“Only the account holder is allowed in the vault room,” the clerk said, pointing at Elias.

“He stays out here.”

Elias frowned, stepping forward.

“I am her personal security,” Elias said. “I go where she goes.”

“The rules are strict, young man,” the clerk said, his tone sharpening.

“You wait in the lobby area.”

I turned to Elias.

“It is fine,” I said. “There is a guard at the gate, and the vault is secure.”

“I will be right back out.”

Elias hesitated, his fingers twitching near his coat pocket.

“Very well,” he said. “I will be right here.”

I walked through the steel gate, and it clicked shut behind me.

The clerk led me down a narrow corridor lined with thousands of small metal drawers.

Each drawer had two keyholes.

We stopped in front of box 408.

The clerk inserted his master key into the left slot.

“Insert your key on the right, please,” he said.

I put the brass key into the lock and turned it.

The lock gave a heavy, satisfying click.