EARLY WITHDRAWAL (A Mitch Tobin Mystery Book 1)

by Mark Gannon

  A slow easy lope later I was back in the yard unsaddling Dan. I curried Dan and worked the sweat off his back. He truly seems to enjoy this ritual after a ride. Biscuit came over and started nosing in looking for her share of attention. I felt sorry for the nag and gave her a good going over also. While I worked Biscuit over, Dan did a roll on his back. A dash of oats and some hay and they were set for their supper.

  Heading into the house for supper was on my mind. It was approaching nine at night which is way past my normal chow time. I had plenty of fixings for a sandwich and wanted something simple yet tasty. While I deliberated on what to fix I splashed a little Jack into a diet cola. That seemed to help me decide on hard salami sliced thin and heated with pepper jack cheese on rye bread with pickles and avocado spread. Maybe not the most inventive sandwich I ever put together but it sure hit the spot.

  Since the chores were done I settled into my reading chair with ‘Village Horse Doc West of the Pecos’ by one of my favorite authors, Ben K. Green. Somewhere in Mr. Green’s ramblings about his work as a Texas veterinarian I dozed off. A little later I crawled into bed and slept hard.

  Chapter 41

  Brain Activity

  After a great night’s sleep I woke up before my alarm clock went off. Making coffee I felt energized and rested. My aches had subsided and the swelling in my face was down. I didn’t look in the mirror. The bruising would ruin my good mood.

  Sometimes when I sleep my brain keeps working. Sometimes that keeps me awake and other times the brain thinks while I am completely out. A lot of those times I know I have wonderful revelations but always lose them on waking up. But once in a while my brain has worked and I have a major revelation that is profound enough that it stays with me. This morning my major revelation stayed with me. It might be a whacko idea and I may be embarrassed but my intuition was shouting loud and strong that I was on to something. As a man I hardly ever work on intuition. But today was different. I was so sure of this that there was no question - no doubt.

  I was anxious to get to the bank. Something I handled earlier in the week needed attention by somebody besides me and I hoped it was still there. Even going in early I was not the first to arrive. Mary Beth and Judy were already there still working on the contents of the safe deposit boxes. Judy gave me a warm smile and a ‘Good morning’ that was obviously much warmer than the usual employee welcome. It was enough of a difference that Mary Beth gave us a wondering look.

  I whistled to my office and flicked on the light. It was still setting right where I left it. I nudged it off the desk so it could drop into a sack without my touching it again. Now I needed to have the expert confirm my revelation. I am sure Judy and Mary Beth wondered what was up with me leaving right after arriving. The expert said he would have results by this afternoon. I was so confident of my revelation that I really wasn’t worried about the results. I just needed confirmation from an official source to act on my suspicions. I headed right back to the bank.

  My mood was so good not even the Ice Maiden could spoil it. She came in and started talking fast to overpower any objection I might have. “Mitch you may have saved Mr. Gearets and Judy Wren from the robbers. But that is over. We need to get on with banking and that means having a discussion about your sale results.” She stopped expecting some resistance.

  I was enjoying being back to everyday life so I let her go ahead. “Your loan volume is lagging and these sale reports you are turning in are all about deposits and investments.” I scratched my head for a minute. Then it dawned on me she meant Sweet Mary and her tips that I embellished as investments. “If you are a loan officer you need to bring in loans. The deposits are great but it isn’t your primary sales emphasis. Now I want a commitment from you to do more sales calls on loan prospects and to bring in some loan volume. You should take the example of Steve Blake. He has a new loan application from Mr. Fields for a new business.”

  Steve had an application from whom? Fields? She meant Harley. Well that son of a bitch was switching his loan business over to slimy Blake. Deb Miller caught my expression but misinterpreted it. “You shouldn’t be jealous of Steve. He is a very effective sales person and you can take some lessons from him.”

  I tried to respond but was absolutely unable. I was supposed to take lessons from Blake? This was all wrong. All of the things I do for this bank and Steve Blake steals my customers and gets praise from the Ice Maiden. And the worst part about it was she had no idea of what she was doing. But as good as my mood was I even shook this off. I was letting nothing spoil this day. After agreeing to future sale quotas Deb moved on to her next victim.

  Sitting there pleased with myself I realized a smell had invaded my office. It smelled like stale mayonnaise. I looked around the office and spied the tip jar Sweet Mary had given me the day before. I must have been really out of it to have left that smelly thing in my office overnight.

  I grabbed the jar and took it out to the teller line but felt guilty about dropping it in their lap. Guilty enough that I went to the employee break room and washed the coins. Then I laid them out on paper towels to dry and tossed the jar. I received some strange looks from the employees passing through. Mary Beth came by and took one look and said, “Sweet Mary?” I nodded my head and kept drying. “One time she kept her tips in a diced onion jar. I got one of our customers to deposit it at our competitor. What did she use this time?”

  I said, “Mayonnaise jar.” Mary Beth chuckled and left me to my task.

  Sitting in the break room drying the coins I could listen to the hum of the bank. The tone had changed from the frantic pace of yesterday. The Diebold people had re-keyed all the safe deposit boxes yesterday and left. The police were gone. The insurance people had finished yesterday for the time being and would be back late in the week. Many of the robbed safe deposit box customers had been through yesterday and had rough sorted their contents. They were all busy at home making lists of things they were sure were stolen from their boxes.

  The rubberneckers had slowed to a trickle. There was plenty to do but not any of the pressure from yesterday. Charlie was back in his office actually with his leg elevated for a rest. Judy was working on loan papers. And I was sitting in the break room washing and drying change for Sweet Mary. My mood was just as upbeat as when I got to work. But I was becoming impatient waiting for word from the expert.

  When I got done with drying the coins I took them to the tellers to be counted and credited to Sweet Mary’s account. With the deposit in hand I left the bank and swung past John’s office and invited him to coffee.

  When Sweet Mary came to get our orders I handed her the deposit slip. Sweet Mary checked the amount and didn’t bother to say thank you. When we were alone I told John about my revelation and the need for an expert. He listened without too much doubt in his eyes. As he sat there and soaked up the idea he began to warm up to it. “You know Mitch if you are wrong the result might not be real good for you. I suggest you move slowly and make sure before you do anything.”

  “I plan to do just that. But the waiting is starting to get a little hard. You know I don’t have much patience.”

  John gave a small laugh and said, “Much? How about no patience? But this time you need some and you need to sit back and let things develop. You know my great aunt was a Hopi. She said patience is a gift from the gods not to be undervalued.” Really? Now he had Hopi ancestry? That must have been the fiftieth Indian heritage he claimed. “You’ll let me know when the fireworks are about to start?”

  Chapter 42

  Convergence of Events

  The rest of the morning and early afternoon was slow at the bank. Not actually slow. It was just slow waiting for the results from the expert. The further along the afternoon went the less patience I had. The call I wanted came in around three. My guess or revelation was confirmed.

  My good mood of the morning was confirmed. I never lost the feeling completely but it was great to have some evidence that showed I was correct. Now all I n
eeded to do was continue with my patience and not move too soon just like John suggested.

  Judy came in while I was sitting at my desk with my feet up. “What are you doing? Taking a nap?”

  “No, Miss Judy I am contemplating the law of coincidence in the greater universe and the convergence of millions and billions of events over millenniums twisting and turning, spinning and bouncing through haphazard connections while unsuspecting humans try to control their destinies and live out their unimportant lives and how all of that can come together for a very satisfying result. In other words I am thinking.”

  Judy gave me an expression that said ‘Are you nuts?”

  I continued with, “Thinking is a good thing to do. Do you know that sometimes your brain works overtime while you are sleeping?” Judy nodded her head yes. “Well my brain worked overtime last night and it came up with a great conclusion. And you are just about to find out what that conclusion is.” I had just spied the suspect coming through the front door of the bank. “Judy you need to help that good customer with her visit to the safe deposit box.”

  Judy smiled and said, “Does this have something to do with the convergence of events and all that other garbage you were spitting out?”

  It made me feel even better that Judy actually listened to me. “Yes it does. Get over there and help the good lady. Make sure to offer to help her with her purse. She is carrying that large shopping bag and I am sure she is going to spend some time in the safe deposit viewing room. I’ll be over in minute but I need to make a call first.” After Judy left I made my call. “The pigeon is here. How soon can you be on site?” I liked the answer.

  By the time I went across the bank Judy had already helped my suspect get her safe deposit box out and to the viewing room. Judy said, “Okay I helped her. That’s what you wanted right?” I nodded my head. “Now are you going to let me in on your big revelation?”

  I smirked enjoying the moment. “No, Judy, not yet. Did you offer to hold her purse while she is in the viewing room?”

  Judy nodded in affirmative. “Yes I did. It’s right here. But why did you want me to help with her purse? I mean we never hold someone’s purse.”

  “Well today is a special day. I need to see her purse when she gets ready to leave. Okay?” Judy gave me a look that asked if I was stooping to robbing customers. “That’s all right if you don’t want me to take it. I just need to see what she tries to take out of the bank.”

  Judy was really skeptical. “Why do you need to see what is in her purse?”

  “Judy just trust me on this. It will help catch Nancy. You want to catch Nancy and Slick don’t you?”

  “How is her purse going to help catch Nancy and Slick?” My expert showed up then.

  Sheriff Rawlins came in from the front of the bank. “She still here?” I nodded my head toward the viewing room. “Good. You let Charlie know yet?”

  “No. I haven’t said anything to anyone. I am just making sure she doesn’t get away.” About the same time that Charlie came limping out of his office deputy ‘Bucky’ Buckmire came in the back entrance. At first I didn’t recognize him in his rough laborer clothes.

  Charlie nodded at Rawlins. “Sheriff, is this an official visit?”

  “Yes it is Charlie. Mitch here gave me some finger prints that belong to a felon with a bank robbery in her history. And Mitch says she is here in the bank right now. We want to find out if she has anything to do with the current robbery. I hope you don’t mind but Mitch is the one that suggested it.” Charlie raised an inquiring eyebrow at me.

  Before I could respond my suspect started to step out of the safe deposit viewing room. When she saw the crowd all staring her direction she tried to duck back in. We all stood there waiting for her to come back out. It was obvious to Charlie and Judy that Rawlins was waiting for her.

  Charlie was becoming impatient and snapped at me, “Mitch, will you tell me why we are all standing here waiting for Sue Kerry to come out of the safe deposit viewing room? Frankly I think we are scaring her.”

  Charlie was going to be so amazed and delighted with my answer. “Sue is not really Sue.” That pronouncement got a round of raised eye brows from everyone except Sheriff Rawlins. “Sue is actually a convicted felon that is the master mind behind the bank robbery!” I looked at the familiar faces expecting the light bulb to go on. All I saw was the off switch. “I asked Rawlins here to do a finger print test on a bottle that Sue used. And it was positive.” The blank stares were unanimous. “She’s a robber. The brains of the outfit.”

  Charlie was getting more upset not less. “Let’s take this discussion into my office and let Sue come out of the viewing room.” Charlie was not getting it. Sue peeked around the edge of the door and ducked back in one more time.

  Instead of going to Charlie’s office I stepped over to the safe deposit viewing room door. There was no way I was letting Sue get out of the bank. I raised my voice and said, “She’s got the goods in there. The stolen goods.” I pulled on the door to force it open. Sue was so surprised she squeaked and pulled back on the door. Looking back over my shoulder for help I saw everyone still standing back by Charlie, even Rawlins. “Come on out Sue. It’s all over. Somebody want to help me get her out here so we can see what she has in that shoulder bag?” Sue was looking at me like I was the axe murderer and Charlie, Mary Beth and even Judy were wondering if I needed a strait jacket.

  Rawlins snapped out, “Bucky get up there and stop Mitch. Take it easy on Sue.”

  As Bucky moved forward I was really confused. Charlie barked “Leave her alone, Mitch. Sue is not a bank robber. Did those bangs on the head from Slick knock you loopy?”

  While I looked back over my shoulder, Sue slipped out of the viewing room and shot across to Charlie and stood behind him to keep me at a distance. “What’s wrong with him Charlie? Is he a mad man?” Charlie nodded his head in agreement.

  “I believe he is Sue. I intend to find out for sure. Why don’t you go on home and I’ll deal with him.” Sue took her chance to make an escape and beat a retreat to the front door looking back over her shoulder to make sure I didn’t try to tackle her.

  I tried to spit out an order to stop her. Charlie continued, “Stop right there Mitch.” I started to speak again. “Right now!” I spluttered some more but kept my mouth shut. Twenty years of working for Charlie had ingrained obedience and knowledge of when he meant business. My eyes pleaded first with Charlie without luck and then Sheriff Rawlins.

  “You know Charlie, Mitch thinks he has a very good reason to want Sue Kerry stopped. He may even think she should be arrested. But he is wrong.” My jaw dropped down to the floor. Sheriff Rawlins was in on the great revelation with me. He agreed to come to the bank and lower the boom. What is going on? Rawlins saw my expression and actually smiled at my apparent disaster. “Mitch thinks Sue Kerry is part of the robbery team that hit the bank.” It was obvious from Charlie’s expression that more explanation was necessary.

  “I had a revelation last night.” Blurting that out didn’t help my case with any of the group. “I figured out something didn’t add up last night when I was talking to Dan. But Dan couldn’t help me any with what was missing. So I went to bed thinking about it.”

  Judy interrupted, “Dan who?”

  “You know Dan – my horse?” Charlie was starting to get the long suffering look he gets when he has to listen to a poor credit presentation at loan committee. “Well anyway after talking to Dan and Biscuit I knew something didn’t add up. So I went to bed and let my sub conscious brain work on it. It’s not like I made my brain work on it. My brain just did it on its own.” I was rambling because I was nervous and shook. I knew I was rambling but couldn’t stop. “So when I woke up this morning the answer was there right in the front of my brain. It just popped in.”

  The blank stares from everyone told me I wasn’t reaching them. “The revelation was just there.” More blank stares. “The revelation about the robbery. Several times Nancy and Slick m
entioned ‘she’ didn’t want anyone murdered.” The blank stares went up a notch to discreet looks at each other wondering whether I should be in the loony bin.

  “Who ‘she’ Mitch?” Judy was trying to give me some help.

  “She. You know ‘she’ – Sue Kerry. When I was in the basement and when you were in the helicopter Nancy told Slick that ‘she’ did not want anyone murdered.”

  Judy sounded exasperated as she responded, “Okay Mitch. I remember saying Nancy said that. But how does that mean ‘she’ is Sue Kerry. I don’t see the connection.”

  “That was the revelation. You and Mary Beth helped me go through the list of all the female bank staff to see if they fit the profile of knowledge of our safe deposit box customers and motive. My mind put that comment together with our safe deposit box list. Not all of the obvious large safe deposit boxes were robbed. Five of them were left intact. And Sue has one of those that wasn’t robbed.”

  Charlie joined in now. “How does Sue or one of the other four owners of those boxes become the prime suspect?”

  “I figured some one knew which boxes to hit. Which ones had valuables? That implied some inside knowledge. You told me yourself Charlie that Sue worked here for a while. So she may well have the knowledge of which boxes had major valuables. Plus she is driving a brand new Escalade and I think I saw Slick drive off in it with her last night.”

  I put my hand up to stop Charlie’s objection. “And that in itself did not cement it. But I remembered her returning a bottle of water when she left your office. So I came in this morning and grabbed that bottle and gave it to Sheriff Rawlins. He tested it and came up with finger prints for a felon.” I bored a hole into Rawlins with my eyes. “You told me VERY clearly that you lifted finger prints belonging to a felon from that bottle. Didn’t you Sheriff?”