The beam of a powerful flashlight hit my face, blinding me.

I blocked my eyes with my hand.

“Who is there?” I demanded, my voice steadier than I felt.

The light shifted slightly, revealing a figure standing at the iron gate.

It was the floor manager, Marcus, holding a heavy ring of keys and a cell phone.

His face was grim.

“You shouldn’t have come down here, Harper,” he said.

“I saw you talking to Nico earlier.”

“He didn’t believe you for a second.”

Mr. Alvarez stood up beside me, his hands clenched into fists.

“Leave her alone, Marcus,” he said.

“You know what they did to Lila.”

“It doesn’t matter what they did,” Marcus said, his voice flat.

“I work for the Romanos. They pay my bills.”

He raised his phone to his ear.

“I have them,” he said into the receiver.

“In the old cellar.”

He listened for a moment, then nodded.

“Understood.”

He hung up and looked at us through the iron bars.

“Nico is on his way,” he said.

“You have about ten minutes to figure out what you’re going to say to him.”