No Way Out - Fern Michaels Page 0,8

be access from inside the house. Once it was installed, Ellie would be able to control it from any of the security panels that were in each room. He also installed a doorbell buzzer next to the lock both inside and outside the gate. The plan was for Jackson to ring the gate buzzer, and Ellie would open the gate from her security panel, then the gate would close automatically.

The front gate was on an automatic hinge that closed, but it also had a motion detector alerting Ellie (and Buddy) with a repeated chime if someone was coming to the front door. She wanted Jackson to use the side gate so people wouldn’t feel free to come into her yard, and so that the chime at the front gate wouldn’t be going off when it wasn’t necessary.

After Hector installed all the necessary items, Ellie left a note for him to deliver to Colleen’s mailbox.

Hello, Colleen,

I’d like to invite Jackson to play in the yard with Buddy. I’ve installed a security system to ensure the side gate is never left open, as I would prefer he enter and exit that way. Jackson simply has to press the buzzer and I will open the gate from inside the house. When he’s ready to leave, he can press the button to let me know he’s heading out. I’m able to see the yard from my office, so I will always be available. Please let me know if this is workable for you. I know how fond Jackson and Buddy are of each other. Here is a phone number if you need to reach me. 846-555-9091. That number is good for the next five days.

Kind regards,

Ellie

Ellie was a bit concerned that the last sentence regarding the phone number might raise some sort of suspicion, but she would explain that her “high-security job” required her to rotate phones. It didn’t really, but she had to be consistent with her story. The truth is much easier to remember because when you tell a lie, you have to keep track of the tales you tell.

Prior to moving in, Ellie had had Hector install a very intricate security system surrounding the property and her house. It relied in part on closed-circuit television surveillance that she could see from any of the security panels in the house. It wasn’t enough that she couldn’t leave. She had to be certain no one could get in without her knowledge or permission. So far, only Hector had been in her yard. After two years of tight security, she thought it might be time to let a little boy in to play with her dog.

Chapter Five

While Jackson was getting ready for school, Colleen opened the note, which was written on fine card stock. She read it twice. She was surprised that Ellie had reached out. It was only the second time in the two years that Ellie had lived there that there was any direct communication from her. Colleen wasn’t sure if she was comfortable having Jackson play in the backyard of Ellie’s house. She was able to see him if he was in the front, but considering that Mitchel was stalking him in his car, it was probably less dangerous for him to be in Ellie’s backyard.

The order of protection limited Mitchel’s proximity to one hundred yards. That meant that he couldn’t be any closer than a football field away. Ellie’s property was just outside the boundary from Colleen’s house, so theoretically Mitchel could park in Ellie’s driveway to be beyond the hundred-yard limit. But from her limited experience with Ellie, Colleen was sure that Ellie would not allow anyone in her driveway.

The problem was the other end of the block. There was a parking space just outside the boundary, where Mitchel could park his car and watch the house. He also could sit outside the parking lot of the school. To Mitchel’s way of thinking, the restraining order was just a piece of paper, and as long as he kept his distance, he could spy on his family all he wanted. That part gave Colleen the creeps. But until he violated the order, there wasn’t much she could do about the situation.

She thought about buying a gun, but she didn’t want to keep one in the house. Besides, that idea also gave her the creeps. Plus she would have to take lessons. Then she thought about a stun gun. But where would she begin? She spotted Officer Pedone’s card on the