“Yes,” she said with as much authority as she could muster. Jesse was keeping her safe. She needed to do the same for him.

He hesitated, then finally picked up his sketch pad and left the warehouse. Pauline watched him go, then turned back to Anna.

“What did he do to you?” she asked her.

“Pauline!” She tried to put a playful note in her voice. She was certain she failed. “You’re jumping to silly conclusions,” she said. “I’m sorry about your cot. I got my period earlier than I expected and—” She glanced at the bloodstain and nearly gagged. It took every bit of strength she had in her body and mind to speak to Pauline normally. “When I realized I had my monthly, I got up so quickly that I must have … somehow the legs broke. I’ll replace it for you.”

Pauline stared at her and Anna knew she didn’t believe her. She could feel her words twisting in her mouth. In her head.

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” Pauline said, reaching for her hand, but Anna pushed her hand away.

“I’m all right,” she insisted. “I don’t need the hospital.”

Pauline got to her feet and looked down at her. Anna could tell she was trying to figure out what to do. She knew she should get up. Go to her paints. Act as if nothing at all was wrong. She thought of Jesse, riding home on his bike, and how frightened he must be. She looked at her friend and could see the wheels turning in Pauline’s head, jumping to the wrong conclusion. What if she shared her suspicions with Karl?

“Jesse and I are not lovers,” she said firmly. “That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”

Pauline glanced at the blood on the cot again, as if she could assess whether it was menstrual blood or not.

“I’m worried about you,” she said. “I think you’re playing with fire and are too naïve to know it.”

“Nonsense.” Anna forced herself to stand up and walk toward the mural. Her knees were rubber. “I really need to get back to work,” she said, a tremulous hand reaching for her palette.

Pauline stood there another moment or two. Then she said something kind or worried or … Anna wasn’t sure what words came out of her friend’s mouth. She was thinking of how Pauline said she was playing with fire. Pauline had no idea the magnitude of the fire Anna was playing with.