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Ruby chuckles. “Do I look like police to you?”
Mabel shrugs. “How should I know what all the police officers in the city look like?”
“I’m not police, kid.” Ruby smiles, clearly amused by the girl’s sass.
“Then why do you need to ask me questions?” Mabel sits down next to me, and Keeley clambers up on my other side.
“Well, I know you’ve been through some shit recently and I want to make sure other kids don’t go through the same. I think you can help me with that.” Ruby speaks gently and keeps a level gaze on Mabel with each word.
I can feel Mabel stiffen beside me and without thinking, I grab her hand in mine, but she doesn’t pull away. She squeezesmy knuckles tightly, wringing the comfort she can take from me. “How can I help?”
“By answering some questions.” Ruby pulls her phone from her pocket and taps away on the screen. “Now, this might be hard, okay? But you’ve got to know that you’re safe here. You’ve got no reason to trust me, but I know you trust Annika and what’s-his-face.” She jerks her chin toward Harvey and without looking at him, I know he’s rolled his eyes at her. Mabel’s lips twitch at Ruby’s teasing and relaxes a little bit. “These are just pictures kid; they can’t hurt you.”
Mabel frowns but nods, her hand tight around mine. “Okay.”
“I’m going to show you some pictures of people. I need to know if you recognise any of them.” Ruby places her phone down on the coffee table in front of us, on the screen is a grainy image of a man taken from afar.
“From the house?” Mabel asks.
“From anywhere,” Ruby answers. “Even if it looks like someone who served you at the corner shop once, just let me know.”
Mabel huffs out a breath and releases my hand to pick up the phone. “Okay.”
“Just keep scrolling left until you find anyone you recognise.” Ruby then turns her attention to Keeley and gives her a wide and friendly smile. “And who might you be?”
“Keeley!” The little girl bounces excited.
“Keeley, is a nice name.” Ruby nods in agreement to her own statement. “How old are you, Keeley?”
“Six,” Keeley answers holding up five fingers.
Ruby smirks. “I was six when I was your age, you know?”
“Were you small like me?” Keeley asks thoughtfully.
“I think I was even smaller,” Ruby answers. She doesn’t over exaggerate her words speaking to the youngster as so many others do. She speaks as she would to an adult but in a way thatKeeley obviously engages. “But then I’m still teeny tiny. You’re going to be tall when you’re all grown.”
“Can princesses be tall?” Keeley asks Harvey with a frown, her concern very real and very endearing.
“Of course,princesa. Princesses can be whatever they want to be,” he answers with a warm smile.
“You’re going to be a princess?” Ruby asks with a surprised face.
“Oh, yes,” Keeley nods with such seriousness.
“Well, I better get practicing my curtsies.”
“Oh, I can show you!” Keeley squeals. “Guinevere taught me!” She scurries off the sofa to demonstrate just as Mabel gasps and we all turn to look at her.
“Have you seen something?” I ask, looking at Mabel. She’s paled, her lips tremble, and tears form in her eyes. She doesn’t say anything. “Mabel?”
“You know these people?” she asks Ruby wobbly.
Ruby leans forward again, leaning her elbows on her knees. “I knowofthem. They’re bad people, people I’ve had…run-ins with in the past. I kept my eye on them for a while but if they’re hurting people, we want to know about it, Mabel. Do you recognise someone?”
Mabel squeezes her eyes shut, pushing the building tears down her cheeks and nods. “He…he…” She breaks, bowing her head and crying then slams the phone back down on the table, screen down.
Harvey pushes off the door where he’d been leaning and pushes the coffee table out the way so he can crouch in front of her. “Mabel look at me,” he says gently but she shakes her head, reliving memories she should never have had. “Mabel,” he soothes, gently pulling at her wrists to bring her hands away from her face where she is digging her fingers into her eyes. “Ursa, listen to my voice. Open your eyes.” She finally does, hercrying breaking my heart. “You’re safe now,” he reassures. “No one can hurt you. No one will hurt you again. I will destroy them before they ever get the chance. You hear me?”
