The Puzzle

By C.R. Merz

A bright red door barred entry to the small yet eloquent hotel room; my hand reached for the keys held in my pocket, shaking in exquisite delight as my plans were coming to fruition. My rough fingers – from my days of work as a mechanic – bristled into my dress pants as they swam nearer to the keys, dry rough skin holding onto the neatly-stitched fibers. Finally, I grasped them and slowly moved the keys toward the door handle, jagged grinding squeaks resounded as the key slid into the mechanism.

A shoof, twist, and then a click released the metal bolt from its resting place. The neon blue glow of a sign reading “No Vacancy” pierced the night sky, illuminating a set of beautiful mattresses covered by what must have been imported cotton. Between the two sat a lavishly wrapped gift upon a deep oak end table. Tonight, my dream would become a reality.

“Ahh, it’s so beautiful.” Her voice, which most would consider angelic, grated against the very fiber of my being.

“Anything for you. You have been the best secretary a boss could ask for.” I wanted to puke in my mouth, that would be a better taste than the filthy lie I had just told.

“I also have something special – look at the end table.”

“You shouldn’t have.” She slithered her arms around me in an unbearable embrace. As she cantered towards the present, I couldn’t help but brush her putrid scent off my arms.

“Go ahead, open it.”

“Is it finally going to happen? Are you really doing this now?”

As I smirked, she seated herself on the bed and began tearing the wrapping off the neatly packaged box. I followed. It was as if a ghoul had found a fresh corpse and had been starving for months. Jagged sections of paper began to fly over the floor as this creature ripped the helpless wrapping apart.

 “What is it?” I remained silent. “A puzzle box?” Her query hastened my jubilee.

The box was a reddish copper with filigree reaching around a six-digit combination lock, as if to say its secret was eloquently kept. As she slid her fingers over the dials, her confusion was satisfyingly delectable.

“Am I supposed to guess?”

“Why don’t we play 20 questions? It’s one of your favorite games, right?”

“Oh, let’s. Am I a date?”

“Yes.”

“I know you so well.” She leaned in for a kiss, I wanted to retreat, but the taste of justice was worth the cost.

“Did the date happen before or after I met you?”

“After.”

She walked her hands up my arms, “Was it…that day?”

“Why don’t you go ahead and enter the passcode. I am sure you know that date all too well.”

She twisted each dial one at a time. Click, click – the first set of digits read “07.” The second two digits slid into place with excruciatingly slow execution: “14.”

“Should I say yes before I enter this last set of numbers?” Her question made my skin crawl. A cold shiver of expectancy crept over me at her query. I was almost there. I couldn’t give away the truth yet.

“Only if you mean it.”

“Ahh, yes, yes, yes a thousand times yes.”

“Just open the box!” I stated, interrupting her celebration.

Click, click, and the last two numbers read “19.”

“July 14, 2019. This is the week after we first met.” She hummed.

“The most important part of our relationship began then.” Shaking with anticipation, I couldn’t wait for the truth to be revealed.

The puzzle box’s latch clanked open, and the filigree swirled as it began to untether the metallic shape revealing a piece of paper.

“It’s a picture.” Her voice was shaking. “What is this?”

“It’s a check. But this check has my signature on it. One that I never wrote. And it’s from July 14.” Her eyes dilated realizing what was in front of her. Tears began to drip down her traitorous face.

“You see, what’s unusual about the check is that it was deposited from my company directly into an account owned by…you.”

“Oh, my god.” She gasped.

Red and blue lights illuminated her face and her tears turned into shrieks befitting that of a thieving banshee. The door flew open. Two large officers grabbed her by each arm and put her in handcuffs. The silhouette of a creature who deserved no better end began to blur amidst the pulsing lights, and all I could see was red. My dream had come true – getting even had never felt so good.