I stood there with blood in my mouth, watching Victor straighten his coat as though he hadn’t just committed aggravated lawyering.

“You’re welcome,” he said.

Elias was cuffed on the carpet, breathing hard, eyes fixed on Anna. “This isn’t finished,” he said.

She didn’t look at him. He smiled again, but smaller now, crueler. “You think he’s helping you?” he said, nodding toward me. “Ask him who bought your building.”

The room shifted. Slowly, Anna looked up.

I already knew before Victor opened the binder again. Because of the report. Because of page thirteen. Because of the redevelopment deal I hadn’t read closely enough until tonight.