Leda Lin arrived at the library carrying a photograph in a plain brown envelope.
She stood just inside the meeting room until the noise settled enough for her to hear her name. Tessa went to meet her. They had spoken by phone, but this was the first time they had met. Leda’s coat was buttoned unevenly, and a dark mark showed where rain had soaked the shoulder.
“Anwar called,” she said. “He told me about the inspection.”
“Would you like to sit near him?” Tessa asked.
“Not yet.”
Tessa found her a chair beside the wall, with a clear path to the door. Leda placed the envelope on her lap and held it there while people came in. Some had crossed the river before the closure and were trying to get home. Others had taken the long detour to attend. A man in a work shirt brought a folded map of bus routes and taped it beside the library’s noticeboard.
Eli stayed near the back. He had written Mateo’s last request in his notebook, but he did not open it while Leda settled in. The room belonged to more than the words she had not yet heard.
Devika set her inspection photographs on a table at the front. Kellan placed a ruler beside them to show the scale of the crack. Sera checked that the route from the door to the accessible seats was clear, then brought another chair for a woman who needed to keep her leg raised.
