yuan-Innes

in and buzz your
apartment."
    "Right, so they can get in the lobby
to buzz me or deliver the mail, but there's a lock on the inner door to the
building—"
    "Don't make me laugh. This
afternoon, I just walked up and pushed it open. The last guy hadn't made sure
it latched behind him."
    "I locked my apartment door," I
said.
    "That's the only thing between you
and the street? A kid with a credit card could jimmy those locks."
    I stared at my toes as we walked. Even I'd
noticed my wimpy security system.
    "And you're only one story up.
Someone could jump up on your balcony and come in through your balcony door or
the windows right beside it."
    I shivered. "Ryan. I don't want to
think about this right now, honestly. It's been a tough night."
    He adjusted my backpack's straps.
"Look. I know you don't like hearing it. But you have to take care of
yourself."
    "I know," I said in a low
voice.
    "Tomorrow, we can go to the hardware
store and get some new locks, and at least put some wood braces in your windows
so people can't force them open from the outside. I saw a big hardware store on
Côte-des-Neiges. I'm sure they have everything."
    He glanced across the street at the giant
steel-columned building for HEC, the business school of l'École Polytechnique . That's the same school where Marc Lépine
walked into a classroom with a loaded gun. He separated the guys from the girls
and yelled, "You're all feminists!" before he shot and killed
fourteen innocent women. That was over twenty years ago, but even so. There's a
memorial garden a few blocks southeast of here.
    I stepped up the pace and squeezed his
hand so Ryan wouldn't notice the HEC signs and make the connection.
"Okay."
    My apartment security was lax, but it did
have some Art Deco charm. I cleared my throat as we walked up the path.
"You like the lanterns?"
    He nodded. "Nice. I wish they were
brighter, though."
    True. I could hardly see my black shoes
against the dirt path, let alone any potential intruders lurking behind the
full-grown trees or hedges. Ryan grimaced at the street lamp, no doubt
calculating its wattage.
    Ryan opened the outer door for me. It was
made of real, stained wood and there were nice frosted glass accents beside it,
but after Ryan's worrying I felt acutely conscious of the single bolt holding
the inner door closed. "At least it's locked this time," I said. I
didn't tell him that it lay open half the time, what with people moving in and
out of the building.
    Ryan looked heavenward. "Probably
because I was the last one out."
    "Probably." I glanced at the
mailboxes to my right. He turned around so I could dig the mail key out of my
backpack. I didn't bother telling him that the lock on the mailbox was acting
wonky. I just used the key and shoved the flyers and bills under my arm without
checking them.
    "I hate to keep beating this horse,
but you've got H. Sze right on that mailbox and buzzer. It has your apartment
number, too. The least they could do is scramble the apartment and buzzer
numbers."
    I pinched my nose. "Yeah. Okay."
These thoughts had flitted through my subconscious, especially after I almost
died last month, but I hadn't wanted to deal with them. We lived in Canada. We
were safe. Apartment hunting was such a pain in the ass, and since nearly all
the leases in Montreal ran until July 1, I wouldn't have much choice if I
started looking again now. "I don't know what I can do about that, though.
Would you be happy if I put just my initials on the mailbox or something?"
    He scowled. "Would that really make
you feel safe?"
    I knew he was right. I also knew that I
sincerely could not deal with it tonight. I gave him a look.
    His lips softened. He ran his hand
through his hair.
    I unlocked the inner building door and he
opened it for me, following me up the stairs closer than a friend-only would. I
was very conscious of his warm body behind me and, I had no doubt, his eyes
checking out my rear view. Despite my exhaustion, my pulse leaped.
    Ryan