He leaves without comment while Noemi and I stand there in tense silence, neither of us willing to break eye contact first. I can see the wheels turning behind her eyes. When I asked Sasha whom in his life he trusted, it was her name that he produced. Mrs. Dragunova is the one he wants to come to his side in lieu of his mother, so I've produced her. He'll be happy even if she isn't.
Footsteps return, lighter ones accompanied by Lazar's heavier tread. Sasha appears in the doorway, wearing the same clothes he had on this morning, rumpled now from a day spent mostly in his room. I've had to bring in an entire wardrobe for him, toys and books too. I had to ask Yuri's grieving wife what a child even needs.
His eyes are red-rimmed and puffy, evidence of more crying after I left him alone earlier. He sees the woman and freezes as a shocked expression wafts across his face.
"Miss Dragunova?" His voice is barely a whisper.
Everything about her changes in an instant. The rigid posture softens, the anger drains from her face, and she drops to her knees despite her bound wrists. "Sasha, sweetheart, are you alright?"
He runs to her without hesitation, throwing his small body against hers and burying his face in her shoulder. She can't wrap her arms around him with her hands still tied, so she presses her cheek against the top of his head and makes soft, soothing sounds that seem to calm him immediately. His shoulders shake with heavy sobbing, and she murmurs reassurances I can't quite make out.
I watch this interaction with detachment, noting the way the boy responds to her presence, how the fear that's defined his behavior all week seems to ease slightly now that she's here. This is what I needed. This is why I took her. The boy needs stability and comfort, needs someone who knows how to provide those things. I don't.
I nod at Lazar who slips up behind her and cuts the ropes binding her wrists, and she never loses a beat wrapping those thin arms around him.
"Sasha, listen to me." Her voice is soothing, even to me, which is oddly comforting. "I need you to step back for just a moment, alright? Can you do that for me?"
He pulls away reluctantly, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. She shifts her attention to me, casting a glare at me before turning back to him. "It's going to be alright," she says, touching his cheek softly.
She struggles to her feet and crosses her arms over her chest. "Sasha is clearly terrified of you. You clearly know nothing about having a child. Who would give him to you?"
"I haven't hurt him," I grumble. "I've fed him, given him a room, left him alone when he asked for space. I don't know what else you expect from someone who's never had to care for a child before."
"I expect basic human decency." She positions herself slightly in front of Sasha protectively. "Has he had a bath? Have you read to him? Given him a hug? He needs nurturing."
"Which is exactly why you're here." My patience is wearing thin now, fraying around the edges. "I don't know how to provide those things. You do. That's the entire point of bringing you into this house."
She stares at me for a long moment, and I can see how frustrated she is about all of this. Finally, she looks down at Sasha, who's pressed against her side with his hands gripping her coat. "Are you hurt? Has he hurt you in any way?"
"No, ma'am. He's just not nice." Sasha's voice is still so tiny. His mother was so soft on him. He needs a man's hand to grow up strong.
"Not nice how?" She keeps her eyes on him, giving him her full attention.
"He doesn't smile. He gets mad when I cry. He brought me food but it wasn't very good." Sasha glances at me, then quickly looks away. "I just wantMamochka."
Noemi's expression softens even further, and she bends down to his level again, whispering softly, "I know, sweetheart. I know you do. But yourmamochkacan't be here right now, so I'm going to stay with you for a little while. Would that be alright?"
He nods quickly and sucks in a hard breath. "You're not leaving?"
"Not right now." She straightens and turns back to me. "If I agree to help you with Sasha, you need to listen to what I tell you. I can't care for a child without proper tools." Her eyes search my face and test me, but I don't actually give a single fuck what material goods I have to provide for her to do this job.
"You'll have what you need when you need it…" I tell her, and then I look down at my boy. If providing for his needs is the first step, I'm sure Noemi Dragunova will guide me through that.
"Thank you." The words are stiff, forced through gritted teeth. She crouches down and pulls Sasha into a proper embrace again, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. "It's going to be alright. I promise."
I watch them for another moment, then turn to Lazar, who's been standing silently near the door this entire time. "Take themto the guest room. Make sure they have everything they need. Food, water, clean clothes if necessary."
"Yes, sir." Lazar moves forward and gestures toward the hallway. "This way."
Noemi stands and takes Sasha's hand, leading him toward the door. She pauses in the threshold and looks back at me. "We'll discuss the details of this arrangement later. Right now, I need to make sure Sasha is settled and comfortable."
Then she follows behind Lazar, and their footsteps fade as they move deeper into the house. When the sound disappears completely, I sink into my desk chair and scrub a hand over my face. Taking on a child is a nightmare of responsibility, but now that I have a suitable nanny-type to do the heavy lifting, I can get back to my work of finding Marat.
I'm hunched over my desk rubbing my eyes when Lazar returns and stands in the doorway waiting for my orders.
"Did the investigator find anything?" The exhaustion of the day settles into my bones.
"Three possible locations." Lazar pulls a folded paper from his jacket and spreads it across the desk. It's a map marked with red circles with three distinct areas highlighted in the western region of St Petersburg. "My contact says Koslov could be in any of them."
