“Not a problem. I have to go to the shop and pick up a few things anyway. Do you have a budget in mind?”
“I have no idea. What do they usually cost?”
“Anywhere between four hundred and fifty and eleven hundred dollars.”
“Wow. Like I said, I had no idea.” Colleen was calculating her budget in her head.
“I don’t think you need the most expensive model. I’ll pick one out, and I’ll use my police discount. That should save you a few bucks.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Officer.”
“It’s Bob, remember?” Pedone chuckled.
“Right. Bob.” Colleen smiled. “I really appreciate this.”
“Not a problem. I’ll be happy to come by your house without having to arrest anyone.”
They both laughed.
Pedone cleared his throat. “He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, so there will be a hearing. I will be present for that, by the way.” There was a moment of silence between them. “I’ll be in touch later today after I pick up the Taser. Is there any particular time that’s better for you?”
“School is out at two forty-five, and I’m usually home by four-thirty.”
“That’s fine. I’ll see you around four-thirty. Remember, we’re here to serve,” Pedone added.
“Thanks again. Bye.” Colleen hung up the phone, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Officer “Bob” Pedone had been truly kind throughout the ordeal.
She thought about how considerate he had been over the past two weeks. He had escorted her home the night of the incident and spoken to her before the arraignment. She was terrified. He was reassuring. She didn’t want to see Mitchel’s angry face ever again. She knew he could have killed her that night. His rage was out of control. But knowing Officer Pedone was in the courtroom and was keeping an eye on both of them gave her a little peace of mind. She wasn’t going to let Mitchel intimidate her with his seething, belligerent anger. No. Not again. Not anymore.
Bail was set at $10,000, which in Colleen’s mind wasn’t nearly enough. As usual, Mitchel’s mother bailed him out, and they left the courthouse shooting all sorts of sneers and dirty looks in Colleen’s direction, as if all of it had been her fault. And in Mitchel’s twisted mind, it was. It always was.
The judge granted permission for Mitchel to go to the house to pick up some clothes, but he had to be accompanied by a police officer. This time it was Officer Davis returning to the scene of the crime, so to speak. The judge gave him one hour to clear out what he needed until further notice from the court.
With her mother by her side and Officer Pedone in the room, Colleen felt safe and confident—something she hadn’t felt in a while. The mental abuse from Mitchel had taken its toll.
At the temporary custody hearing, Mitchel had blown his cool. That little outburst had worked in Colleen’s favor. At least for the moment. But she feared that the outcome would inflame his anger toward her even more. The stalking was Mitchel’s way of trying to unnerve her. If he couldn’t have things his way, then he would torture her mentally.
Within the next couple of days, she would be well armed with a Taser and a security system. She had to make sure she wasn’t violating any rules if she took the Taser to school with her. She would also take along a copy of the order of protection. One of the first things she had done was to give a copy to the school principal to put on file, as well as a copy to the guidance counselor and one for the security guard. She was well past being embarrassed. Shame was no longer an issue. Survival was all that mattered.
She glanced toward the counter, where she had left the note from Ellie Bowman. Yes. She would take her up on her offer for Jackson to play in the yard. When Jackson returned to the kitchen with his backpack, Colleen gave him the news.
“Yippee!” Jackson was delighted. It was the first time Colleen had seen his face light up in quite a while.
Chapter Six
Ellie jumped from her seat when her burner phone rang. She had forgotten she had given the number to Colleen. “Hello?”
“Hi, Ellie. It’s Colleen. Colleen Haywood. I hope I’m not calling too early.”
“No, not at all. I’m always up at the crack of dawn. How are you doing?” Ellie’s voice was warm and friendly.
“I’m all right. I wanted to thank you for your invitation for Jackson to play in your yard. He’s pretty athletic for a boy his age, so he could always climb the fence, if necessary.”
At that moment, Ellie was glad she didn’t have an electrified fence, although Buddy was the reason she chose not to have one. She knew she was paranoid, but zapping someone or something could be avoided with the security system she had in place. The motion detector’s security beam was high enough above the fence line not to be affected by Buddy, but low enough should someone the size of an adult try to climb over it. She rarely set the perimeter alarm during the day since she had a complete view of the property from her perch in the loft. The system had several zones, depending on what time of day it was.
“Wonderful. I’m sure Buddy will be very happy. Do you want to start today?” Ellie asked.
Colleen thought for a moment. She had to finish putting Mitchel’s things together and could use some extra time.
“That would be great. Do you mind if he stays for more than an hour? I have some things I need to do, and I’d rather not have to do them in front of Jackson.” Colleen hoped she hadn’t said too much.
“No problem. He can stay in the yard as long as he wants. I don’t know who will get tired first, him or Buddy.” Ellie chuckled softly. “And, listen, I want
