Chapter 3 - Noah Queen
Margaret Morrison entered my bathroom seventeen minutes later carrying a first-aid kit and enough disapproval for both of us.
She looked at Harper.
Then me.
“What happened?”
Harper said:
“I cut my leg.”
Margaret looked at the bruises.
Silence.
Harper’s face changed.
Margaret did not ask immediately.
She said:
“Sit.”
Harper obeyed.
Margaret cleaned the small calf cut.
It was superficial.
No stitches.
Likely from broken glass, Harper eventually said.
“When?”
“This afternoon.”
“Here?”
“No.”
Margaret looked at me.
I stayed out of it.
Then:
“Where is Noah?”
Harper’s head snapped up.
“Sleeping.”
“Have you checked?”
“An hour ago.”
Margaret said:
“I’ll check now.”
Harper stood too fast.
“No.”
There.
Not distrust of Margaret.
Fear of leaving Noah unattended even for one minute.
Margaret softened.
“Come.”
The three of us went upstairs.
No security parade.
No men in black suits.
The staff apartment was small but comfortable.
Kitchenette.
Two bedrooms.
One bathroom.
Noah slept curled sideways beneath a blanket.
His bedroom door was partly open.
Harper stood there watching his chest.
In.
Out.
Only after seeing him breathe did her shoulders loosen.
Margaret looked at me.
Then quietly:
“Someone has trained her to count breaths.”
Harper heard.
“I’m fine.”
Margaret said:
“No, sweetheart.”
Harper flinched at sweetheart.
Not because offended.
Because close to crying.
Noah woke.
“Harper?”
She went immediately to him.
“I’m here.”
He sat up.
Saw me.
Went rigid.
“Who’s that?”
“My boss.”
Noah pulled the blanket higher.
I stayed in the doorway.
“Hi.”
No response.
Harper said:
“You can go back to sleep.”
Noah whispered:
“Is Derek here?”
Everything stopped.
Harper sat beside him.
“No.”
“Did he call?”
She hesitated.
Children notice.
“Yes.”
Noah looked toward me.
Then:
“Don’t call police.”
I did not speak.
Harper closed her eyes.
Noah continued:
“They give him your words.”
I looked at Harper.
Her face told me not to ask in front of him.
I nodded.
“Good night, Noah.”
He stared.
Then:
“Are you bad?”
Margaret inhaled.
Fair question.
I answered:
“Sometimes I’ve done things people would say are bad.”
Margaret looked at me sharply.
I continued:
“But I’m not going to hurt you or Harper.”
Noah thought.
“You know Derek?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Then he lay down.
Harper tucked the blanket around him.
When we returned to the hallway, I asked:
“What did he mean by they give him your words?”
Harper said:
“The first time I tried to report Derek, he knew what I said before I got home.”
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That was where the badge stopped being background.
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