How?

ust as we finished eating, Detective Ocon arrived with the two policemen. "Hello, Victoria, how are you feeling today? Are you comfortable here?" "I am doing quite great. It is nice to have a change of surroundings. I had gotten sick of looking at the same hospital bed. It is quite comfortable here, thank you for asking."

He nodded at me and then pointed towards the man and the woman standing by his side. "These are Officers Max and Daniel. Both of them will be responsible for your personal security and the security of your residence. Max will be living with you 24/7 to ensure nothing bad happens. Daniel will be guarding this place through CCTV and such.

Max is right about your age, so I am hoping it will be fine for you to live with her. If there are any issues, feel free to contact me." I looked at Max, and she smiled at me. I instantly felt better. "Would you like something to eat, Detective?" He shook his head and said, "I have a family dinner to attend. Nevertheless, thank you for the offer." I bid him farewell as he walked out the door. I then asked Max and Daniel if they wanted anything to eat.

Both said that Detective Ocon had treated them to dinner before coming here. He was a kind man. Nathan then introduced himself to the pair, asked them to take care of me, and left for the office. Apparently, he was now involved in another homicide trial.

For today, Daniel was also going to stay in the apartment. As the time for bed arrived, both Daniel and Max got up and began a search. They checked every single door and lock and window to remove any sense of suspicion.

Afterward, Max came with me to my room to check the bathroom while I laid out a mattress for Daniel in the dining room. Max then laid down on the mattress beside my bed, and I willed myself to go to sleep in my new home.

The next day, after breakfast, Daniel bid us farewell and returned to the precinct. "So, let's say I must go somewhere. Will you stay here or come with me?" I asked Max as I contemplated paying Annette a visit.

Max nodded her head as she sat down beside me. "My duty is to look after you personally. If you go somewhere, I will go with you." "Then what about the apartment? Is it not possible that Hannah will take advantage of our absence and come here to wire this place or just for a lookout?" Max shook her head. "Daniel's role starts there.

A CCTV camera has been placed at every possible entrance to the apartment. He will be looking after that footage continuously. In case something happens while we are away, he will alert the security at the entrance." I nodded my head, satisfied with the answer. "Do you intend on going somewhere?" She looked at me curiously. I tried to read her facial expressions.

She had a fair skin complexion with chubby cheeks and a nose that seemed flattened at the front. Her hair was long; it reached down to her knees. She kept it in a bun at the top of her head. Her lips were a thin line while her eyes were a vibrant blue. Those eyes gave away no indication of her possible thoughts. People like her scared me.

I could not read her expression. "I have half a mind to pay a visit to a friend of mine. It's Sunday, so she should be at home. Is that okay?" Why did I ask her that? I did not need her permission. Her countenance demanded authority, and I got carried away. She nodded her head and said I should get ready; we must leave early so we can come back before night falls.

We had taken the bus to Annette’s apartment. Surprisingly, it was the same bus Hannah had taken the night she came to the hospital. I had memorized the number plate of the bus when Detective Ocon had shown me the footage. As I sat on that bus, my mind kept running around Hannah. She must have sat in one of these seats.

What was going through her mind when she sat here? Did she think about me? Or did my father's rage still occupy her mind? I tried to think about things from her perspective. The circumstances in her life shaped her into the person she is today. I wonder, if things had not happened the way they had, would she still have been like this?

No. I felt empathy for her. We had reached the stop toward Annette’s apartment when Max shook me. "Our stop is here," she said simply. We got off together, and I wrapped my coat around me tighter. The day was crisp with cold wind and moisture in the air.

Even though the sun was shining, one could barely feel its heat. We walked in silence toward her apartment, Max walking just a step behind me. I knocked on Annette’s door. Knock, knock, knock. No reply. Again. Knock, knock, knock. The wind was starting to pick up and was now biting my face. Footsteps. I could hear footsteps from behind the door.

I had decided what I would do. Slow footsteps. I looked to my left to see the sunlight falling perfectly on the glass window of a shop. "Who is it?” “It’s Victoria." The door instantly opened to reveal Annette still in her pajamas. Her grin greeted me as she gave me a bone-crushing hug. "You're finally out of the hospital!!!" Her happiness was contagious. I hugged her back with the same level of ferocity. "This is Max. She is a... friend." I did not want to reveal the personal security agenda. Annette might feel offended. She welcomed us both inside. I took off my shoes at the entrance, and she led us to her small living room. It had beige-colored walls and white furniture.

Both Max and I sat down on the sofa side by side as Max surveyed the surroundings. "You guys make yourselves comfortable. I'm gonna get changed and make coffee for us." As soon as she exited the room and her footsteps were out of earshot, Max sprang up from her seat and began to look around. She checked behind the furniture.

I was not sure what she was looking for, but I did not ask any questions. As she tried to check under the china cabinet, I got up to look with her. She accidentally pushed the china cabinet ahead as she was trying to lift it. I walked over to her to scold her for not being careful when I saw something, which made me stop dead in my tracks. In the space from where the sofa had skid nestled a pair of shoes: turquoise heels. Sitting there, in perfect shape, were turquoise heels.

-End of Part 4

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