“I just came by to say hello, Sadie,” he said. “Aren't you glad to see me?”
“Not particularly.”
“Who's your pal there?” Michael nodded at Melvin.
Sadie ignored the question, standing her ground. Melvin looked at Sadie, unsure of what to say or do.
“We just thought we'd do a little business, that's all.” Michael looked at the driver of the car and smiled. “Where's your big-bad-protector boyfriend?”
“I want you to stay away from here and leave me alone,” said Sadie.
“You better move along,” said Melvin with the deepest voice it sounded like he could muster. “Bank's closed.”
Then through a stroke of luck, or perhaps an answered prayer, Sergeant McCord pulled his black-and-white police cruiser into the parking lot. Before Sadie could say another word, Michael jumped back into the car and it roared off, disappearing into five o'clock traffic.
Charlie parked and rolled out of his car, looked at Sadie and Melvin, and then looked behind him and around the parking lot twice trying to figure out what they were staring at. “Did I miss something?” he asked.
“Yes, but if you come here I'll give you a kiss.”
“No sir, no problem,” blurted Crump. “We've got everything under control here.”
Charlie stood with one foot on the curb and looked at the unlikely pair, trying to comprehend the contradiction. “I was just trying to dodge the afternoon car wars and thought I recognized your car parked over there. Want to have a cup of coffee?”
“I'd love to,” she said. “But I've got to get home. Thanks for showing up when you did, though. Looks like my ex-husband is going to be a pain in the ass now that he's out of jail.”
Charlie and Melvin both looked at Sadie with equal expressions of surprise.
Sadie tossed the keys to Melvin. “Here's your keys to the bank,” she said. “You can lock up, can't you?”
Melvin smiled, nodded, and walked back into the branch with a self-assured stride. Charlie looked at Sadie and waited for an explanation.
“Who was that?” asked Charlie.
“Our new protection,” said Sadie. “Why is it, you suppose, I don't feel very safe?”
“No, who was that in the car that just drove off?”
“I told you. My ex.”
“What was he in for, Sadie?”
“Murder.”
“You want to help me out here?” asked Charlie. “Maybe fill in some of the holes. I think I missed something.”
They both climbed into Charlie's cruiser, sat in the bank parking lot, and Sadie recited her life story against the background noise of Charlie's radio.
“I was young,” she said quietly. “What else can I say?”
Charlie listened silently.
“He was so good-looking and I'm such a sucker for a handsome man. I didn't really love him. Just infatuation, I guess. Or if you want the real truth, I just wanted to get away from my mother.” Sadie stopped for a moment and then continued. “You know how it is when you're young. I was working at the drugstore…the summer I turned sixteen. That's when he came to town, to Eucha. Anyway, my mother hated him and that just made me want to be with him all that much more.”
Charlie's radio crackled and Sadie looked out the side window of the squad car. Charlie adjusted the volume and sat back in his seat, waiting for Sadie to continue.
“We ran off to Arkansas and got married. My mother about died. She was so mad when we came home I thought she was going to kill me. My dad didn't like it, but he didn't say much. That's the way he was.” Sadie chuckled fondly at thoughts of her father. “I guess he thought I'd figure it out on my own. And sure enough I did.”
Sadie stopped talking while she watched the employees leave the bank in a group through the side door with Melvin bringing up the rear. Sadie lowered the car window and shouted at the new guard, “Everything locked up, Melvin?” Melvin nodded his head and waved at Sadie.
“I'd better double-check,” she said as she started to open the car door.
“Stay there,” said Charlie. “I'll check for you.”
Before she knew it, he had bounded out of the car and disappeared around the side of the building. She closed the car door and relaxed, inhaling the delicate aroma of honeysuckle as the gentle summer breeze carried it through the car window. After a few minutes, Charlie climbed back into the cruiser and Sadie continued to tell her story. “We had a lot of dreams,” she said and turned her head toward Charlie. “He promised me a horse ranch—a ranch and a white picket fence around a big, blue ranch house.”
Charlie's eyes followed the movement of traffic as it snaked down the nearby boulevard.
“You know what I got?” asked Sadie.
Charlie returned his attention to Sadie and she continued. “I got a rundown apartment, a full-time job at the drugstore, and a part-time job at the Eucha Bar. He started drinking and then every time I'd come home, the apartment would be full of drunks…people I didn't even know. And then every other weekend or so he'd take me to Mexico so he could trade briefcases with some man. Guess he thought it looked better traveling with a woman.” Sadie ran her fingers through her bangs and straight back across the top of her head. “Damn, I was so naive.”
“So, he was a drug dealer?”
“I guess. Hell, I don't really know what he was.” Sadie squirmed in her seat and looked at Charlie. “You know, Charlie, nothing is ever what it seems to be, is it?”
“I thought you said something about murder.”
“I wasn't there when it happened. He hit me. No, he knocked me down. So I went running home to Momma and Daddy to lick my wounds. Then the sheriff showed up one morning and said they found some dead guy in front of our apartment. They finally found Michael somewhere in Texas. I never spoke to him again. He was real mouthy because I testified against him.” Sadie looked at Charlie and smiled. “And you know what? I had almost, just almost, forgot about him and that part of my life…until a few days ago, that is.”
“So the car that drove off as I came in was him?”
“Yeah, looks like he's out. Killed a man and out of jail in fifteen years. Is that all a man's life is worth? Fifteen years?” Charlie didn't answer and she continued. “I guess he thinks we can just pick up where we left off. My uncle said he saw him snooping around my place. And then we had a run-in at an auction.”
“Are you still married to him?”
“Nope, got it annulled.”
“If you want, I can get you some protection, Sadie. Hell, I'll do it myself or if you want I'll get Lance Smith to do it. He's always asking about you, anyhow.”
“Really? Thanks, but I'll be all right. I don't think he'd actually hurt me.”
A garbled message came across the radio waves. Charlie picked up the transmitter, answered, listened some more.
“Looks like some unhappy driver has managed to make a mess down at Collier Circle. Want to ride with me for a while? I'm pulling a double shift today. Looks like the rest of the folks have left. Do you have to go back inside the bank?”
“Nope, I'm through here. Left my purse in the car and got my keys in my pocket.”
“You be careful and give me a call if you need anything.” Charlie waited until Sadie got into her car and locked the door, then he followed her out of the parking lot and into the evening traffic.
Chapter 14
Sadie woke up exhausted, her sheets clutched in a wad next to her stomach. Her dream had turned into a nightmare when a faceless man chased her into a giant cardboard box. The dream had repeated itself periodically since the robbery and each time Sadie would wake up before she could see his face. Today was no different.
The disturbing images usually faded once she busied herself with her morning routine. She finished her chores and headed to work. The morning drive to Sycamore Springs gave Sadie a chance to prepare, organizing the day's agenda in her head. She did not plan to visit the Mercury branch again any time soon, so she would need to cal
l Tom Duncan and tell him about Michael's unexpected visit. Also, she would need to check on Melvin Crump's disposition after his first day on the job.
Sadie liked to get into the office early, giving herself enough time for an extra cup of coffee before the start of the day. But today she seemed to move in slow motion and arrived just as a large herd of employees funneled through the back door, poking time slips one by one into an ancient, mechanical time clock.
She made her way past the group into her office, set her coffee on a coaster next to her computer, and turned her attention to the corner of her desk. Thirteen red roses stood at attention in a silver vase in the shape of a large Hershey's candy kiss tied with a red bow on one side. The flowers had arrived yesterday while she was at the branch. Try as she might, she could not convince a soul to confess the unknown source, much less explain the meaning of the thirteenth rose. The candy-shaped vase represented a significant clue, she was sure. Jaycee always seemed to be eating the small morsels of chocolate every time she saw him.
Just as Sadie sat down at her desk, Stan Blackton and Adam Cruthers ran into her office in a panic and started yelling, both at the same time.
“They killed him!”
“We've been robbed!”
“What?” Sadie could not believe what she was hearing. “Killed who? Who's been robbed?”
Stan stood at Sadie's window, hands on hips, staring into space. He removed his glasses, ran his hand over his face, and then jammed his glasses back against his eyebrows. Adam walked around in a small circle, wringing his hands. Sadie stood up and Stan started talking again.
“They found that new security guard you hired with a bullet in his head this morning. Right in the head…” Stan's voice trailed off and then he turned to Sadie and emphasized the rest of his sentence: “inside the branch!” His face had turned a blazing shade of red and a vein popped out on his neck. He repeated the routine with his glasses and then started talking again. “We're trying to run a bank here. This shit is costing us a lot of money. Not to mention the bad publicity. What are the customers going to think?”
Sadie picked up her purse and keys and headed for the door.
“Where do you think you're going?” Blackton's voice had hit a high pitch.
“I've got to go—”
“Oh, no you don't.” Beads of perspiration broke out across Stan's forehead, his face still beet red, as he turned his wrath toward Sadie. “I'm beginning to think you're in cahoots with somebody in this robbery business.”
“What?” Sadie took a step backward.
“Right before he died, the guard told somebody the door was unlocked,” stammered Stan. “How the hell was the door left unlocked, Sadie? Weren't you there all day yesterday? Couldn't you even get the doors locked?”
“No, no, no,” said Sadie. “I gave Melvin the keys. He locked up.” Sadie's head began to swirl. I didn't actually see Melvin lock the doors. I was too damn busy talking about my personal problems. But Charlie double-checked for me. Suddenly, she remembered Michael again. “Oh, God,” she said and sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.
Stan was still talking: “…fingerprints on the dye pack from that last robbery and they said you were friends with that homeless man who robbed us last time. I'm afraid we can't keep you if this is the way you are.”
“What do you mean…the way I am?”
Adam stood still for the first time, looked at Stan and said, “I think I'm going to be sick.” And with that announcement, he disappeared down the hall.
“Wait a minute,” said Sadie. “Who else was there? How did they get the vault open?”
“You tell me, Sadie. You're the one in charge of security.”
“There's no way—”
“Somebody's going to have to pay for all this,” said Stan, “and I've decided it's going to be you. You hired him, he's dead, so you're fired.”
“What? You can't do this.”
“Oh, yeah? Watch me. Be gone by the time I get back or I'll throw you out this window myself. I've got to go talk to the damn television reporters again.”
Stan stormed out the door and Sadie stood frozen, trying to comprehend what had just taken place. Her mind felt like mush; her thoughts bounced around like shock waves inside her head. I'm fired? He can't really mean that…Melvin's dead?…Sadie looked at the flowers on her desk and wished with all her might that she had the ability to turn back time. Suddenly, Adam reappeared at her door, his tie loosened. His shirt had a large wet spot on the right side of his chest.
“I'm sorry, Sadie.” His words sounded genuine.
“He fired me,” she said weakly. “He didn't really mean that, did he?” Sadie grasped for a glimmer of hope.
“I'm afraid so. He sent me back down here to make sure you didn't take anything that wasn't yours.”
“Oh, really?” Sadie's shock began to shift into anger. She picked up her purse and started toward the door. Then she stopped, returned to her desk, scooped up the flowers, and stormed past Adam and out the door.
Sadie took her time driving home and decided to go by the branch. From a distance she could see two police cars and one media van parked near the front door. She recognized Lance Smith but didn't see Charlie anywhere. Several onlookers stood in the back of the parking lot near the honeysuckle bush and a young child, oblivious to the morning's event, rode his tricycle up and down the sidewalk.
Sadie wanted to stop. Her head was swimming with questions. Was someone already inside like before? If so, how did they get in? All of the branch employees had keys to the branch. Could one of them be involved or perhaps have misplaced their keys? Or maybe someone ambushed Melvin outside and forced him to unlock the door. Even so, how did they get the vault open? Melvin didn't have the combination. Was it the same man who robbed her? Or, worse yet, could it have been Michael? Or were they one and the same? Nothing made sense.
When she reached the driveway of the bank, her foot would not move to touch the brake. She simply drove north until she reached the ramp of the expressway and turned onto the highway that would carry her out of Sycamore Springs and back to Eucha.
The drive home was a blur. When she got inside the house, she placed the roses on the kitchen table and dropped into a chair. The phone rang and she jumped.
“Hello?”
“Are you all right?” asked Jaycee.
“Yes, I'm fine,” she said quietly, and then added, “I guess.”
“I was just about to leave town when I heard about the robbery. Called your office and they said you were gone and not coming back—ever. I was afraid something might have happened to you. Then I called Adam and he said they had let you go. What happened?”
“I don't know. You probably know more than I do.”
“I just thought you might want to talk. Can I come by?”
“Oh, I don't think so. I need to get some of this sorted out in my head.”
“Are you sure? I would really like to see you again even though I wish the circumstances were different. I was hoping to call you today to thank you for saving me from rattlesnake death.”
“Oh, you're welcome for the hundredth time. How is your hand?”
“Marked for life, but other than that, not too bad. How did you like the roses?”
“I thought that might have been you.” Her mood shifted as she gazed happily at the bouquet.
“The florist didn't snitch on me, did they?”
“No, nobody snitched. But the vase was a dead giveaway.”
“It was?”
“Every time I see you, you're eating candy kisses.” Sadie surprised herself when she giggled like a young girl.
“I knew I had some bad habits that were going to catch up with me one day, but I didn't know eating chocolate candy was going to get me in trouble.”
“They are beautiful. I don't really know what to say.”
“Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady.”
“Thank you.” Embarrassed, Sadie could feel warmth
rising in her face. “Thanks for the compliment…and for the roses.”
“You're welcome, my dear.”
The conversation waned and Sadie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She wanted to beg him to come over, to hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. She wanted to tell him what a jerk Blackton was, how they had accused her of being involved in the robberies and fired her for no good reason. She wanted to tell him Michael came to the bank and she was scared. But the words twisted in an endless circle in her head, unable to make a connection with her voice.
“Okay, then,” he said. “If you insist, I'm going to head back to Dallas. I'll be back in a few weeks. Around the last week of July. How about a date on that Friday evening? Say around seven. Okay? I'll bring you some candy kisses.”
“That would be nice.” The words gushed before Sadie had a chance to think.
“I'll call you before then. Bye now.”
Sadie heard the line go dead, then the buzz of the dial tone before she hung up. Realizing the conversation was over and having shot down any hopes of seeing Jaycee, she felt empty. Why did she have to be so independent? If he would just call back, she would tell him to come. But it was too late now. He was gone.
In the meantime, she was going to have to figure out how to dig herself out of this hole on her own. Somehow, she believed that Happy must hold the key. Where did he get the robber's jacket? Why were the dye packs at his box? Why wouldn't he talk? Why hadn't somebody found all this out by now? Why wasn't somebody trying to solve her bank robbery? They had to be all connected. Couldn't somebody else see that besides her?
She decided to find her own answers. Why were the doors unlocked? She made a mental note to call Sergeant McCord. After that, her next stop would be to see Happy.
Chapter 15
Charlie finished his fourth cup of strong coffee and tossed the stained Styrofoam cup in the trash. He leaned back in his chair and contemplated the papers that lay in two orderly stacks in front of him, then opened the top desk drawer and picked up a roll of antacids. Since the new cook at the Waffle House had started, his occasional indigestion seemed to be turning into a routine.
Deception on All Accounts Page 13
