― Cornell Woolrich, Violence
My bedroom seemed unusually bright.
I opened one eye and tried to read the digits my weather clock projected on the ceiling but the sunlight dimmed the display.
I reached for my cell phone charging on a side table and saw it was 10:35―late for me―not that I had anywhere to go but more an indicator of my exhaustion from yesterday's events.
It's not every day I'm threatened by two thugs and rescued by a plain clothed detective in an unmarked car.
The memory made me shiver and want to hunker low under the covers but I needed to get up and touch base with Luther Crowe and thank him for the police protection.
I was reminded that Jason Trent was also sending a fellow by to assess my security needs and set up a system. Another reason to get out of bed.
I'd also have to warn Nat and Clare, I didn't want them taking unnecessary chances.
Wait! Stop and take a deep breath, I chided myself.
I couldn't control everything and had to tell myself I especially couldn't bubble wrap the ones I loved, no matter how much I wanted.
I hurriedly dressed in a cable knit sweater and jeans. It was now early June but I was shivering either from the early morning chill or fear. I couldn't decide which.
While I was making coffee the doorbell rang and I opened it to a young man with olive skin, curly black hair and a big smile.
"Hi Marcus―Jason sent me. I'm here to take care of your pest problems."
"Ha ha, that's a unique way of describing it. You must be Ahmed."
"Good to meet you," he smiled. "You really should have a video doorbell and ask for ID," he said, brandishing a lanyard that was issued by the police.
"I think I'm on a steep learning curve. How about we start with coffee and doughnuts," I laughed.
"Best way to start the day," he smiled.
I motioned him to a chair at the kitchen table and he busied himself extracting various security devices from a toolkit and laying them neatly on the table.
"I'll talk while we eat― it's not as entertaining as morning television but a lot more informative."
"Jason wants me to install exterior motion lights and sensors on all doors and glass-break sensors on all windows. He wants the perimeter locked down. You okay with that?"
I nodded. "More protection the better."
"We'll put motion detectors and cameras in every room with 24/7 recording and I'll conceal the master panel behind a wall so no one can get at the playback."
"So, how will I see the cameras then?"
Ahmed held up his cell. "On your phone―it will send push notifications and you'll have a remote to arm and disarm and to use for panic mode."
"What about privacy?" I asked.
"There'll be no cams in bathrooms or your bedroom and you can opt for the monitoring service or manage it yourself. "Here," he said, handing me a business card, "this is Jason's personal cell phone number and a priority number for the rapid response unit of the police."
"I'm impressed. How long will it take to install the system?"
"I'll be done in three hours. Now the boring part. I'm going to demonstrate how each piece of equipment works and by the time I leave, you'll be fully briefed on how to operate everything."
Exactly three hours later, Ahmed packed up his equipment, shook my hand and was gone.
I phoned Luther Crowe and thanked him for his diligence and updated him on the events of the night.
I had two more calls to make, to Nat and Clare, and those were the ones I dreaded most.
How do you tell people they're in real danger because of you, but take comfort the police are surveilling their every move?