"Zach Gallo, Sophie's brother," he said, leaning down to speak through my window.
"Must be in an awful hurry," I said, shaking my head. I edged out again, extra careful this time, and Manny followed me out the driveway in his own truck. After a few blocks, he turned and I drove to the office, lost in thought. I had the horrible feeling Austen might be right; his wife's fall was looking less like an accident and more like a poorly disguised attack.
Chapter Three
"You are a lifesaver," said Solomon as he leaned into the passenger side of my car and deposited the small, black backpack on the seat.
"So I’ve been told," I agreed. "How much is in the bag?"
"Ten thousand dollars. Why the client refused to pay by bank transfer will have to remain one of life's enduring mysteries."
"At least they didn't pay you in quarters. I'll deposit it, and then I'm heading home. I think I see pizza and a movie in my near future."
"I might be late. You should start without me."
"I plan to. Pizza waits for no man and Monty's is featuring a garlic bread special all month." I decided exactly what I wanted during cobra pose in yoga, with Poppy draped over my back. I was already salivating at the thought and even the brief investigation into the Takahashi incident couldn't put me off. All I needed to do now was pick the movie on Netflix and choose between my unicorn or raccoon pajamas. Tough choices but I practiced often and hard for these life moments.
"I'll pick up extra," said Solomon before blowing me a kiss. I pretended to catch it and waved goodbye as he shut the door with the parting words, "You really need to buy a new car."
The nearest branch of First Eastern Bank was only a couple of blocks from the agency but since it was currently undergoing some renovation work, I headed to the main branch downtown. I had to circle the block a couple of times to find a parking space close by. No way did I feel comfortable walking around with ten grand in a backpack on me. Slinging the strap over my shoulder, I tucked it securely under my arm as I stepped onto the sidewalk. After feeding the meter a whole clutch of coins, I jogged to the other end of the block.
The bank occupied a beautiful, old, brick building. The carved wooden doors were ten feet tall and permanently propped open during business hours, reinforced by the glass security doors a little further into the entry. Inside, many of the original features remained, a testament to the beautiful craftsmanship of Montgomery's early years. The floors retained the intricate tile work, wood paneling lined the walls and the ceiling was home to a beautiful fresco and cornice work. The newer parts were evident in the tellers' wood and glass cages and the ATMs that were recessed into the walls.
I stepped past the "wet floor" sign, and joined the queue for the tellers. To pass the time, I played a game on my phone, occasionally glancing up at the old clock high on the wall. I figured I had just enough time to get to the front and make the deposit before the bank announced it was closing time.
"Mom! I don't wanna wait!"
I glanced behind me at the kid tugging on his mom's sleeve and smiled at her sympathetically when she let out an exasperated sigh.
"As soon as we finish our business here, we'll go get ice cream. I promise. But you have to be patient, honey," she told him, ruffling his hair affectionately.
The queue shuffled forwards and I eavesdropped into the conversation of the people in front of me. An older couple were discussing their vacation plans and the man ahead of them was talking on his phone about something to do with an IT system. Two tellers became available and the couple and the man set off. I stuck my phone in my pocket and slid the backpack under my arm, ready to hand it over. A customer moved away from the teller ahead of me and I was waved forwards.
I stepped up and put the bag on the counter. "Hi, I'd like to..." I started.
"Everybody down!" yelled a loud voice, the urgency ripping through the air.
I turned, confused, and a gunshot exploded inside the room. I twisted the other way, wondering what the hell was going on when the teller caught my eye. Her eyes widened in alarm as she dropped out of sight. On instinct, I hit the floor too, rolling over to observe the commotion as I pressed my back against the wooden panel of the teller cage.
Four people clad totally in black, wearing identical fatigues, zip-up jackets, gloves, and masks that covered their entire faces, fanned across the room. They began pushing anyone onto the floor that hadn't already dived for cover. Two other masked people wielded control of the heavy wooden doors, forcing them closed, and standing with their backs to the glass doors, sealing us in.
Crouched beside the teller’s station, I took a moment to calm my breathing and slow my rapid heartbeat before trying to assess the interlopers properly. There wasn't much to note. My initial impression that their clothes covered their bodies entirely was correct; I couldn't see an inch of skin, nor a wisp of hair. Much more noticeable were their weapons. Each held a semi-automatic rifle, and handguns were suspended at their waists. Some even carried military-grade knives. I could identify the weapons because I'd seen Solomon's before. They were clearly here to rob the bank.
I glanced up. The backpack sat on the wooden lip of the counter, unopened, waiting for me to feed it through the deposit tray. I could kiss goodbye to that cash. It would disappear, untraceably, into the hands of criminals. Solomon would be so pissed!
I held back the smile that nearly curled my lips. These bank robbers picked the wrong guy to mess with! Then I realized I was directly in their path and unfortunately, Solomon wasn't anywhere in sight.
Glancing to my left and right, several other people who dropped to the floor like me were also caught between the bank robbers and the tellers.
"Everyone over here, now!" shouted the same male voice that prompted the first panic. He stood at the center of the room, holding his weapon high while jabbing one finger toward the ground. "Any of you employees who might be thinking about pressing the buzzer for help will be directly responsible for the subsequent deaths of your customers. Is that crystal clear?"
"Move! Move!" shouted someone else as the robbers fanned out, herding us into the central area. Cautiously, I scooted forwards into a half crouch, making myself smaller and ostensibly, a harder target to hit. The thought of that made me gulp. When we reached the middle of the room, the robbers pushed us down onto our stomachs, forcing our hands over our heads.
"Mommy," whispered the kid behind me in line.
"Stay calm, honey. Extra big ice cream after this is all over."
"But, Mommy."
"Shhh, honey," she whispered. "Just lie there and pretend to sleep for a short time. Remember our sleepytime game when you were little? Let’s play it now."
I nodded at her with a small, tight smile, and she gave me a worried nod back. There was nothing else we could do.
"No talking! Everyone stay down and be quiet, and no one gets hurt."
Stillness spread through the room. No one coughed. No one muttered. I thought I heard a soft, muffled sob but when I checked the kid lying between me and his mom, it wasn't coming from him. I lay there, feeling utterly useless. What else could I do? I wasn't armed, and even if I were, there were six of them and just one of me. I didn't like those odds.