Chapter 17 · Kuya Ben's Combination

"What locker." I didn't let go of his sleeve. Jae's jaw ticked under the service elevator's dead fluorescent light, and behind him the doors had already sealed shut on Grant's ring box like it never happened.

"Your mother's," he said again, slower, like I was the one being difficult. "Staff row, sub-basement. I know it exists. I didn't open it."

"Why should I believe you."

"Because I'm telling you before Bianca gets there first."

That did it. I let go of his sleeve and ran, heels slapping concrete, past the laundry carts and the flickering EXIT sign, not even waiting to hear if he followed.

The sub-basement smelled like bleach and hot dryer lint, three floors down from anything a guest would ever see. Kuya Ben was already standing in front of locker forty-one with his master ring of keys shaking in his fist, and Bianca Velasco was standing close enough to him that her heel was on his shoe.

"Combination," she said. "Now, Ben."

"Ma'am, I don't — that locker's not on my list, it's assigned to —