The Banks Sisters by Nikki Turner Page B

through feelings of any aftermath you may experience from here on out,” he told her as he led her to his study.
    â€œThat’s right Pastor, Amen.” Me-Ma cosigned while Simone just listened as he continued.
    â€œSee you have to remember that the devil doesn’t show up in a red cape and horns. He comes in all kinds of disguises to distract you and throw you off course. You must yield to temptation,” he said as he opened the door to his office.
    And they all got the surprise of their life.
    â€œOh, Jesus no,” Pastor put his hand up and turned his back.
    Katrina was in the pastor’s steady buck, naked, legs spread eagled wide with a pair of red stilettos on her feet.
    â€œKatrina!” Pastor Cassius yelled out. Katrina was so startled to suddenly find herself with an audience that she fell off the desk and crawled under it to shield her naked body.
    â€œI am so sorry about that Me-Ma, I had no idea she was even in there,” a startled Pastor Cassius tried to explain as he closed the door behind him.
    â€œYou should be ashamed of yourself.” Me-Ma screamed through the closed door and finished with, “Devil I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Simone couldn’t contain herself and burst out into laughter, damn that was too funny and so wrong for church.
    Me-Ma pleaded the blood of Jesus while Simone got her cash from the reverend and headed back home. She still had to prepare for the aftermath of the bank’s bullshit in the morning. Even though she didn’t plan on working there anymore, she still had to return tomorrow to finish the line of questioning and sign paperwork.

-6-
    The Step Monster
    Bunny took Simone back up to the bank the next morning, so she could get her car from up there. There was a big police crime command center on wheels still outside of the bank to try to collect evidence.
    As soon as she got there she was whisked away inside, for the next two hours, they begin to ask her pretty much the same questions they’d asked her the day before.
    By the time the police were done interviewing all of the bank’s employees, Simone was exhausted and beyond ready to go. She asked one of the men who seemed to be in charge, “How much longer do I have to be here?”
    Agent Mark Dugan scrutinized, Simone carefully with his hazel, quick eyes. “You’re Ms. Banks, right? The twenty-nine-year old U of R graduate? And it was your first day at the bank?” He couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was and chastised himself for being momentarily distracted by it .
    â€œCorrect. Correct. And correct,” Simone said, a little nervous, but even more impressed. Dugan hadn’t been the officer who’d questioned her earlier, yet he ran off her information without the aid of any notes. “I’m a suspect now?” she joked, but was serious.
    Agent Dugan shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks before saying, “It’s my job to know who is who and what is what,” he said with a corky smile. “Actually, we have everything we need from you. And to answer your question—No. You’re not a suspect.”
    â€œWell, what about my pocketbook? One of the robbers had taken my purse and I haven’t seen it since.”
    â€œYour pocketbook isn’t a suspect either,” the officer said with a smirk on his face.
    Handsome and a sense of humor she thought to herself, “What I meant to say is, may I please have my purse back so I can go on with my life,” Simone said in a serious tone. She refused to let the officer see that he was having an effect on her.
    Agent Dungan, who resembled a younger Denzel Washington, was being a comedian, “I’m sorry. I was just trying to make light of the situation. . . .”
    Simone had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what he was going to say next.
    â€œYour purse is evidence. Therefore, we’re going to have to hold on to it