“I was running a personal errand,” I said.

“What kind of errand?” Alejandro asked.

He reached out and grabbed the leather strap of my purse.

“Give me the bag.”

“Let go of my strap, Alejandro,” I said in a low, even voice.

“If you dig into things that don’t concern you, you’ll find yourself out on the street with nothing,” Alejandro said.

He jerked the bag toward his chest, and the brass clasp popped open against his fingers.

Oscar leaned over his shoulder and peered into the open leather pocket, where my wallet and cotton gloves lay.