"This is insane."
"It's reality. Tell them I've been here all night, Lila."
The way he says my name makes my chest tighten.
The cops burst in like a SWAT team raiding a drug den. Guns drawn, shouting, chaos.
Ivan doesn't even flinch. He sits, hands visible on the table, looking bored.
"Chicago PD! Hands where we can see them!"
The lead officer approaches, gun still drawn. "We got a report of shots fired in the alley. You two see or hear anything?"
I shake my head.
“And you?” He turns to Ivan. “What have you been up to tonight?”
"He's been here since midnight," I hear myself say. The lie comes out smoother than expected.
The cop's eyes narrow as he looks between us. "Since midnight, huh? Convenient."
"Couldn't sleep," Ivan says with a shrug. "She’s kind enough to keep me company."
"ID."
Ivan produces his license slowly. The cop examines it, and recognition flickers across his face.
"Petrov," he says flatly. "Of course."
"Problem, officer?"
"Someone got killed in that alley tonight. Professional hit."
I feign shock. "That's awful!"
The officer peppers us with questions for what feels like hours, occasionally circling back in a thinly veiled attempt at tripping us up. Ivan's story never falters: He couldn't sleep,came for coffee, and spent the night talking to me. All I can do is follow his lead.
They want to know if we saw anything, heard anything. We didn't. Other than the sound of what we thought might be fireworks, it was just a quiet night until the sirens started.
The lead cop hands Ivan a card as they leave. "Stay out of dark alleys, Mr. Petrov. Dangerous neighborhood."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Finally, they leave.
I expect Ivan to go too. To disappear into the night and let me pretend this never happened. Instead, he stays seated, studying me with those impossible eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"No." The word comes out sharp. "I'm not okay. You just—there was blood—those men?—"
"I know."
"Do you? Do you know what it's like to be a normal person with guns pointed at you?"
"No," he admits. "I don't."
We sit in silence for a moment. My heartbeat thuds in my ears, still too fast, still panicked.
