Chapter 20 – Haley
When we arrive at the McIntyre Security office building on N. Michigan Avenue, Philip pulls into the underground garage and parks in his dedicated spot.
“Ready?” Philip asks as he turns off the engine.
Not really. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” The truth is, I’m nervous. Like really nervous. I’m going to be in a room full of people who are there because of me. I don’t like being the center of attention.
“It’s going to be fine,” he says as he opens his door and gets out.
I meet him at the back of the truck, and we walk to the elevators.
When the elevator doors open on the fourth floor, the big boss, Shane McIntyre, greets us.
He looks very much like a polished CEO with his charcoal gray suit, white dress shirt, and matching gray tie.
He seems kind of young for a CEO, probably in his mid to late thirties.
His brown hair is short, and he has a trim beard.
What’s most striking about him are his electric blue eyes.
“Haley,” he says as he offers me his hand.
“I know we’ve met before at work events and family gatherings, but let’s make it official.
I’m Shane McIntyre. Your parents are here—all of them.
” He chuckles. “Philip, why don’t you wait for us in the conference room?
I’d like to have a private word with Haley. ”
“Sure thing,” Philip says. He squeezes my hand. “I’ll see you soon.”
When Philip is out of hearing range, Shane says, “Haley, there’s something I want to ask you before we go into the meeting. I want to do it in private because I don’t want to put you on the spot or make you feel uncomfortable.”
I was doing okay until he said that. Now my belly is in knots. “Okay. Go ahead.”
“The actions your stalker has taken are escalating, and that is usually an indication of increased agitation on his part. And yes, at this point, we’re assuming your stalker is a male.
We could be wrong, but based on statistical data, we’re probably not.
This situation cannot be taken lightly. To put it bluntly, you’re not safe on campus at this time.
Not until we apprehend the perpetrator. And we can’t keep you safe on campus.
There are simply too many people there, too many variables we can’t control.
So, I want to ask you a question. Have you considered withdrawing from school, just for the short term, until we can get this situation under control?
You could move back into your parents’ house and hopefully reenroll next term. ”
I feel sick. “My mom asked me the same question last night.”
“And what was your answer?”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to derail my education because of this nutjob. Besides, I’d feel like I was putting my mom and stepdad in danger if I moved back home right now.”
To his credit, Shane doesn’t argue with me.
Instead, he simply nods as if he’s not surprised by my answer.
“I understand. And if you did choose to move back to your mom’s house, I would be happy to provide protection outside the house around the clock.
It’s your call, and I respect your decision, but I had to ask. ”
“Mr. McIntyre, I don’t want to put anyone at risk.”
“Call me Shane, please.”
“Shane. You can’t protect me, my mom, and my stepdad. They go to work. They have busy, demanding jobs, and they can’t put their lives on hold just because mine is messed up.”
“Fair enough. Like I said, it’s your call. We have a plan and a team in place to ensure your safety while this stalker situation is under investigation, even if you continue attending classes.” He gestures down the hallway toward the conference room. “Shall we go in?”
I catch his sleeve. “Wait! What do you mean about having a plan in place? And a team?” I shake my head. “I can’t even imagine what something like this would cost. I have no money, and I don’t want to burden my parents financially.”
He smiles. “You don’t need to worry about the cost, Haley. I’m providing these services as a personal favor to your dad. He keeps my wife’s workplace safe every day. This is the least I can do for him.”
* * *
I feel terribly self-conscious sitting at this long conference table filled with some very intense people. All four of my parents are here. They’re seated together on the left side of the table. I’m near the end of the table with Philip.
On the right side of the table are two other people I don’t recall ever meeting—a tall African-American man with a strikingly handsome face and short dreadlocks, and an African-American woman with her hair up in a sort of messy bun, with a riot of curls hanging down.
At the head of the table sits Shane McIntyre, and to Shane’s left is his brother Jake, who is Philip’s boss.
Everyone’s looking at me.
Now that we’re all seated, the initial chit-chat dies down.
“Thank you all for coming,” Shane says. “I think many of you know each other already, but I’ll go around the table.”
Shane starts with my dad. “Mack Donovan, Haley’s father. He’s a McIntyre Security employee. His wife, Erin O’Connor Donovan. And next to Erin is Haley’s mother, Chrissy Williams, and her husband, Dave Williams.”
Then Shane motions to his brother. “This is my brother, Jake. It’s his team that will be managing Haley’s protection.” To Jake, he says, “Why don’t you introduce your team?”
Jake, whom I’ve seen on numerous occasions at company events, nods in greeting.
“Thanks, Shane.” He addresses me and my parents.
“I’d like to introduce you to my team. You already know Philip, of course.
” Then he gestures to the tall, slender African-American woman.
“This is Charlotte Mercer—better known as Charlie. She will lead the team in managing Haley’s safety and logistics.
Last, but not least, is Mateo Brown. He’s the surveillance and technology expert on the team.
Philip will be Haley’s personal protection detail—in other words, her bodyguard—until this issue is resolved. ”
Both Mateo and Charlie smile warmly at me. They both look like they’re in their early thirties.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Haley,” Charlie says.
Shane takes over. “This morning, I made arrangements with the university that Haley will be granted a residency exemption based on the circumstances. We can move her off campus today. The question is, where to?”
My mom speaks up first. “I suggested to Haley that she withdraw from school and come back home to us, but she doesn’t like that idea.”
“Mom, no.” I shake my head adamantly. “I told you, I won’t bring trouble home to you and Dave.” And then I glance at my dad. “And don’t even suggest I come stay with you guys. That’s a hard no, too. I won’t endanger my family.”
My dad opens his mouth as if he’s going to argue, but he shuts it quickly. I can’t imagine he’d risk Erin’s safety under any circumstances. She’s already endured so much. He would never expose her to potential danger, and I don’t blame him one bit. I wouldn’t allow it either.
“Obviously, we need a safehouse,” Jake says. “We need a secure location we can monitor and control around the clock, a place where Haley would feel comfortable.”
“How about my apartment?” Philip suggests. “That’s sort of an obvious choice, since I’ll be directly involved in Haley’s protection. The apartment building has state-of-the-art security.”
Shane shakes his head. “While the apartment building is secure, it would be difficult for us to patrol it adequately. There are too many variables involved—there are people coming and going from the building at all hours of the day and night. Plus, as Haley already stated, we don’t want to bring trouble to anyone else’s door. ” He makes eye contact with Mack.
“We could install her in an apartment off campus,” Philip suggests. “There are plenty of options in the area.”
Shane raises a finger. “Actually, I have a solution. My brother-in-law, Tyler Jamison, owns a townhouse in a nice residential neighborhood not far from campus. Beth, my wife, was living there when we met. Currently, it’s unoccupied.
Tyler still owns the property, and he’s given us permission to use it.
It’s already wired from the ground to the rafters, totally secure, plus there’s a separate security apartment in the gated backyard.
Haley will have all the protection she needs.
Philip will escort her to and from campus, shadow her while she’s at school, and reside with her in the townhouse.
Charlie and Mateo will live on-site as well in the separate security apartment. ”
Everyone’s back to looking at me. “I hate to inconvenience anyone, and I don’t want to take Charlotte and Mateo from their current tasks.”
Mateo brushes off my concern. “Nah, mon,” he says in a strong Jamaican accent. “No worries. ’Tis fine.”
“It’ll be a nice change of pace for us, Haley,” Charlotte says with a genuine smile. “And you can call me Charlie.”
My dad clears his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Does this mean Philip will be living with Haley in the townhouse?”
Suddenly, all eyes snap back to me. Why does everyone want to make this so awkward? As my face heats, Philip reaches underneath the table for my hand.
“It sure looks that way,” Shane says. He clasps his hands on the tabletop.
“Haley will reside in the safehouse until her stalker is identified and apprehended. Once the risk is removed, she can return to her dorm room. The only problem we can’t get around is that the campus has a non-negotiable no-carry policy.
That means Philip won’t be armed when he’s on campus.
It’s state law, so there’s nothing I can do about that.
We’ll just have to live with it. Any questions? ”
There are lots of conversations going on simultaneously around the table. Mom and Dave are conferring, as are Dad and Erin. Jake is leaning back in his chair with his big brawny arms crossed over his chest and an amused expression on his face.