Free One Way Or Another You Will Pay by Eve Rabi Page B

word.
    Dejected, I let him go.
    Ingrid Felix, I want to get to know you.
     
    ****
     
    Bear spends most of the day installing a state-of-the-art security system, complete with video surveillance and recording motion detector cameras.
    He works quietly, not talking much, only stopping to seek out little Savannah now and then, and give her a hug or whisper in her ear.
    She just gives him a beautiful grin and pushes him away.
    Sometimes, I catch his eye but he looks away, to my disappointment.
    That same afternoon, a truck rolls up and begins installing security bars on all the windows. Heavy, thick metal that requires brute strength to dislodge them. Security gates, with slam-shut locks are also installed on all doors.
    Another company installs a brick wall around our 1000 square meter property. Remote wrought iron gates with metal spikes and video announcing is added.
    Bear spends a fortune on security and covers every single avenue.
    The place is rigged such, that at night, if someone steps close to our house, five
    really bright spot lights switch on and our mobile phones ring.
    Our home, thanks to Tom, is now a fortress. It makes me feel safe but also saddens me.
    See, I’ve been living in Sydney’s North Shore for approximately eight years and I absolutely love it here.
    Green, leafy, with wide roads and neighbours who always give you way with a smile.
    A peaceful place to bring up children.
    We’ve never been broken into, never had any problems with the neighbours, and most houses around us don’t have security systems or security bars.
    But we, the Shaws, we now live like we’re Columbian drug lords. All we need is electric fencing, a guard with a machine gun and the picture will be complete.
    Tom’s not the only one in prison, I think to myself. Even though he’s behind bars, he’s still remote controlling my life, still causing me to look over my shoulder.
    You win, Tom.
     
    ****
     
    Bear and I are seated in front of Captain Warner at the police station.
    That’s the same Captain Warner who Bear worked under for years. The one who visited me in prison to convince me that Bear wasn’t the shyster I thought he was.
    Even though Bear quit the police force, he is still friends with his former work mates and Captain Warner, who is due to retire soon.
    Recently, Bear helped Captain Warner with surveillance on his daughter’s long-term boyfriend, who was reluctant to set a wedding date and disappeared for days at a time.
    With surveillance, Bear discovered he was about to marry a wealthy older woman, while stringing Captain Warner’s daughter along. Of course, it turned ugly and resulted in the boyfriend’s jaw being broken.
    So, Captain Warner owes Bear a favour or two.
    “Shaw,” Warner says, “we can’t just question her because of the colour of her hair, you know that. But, we’ve quietly checked her out. She lives with her two children and has no pets. If you remember, we found dog hairs on Savannah’s clothes. Poodles, we think. Ingrid doesn’t have animals. No white Mazda, either. For us to question her, to secure a warrant to search her place, we need more.”
    Bear and I nod, as he speaks.
    “What we do know though is that she works in Tom’s block. Our sources tell us they are tight. In other words, there is something going on, but how do we prove it?
    They are tight. Okay!
    “Okay,” Bear says, “we’ll get you more.”
    “You do that,” Warner says.
    We spend another thirty minutes with Captain Warner before we leave him and walk in silence to our car.
    I smile to myself.
    “What?” Bear asks. “Why you smiling?”
    I look at him. “In less than a month, we have a suspect in Savannah’s kidnapping. I feel it in my bones. She’s our person, Bear.”
    “And?”
    I turn to look at him. “It’s her! I just have to get close to her. Somehow.”
    He grunts something inaudible and gets into our SUV. But he doesn’t start the car. Looking ahead, he shakes his head. “How the hell