Bear runs from the courtyard and sprints the last hundred meters to Siff’s front door before urgently knocking.

Nothing.

He bangs harder, “Siff! Siff! Are you in there? It’s me, Bear. Listen, you’ve got to answer me, okay? It’s really important. Please!”

Nothing.

Bear runs to the nearest window and looks into an empty living room. He checks the others and confirms that she is either hiding or—and most likely—she is not in the house. Bear is torn up; his duty is to report her escape from house-arrest immediately, but his loyalty to his lifelong friend needs to give her a chance. Whatever she is doing, she is already in so much trouble. If he rats her out right now without talking to her first, he may never see her again.

Bear makes his decision and leaves, determined to report if asked that he assumed she was refusing to answer the door. And forget about seeing her in the courtyard. And whoever that was going into the service entrance. That could have been anybody.

But it could have been Siff.