Román was waiting for her in the hallway. Before he could say anything, an elegant woman in her fifties with dark circles under her eyes approached.

"Roman, I was looking for you," she said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Eva," he introduced her. "My cousin. And Eva," he smiled, "Isabella's best friend."

The two looked at each other with a mixture of curiosity and confusion over the "tangle of names." There was no awkwardness, only quick recognition.

"Nice to meet you," said the cousin. "I wish we had met under different circumstances."

"Likewise," replied the friend. "How is everything?"

The older Eva soberly recounted the essentials: the harassment, the attack, Camila's arrest, the chain of accomplices, the role of the prosecution. She talked about the head of security, Mauricio, the workers who continued to go to the hospital. Eva's friend listened, nodding, clutching her purse to her chest as if hugging herself.

***

The next morning, Roman came in for his visiting shift as