job.”
Emily understood the husband was upset. Who wouldn’t be under these circumstances? But screaming in her face wasn’t going to help anyone. She took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking again. “You work on getting that cash for the drop tomorrow, and Detective Andrews and I will head down to the bank before it closes.”
She and Colin moved toward the door. “We’ll let you know what we find.”
~*~
When Emily and Colin entered the bank, they were immediately approached by the bank manager. Colin had phoned him on the drive down.
“I have the security footage you requested, Detective,” the manager said. “It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Parker. I wish it was under better circumstances.”
“You know this guy?” Colin whispered to Emily.
“I have a safe deposit box here, remember?” she said in a low voice, before replying to the man. “Yes, it’s good to see you again too, Mr. Johnson.”
Actually, the safe deposit box had been her late husband’s, where he had kept his secrets hidden from her—various passports, wads of cash, a mysterious photo. After his death she had discovered the stash and over time uncovered who he really was. She had decided to keep the box and the suspicious items safely sequestered away for now.
“Detective Andrews and I both appreciate your help.” She gave Mr. Johnson a little smile.
“Mr. Murphy too, I hope.”
She nodded. “Yes, him too.” Obviously the man wanted to make a good impression on the bank’s wealthiest customer.
A satisfied grin spread across his face. “Follow me.” He turned and led them to a secure door. After swiping his key card through the receptor, the little red light turned to green. The lock clicked and he pushed the door open.
In a back room, Mr. Johnson had had his assistant manager queue up the video from the previous day. “There are quite a few hours of video to run through. Just be aware that we do close in one hour.”
“Can we get a copy of all this to take with us?” Emily asked.
“Sure. I’ll send my assistant manager in to take care of that for you.”
Emily took a seat in front of the monitor and Colin pulled up a chair next to her. Mr. Johnson pushed the play button before leaving them alone.
They watched for a few seconds, then Emily pushed the fast-forward button until she recognized Elise on the screen.
“There she is!” Emily rewound a few minutes of footage so they could get Elise walking up to the ATM, hoping to see someone in the background they might recognize. She was wearing the same things she’d had on at the appointment she’d had earlier that day with Emily to plan the wedding—same clothes, same jewelry.
“Colin, look!” Emily said, pointing to the screen. “She’s trying to say something into the camera.”
Colin leaned closer. “Yeah, but what is it?”
Emily rewound it.
“Help me,” Emily relayed, concentrating on reading the woman’s lips, “but I can’t make out the rest.”
“Play it again.”
She played it over three more times until she figured it out. “I’m being held hostage. That’s what she’s saying, I’m being held hostage.”
“I think you’re right,” Colin said. “She looks pretty scared.”
“Terrified,” Emily agreed. “Here, let me play it one more time in slow motion, see if there’s anything else on the screen we missed.”
As the video began to slowly replay, Colin hollered, “Freeze it!” He pointed to a spot on the side of the screen. “There. Look.”
She wrinkled up her nose and frowned at the screen. “Looks like part of a man’s arm, I think.”
“Can you make that area larger?”
“I’ll have to open it in a different program. Give me a minute.” Emily worked the keyboard, then selected a section and enlarged it.
“There’s a tattoo on it,” Colin said. “I’ve seen that tattoo before somewhere.” He thought for a moment. “Jake Mitchell. It was on Jake’s arm when we chased him down at the
Emily understood the husband was upset. Who wouldn’t be under these circumstances? But screaming in her face wasn’t going to help anyone. She took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking again. “You work on getting that cash for the drop tomorrow, and Detective Andrews and I will head down to the bank before it closes.”
She and Colin moved toward the door. “We’ll let you know what we find.”
~*~
When Emily and Colin entered the bank, they were immediately approached by the bank manager. Colin had phoned him on the drive down.
“I have the security footage you requested, Detective,” the manager said. “It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Parker. I wish it was under better circumstances.”
“You know this guy?” Colin whispered to Emily.
“I have a safe deposit box here, remember?” she said in a low voice, before replying to the man. “Yes, it’s good to see you again too, Mr. Johnson.”
Actually, the safe deposit box had been her late husband’s, where he had kept his secrets hidden from her—various passports, wads of cash, a mysterious photo. After his death she had discovered the stash and over time uncovered who he really was. She had decided to keep the box and the suspicious items safely sequestered away for now.
“Detective Andrews and I both appreciate your help.” She gave Mr. Johnson a little smile.
“Mr. Murphy too, I hope.”
She nodded. “Yes, him too.” Obviously the man wanted to make a good impression on the bank’s wealthiest customer.
A satisfied grin spread across his face. “Follow me.” He turned and led them to a secure door. After swiping his key card through the receptor, the little red light turned to green. The lock clicked and he pushed the door open.
In a back room, Mr. Johnson had had his assistant manager queue up the video from the previous day. “There are quite a few hours of video to run through. Just be aware that we do close in one hour.”
“Can we get a copy of all this to take with us?” Emily asked.
“Sure. I’ll send my assistant manager in to take care of that for you.”
Emily took a seat in front of the monitor and Colin pulled up a chair next to her. Mr. Johnson pushed the play button before leaving them alone.
They watched for a few seconds, then Emily pushed the fast-forward button until she recognized Elise on the screen.
“There she is!” Emily rewound a few minutes of footage so they could get Elise walking up to the ATM, hoping to see someone in the background they might recognize. She was wearing the same things she’d had on at the appointment she’d had earlier that day with Emily to plan the wedding—same clothes, same jewelry.
“Colin, look!” Emily said, pointing to the screen. “She’s trying to say something into the camera.”
Colin leaned closer. “Yeah, but what is it?”
Emily rewound it.
“Help me,” Emily relayed, concentrating on reading the woman’s lips, “but I can’t make out the rest.”
“Play it again.”
She played it over three more times until she figured it out. “I’m being held hostage. That’s what she’s saying, I’m being held hostage.”
“I think you’re right,” Colin said. “She looks pretty scared.”
“Terrified,” Emily agreed. “Here, let me play it one more time in slow motion, see if there’s anything else on the screen we missed.”
As the video began to slowly replay, Colin hollered, “Freeze it!” He pointed to a spot on the side of the screen. “There. Look.”
She wrinkled up her nose and frowned at the screen. “Looks like part of a man’s arm, I think.”
“Can you make that area larger?”
“I’ll have to open it in a different program. Give me a minute.” Emily worked the keyboard, then selected a section and enlarged it.
“There’s a tattoo on it,” Colin said. “I’ve seen that tattoo before somewhere.” He thought for a moment. “Jake Mitchell. It was on Jake’s arm when we chased him down at the
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