Catalonia’s civil servants returned to work on Monday for the first time since Spain’s Central Government rejected an independence declaration by imposing direct control, as Madrid warned that sacked regional leaders face criminal charges if they attempt to perform any official duties.

Catalans watched and wondered whether the ousted leaders would defy their firing and face arrest, escalating a political crisis that already appears to have no easy way out.

Speculation raged about the whereabouts of the dismissed Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his deposed Cabinet, whose reaction will be key to whether Madrid’s takeover will be smooth or face opposition.

As staff arrived at the headquarters of the Catalan Government in Barcelona, Puigdemont posted a photo on Instagram of a courtyard at the building. Both the Catalan and Spanish national flags waved from the top of the building.

The ambiguous Instagram post, accompanied by the words “Good morning” in Catalan and a smiley emoticon, left many guessing whether Puigdemont was inside the building. There was no indication of when the photo was taken. As dozens of journalists, curious onlookers and bemused tourists gathered in the square outside the Gothic Government palace in central

Barcelona, residents expressed confusion about who was actually in charge of Catalonia. “I don’t know, the Catalan government says they are in charge, but the Spanish government says they are,” said Cristina Guillen, an employee in a nearby bag shop. “So I have no idea, really. “What I really think is that nobody is in charge right now,” she said. At least one portrait of Puigdemont was still hanging on a wall inside the Catalan Government’s Gener-alitat building. Puigdemont is likely to be accused of rebellion on Monday for pushing ahead with secession.