pumping up and down a mile a minute under the table.
“I already told you, I’m handling it,” Jared said into the phone, sounding neither angry nor particularly urgent. “It’ll be taken care of today.”
Whoever was on the other end must not have been convinced because Jared sat listening, his eyes scanning the parking lot. She couldn’t measure his expression, but his silence bothered her. Who could possibly have commanded Jared’s respect to be allowed such a long audience? Finally Jared said, “I told you, I’ve got it taken care of.” Then he flipped the phone shut, slipping it back into his shirt pocket.
“What’s going on, Jared?” Melanie asked. “When are you gonna let us in on this job that you’ve been planning?” Out of the corner of her eye she could see the look exchanged between Jared and Charlie, and then she knew. She knew for certain what she had already suspected. She was the only one at the table who wasn’t in on the plan. “What the hell’s going on?”
“Okay, keep it cool,” Jared said. “Don’t get your panties all in a twist.”
She heard her son snicker beside her, and she shot him a look that immediately silenced him like only a mother could.
Jared sat forward, elbows on the table, his hands together in a fist at his lips as if to protect his words. Melanie followed his eyes as he swept them across the restaurant’s dining room. Oh, sure, now he was suddenly concerned about not drawing attention to himself?
“I told you before there’s a big job I want to do. When the time’s right. Well, the time’s right.”
“Why today?”
He readjusted himself, sighing into his fists as if he shouldn’t need to explain himself to her. If he said the time was right, she should just believe him. Five years ago, that’s all he would have needed to tell her.
“There’s a bank branch about a half mile up the road to the left,” he began in a hushed tone. Melanie and Charlie, almost in unison, scooted closer to the table. “On an ordinary Monday there’s usually a stash of cash that comes through. Area businesses depositing their weekend takes. But Monday was Labor Day. Huge weekend. Families eating out, shopping. Extra travelers on I-80. Should be a nice chunk of change that came in those doors yesterday and today. Wells Fargo won’t get to this location to pick it up until after closing today.”
“You can’t be serious.” Melanie didn’t even bother to disguise her disbelief. “You can’t possibly be thinking of knocking off an armored car?”
“Keep it down, Mel.” But he wasn’t angry with her. Ever since he got out of prison, he seemed so calm. Almost too calm. “Not the car. The bank. I figure we do it right before closing time.”
Then he sat back, finished, picking up the fork again.
Charlie seemed satisfied, also sitting back and chugging some ice from his glass, crunching it. His jerking left foot was now quiet. Melanie looked from one to the other. They couldn’t be serious. A bank? That was totally out of their league, and yet neither of them looked to be joking. Neither of them looked the least bit concerned or anxious.
“Let’s get out of here,” Jared said, suddenly tossing the fork aside, pulling out his wallet and tugging loose a couple of ones and a folded ten-dollar bill. “Forget the stock market. This is my way of doubling my money.” As they watched, he carefully placed the ten in the middle of the table before flipping it over a couple of times. Melanie could see the bill had been cut in half. Jared folded the two ones and slid the ten in between, letting it peek out just enough. Then he put the money on top of the ticket, set his water glass on a corner and was ready to go.
Melanie had to admit she was impressed. And when Jared casually tossed the cellular phone into a corner trash can in the parking lot, she found herself thinking they might actually be able to knock off a bank.
CHAPTER 10
11:30 a.m.
Platte River
“I already told you, I’m handling it,” Jared said into the phone, sounding neither angry nor particularly urgent. “It’ll be taken care of today.”
Whoever was on the other end must not have been convinced because Jared sat listening, his eyes scanning the parking lot. She couldn’t measure his expression, but his silence bothered her. Who could possibly have commanded Jared’s respect to be allowed such a long audience? Finally Jared said, “I told you, I’ve got it taken care of.” Then he flipped the phone shut, slipping it back into his shirt pocket.
“What’s going on, Jared?” Melanie asked. “When are you gonna let us in on this job that you’ve been planning?” Out of the corner of her eye she could see the look exchanged between Jared and Charlie, and then she knew. She knew for certain what she had already suspected. She was the only one at the table who wasn’t in on the plan. “What the hell’s going on?”
“Okay, keep it cool,” Jared said. “Don’t get your panties all in a twist.”
She heard her son snicker beside her, and she shot him a look that immediately silenced him like only a mother could.
Jared sat forward, elbows on the table, his hands together in a fist at his lips as if to protect his words. Melanie followed his eyes as he swept them across the restaurant’s dining room. Oh, sure, now he was suddenly concerned about not drawing attention to himself?
“I told you before there’s a big job I want to do. When the time’s right. Well, the time’s right.”
“Why today?”
He readjusted himself, sighing into his fists as if he shouldn’t need to explain himself to her. If he said the time was right, she should just believe him. Five years ago, that’s all he would have needed to tell her.
“There’s a bank branch about a half mile up the road to the left,” he began in a hushed tone. Melanie and Charlie, almost in unison, scooted closer to the table. “On an ordinary Monday there’s usually a stash of cash that comes through. Area businesses depositing their weekend takes. But Monday was Labor Day. Huge weekend. Families eating out, shopping. Extra travelers on I-80. Should be a nice chunk of change that came in those doors yesterday and today. Wells Fargo won’t get to this location to pick it up until after closing today.”
“You can’t be serious.” Melanie didn’t even bother to disguise her disbelief. “You can’t possibly be thinking of knocking off an armored car?”
“Keep it down, Mel.” But he wasn’t angry with her. Ever since he got out of prison, he seemed so calm. Almost too calm. “Not the car. The bank. I figure we do it right before closing time.”
Then he sat back, finished, picking up the fork again.
Charlie seemed satisfied, also sitting back and chugging some ice from his glass, crunching it. His jerking left foot was now quiet. Melanie looked from one to the other. They couldn’t be serious. A bank? That was totally out of their league, and yet neither of them looked to be joking. Neither of them looked the least bit concerned or anxious.
“Let’s get out of here,” Jared said, suddenly tossing the fork aside, pulling out his wallet and tugging loose a couple of ones and a folded ten-dollar bill. “Forget the stock market. This is my way of doubling my money.” As they watched, he carefully placed the ten in the middle of the table before flipping it over a couple of times. Melanie could see the bill had been cut in half. Jared folded the two ones and slid the ten in between, letting it peek out just enough. Then he put the money on top of the ticket, set his water glass on a corner and was ready to go.
Melanie had to admit she was impressed. And when Jared casually tossed the cellular phone into a corner trash can in the parking lot, she found herself thinking they might actually be able to knock off a bank.
CHAPTER 10
11:30 a.m.
Platte River
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