Chapter 2 - The Name Behind the Notice

For three seconds, nobody moved.
The entire lobby seemed to stop breathing.
I could hear the soft hum of the air-conditioning above me.
Somewhere behind the reception desk, a printer clicked once, then went silent.
I looked at Mr. Graves.
He was staring at the eviction notice.
Not the wallet.
Not me.
The eviction notice.
His face had become so pale that the silver in his hair suddenly looked almost black against his skin.
One of the security guards glanced at him.
"Sir?"
Mr. Graves didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the pink paper sticking out of my backpack.
Then, very slowly, he walked toward me.
May you like
I took one step backward.
The security guards immediately shifted forward.