EARLY WITHDRAWAL (A Mitch Tobin Mystery Book 1)

by Mark Gannon

  To encourage a customer to leave their valuables with the bank Charlie was offering free safe deposit box rent for life to those who had been robbed. All other safe deposit customers were being given two years of free rent. As I walked near the vault I heard one customer say rather loudly, “It should be easy to spot. It is a diamond wedding ring with green jade settings. I have to have it back. I don’t care if you give me a damn box free for the rest of my life my valuables are not going back in this bank!” With that she stormed out of the vault and gave everyone near at hand a dirty look. “You better make good on my rings and necklace too!”

  Mary Beth was trailing the customer, “We’ll submit the claim on your jewelry and you can be assured to be reimbursed.”

  The customer was at the door but stopped to snarl back over her shoulder, “Will it be the ring my great grandmother received from great grandpa when she was on the boat from Europe? My daughter is getting married in two weeks and that is supposed to be her wedding ring. How are you going to explain that to her?” And then she stormed out.

  Mary Beth looked at me, “How do you respond to that? I think more than the loss of valuables people are upset over the loss of heirlooms and keepsakes. She is about the third person so upset that said she won’t leave anything in the bank once this is all sorted out. And there are more people that weren’t robbed that have come in and closed out their safe deposit boxes. After being open one hundred years and never being robbed this is hitting our reputation hard. You would think customers would give us a break.”

  Walking away from the vault area I nodded my head and tried to avoid the Pekinese and Mrs. Thompson. The dogs lunged at the end of their leashes as they tried to snap my ankles. Avoiding them I twisted and turned and almost ran into Steve Blake. He was trying to force a bottle of water on Mrs. Thompson. She finally took it to get rid of him and then turned and handed it to Sue Kerry who was just coming out of Charlie’s office.

  Sue was saying, “I know you are doing as good a job as you can. I certainly don’t intend to pull my accounts from the bank because of this.” Charlie was obviously pleased that at least one customer didn’t despise the bank for the robbery. “Here you go, Mitch, take this.” She handed me the unopened water bottle. “I don’t want someone else’s water bottle.” I obediently took the bottle and stopped to visit with Charlie.

  Charlie said, “At least Sue isn’t upset with the bank. And I’m glad Mrs. Thompson’s safe deposit boxes were never touched. Good thing too or she would be putting in a claim on all that expensive jewelry of hers. Our two million dollars of blanket insurance coverage is going to get hit pretty hard already. Can you imagine covering just her claim? And that’s if the insurance company covers us. I just got off the phone with the insurance regional manager. He said this is an unusual situation. Like we didn’t realize that. But he thinks the contents of the safe deposit boxes aren’t covered.

  The contents weren’t verified and under bank control as to what the customers stored in them so there is no way to tell if a customer loss claim is honest. They aren’t going to write a blank check.” Charlie’s voice went from aggravated to angry to defeated in one breath. “The law suits and legal actions from this could go on for years. And there is no cap on what the bank might be liable for. This is worse than I imagined. Much worse.”

  I commiserated with him, “I can’t believe we may not have insurance coverage. Things are getting a little rough aren’t they?”

  “You can say that again, Mitch. Between the police, the customers and the insurance people I’m about at my wits end.” Charlie made a move to turn around and the pain from his leg popped into his eyes and face. “This damn gunshot doesn’t help one bit either. I think I will try to sit down and put this leg up for a while.”

  Judy brushed past me to follow Charlie to his office. “Here’s some lunch from the café. You need to shut your door and have some food Charlie.” After getting Charlie situated, Judy walked briskly past me without a look or a word. So she was still upset about something. But why didn’t I think to bring some food back for the crew? Everyone was on a no-break pace and I had dawdled over to the café and soaked up some attention.

  The rest of the day went on the same pace. By the end of the day Charlie’s face was gray with fatigue and pain. Mary Beth was worn to a frazzle as were most of the other staff members. My headache came back with a passion. The entire staff breathed a sigh of relief when the bank doors locked for the night. The drive up was still open but that was at a manageable pace. It is hard to rubber neck from a car in the drive up. Charlie came out of his office and gathered up the troops.

  “We are over the worst of it. Thanks for all the effort today. You all worked hard. Tomorrow will be better and it will get better each day this week. To all the part time staff that came in and helped I want to say a special thank you. The guards will stay for another night. Not all the safe deposit items have been claimed. All the unclaimed items will be stored in the vault and tomorrow we will still need two extra people to set up shop in the board room like we did today.

  “Some of the safe deposit box customers are out of town and it may be a while before all of the items are sorted out. Those most concerned about their box contents have been in today. Now I am going home. So are Mitch and Judy and Mary Beth.” He held up his hand to stop the protest from Judy and Mary Beth. “The three of us involved in the robbery need to get some rest and Mary Beth has been down here around the clock since the robbery occurred on Saturday. We can all use the rest.”

  Chapter 34

  What’s Bothering Judy

  I agreed with Charlie. I could use the rest before my head blew apart. Charlie was not satisfied until he shepherded Mary Beth, Judy and I out the door ahead of him. I leaned against my pickup and watched Charlie hobble to his car and drive off. Judy spoke up behind me, “He is really worn down and there is nobody at home to make his supper. The bank is his life since his wife died. Something like this robbery is not only business but it’s personal too.” Judy turned to get in her car.

  In the past I would shut my mouth and let the moment slip past but not this time. “Judy.” I waited for her to turn around. She stopped but didn’t turn. “Judy I want to talk to you.”

  She turned slowly, paused and then spat out, “Where were you yesterday when I came back to town? Where were you Mitch? I was kidnapped and hauled off. When I came back I thought you might be there to check on me. So where were you?”

  “Where was I? That’s what the cold shoulder was about today?” Well this was a relief. Now I knew what it was about. And the best part was she cared whether I was there to check up on her. The smile that came to my lips set her off again. “Yes that was what it is about. I thought you might have some concern for me. I come back into town in a police cruiser and you weren’t there and you didn’t call.”

  I wiped the smile off my face and said, “Judy I want you to listen closely. Yes I am concerned about you. I wanted to chase off to Edgemont and find you once Greta got a line on your cell phone. But I had a concussion and could barely sit up let alone give chase. After I woke up at John’s on Sunday morning and found out you were rescued, I had to give a statement to the police. I was still in my clothes from Saturday and hadn’t been home to feed the horses. So I thought I would go home clean up, catch a short nap and then find you or give you a call. I never woke up from the nap until this morning.” The look on her face changed from anger to concern to relief as I relayed this.

  “I wanted to see how you were this morning and looked for you but then you gave me the cold shoulder. I want to hear how the rescue happened and all of that.” She gave me a doubtful look. “Really I do. But it needs to be some place quiet so I can deal with my headache. Now before we go any further give me a hug so I can hold you and know you are okay.” To my surprise she did just that.

  Judy suggested going to The Grill and getting a table in their overflow dining area. She knows the owner, cook and most of the waitresses.
Nobody bothered us and she brought me up to date on the flight in the dark.

  After taking off from the ranch Larson tried flying high enough to register on area radar. Slick was all over it and sat next to Larson watching the altimeter while threatening Judy’s health if Larson misbehaved. Flying low in the dark around the Black Hills with elevations up to seven thousand feet is hazardous at best. When the pilot is nervous and uncooperative it is a lot worse. Nancy sat in the back and kept an eye on Judy the whole way. Judy’s hands were tied and she couldn’t do anything if she had wanted to.

  Judy fought the bindings the whole trip but they remained tight. She thought Slick was sure to kill her when they landed. “It was a terrible night. I was waiting to hit something while we were flying. Then I was terrified of Slick and what he was going to do. I can’t describe how helpless I felt that whole time. It hangs over me and will for a long time to come. I was exhausted last night but I still didn’t sleep well at all.”

  “Unlike me. I went out like a light and was out for over twelve hours. And I am still tired. So what happened?”

  “As we flew there was some conversation between Slick and Larson. They apparently know each other from the past. I never really caught what the connection was but they were familiar with each other. Over the noise of the helicopter it is really hard to hear. Slick said something like ‘You should have come in with us Bill.’ And Larson said ‘I am out of that now. I gave it up.’ Larson must have a criminal past if he was an acquaintance of Slick. That Slick never took an honest breath.”

  I wanted to know, “Did Nancy have any input to that discussion?”

  Judy was talking slower now as some of her emotion drained away. “No Nancy sat back and listened. But her face said the fact of Slick and Larson knowing each other wasn’t news to her. She knew there was a past connection.” Judy took a second to remember where she was in the story. “We landed at an old Forest Service helipad. I think it was an old Forrest Service fire fighter station. It was dark and I never really saw much until later in the day. As we set down I thought this is it Judy girl. If you have anything to ask God forgiveness for you better do it now.

  “Before we ever hit the ground Larson took his hands off the controls and let the copter drop. He lunged for Slick but Slick was waiting for him. Larson got in one good punch and that was it. At the same time the copter did a minor crash Slick snapped a shot at Larson. The noise was horrendous in that little space. Larson jerked back and slumped in his seat. The copter bounced wickedly and slammed all of us from side to side. It happened so fast I didn’t even make a try for Nancy with my hands still tied.”

  Judy ran down and was sitting quietly reliving that moment in her mind. I prodded her with, “If the gun was that loud it was a different gun than the one Slick shot at me. That one had a silencer and just whispered the bullet at you. Apparently Slick has more than one gun. If it punched Larson back in his seat it must be a forty-five or something large like that.”

  The tension in her voice came back as she said, “I don’t care what kind of gun it was I figured he was going to use it on me next. The chopper blades were creating more chaos beating the night air as Slick popped his door open calm as can be and came around to my side. Larson was in the front seat moaning slumped against the door still trying weakly to manage the controls. The metallic aroma of blood swirled in the air along with the mechanical odor of the chopper. Slick slapped me a ringing blow to the side of my temple as he spun me around in my seat.

  “Nancy sat quietly through the whole crash, shooting and man handling like this was a normal course of business. Slick checked my bindings and then tied my hands to the helicopter seat. Slick was none to gentle.” Judy showed me her bruised wrists for emphasis. “While he was checking my knots he smiled that wicked nasty smile like he couldn’t wait to shoot me too. It was super creepy.

  “Being tied up and expecting to be shot and not being able to do anything about it is horrible. Your anger is trying to rev you up wanting to strike back. Then you are ashamed that you aren’t willing to do anything for fear of being smacked again. The feeling of helplessness shuts down every bit of energy you have. I hated it and still hate it.

  “Nancy was saying ‘Why did you shoot Bill? He helped us out. Why did you do that?’ It was the first emotion I had seen out of her on the trip. She crouched forward to the pilot seat to see if she could do anything about Bill’s wound. She was really concerned about him. She grabbed her own jacket and tried to compress the wound to stop the bleeding. Bill was now completely out of it slumped in his seat and moaning. Slick grabbed Nancy’s arm and jerked her out of the chopper and told her to forget it that Bill would live. Then Nancy said ‘He better live. She doesn’t want a murder rap if we get caught.’ That is not comforting to hear when a wacko like Slick is manhandling you and he just shot someone.” By this time Judy had tears leaking down her cheeks and was trembling with the memory.

  I wasn’t the most comforting as I kept urging the story from her and said, “What happened to Larson? I was so worried about you that I never asked about Larson.”

  “When Nancy and Slick left us I was sure I was locked up with a dead man. I looked for some way to get loose. Eventually I found a sharp point on the seat frame and sawed back and forth eventually working my hands free. My wrists were raw by then. It probably only took a few minutes but it seemed lots longer. Thinking Larson might die anytime or Slick might decide to come back and get rid of a witness made me frantic. I jumped out of the helicopter looking for Nancy and Slick and ran to the edge of the clearing.

  “I ducked behind a building I crouched down trying to be as small as I could. I was shaking violently and almost fainted from hyperventilating. I froze for a time shaking from the shock and fear. I never knew I could be so frightened that I would let a wounded man bleed so I could hide. It took me some time to calm down and be brave enough even to look around.

  “It took all of my nerve to go back to the chopper and check on Larson. My first few steps back into the open took more will power than anything I have ever done. I was sure that any step would expose me to a waiting maniac or that I would hear a shot ring out at the same time the bullet slammed into me. I would love to get a hold of Nancy. What a piece of work doing that to us – to the bank – to Charlie.

  “Anyway they were long gone. I went back and opened the door to check on Larson and he flopped out on the ground next to me. I shoved Nancy’s jacket back on top of the wound and applied pressure. I was sitting there in shock for what seemed like hours before the police showed up. They hauled Larson off in an ambulance. He was still alive when they loaded him up. I haven’t heard any update on him today.”

  With that Judy leaned back to emphasize she was done. Somewhere along the way I ended up holding her hand. Realizing this I became self-conscious and let go sliding away from her to create more room between us. Judy is a coworker and somebody I supervise at work. All my time in a bank said not to let feelings for Judy develop any further. Judy woke up too and slid a little further apart. We soon decided we both needed some rest and headed to our separate homes.

  Chapter 35

  The Ex Again

  When I drove into my yard at home I was looking forward to a short visit with Dan and Biscuit and an early night in bed. But it wasn’t to be – a black Mustang convertible was in my driveway. I almost turned around but the sooner I got through this the sooner I could go to bed. Emily wasn’t in her car but I noticed a light on in the house. I need to do a better job locking the house in the future to keep out the trash. Sliding the patio door open I said, “Well Emily what do you want?” My tone of voice told her I was not happy to see her.

  “You really should upgrade your house Mitch. An officer at the bank needs a home where he can entertain.” Her voice indicated only a ditch digger would feel at home here. “How are you? I heard you were involved in the robbery. My, look at your face. It looks like you were in another fight at the bar.” That was a cheap shot. Not
because it was a lie, I had been in plenty of fights when I was younger. “Well never mind that. Did you hear about poor Bill? He’s in critical condition in Rapid City. I went down to see him today and they didn’t even let me in. They said I wasn’t family. Well the poor man doesn’t have any family that I know of.”

  I was tired and my brain wasn’t engaged so it took me a minute. “Oh, you mean Larson. Yeah that is too bad. You know I thought he was in on the robbery with Nancy and Slick but now I don’t think he was. He knew them from somewhere but he was forced to fly them out of here.”

  Emily looked relieved and hopeful. “You’re sure he wasn’t involved?” I nodded yes. “I knew Bill wasn’t the type to be a robber. I mean what would he have to gain. He already has that big spread and all those cattle. Why would he need to rob a bank?” She looked for agreement from me. I knew better than to encourage her.

  I couldn’t help throwing out, “You should know. You are closer to him than any of the rest of us.”

  Emily gave me a funny look and said, “What do you mean by that Mitch?”

  In a superior voice I said, “You know what I mean. I’ve seen you two together.”

  Emily was indignant. “Well of course you have seen us together. I visit with the man if that is what you mean.” She was watching my face and added, “You mean something more don’t you, Mitch?” I nodded my head trying to let her incriminate herself. “Well, anything else is between Bill and me and none of your business.” Doing an Emily she changed gears having decided on Larson’s character to her satisfaction and went back to her usual attack mode. “Did you ever talk to coach about TT?”