No Way Out

by Fern Michaels

  “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 to apologize for turning down all of your lovely invitations, but I am really up to my eyeballs with work.”

  “What do you do? If I’m not being too pushy,” Colleen asked.

  “I work in IT. I’m what you might call a computer geek—one of those people who does online chats when you have a problem with your computer. I also work with software companies, doing beta testing on new programs. Pretty boring stuff, really.” Ellie wasn’t lying about the computer part. The “boring stuff” was definitely an exaggeration.

  “I am not that tech-savvy. Just the basics,” Colleen said.

  “That’s why there are dweebs like me.” Ellie chuckled.

  “I won’t keep you from your geeking. It was nice talking to you, Ellie. And thanks again for the Buddy-Jackson connection.” Colleen was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Ellie. She seemed so “normal.”

  “Nice talking to you, too. Enjoy your day.” Ellie hung up and put the burner phone on a shelf. Maybe she would keep this one just for Jackson and Colleen. She hadn’t made any other calls with it so far.

  Besides her weekly calls to her mom and Kara, and maintaining her fabricated life, she felt a connection to Colleen. Maybe it was because she knew more about her than Colleen realized. Being a crackerjack computer geek, Ellie could be a good hacker when necessary. She knew that what she did was illegal at times, but her life depended on it.

  Ellie had over a dozen repair calls that day. Mercury must be in retrograde, she thought to herself. A normal day usually brings five or six, lasting about an hour each. That day, it was one huge problem after another. Before she knew it, the buzzer at the gate rang. She looked at her watch. It was 3:20. She looked out the back window and saw Jackson with his baseball glove and a ball and buzzed him in. The gate shut behind Jackson, just as Hector had planned.

  Ellie noticed a police car pull up in front of Colleen’s house. She hoped there wasn’t anything wrong. She pulled out the binoculars and watched a policeman climb the front steps, carrying a package under his arm. Colleen had a smile on her face as she let him in. Ellie was relieved. Now if they could just get that creepy husband to stop parking his car on their block.

  Ellie turned to look out the back window again. Buddy and Jackson were running all over the yard. She was glad Hector had cleaned up after Buddy that morning. She’d hate for Jackson to go home with doggie doo-doo on his shoes.

  Feeling a bit neglected, Percy jumped up on one of Ellie’s desks and started knocking things over. For a feline, he was quite a character. Most cats are agile and can walk around almost anything without disturbing it. Not Percy. It was his mission to disrupt whatever you were doing. And if you weren’t paying enough attention to him, he’d find something to bang or slam. As annoying as it might seem, it always made Ellie laugh.

  “You are such a goofball!” She picked up his fifteen pounds of fur and rubbed her face in his neck. Even though he had to sit on her lap at every opportunity or lie on top of the very newspaper she was reading, he didn’t like to have his four feet dangling in her arms, and he started to squirm. She set him down on the floor, and he immediately jumped back on one of her consoles and tossed a computer mouse onto the floor. “And you know that’s called a mouse, don’t ya?” He gave her a loud meow in return.

  “Now scoot. I have work to do.” Percy gave her a look that said, “No way, lady.” And he perched himself on one of her drafting stools.

  “OK. You sit there, but behave.” Ellie talked to her animals as if they were people. She preferred them over most people. And for the past two years, they were all the company she had had.

  She leaned back in her chair. Human connection was something she was beginning to miss. At first, she hadn’t wanted any contact with people. It was much better that way. But after two years, she was feeling the burden of being a hermit.

  She thought about what it used to be like to have a female friend to hang out with. Have tea. Shop. Share a bottle of wine. She had to admit she missed it. Maybe she would invite Colleen over for tea. Just not yet. She’d wait to see how the Jackson-Buddy situation developed. And Colleen was going through a major transition. She probably could use a friend right now, but Ellie was apprehensive about getting too close to someone. Maybe she would limit the contact to phone calls. They could discuss work, school. Nothing too personal.

  Her computer chimed. Another confused and frustrated customer. She turned back to the consoles and began to type.

  Ellie: Hello. I’m Sheri. How can I help you today?

  She never used her real name. Nor the fake one she had been using for the past two years, either.

  Chapter Seven

  At 3:15, Colleen sent Jackson over to Ellie’s. She was so happy to see him in such a good mood. But her mood changed when she went into her bedroom and opened Mitchel’s closet. It was the first time she had bothered to peer into it since he had been allowed to take some of his personal items. Of course, he had left a pile of dirty clothes, filthy sneakers, and several greasy baseball caps. She changed into clothes appropriate for cleaning out the rancid items, went into the kitchen, and pulled out several large trash bags and rubber gloves. She had tossed almost everything into the bags when the doorbell rang. She checked her watch. Four-thirty already! Officer Pedone—rather, Bob—was here. She took a quick look in the mirror. She was a sight. And not a good one. Her hair was a mess, and she was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to make a good impression. This definitely wasn’t the way.

  “Be right there!” She took another look at herself to see what she could salvage in less than three minutes. Quickly change her clothes. Run a brush through her hair. Lipstick.

  When she got to the door, she was a bit winded. “Hi, sorry. I was in the back, cleaning out a few things. Please come in!”

  She opened the door wide, as wide as her smile.

  “No problem,” Pedone answered. “How are you doing?”

  “Good. I’m good. Really.” And she meant it. Colleen felt as if her life was beginning to turn around. Yes, it would be a long haul, but she was moving in the right direction. Away from the madness.

  “Where’s Jackson?” Pedone asked.

  “He’s at a neighbor’s playing with her dog.” Colleen nodded in the direction of Ellie’s house.

  “You mean Ellie Bowman?” Pedone asked quizzically.

  “Yes. She’s letting Jackson play in the yard.” She hesitated. “I know it’s none of my business, but do you know why she never comes out of the house?”

  “Haven’t a clue,” Pedone replied. “We like ’em quiet.” He smiled.

  “I was surprised she invited Jackson to play in the yard. That’s a first. I’ve invited her over for tea, but she’s always declined. I thought maybe she was agoraphobic.” She shrugged. “But she seems very nice.”

  “Like I said, we like ’em quiet. And if you say she’s nice, that’s even better. One person we don’t have to keep a constant eye on.” Pedone put the package on the dining-room table. “Speaking about people we’re keeping an eye on, there’s Mitchel Haywood.”

  “Oh?” Ellie asked. “Any particular reason?”

  “We found out that his brother, Gregory, has a gun permit. I don’t mean to alarm you, but thought you should know.”

  “Can’t you do something about that?” Colleen was getting nervous.

  “Unfortunately, no. Second Amendment an
d all.”

  “But what about Mitchel? He was arrested. Is he allowed to be near a gun?”

  “Yes, he was arrested, but he hasn’t had his trial yet, so he’s not been convicted of anything as of now.” Pedone wished he could have given her better news.

  “So, when he gets convicted, can he still live in a house with a gun?” Colleen tried to remain calm.

  “It will depend on whether he’s found guilty of a domestic-violence felony.”

  “Why wouldn’t he be?”

  “They could find him guilty of a domestic-violence misdemeanor, which would not necessarily require that there be no gun where he lived.”

  Colleen was starting to shake. Pedone took her by the shoulder and moved her toward a chair.

  “Listen, we’re a small town. We don’t like bad people ruining it for everyone. If he gets convicted of a felony, then his brother has to keep the gun locked up so that Mitchel cannot have access to it. Mitchel’s relationship to the gun would then be called constructive possession.”

  “How can we force his brother to make sure it’s in a safe?”

  “Another answer that starts with ‘unfortunately,’ but we can’t.” Pedone sat down in front of her. “Let’s focus on what we can do, OK? I brought you a new toy.” Pedone opened the bag and pulled out the box with the Taser and unwrapped the weapon.

  “We should probably do this outside.” He smiled at her. “Give me a sec. I need to get something else out of the car.”

  Pedone returned with a torso that looked like a car-crash dummy.

  “What is that?” Colleen asked.

  “In order to show you the proper way to use this, we need a proper human-type figure.”

  “Do you always have one of these guys in your car?”

  “Not usually.” Bob smiled at her. “Let’s do it.”

  Colleen got up and motioned toward the back door. “I don’t think anyone will be able to see us if we stay close to the house.”

  Pedone pulled a chair over to the side of the house, about fifteen feet from where they stood, and set the dummy in the chair.

  “If you ever have to use it, it will mostly likely happen when you are least expecting it. The most important thing to remember is to aim at the stomach if he’s facing you. Or at the middle of the back if he’s facing away from you. That will send impulses to the central nervous system and knock him down.” Pedone got behind Colleen and placed the Taser in her hands. He unlocked the safety catch. “Now squeeze.” The wire tentacles of the gun flew out so fast she almost fell over with surprise. “Holy smoke!” Colleen was struck by the force and distance the probes flew. “Let’s do it again!”

  Pedone smiled. “OK. Now let me show you a little finesse. If you are thinking straight during the altercation, turn your wrist and thus the gun slightly to the left or right. This way, you’ll have a wider spread of the pins, which will affect a larger part of the body.” He took the gun from her and showed her.

  He pulled a spare cartridge from his back pocket, reloaded the gun, and then he handed it back to her. “Now you try it.”

  Colleen followed his instructions to the T. “You’re a pretty good shot!” he remarked.

  Colleen laughed. “During the summer, I would work at the county fair, at the shooting range. Not real guns. The ones where you shoot at moving ducks and try to win a prize.”

  Pedone found her quite amusing. “I thought you didn’t know how to shoot.”

  “Like I said, not real guns.” She smiled up at him. “Jackson will be getting home soon, so we should probably put this away.” Then she remembered the big trash bags. She grimaced.

  “What is it?” Pedone asked.

  “Oh, I threw Mitchel’s disgusting dirty laundry into trash bags, and I need to get them out of the house before Jackson gets home.”

  “Why don’t you give them to me, and I’ll take them over to his brother’s.”

  “Really? I can’t let you do that.” Colleen was floored at the generous offer.

  “Doing my civic duty, ma’am.” Pedone nodded.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to put you out.”

  “Positive. Besides, a visit from me may send a message that the police are watching him. Maybe he’ll rethink loitering at the end of the street and near the school.”

  “That would be such a relief. We’d better hurry.” Colleen led Pedone down the hall. He picked up all four bags in both hands and headed toward the door. He put them in his trunk just in time, as Jackson was skipping toward the house.

  “Hey, Jackson! How are you doing?”

  “Hey, Officer Pedone! I’m great! How are you doing?”

  “Very well, thank you.”

  “So whattya doin’ here?”

  “Just helping your mom fill out some papers.” He looked over at Colleen, who was standing on the steps. “Isn’t that right, Mrs. Haywood?” He gave her a wink.

  “Yes! Just a little paperwork, that’s all.” Colleen motioned Jackson to go into the house. “Get cleaned up. Maybe even change your clothes. You look like you were rolling around in the grass.” She smiled at him. “Did you have a good time with Buddy?”

  “The best!” Jackson had a big grin on his face. “He can run faster than I can! But tomorrow, I’m going to win the race around the fence!” He stomped through the door.

  “That’s the happiest he’s been in weeks.” Colleen looked relieved. “And you have been such a help to me. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “Do you bake?” Pedone asked.

  “A little. But I’m not Betty Crocker.”

  “Why don’t you bake me some muffins? That’ll be thanks enough.”

  “I’ll give it a try.”

  He gave her a wave and folded himself into the police car.

  Colleen watched as he drove away. She had finally noticed him as a man. Not just a police officer. Nice-looking, with dark, curly hair graying at the temples. She figured he was a tad over six feet tall and in excellent shape. She could feel his muscles when he stood behind her and held the gun in her hands. And he made her feel safe. That was something she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

  Chapter Eight

  Hector was happy to see Buddy with a playmate. The yard was lovely, and the dog had been the only one enjoying it. He felt bad for Ellie. She had to be lonely in that house, all by herself. Sure, she claimed she was fine. But he didn’t really believe her. And after two years, he still didn’t know why she had asked him to find her a house. Especially one in a remote part of the country.

  During one of their many personal exchanges over the Internet, Hector told her he lived in a small town in Missouri over a hundred miles from St. Louis. That’s why he was so good at gaming. There wasn’t much else to do. He joked that it was like Mayberry. The only difference was they had one sheriff and four police officers. The town had approximately five thousand residents spread over a fifteen-mile area. There was one elementary school in town and a high school in Manchester, the next town over, which also was not heavily populated. The entire county had maybe twenty thousand people. The biggest event was the county fair in July.

  He warned Ellie that it was sticky and boring, but she didn’t care. She said she needed to find a quiet place. Well, she sure got “quiet,” all right. Except for that big hubbub at the Haywoods’ house, nothing ever happened in this town.

  When she told him she needed his help relocating, he was happy to oblige. Before her request, they had spent many months online playing games, after which they became “cyber-friends.” Ellie was a whiz with computers and appreciated Hector’s skill and quick mind. She was floored when she found out he wasn’t quite sixteen. She was impressed with his aptitude and willingness to learn beyond just playing games.

  It didn’t take long for them to develop a deeper geek friendship, and within a few months, they had designed a simple game for kids that Ellie was able to sell to a gaming company for a goodly sum.

  He scouted around the area for a cottage
-type place and came upon the house where she was now living. Years back a carpenter had bought it and made a lot of renovations. The main floor had two bedrooms, with a connecting bathroom suite. Ellie wasn’t concerned about sharing a bathroom with anyone because there wouldn’t be anyone. A modern kitchen with a center island opened up to the dining and living area. There was a sliding door on the dining-room wall that led to the screened-in porch. A small laundry room was adjacent to the kitchen, which also had a door leading to the back porch.

  The second floor had been a storage loft, but the carpenter had opened up some of the space and made it an open loft that spanned above the first floor, with a railing on one side. It was like a large balcony overlooking the lower level. The carpenter had installed skylights and replaced the windows so that you could see both the yards, front and back.

  Ellie had Hector find someone to set up special remote blinds that she could open and close by pushing a button. She divided the upper-level space, placing all of her computer equipment on one end and a small sofa and bookshelves on the other. During the day, Percy would curl up on the sofa, where he could get lots of sunshine coming through the skylights.

  From the loft, Ellie had a bird’s-eye view of the block, enabling her to see who was coming and going. That’s where she kept several sets of binoculars. The rear of the house backed up against a forest that was protected from future development.

  The front yard was enclosed with a four-foot-high, white, Madison-style fence that wrapped around both sides of the house and connected to an eight-foot-high wire fence along the perimeter of the backyard. When Hector worked as a landscaper during the summer, he had access to lots of plants and had made it very homey, as well as animal-friendly. All in all, it was a sweet modern cottage that was perfect for a single woman. Sitting at the end of a cul-de-sac, it was probably the nicest house on the block.