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“What do you want?” the man finally spits out.
“I want to speak to Laura and Barbara,” I say.
“They are busy,” he spits, and he is about to close the door when I wedge my foot between the door and the frame to stop the movement.
“I am certain they’ll be interested in talking to me,” I say.
He peers at my face and then looks behind me to see my guard.
“Who the hell did you say you were again?” he asks.
“You didn’t let me introduce myself,” I say. I look at my guard and nod.
He steps back and kicks the door. At the second kick, the door flies open.
A young girl’s face appears.
“Ray, who the hell is that—” her voice dies away when she sees me. I recognize her; she is the younger girl from the picture, and that means she must be Laura.
She looks at Ray.
“Go back to your room. Stay with your mother,” he begins, but my guard holds him back, and I walk up to the girl whose feet seem rooted to the floor.
“Hi,” I say, bringing down my voice to its softest octave.
“Who—who are you?” she stutters.
I inhale. “I am your sister’s friend,” I say.
“Don’t listen to him, Laura. Run, damn it,” the man cries as my guard restrains him.
“You don’t have to run. I won’t hurt you, I promise,” I say.
“I don’t know you. I haven’t seen you before,” she says.
“That’s because I am a new friend,” I say.
She isn’t convinced, but for what it’s worth, she relaxes.
“How is Alyssa? Do you know if she’s okay? When was the last time you saw her?” she says, all in one breath.
I nod. “She’s all right, and she misses you and your mother so much. That’s why she sent me.”
Laura sighs, and a tear slips from her eye.
“Why doesn’t she come herself? Mama misses her so much that she’s sick,” she says.
Guilt grips my heart, and I give a tiny smile.
“She’ll come back soon, but in the meantime, can I see your mom?” I ask.
She looks over at Ray, who the guard is holding, and I smile to divert her attention.
“He doesn’t like me, but I am a bit desperate to deliver Alyssa’s love to you and your mother. Can you give us a minute to talk?” I ask her.
She looks at him and then me uncertainly, but she finally turns and leaves us.
I walk to Ray and signal for my guard to let him go.
