Before I could pull the papers out, the screen of Marcus’s phone on the desk lit up with an incoming message.

Marcus stepped past me, his eyes fixed on the glowing screen.

He picked up the phone, his thumb sliding across the glass.

“It is Luca,” Marcus said, his voice flat.

“What does he want?” Sofia asked.

“He is asking if the house is secure,” Marcus said. “He wants to know if Alexander is still resting.”

“Do not answer him,” Sofia said, her voice trembling. “Not yet.”

I turned my attention back to the open safe.

The metal interior was cold, smelling of old iron and damp dust.

I reached inside and pulled out the thick, leather-bound ledger.

Beneath it was a folder of cream-colored paper, bound by a heavy black clip.

I laid them both on the mahogany desk next to the green lamp.

“What is that?” Sofia asked, leaning over my shoulder.

Her breath was warm against my neck, smelling faintly of mint and anxiety.

I opened the ledger first.

The pages were filled with neat, handwritten columns of numbers and dates.