She rolled her eyes, stood, and pushed the lawn chair backward into her apartment. It complained softly against the wood floor. Her face filled the window, obscured by smoke.
“Come on,” she said. “I’ll buzz you in.” She strode into the depths of her apartment.
Tomás stood on the sidewalk and scratched his ear. A sliver of orange sunlight lingered on the street. It streaked across the buildings at waist height. The light blurred and the wall shuddered. He heard humming and the clanking of heavy metal.
“Come on,” she beckoned again from somewhere in the apartment. The apartment entrance droned. She must have had her finger pressed against the buzzer.
The clanking stopped, and the light faded. Tomás stepped around the corner, swung open the buzzing door, and followed Veronica into her apa
