whose daughter was in the bank with you. And she sent it to me!"
"Oh."
"That's all you have to say!" yelled Mom. "What possessed you to take on bank robbers?!"
"I didn't. I lay quietly on the floor."
"Oh, thank heavens!" Mom paused before the wailing started again. "And they attacked you anyway? My poor baby!"
My dad came on the line. "Your mother is a little anxious," he said. "Did you really rob a bank? I could have loaned you some cash if you were hard up. Have things taken a downturn at the agency? Does Solomon need a loan?"
"No, Dad, I didn't rob the bank. I just happened to be there while it was being robbed. And I haven't been shot or stabbed so you can both stop worrying. I'm absolutely fine. Solomon is here. He doesn't need a loan. Garrett, Daniel, and Jord are here too. Also, cousin Tara was one of the responding officers, and I think I see two uncles."
"Such a nice girl," said Dad. "I feel like I'm missing out. It's practically a family reunion."
"Do not bring Mom down here," I warned him.
Dad chuckled. "I won't. Although she did just mention baking muffins to take over to the police station. Invite Tara to dinner next week. We haven't seen her in a while."
"Will do." I disconnected and shook my head. The whole time I was on the phone, I watched Maddox and Farid pulling the bank manager to one side and slowly questioning him as he nervously scratched his head and looked at his feet. I knew Maddox well enough that he wouldn't just turn up at a crime scene because he was slightly interested. Something else had to be going on. And then it became clear. They knew what was stored in the bank vaults and they wanted to know if it was stolen. What was so important to them that they would arrive on scene this fast? And how were they already so far ahead in a case that appeared to have only just begun?
I nudged Solomon. "Something weird is going on here," I said.
"Yep," agreed Solomon. "Let's get out of here."
Chapter Five
Our evening was far less eventful once Garrett allowed us to leave the bank. On our way home, we picked up an extra large pizza from Monty's and after I showered and put on clean clothes, I threw together a Greek salad, my feeble attempt at a healthy accompaniment. Solomon wasn't horrified by my efforts to follow the recipe, and after we ate everything, we retired for an early night. By the time I awoke, my phone was brimming with text messages eager to hear about the bank robbery and Solomon was already in the shower. I chose the better sight and ignored my phone as I waited for him to return.
When he came back into the bedroom, after far too long, wearing a towel tucked around his waist, I had given up waiting and was reading The Montgomery Gazette online. "Just like I thought," I told him. "Not a single penny was taken."
“What the hell are you wearing?” asked Solomon.
I looked down. “These are my favorite comedy crocodile PJs.”
Solomon shook his head. "Any mention of the FBI’s presence?" he asked.
"None."
"Anything stand out to you in the article?"
"Not a thing. It's all as I expected. A few lines on how the masked gunmen executed the robbery. Some hyperbole on Officer Andersen's heroics along with a photo of him in uniform. A couple of quotes, one from an unnamed source at the bank, insisting the security measures were so tight that the robbery was absolutely unforeseen; and another quote from an unnamed hostage regarding how frightening it was." I closed the browser and set down my phone, sitting up a little straighter and resting against the pillows. "Before you ask, not a single word was mentioned about the vault or the explosion. Isn't that odd?"
"Not particularly. The bank manager might want to keep that news very quiet and well away from the wider public. The police might have also told the reporter not to say anything lest it make their investigation more difficult."
"I guess the bank manager might need more time to find out exactly what was stolen so he can notify the owners. That's bad business for the bank. No one wants to purchase an insecure security box."
Solomon nodded. "Possibly dangerous too, depending on what was stolen."
I raised my eyebrows. "I don't think the Mafia were using it to store their ill-gotten gains. This