There was silence. I heard Maria take a deep breath.
“Okay. Hide her. Hide her somewhere no one would think to look for her. And then come to a place. I’ll send you an address. You’ll be safe there, at least for a while. And, Ana… don’t trust anyone. Do you understand? Absolutely no one. Not even the police.
Chapter 5
Maria’s words echoed in my mind as I walked the dimly lit streets. “Trust no one.” So easy to say, so hard to do when your whole world has collapsed. The address she sent me was in the old part of town—a neighborhood I rarely visited, with narrow cobblestone streets and old, aristocratic houses converted into lawyers’ and notaries’ offices.
But first I had to hide the folder. Where? Where would one hide something that could cost one's life? I thought of safes, of lockers at the station, but it all seemed too obvious. If Ivaylo's people were as good as they seemed, they would have checked those places first.
And then it occurred to me. A place that was both public and completely anonymous. A place connected to my life, but not to Peter's. The library. The city library where I spent hours as a student. A huge, dusty building with endless shelves and thousands of books. A folder tucked between the pages of a forgotten book would be like a drop in the ocean.
I deviated from my route and headed for the library. It was late and I knew they would be closing soon. I went in, nodded to the tired librarian, and headed for the rare and old literature section—a place rarely visited by humans. I selected the most boring-sounding volume I could find—“Agrarian Reforms in the Kingdom of Bulgaria, Volume Three.” I tucked the folder between the thick, yellowed pages. I closed the book and returned it to its place, deep inside the shelf. For a moment, I felt relief. The weight was no longer in my hands. But I knew it was temporary.
Half an hour later I was at the address Maria had given me. It was an old, three-story house with wrought iron on the windows. There was a brass sign on the door: “Stoyanov and Partners Law Firm.” I hesitated for a moment, then rang the bell.
The door opened almost immediately. I was greeted by Maria herself. Her face was pale and haggard. She quickly pulled me inside and locked the door behind me.
“Are you okay? Did someone follow you?”
– I don't think so. I hid the folder.
“Okay,” she sighed with relief. “Come in.”
