Page 50 of The Attercop

“Would you mind closing the door? The place gets a little crowded if the dog decides to join us.”

She did as he asked and sat down. “So, where do we start?”

“First,” Charlie began, “has anything unusual happened over the past few days?”

Jules shrugged. “No. The friend of my father’s who’s been watching over me like a hawk has actually proven to be worse than Daddy. I haven’t really been out, other than to go to meetings with you, and even then, Daddy’s friend insists on driving me.”

“Tell me about the security systems in the house you’re living in now.”

“Daddy’s always warning me not to talk to people about the security system at home.”

“Okay, I don’t need to know the details. I just have to know if you have one, and whether you have panic buttons around the house.”

She sighed. “Daddy’s prepared us so we can fend off an armed invasion. And yes, there are panic buttons on every floor, and an additional one in my bedroom. I accidentally hit that one last year when my boyfriend-of-the-moment tossed me onto the bed and my head slammed into it. You would notbelieveall the fuss!”

This is going to be hell,Charlie thought. “I can only begin to imagine. Now, do you currently have a ‘boyfriend-of-the-moment’, or plan on getting one in the near future?”

“No, I am currently unattached,” Jules said. “Why, are you offering?”

Remain professional.“While we are looking after your safety would you promise to keep us informed of anyone that would fall into that category so we could check him out?”

“Checking him out should be my job, shouldn’t it?” she asked with a wink. “Unless you’re wanting to take him for a test drivefirst, that is. I’ve never done that before—a bi triangle. Could be fun.”

Charlie sighed. “From this point on, since we’re responsible for your safety, we would like you to follow a strict check-in procedure.”

“Yes, sir!” she said with a salute.

“We’re going to implement hourly check-ins—”

“Hourly?” Her eyes bugged out.

“Hourly.” Charlie took pleasure in confirming this. “Except at night, when you’re sleeping. Would you pass me your phone, please. Unlocked.”

He programmed hourly reminders into her phone. He also added a panic button app that he linked to his new watch.

“It’s simple. Just shoot me off a text with the code word ‘pineapple’ if all is good. ‘Shadow’ is the code word to text at any time to let me know you think you’re being followed, and the password ‘mother’ is to be used if someone is forcing you to check in with me against your will before you could hit the panic button. Is that all clear?”

Jules had a strange look in her eye, like the severity of what was happening had finally sunk in. “‘Pineapple’ for all good, ‘shadow’ for being followed, ‘mother’ for I’m being forced to check in. If I feel unsafe, trigger the panic button app.”

“Good. We’ll run over the in-dorm safety procedures once you’re moved in next week.”

“Now, with this panic button,” she said holding up her phone, “does it have good range? I mean, if I‘m a victim of an alien abduction, will my phone still work at altitude?”

So much for progress. Right about now Charlie could only hope for an alien abduction, although his sympathies would probably lie with the spacemen.

“You’ll be fine,” he said.

Jules shifted in her chair. “So, what I mentioned earlier about going out tonight…”

“Ah…yes.”

“It’s really important. Half the success of a first-year student depends on forming tight bonds with other students of their year, and tonight is the first mixer. I have to go!”

Charlie thought about the parties that had gone on when he’d been at university. Not that he had been invited, but he’d experienced them on the periphery, and if this one was anything like those, it would be a security nightmare.

She rolled her eyes. “You know I’ll go by myself even if you say no.”

Charlie sighed. “I guess I’ll have to go along.”