As night fell, the mansion felt less like a house and more like a fortress. Still, it was a fortress with warm light. Eva settled on the sofa with her laptop, Roman sat by the window with a notebook, and I opened my sketchbook. I drew the inner courtyard again, but this time I thought of it as a place where people see and understand each other, not where they hide. I added a curved line connecting two benches that had previously been separated on a whim. A tiny bridge in the drawing. A secret agreement with myself.

"What's that?" asked Roman, coming closer.

"A seam," I replied. "Sometimes it's enough to sew two edges together for the wind to change its sound.

"And in life?"

"Also."

He stared. His fingers brushed the edge of the paper, then touched my hand.

"Tomorrow you'll have to testify again," he said. "Reyes wants everything documented before the next move."

"I will," I replied.

"And you'll sleep in my room," he added, without allowing any reply.

"I won't argue," I conceded instan