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“Nearly an hour, ma’am. Do you need to sit down?”
“No, I’d like to get back to the lobby. Get back to my husband.”
The large open area was upon them, the bright lights suddenly unkind to her eyes. The demanding flashes seared into her brain, sending another wave of nausea through her. She hesitated, the guard helping her stay on her feet, but then began to feel sicker and asked for a restroom. He began walking her to the side of the room, where she saw the signs, but she couldn’t make it. She doubled over and threw up all over the floor. Contents of her stomach spilled out over the floor.
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s quite alright, ma’am. It happens. We see all kind of things in here. Are you sick, though? Did you touch the prisoner?”
“No. I did not.” She stopped. A new course of worry, adding to all the other confusion, enveloped her. Could Lipori have poisoned her somehow? She ruled it out as folly. Her active mind playing tricks on her.
“Well, never you mind. I’m sure when we get you to your husband, you’ll feel better.”
“I just need to get home. I need to get away from this place.”
“Yes, ma’am. I fully understand. Come on, just a little bit farther now. Let’s get you to the lobby, to your husband. Don’t worry about the mess. We’ll get someone here to clean this up. Are you still able to walk?”
“Can you help me? I’m weak.”
“Are you going to be sick again?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” But she did feel better. Perhaps this was from the lunch they’d eaten on the flight.
“You need to go lie down, get your feet up. Here we are. I’ll get you some water in just a minute. Here’s your husband, ma’am.”
She continued to walk, wondering where Harper was. She kept seeing Lipori’s murderous eyes, hearing all the lies he was telling himself and her. She realized he never could be controlled. He was many times more dangerous than he had been before. The transformation was stark.
Putting one step in front of the other, she thought about their problem, their solution. No matter what they promised him, he would be incapable of sticking to anything set up. He was a wild semi-feral animal with no moral compass. He didn’t care about anything or anybody but himself. He was deranged, evil. He belonged in a box forever. She had to tell Harper. She had to let him know.
Lipori wasn’t like the Jakob she knew in Florence. Perhaps it was the interrogations and solitary confinement. He was obviously very sick. He was a man desperate for release. And he was even more dangerous than he had been before, because he wasn’t rational. That meant they couldn’t predict what he was going to do next.
Harper came running to her side as soon as he saw her. He shouted at the guard, “Did that goddamned sonofabitch hurt my girl?”
“No, sir. All they did was talk.”
“I’m okay, Harper. I’m so glad to see you. I’m sorry I’m so weak—” She couldn’t continue.
“It’s okay, Honey. I’m here now.” And then to the guard, “What happened?”
“I’m not sure, sir. He didn’t touch her. They just talked, honest. She kept it tight until she walked through the door, and then she just collapsed into the wall.”
“That fucker. Lydia, are you okay? Lydia, talk to me, Honey. What’s going on? Are you okay?” Harper pulled out a Kleenex and wiped the edge of her mouth where some of her vomit had deposited.
“She’s sick?” he asked.
“Yes. In the hall back there. She just let it go. Couldn’t make it to the bathroom.”
“Lydia, Sweetheart, let’s sit down here please.”
He took her to one of the plastic couches. It had holes stuck into with pencils, and someone had ripped a tear so, as she sat, she felt the sharp edge of the plastic on the back of her thigh. The room suddenly smelled of antiseptic and air freshener. The lights were too bright. She thought she might become sick again.
“Talk to me, Lydia, please. Should I take you to the hospital?”
“No. It’s the lights or something I ate. It just came on me all of a sudden. I’m better now, but it was horrible, Harper. The man is horrible. He’s a monster.” She clutched at his chest, burying her head under his chin.
“What did he say?”
“He just told me about the awful village scene. I think that made me sick. He kept trying to convince me that he cared about me, that he saved my life, and I just don’t buy any of it. I just can’t. He’s responsible for the slaughter of all those people. I just—” She sat up and looked into her husband’s eyes. “I don’t want to give him anything that he wants, Harper. He doesn’t deserve it. He deserves to rot in prison.”
