She closed the door behind me, leaving me in the quiet room.

The room was small and cold.

It had an examination table covered in crinkly white paper.

A sink, some metal cabinets, and a single window looking out at the brick wall of the adjacent building.

I didn’t change into the gown.

I stood near the sink, clutching my purse.

The silence in the room was absolute, broken only by the ticking of a small plastic clock.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

It was past ten o’clock.

Had Julian seen the agents?

Had he run?

Suddenly, the doorknob jiggled.

The door opened slowly.

It wasn’t Julian.

It was Victoria’s sister, Adelaide.

She was wearing a long camel-hair coat, her hair disheveled.

Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide with a manic intensity.

She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, locking it with a sharp click.

“Adelaide,” I gasped, stepping back against the sink.

“What are you doing here?”

“He’s not coming, Natalie,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

She reached into her deep coat pocket.