Chapter Fifteen
She tried not to panic, but she was frozen to her spot.Help me, Jesus,she prayed silently.
Connor squeezed her hand, letting her know he’d stay by her side. His presence gave her the calming strength she needed to take a step.
Carl’s door was open for them, and he motioned for Connor to close it behind him.
“Let’s start with a prayer,” Connor said, taking the lead.
The others agreed quickly. They joined hands in a small circle.
“Dear God, we come before you now on Tiffany’s behalf,” he began. “We know that Brad has been released from prison, and this presents potentially dangerous situations. We also know that You are the great protector, and we humbly ask that you protect Tiffany from any danger. Place it on Brad’s heart to stay away, but if the time comes, we pray that you put all forces in place to keep all involved safe. Amen.”
Carl offered his chair to Tiffany. He and Connor stood, as there were only two chairs in the office.
“We’re working with two fronts,” Connor said, moving his gaze to look at each person. “Since this is Tiffany’s place of employment, and especially due to the nature of Hope House, we have to be extra careful. Then we need to ensure her safety at home. Chief has already authorized two officers to guard her apartment.”
“Do you think he’d try to come here? Maybe I should take a leave of absence until this blows over.” Her bottom lip trembled, and she bit down on it in a vain attempt to stop it.
“Absolutely not.” Rachel’s tone was adamant. “Why should you readjust your life for that creep?”
Carl cleared his throat. “I agree with Rachel. If it’s your choice to take a leave, then that’s different, but don’t let Brad have that power over you.”
“It’s for the good of all of you, the ladies, and the children.” Tears pooled in her eyes again. “I’d never forgive myself if harm came to any of you on my account.”
Connor clenched his jaw and drew a deep breath before speaking. “It wouldn’t be on your account. Brad, and Brad alone, would be responsible, but it doesn’t matter because we’re going to keep you safe.”
His protective side was out in full force. Despite her fear, she drew comfort from that. He was a force she wanted on her side. “Nevertheless, I have to be realistic.”
“After Luna’s husband broke in, we installed additional safety measures,” Carl said. “I have every confidence every person in this building will be safe.”
“Can you tell me what all you have?” Connor’s eyes carefully watched the various screens as he spoke.
“Surveillance for starters.” Carl swept an arm around the room. “As you can see, there’s not an angle of this property we can’t see. The only cameras not on at all times are those in the bedrooms and bathrooms. For obvious reasons, those are only turned on in emergency situations and with the consent of all residents so they maintain privacy.”
“That’s good. What else?”
“The double doors to all the wings lock from the inside. When they are closed, no one can get through without the code.”
Connor narrowed his eyes. “What if a resident gives out the code?”
“They don’t have access to that information. If they get locked out, they must ring for an employee,” Rachel answered. “Any time a staff member ends their employment here, that code is changed.”
“What about volunteers?”
Carl shook his head. “They have to have an employee open the doors for them.”
“Are the doors closed at all times?” Connor appeared deep in thought. “It seems I’ve often seen them opened.”
“Under normal circumstances, they are open from morning until evening. We don’t want it to feel like a prison for our ladies, but when situations like this arise, we’ll keep them closed.” Carl pulled out a file from the cabinet. “We also have panic buttons in various places. Should security ever be breached, or the ladies need immediate help for any reason, all they have to do is press one of these buttons.”
Connor opened the file and was quiet while he scanned the pages. “What about the front entrance? I’ve always been able to come in without issue.”
“We have the same ability with the front door, as we do the doors to enter each wing. I’ll activate the system before I leave today.” Carl scrawled a note on a piece of paper from his desk.
The conversation continued, but the words scrambled in Tiffany’s mind. She became lost in her own thoughts, not understanding how Brad could be on the streets. He was a monster. She was so sure he’d never be free.
At some point, the conversation came to an end. She somehow agreed that she’d take off for the rest of the day. It was for the best. Her mind wasn’t in a good place to watch after children.
