“She worked very hard on those green trees,” I said.

“They look sturdy,” Elena said, smiling as she smoothed the bottom edge of the paper flat against the surface.

She checked the readout on the main monitor, patted my upper arm once, and stepped out into the corridor to leave us alone in the quiet room.

At eleven o’clock, Kevin brought Brooklyn back up from the main lobby, and we walked down the back stairs together to the cafeteria.

The lower floor was bright with late-morning sunlight streaming through the long south windows.