In the early hours of the morning, I was awakened by a dull thud. A sharp knock against the glass. I got up barefoot and opened the curtain. On the windowsill was a chess piece: a wooden knight stained red. I picked it up with two fingers. It was heavy, old, with a slight smell of gasoline.

I wrapped it in a bag and called security. They took a few minutes to arrive. They took photos and collected fingerprints. Eva appeared in her pajamas, her eyes wide.

"What is it?"

"Another threat, I guess."

***

At dawn, Claudia wrote to us: the judge had summoned Benjamin and Camila for a statement.

It wasn't a victory, but at least it was a first step.

I went out into the garden with my coffee. The new light made the house look like a model. I thought about the trap, about Camila, about the red horse, about the word "time."

Roman came out behind me, his jacket slung over his shoulder. We stood looking at the lawn, like two normal people who owed each other nothing.

"Today will be difficult," he s