by Mason Dixon
“I hope you don’t have anything planned for this afternoon. I’ve got a job for you.”
“What kind of job?”
“I need you to take someone out.”
“Who?”
“The security guard at Low Country Savings Bank.”
“That shouldn’t take much. The cat must be a hundred years old. Do you want me to get rid of him permanently?”
“No, just knock him out of commission for a while. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Do you want me to hit the bank while I’m at it?”
“Not that one. Hit one of the banks on the square if you have to, but not Low Country.” When the time came to empty the safe, Destiny wanted the employees to be caught by surprise.
“How much are we talking?” Pit asked.
“How does five thousand sound?”
“Seventy-five hundred would sound better. I’ll have to pay one of my boys to hook up with me after I ditch the getaway car. He ain’t gonna do it for free, and I don’t want his end coming out of my cut.”
“You’ve got a deal.”
Destiny ended the call and took the battery out of the phone. After she wiped off her fingerprints, she dumped the battery in one trash container and the phone in another.
Even after Pit’s expected mark-up, she would still clear over two grand today. More than enough to skip town in a hurry if the need arose. It never hurt to be too careful. Harry Collins talked a good game, but Destiny trusted her about as far as she could throw her. She needed some insurance. If the heat got turned up too high, she needed to make sure she didn’t get burned.
Chapter Fourteen
Sunday, March 5
4:20 p.m.
Savannah, Georgia
As she stood on the patio of Rocks on the Roof, Destiny read the latest edition of the Savannah Morning News over someone’s shoulder. Pit Bull’s attempted robbery of the Bank of America branch on Johnson Square was still front page news. The police didn’t have any leads but were pursuing the case from all possible angles, cop talk for they didn’t have a fucking clue who they were looking for. Pit and his partner in crime, seventy-five hundred dollars richer and lucky not to be behind bars, had wisely picked up stakes and skipped town.
Destiny scanned the article for news about Frank Redmond. The security guard had put up more of a fight than she had expected. In fact, he had almost ruined her carefully laid plan. If he had held on to Pit’s leg for thirty more seconds, Pit would be cooling his heels in jail instead of beating feet for parts unknown, and she’d be trying to explain to Harry what had gone wrong.
She sipped her beer. She’d been nursing the same one for almost three hours. If Rashida didn’t show up soon, she might have to call it a day. A few minutes later, her patience was finally rewarded. Jackie claimed a table about twenty feet away. Drinks in hand, Rashida soon joined her. Destiny ducked behind a potted palm and watched them interact.
Jackie was Rashida’s opposite in almost every way. Where Rashida was tall and thin, Jackie was short and plump. Rashida spoke with a quiet self-assurance that invited the listener to lean in close. Jackie’s booming voice kept her audience at a distance. Rashida attracted attention by appearing to deflect it. Jackie’s flashy clothes and oversized personality screamed, “Hey, look at me!”
If she didn’t know Rashida and Jackie were nothing more than friends, Destiny would have sworn they were lovers. They finished each other’s sentences and used the same conversational shortcuts favored by longtime partners. If they were as close professionally as they seemed to be personally, they made a formidable team. Destiny would have to take on not one but both. If she managed to convince Rashida to break the rules, could she in turn persuade Jackie to look the other way? She wasn’t so sure. Her considerable charms would most likely be lost on Jackie.
She ordered another beer and bided her time. She had only twelve days left before the dangerous game she had been roped in to play reached its final stages, but she couldn’t afford to rush.
Jackie left shortly after she and Rashida arrived, clearing the way for Destiny and Rashida to spend some time alone. Destiny licked her lips at the prospect but didn’t head toward Rashida’s table right away. She stayed put to gauge Rashida’s interest. Had she laid enough groundwork during their first meeting to prompt Rashida to pursue her or did she need to be the aggressor?
She watched a large cargo ship slowly chug past and feigned disinterest in the conversations taking place all around her. Rashida briefly conferred with the waitress before joining her by the railing.
“Come here often?”
Destiny turned quickly as if she’d been taken by surprise when she’d been surreptitiously ogling Rashida in her jeans and gay pride sweatshirt for several minutes. It took guts to be openly gay in some parts of the Deep South. Rashida didn’t seem to have a problem being who she was wherever she might be.
“Are you meeting your friend here?” Destiny wanted to make her first serious play to win Rashida’s affections while simultaneously pleading her case to take Frank Redmond’s job, but she had to be sure Jackie wouldn’t be around to run interference.
Rashida confirmed Jackie was out of the picture and invited Destiny to join her at her table. Destiny hemmed and hawed for a few minutes before “allowing” Rashida to twist her arm.
After they divvied up a selection of finger food, Destiny listened attentively while Rashida opened up to her about her close relationship with her grandmother and her distant one with the rest of her family.
“What about you?” Rashida asked. “Are you and your family close?”
Instead of resorting to a canned answer about an idyllic family life she had never experienced firsthand, Destiny countered with the truth.
“I’ve been on my own since I was seventeen. My father saw me on a date with my girlfriend at the time. When I got home, he had changed the locks on the doors and my clothes were scattered all over the lawn. Both he and my mother made it clear I was no longer welcome in their home or their lives. I haven’t seen them since.”
“What did you do?”
“I stayed at a friend’s house for a while. When I stopped feeling sorry for myself, I picked myself up, got a job, and never looked back.”
Destiny didn’t have to pretend to be vulnerable. When Rashida covered her hand with her own, the emotions she felt were real. Too real. She hadn’t delved into her past in years. Reliving it often proved as painful the second time around as it had the first. She welcomed the change in subject when Rashida asked her about her job experience.
She listed a fabricated work history that made her seem like the perfect candidate to replace Frank Redmond then waited for Rashida to make the pieces fit. After Rashida questioned her about where she was staying and her nonexistent roommates, she finally put two and two together. She didn’t offer Destiny the job but asked if she was interested and directed her to follow up with the bank’s human resources department.
Destiny felt a newfound sense of admiration. Rashida was professional and level-headed, aware of the power she possessed but unwilling to use it for her own gain. Getting her to crack was proving to be more of a challenge than she had expected. A challenge she was willing to take on. Not for Harry’s benefit but her own.
“If you’re up for an adventure, I’d like to show you something.”
She took Rashida to Echo Square, the little-known destination on River Street that harbored a spooky natural phenomenon more confusing than frightening. She offered Rashida her arm after she, too, failed to unravel the mystery behind the unmarked echo chamber. They walked the length of River Street, stopping to play tourist in several souvenir shops and an open-air flea market.
“What’s next?” Rashida asked, excitement glittering in her eyes. Savannah was her hometown, but she looked like she was seeing the city for the first time.
Destiny was experiencing something for the first time, too. The feeling she was exactly where she was supposed to be wit
h exactly the person she was supposed to be with. She felt a sense of completion she’d heretofore only read about in novels or seen in sappy romantic comedies. She wanted to see Rashida smile. Make her laugh. Share untold adventures with her. She wanted every day to be like today.
“Can we sit and talk? Or have I interrogated you enough for one day?”
“Far from it.”
Rashida sat on a bench facing the water. Destiny sat next to her and draped her arm across the back of the seat. “This has been fun,” she said. “I’m glad I ran into you today.”
“So am I.”
“Do you think we could do it again sometime?”
For the first time since Destiny had met her, Rashida looked hesitant. “I should tell you something. I went to Atlanta yesterday to close the book on a relationship and I’m not ready to start another one yet.”
This must be the ex-girlfriend Harry had told her about. The real estate agent who had moved on to greener pastures. Despite her prior knowledge, Destiny made sure to ask the appropriate questions. “What was her name?”
“Diana. Diana Vasquez.”
“I think I’ve heard of her.” She hadn’t, but she wanted to know if Rashida had any hard feelings for her former lover.
“I’m not surprised. She’s one of the most successful real estate agents in the Southeast.”
Destiny took note of the measure of pride she heard in Rashida’s voice. Though she and Diana were no longer together, Rashida seemed to have nothing but the utmost respect for her.
Rashida looked out at the water but quickly turned back. Destiny loved how she always looked her in the eye no matter how difficult the subject at hand. With her, there was no wondering where you stood. Her expressive face let you know. Despite her assertion she wasn’t ready to embark on another relationship, her eyes said otherwise. All Destiny had to do was close the deal.
“How long were you and Diana together?”
“Six years.”
“What happened?”
“We loved each other, but we weren’t in love with each other, if that makes sense.”
“It makes perfect sense. Six years is a long time. It takes guts to admit a relationship that has lasted that long isn’t working out.”
“It doesn’t take bravery. It takes honesty.”
“You act as if those things are mutually exclusive. Take it from me. They aren’t.”
Because if I had an ounce of bravery, I’d be honest with you right now.
“Considering what you’ve been through, you’ve exhibited a great deal more bravery than I have. I agreed to end a relationship that was failing. You’ve had to make your way in the world with no support system. That takes guts.”
“Thank you, but I hope you don’t think I was fishing for a compliment.”
“I don’t. And you’re welcome.” Rashida sat up straight as if she were putting the problems of the past behind her. “You’ve heard my sob story. Tell me about your last relationship.”
Yet again, Destiny found it impossible to lie. “I don’t think I’ve ever really had one.”
“No?”
“I find it hard to open up to people, which tends to keep things on a surface level.”
“By choice?”
“By necessity. In my line of work, I don’t get too close to anyone. All the relationships I have are professional, not personal.”
“You sound like me.” Rashida nodded knowingly. “You’ve been hurt before and you don’t want to be hurt again. I can’t blame you for being unwilling to trust your heart to someone.” She placed her hand on Destiny’s thigh. “But I hope you meet someone who’ll make you want to change your mind.”
Destiny looked into Rashida’s eyes, which had captivated her from the very first day. “I think I already have.”
Chapter Fifteen
Tuesday, March 7
2:30 p.m.
Savannah, Georgia
Jackie peered at the results of Destiny’s online skills test. Destiny tried and failed to sneak a peek at her score. She thought she’d done well on the hour-long exam, but she could use the confirmation. The interview seemed like it would never end. In addition to taking the test, she had been asked to run through several potential scenarios and participate in role-play. She had been asked to explain how she would react if someone attempted to rob the bank, if an irate customer got out of hand, or if something happened to the building itself. Jackie’s questions were intelligent and incisive, forcing Destiny to stay on her toes to keep from giving herself away.
Jackie and someone from the human resources department had conducted the interview. Rashida was noticeably absent.
Had Rashida cited a conflict of interest and let someone else decide whether to hire her? Or was she saving her input for behind the scenes? She was a wilier opponent than Harry had given her credit for. And the sexiest mark Destiny had ever set her sights on.
This con was different from any other she had ever played. It was about more than showing someone a good time and fleecing her out of a few dollars. This time, the stakes were much higher.
Destiny chided herself for going soft. She’d never cared about any of the other marks she’d fooled. Why should this one be any different? Because those other marks didn’t make her want to give up the fast life for the straight and narrow. Because those other marks weren’t Rashida Ivey.
“That should do it,” Jackie said. “Thank you for meeting with me today.”
“What happens next?”
“HR has already called to verify your references and your work history. Everyone you’ve listed speaks highly of you.”
The companies Destiny said she’d worked for were real. The contact names and phone numbers listed on her résumé, however, were not. When HR checked her references and work history, the calls had been routed to members of her team. People who had been paid to make her sound like the best worker the companies had ever employed, even though she had never set foot in their doors.
Her military record was just as easy to fake. When Techno established a false identity, the results were always airtight. She was worth every penny of Harry’s money Destiny had sent her way.
“After I interview one additional candidate, I’ll take all the applicants’ qualifications into consideration and make my decision,” Jackie said. “I’ll be in touch.”
Destiny reached across the conference table to shake hands. “Thank you for the opportunity, Mrs. Williams. I hope I hear from you soon.”
“You will. Let me walk you out.”
Destiny followed Jackie to the door. The job felt like hers to win or lose. Additional candidate or not, she thought she had just won it. All she had to do was wait for the phone to ring. As she walked down the street, she felt a perverse sense of accomplishment. If Rashida had no say in the final outcome and she got the job anyway, that meant she’d earned it on merit, making it the first job she’d ever won without having someone on the inside to grease the skids.
She headed for the French Roast. Charles Demery, touched by her cover story of being unemployed for eight months, had given her a part-time job in his coffee shop. Thirty hours a week on nights and weekends. Today was her second day. The pay wasn’t much, but at least she’d be able to keep tabs on Rashida without turning into a stalker. If she didn’t get the gig at the bank, the coffee shop could be their only source of contact.
She changed into her uniform and clocked in. The work at the French Roast was honest. Clean. A refreshing change from a job that felt increasingly dirty.
“What do you need me to do?” she asked, adjusting the fit of her black beret. Charles had asked the rest of the employees to break her in slowly. Though they had showed her how to operate most of the machines, she wasn’t yet trusted to use them. You pressed a button, pulled a couple of levers, and coffee came out. How hard could it be?
“I forgot to pull a name for last week’s drawing for a free gift card,” the day manager said. She indicated the jar of business cards
sitting next to the cash register. “Pull one of those and give the winner a call. After that, ask Brad to give you a crack at the panini machine.”
“Got it.”
Destiny pulled a card out of the oversized jar. The official winner of the drawing was Larry Sands, a bouncer at one of the more rough-and-tumble bars on Bay Street. Destiny picked up the phone. Instead of dialing the number on the business card in her hand, she punched in the one Rashida had given her after they got to know each other better on Sunday afternoon. When she had sprinkled facts about her own life on top of the lies she’d made up about Destiny’s.
“Sorry, Larry,” she said as the phone began to ring. “Better luck next time.”
“Rashida Ivey.”
Rashida’s greeting matched the photo Destiny carried in her wallet. She sounded like a network news anchor. Her tone was polished and professional. Her voice was accent-free and imbued with the right amount of gravitas to earn her listener’s trust.
Destiny tried to draw her into a personal conversation, but Rashida wasn’t having any of it. Destiny could feel her waiting for her to get to the point.
“You won the gift certificate.”
“Oh. That’s fantastic.”
Rashida’s reaction was decidedly unenthusiastic, leaving Destiny wondering what had gone wrong since the last time they had spoken. When they’d said good-bye on Sunday, she thought she had Rashida right where she wanted her. Now she seemed to be pulling away. Or was she playing hard to get? Destiny tried not to overplay her hand. She offered to mail the gift certificate, then casually mentioned the coffee shop was open until ten if Rashida wanted to pick it up one night on her way home.
“I’ll pick it up tonight.”
“Really?”
Destiny couldn’t contain her excitement. When she hung up the phone, she knew two things for sure: she was going to sleep with Rashida Ivey tonight, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.
*
Tuesday, March 7