Chapter 12

I don’t know what time it is, but it’s dawn. I wake up to a demon sound that won’t stop, and it takes me a second too long to realize it’s my fucking phone. It’s a call from Mireya, and I’m surprised to hear her so calm. She doesn’t seem upset; she didn’t even mention it yesterday.

“It’s time for you to go to work,” she tells me. “But before you start your routine, stop by my house.”

He never says goodbye anymore, so I’m not surprised. I get ready and, without lingering too long, go to her house. When she opens the door for me, it’s more obvious that she’s upset. And if she’s not upset, she’s not happy, that’s for sure. She hands me a wooden box, heavy, pretty, and with a lock. Curiosity again, and another time, I forbid myself to ask.

“Go to your house. Open the box,” he hands me a key. “Read the note, and I guess you’ll know what to do.”

Saying goodbye must be painful for her because she never does it. I missed getting hit in the face with the door when I c