Meadow, her fiancé, and her brothers and sisters were huddled in a corner of the room near the windows. We had a group hug and then mindful of the younger children, Meadow and I went out of the waiting room to discuss Beverly’s status.
“Her heart has stopped twice this morning,” Meadow said tearfully. “They keep coming out and asking if I still want them to resuscitate her. So far, I’ve said yes but I got to tell you I’m having reservations. What’s going to happen?”
“Eventually they won’t be able to restart her heart.”
“Maybe I should just let them stop,” she said. “What do you think?“
“It’s not my place to advise you on that, Meadow. Do you feel like you and your brothers and sisters have had an opportunity to say goodbye? That’s the real issue.”
“I keep trying to keep them out of there to protect them,” she said. “Maybe that’s the wrong thing to do now. Maybe I should tell them to stop. We could go in and pray and be together when she dies.”
“Your mother would be so proud of you, Meadow. You’ve taken care of your family and looked out for your mother’s best interests. I can’t imagine anyone being a better daughter or advocate.”
I hugged Meadow, who couldn’t seem to stop sobbing. Finally, she asked me to send her fiancé out. I stayed with her siblings until they came back into the waiting room. Meadow didn’t even have a chance to speak before the doctor walked into the waiting room. He took a seat, looking at all the survivors, trying to figure out what to say.
“Look,” he finally said. “We just got her heart going again, but she is very weak and I don’t think she’ll survive the next episode.”
“We want to go in all together and be with her,” Meadow said. “We want to pray and hold hands. No more resuscitation attempts.”
“I’ll take you all in there,” he said as he stood.
“I’ll wait out here,” I said as Meadow squeezed my hand and led her siblings into the unit.
I’ve never been good at sitting out any kind of tense situation, so I left the waiting room and paced back and forth outside the unit. There was a wall of windows; I stopped long enough to watch an old woman using a walker make her way from the visitor’s lot to the front entrance. She looked frail, but she seemed to possess a steely determination to make it into the hospital to visit someone, reminding me of just how powerful love can be.
I turned around when I heard the doors to the unit pop open and spotted Meadow and her entourage coming through the doors. They looked sad but united, holding hands and letting the tears flow.
Meadow thanked me and promised to call me regarding funeral arrangements. I called and left a message for the adjuster regarding Beverly Knull’s status. I wanted to be sure the death benefits started immediately for the Knulls.
As I walked to my car, I thought it seemed wrong somehow that the sun was shining so brightly without a cloud in the sky. I climbed in my red car, put the top down, and called Lionel. I picked up Subway for all of us and we ate out by the pool. Sophie and Bella seemed to sense my sadness by clinging and telling me jokes only a 5 year-old could love. Finally, they jumped in the pool to resume their game.
“How bad was it?” Lionel asked.
“As bad as it gets. I’m sure you remember. It’s hardest on the kids, I think.”
“I agree,” he said. “Time does help.”
“Being around two little girls so full of life helps, too.”
The girls weren’t having any part of swimming alone indefinitely. They grabbed our hands and soon after we were playing volleyball in earnest. The afternoon flew by and we got cleaned up and took the girls to P.F. Chang’s, where we had egg rolls, lettuce wraps, General Tso’s chicken, and sesame chicken.
We went back to Lionel’s house and watched Toy Story Three, a great movie for all. By 10 o’clock that night I was back in my Barbie sleeping bag, exhausted both emotionally and physically. I slept soundly until an alarm sounded again somewhere in the darkness.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Lionel had opted to sleep on the couch, convinced Thomas Sloan would make his move on Saturday night. Since I was tangled up in my Barbie sleeping bag, it was Lionel who turned off the GPS alarm. He turned on a table lamp near where I was sleeping, and the first thing I saw was Barbie’s smiling face on which I had drooled heavily.
I finally got free of the sleeping bag, checked on the still sleeping girls and followed Lionel into the kitchen. He called his mom, who agreed to come over and we went upstairs to get dressed. Dark shirts, jeans, and black watch hats were the uniform of the night.
Lionel’s mom arrived and we were back in Lionel’s Pilot with the GPS monitor, trying to figure out where Thomas Sloan was headed. There was no moon so the darkness seemed impenetrable. It had cooled off considerably. I was shaking slightly, unsure if it was the temperature, not being fully awake, or the thrill of the chase.
“What do you think?” Lionel asked.
“He’s getting on highway 64. He could be headed for the bank.”
“Part of me doesn’t believe it,” Lionel said as he got on the highway from the opposite direction.
“We’ve got the binoculars. We can watch from a distance when we figure out where he’s going.”
“We’ll have to find a vantage point where no one can see us,” Lionel said.
“I’ve been thinking about that. You know, there’s that park on the other side of the street from the bank. I think we could park there and pick a spot in the trees.”
“Good idea,” Lionel said as he whistled. “He’s getting off. That’s the right exit for the bank.”
“OK, he’s stopped. Let’s wait a minute to be sure he’s parked. Then we can pull in behind him and get the tracker.”
The truck remained in place, a red dot flashing. We had pulled over in a semi-residential area. After a few minutes, waiting became intolerable for me.
“Let’s do it. We can swing by and always leave if he’s still in the truck.”
“How do you make it through stakeouts?” Lionel asked.
“Not well. I get antsy almost immediately.”
“OK, let’s go,” he said as he started the Pilot and headed for the flashing dot.
The traffic was sparse at 2 a.m., which was a cause for concern. We turned down the residential streets until we spotted the red truck parked in front of a house at the end of the block. There were plenty of other vehicles parked on the street so the truck didn’t stand out. We couldn’t see any sign Sloan was still in the truck when we pulled in behind and killed the lights. Lionel took a small penlight, climbed out, crouched under the truck, and retrieved the tracker.
I had slipped into the driver’s seat. I pulled away as soon as Lionel was back in the Pilot. I drove two streets away before I turned the headlights back on. I headed out of the residential area back to the main road where the bank was located, careful to be sure I wasn’t exceeding the speed limit.
“So far so good,” Lionel said. “I’m glad we got the tracker.”
“The turn is coming up, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s kind of hard to see,” Lionel said as he craned to look on the other side of the street.
“There it is,” Lionel said as I made the turn and flipped my bright lights.
The road was narrow with winding turns and no streetlights. This was one of the more obscure parks in St. Louis County. Limited donated land had been turned into a picnic area and playground surrounded by dense woods. I parked near the playground and killed the headlights.
“I brought a couple of flashlights and some binoculars,” Lionel said.
“We’ll have to be careful with the flashlights. I don’t want to tip Thomas off.”
“Good point,” Lionel said. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah, I’ll bring the phone.”
After we exited the Pilot, we made our way to the edge of the woods in the area we thought would be across the street from the bank. It was very dark and the use of a
flashlight was absolutely necessary. Lionel led the way and tried to shield the flashlight the best he could. We walked about half a mile into the woods when we spotted headlights from the road.
Lionel switched the flashlight off as we reached a slight overlook with a good view of the road and the bank. Lionel pulled out his binoculars, focusing on the roof of the bank.
“How do you think he’ll go in?” I asked.
“My guess is he’ll try to get in through the air conditioning on the roof. He’s kind of small and wiry.”
“I guess his other option is to pick the lock in the front door,” I said.
“That would take a high level of skill. I can’t see anything on the roof or inside.”
“Is it possible the bank was never his target?” I asked.
“Anything is possible. What are you thinking?”
Chapter Forty-Eight
A brisk wind ripped through the trees, hinting at the cold weather to come. I realized my scant clothing was insufficient for the dropping temperatures. I shivered again as I framed my response to Lionel’s query.
“What if he’s robbing some house in that neighborhood while we’re sitting here freezing our asses off?”
“You think we’re overestimating his talents?” he asked. “You know, I researched bank robberies and guess what? Three months ago, a bank in Rolla was hit in the middle of the night. The perp got over $200,000. There were no fingerprints and the hard drives were removed from the cameras. They have no leads.”
“Wow, I hadn’t thought about previous jobs. I guess we’ll know soon enough.”
Lionel trained the binoculars on the target again as I readjusted my position. There was no traffic on the road. My surveillance impatience resurfaced, but I decided to keep talking without whining.
“Your mom asked me to have lunch with her next week.”
“When did she have time for that?” he asked.
“She caught me in the kitchen right before we left.”
“She’s good, isn’t she?” he asked.
“Yeah, so I guess this is the check-out-the girlfriend thing, isn’t it?”
“I wish I could say no,” he said. “The reality is that’s probably exactly what’s up. I’m sure she’s concerned about the girls. Don’t worry; she’s gonna love you.”
“What have you told her about us?”
“I think I talked about a friend with benefits kinda thing,” he said. “I emphasized the friend part.”
“Great, I can’t even pretend I’m not a slut.”
“I think we’re all adults here,” he said. “She’s not that judgmental. In fact, she was pregnant with my older sister when she married my dad.”
“I hope you’re right. I had forgotten about all the baggage that comes with a relationship.”
“Are you thinking it’s not worth it?” he asked.
“No, I’m scared I won’t pass the test somehow. I’m upset that it means so much to me.”
I grabbed the binoculars from Lionel, hoping to change the subject before I made more stupid statements.
“I think I see some movement in the back right corner. Here, check it out.”
“I think you’re right,” he said, staring through the lens. “He’s wearing goggles.”
“What kind of goggles?”
“Probably infrared,” he said. “He’ll be able to see the beams from the infrared sensors.”
“This kid is amazing.”
“He’s moving to the area where the ATM room is,” he said. “It’s probably a good time to call the cavalry.”
“Good idea. I’d better tell them about the air conditioning vent, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, otherwise, he’ll stay in the vent or climb out through the roof,” he said.
I took the throwaway cell phone out of my pocket and dialed 911.
“This is 911, what is your emergency?”
“There’s a bank robbery in progress at First Federal at 1437 Wolfrum Road. Tell them he got in through the air conditioning on the roof. They need to surround the building so he doesn’t get away.”
“What is your name?” the operator asked as I pressed end.
“Now, the real fun begins. How long do you think we can stay?”
“We should be OK here for a while,” Lionel said. “We can go out the back entrance so we don’t have to go out on Wolfrum at all.”
“It’s going to take a while for them to get in there and catch him. They won’t think about how he got here at first, right?”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” he said. “They’ll probably have to get the bank manager to get in there. I’d send a couple of cars to surround the building.”
Those words had no sooner left Lionel’s mouth when two patrol cars, lights off, one from either direction, sped along Wolfrum and came to a screeching halt in the front and back of the bank. The flashing lights exploded simultaneously. Lionel was watching inside the darkened bank.
“He’s coming out of the ATM room and heading for the air conditioner duct,” Lionel said. “I’m sure he’ll head for the roof.”
At that point, two more police cars took positions on the sides of the bank. The police officers exited the vehicles, pointing flashlights at the roof of the building.
“He must be freaking out. He’s probably just now realizing he’s not going to get away.”
“And wondering how they know to look at the roof,” Lionel said.
We took turns watching the show through the binoculars. There wasn’t much activity until the bank manager, escorted by a team of detectives, pulled up in front of the bank. Weapons drawn, they escorted the manager to the front door, pushing him out of the way after he opened the door.
“Sloan is probably trying to figure out whether to come out of the vent inside or repel down the roof.”
“He’s going to try to come off the roof,” Lionel said. “Let’s make a bet.”
“OK, although I don’t necessarily disagree with you. What’s the bet?”
“You stay the night again,” he said. “The caveat is no Barbie sleeping bag for you.”
“Sure, why not? But you realize I was going to do that anyway.”
It was my turn with the glasses. Suddenly, there was the figure dressed in black on the back side of the roof.
“I see him.”
“The real question is do they see him,” Lionel said.
“They must see him. They’re running to the back.”
We didn’t need the glasses to see two police officers dragging the figure dressed in black to the front parking lot. He was already cuffed and talking to the detectives. I lifted the binoculars to get a close up view of the perp.
“Is it Sloan?” Lionel asked.
“I’m not sure.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
The first hints of light were visible on the horizon by the time Lionel and I decided it was time to leave our perch. Early morning dew seemed to have an almost frost-like appearance, which made me shiver again as we headed for Lionel’s Pilot. I had climbed back up earlier to retrieve a fleece jacket, but even with that addition, it still felt cold as we made our final trek up the hill.
Teams of patrolman and detectives still surrounded the bank, moving in and out with bags of evidence in their hands. Upon further inspection with the binoculars, we were able to confirm it was, in fact, Thomas Sloan who had been captured in the bank. He had been placed in the back of a patrol car ostensibly questioned for another hour before being driven away.
I had phoned my brother Dave, who was finally able to get past his anger about my calling in the middle of the night, to have a conversation. Despite the fact no murder was involved to invoke activation of his unit, he was as fascinated as I was by the daring exploits of the not quite 20 year old. He agreed to keep my anonymous phone call intact, and make contact with the detectives on the case. Lionel and I wanted to be sure we got some inside details because of our involvement, and because we were flat-out curious.
>
The sun rose in the middle of a cluster of dark clouds that signaled the arrival of a cool front. We watched the sun try to burn through the clouds as we headed back to Lionel’s. Eerie quiet in Lionel’s house greeted us when we entered the house. A note from Lionel’s mom indicated she had taken the girls back to her house. She would make breakfast and have them back about noon.
A nap was in order, and the Barbie sleeping bag definitely didn’t seem appealing. I was still cold from our stakeout and we opted for a hot bath in Lionel’s huge Jacuzzi tub. We actually did eventually manage a nap, which was interrupted by Dave about two hours into it.
“Hey, Dave,” I managed after I retrieved my cell phone. “What’s up?”
“I talked to one the detectives in on the bank job. Our guy Sloan is a real piece of work, just like we thought. I figured he’d clam up and demand an attorney, but he’s singing like a bird.”
“Really,” I said. “I’m kind of surprised. Why is he talking?”
“They think it’s because he wants them to know how smart he is.”
“Well, that fits,” I said. “What’s he saying?”
“They found a burglary kit in the bank. He had infrared goggles to spot the infrared beams, repelling gear, and a lead film bag to block the beams. He is also quite the contortionist, given some of the tight turns in the air conditioning ducts. In his car, they found ropes, uniforms, cameras, and a police scanner.”
“Wow, this gets better and better,” I said. “How did he get into the ATM room? I thought they had locks on them.”
“That’s the best part. You’re right; they do have huge Secura Guardia locks on those rooms. They’re big and clumsy looking. The detectives didn’t believe he could crack it, so they brought one into the interrogation room. He took the thing apart in about 60 seconds.”
“You know, Dave,” I said, “It’s really hard not to be impressed with the sheer nerve this guy seems to have. He was on his way to becoming a master criminal. Don’t you think it’s strange that we were able to tail him without him noticing?”
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