Lisa Scottoline - Think Twice

“That’s impossible. I don’t have an account there.”

“Yes, you do. She opened one. It will be opened automatically the first thing tomorrow morning, and the money’s already in it. We do it all the time for private banking clients.” Engel cocked his graying head. “USABank is merely a stakeholder in this matter. We had no choice but to transfer the money when properly instructed to do so-”

“Ron, there has to be some way to undo that transfer.”

“Please.” Engel held up a hand. “We can’t undo the transfer, but we can freeze the accounts. We’ll send an email that will instruct BSB, the Bahamian bank, not to permit any withdrawals or transfers from any of the accounts. I’ll follow up with a phone call personally, first thing on Tuesday morning.”

“Will that prevent her from withdrawing it, for sure?”

“Yes. BSB is our partner bank. If we instruct them that the legality of the transfer is in question, they’ll put a hold on the accounts.” Engel frowned. “No one pushes millions of dollars across a counter that easily. That’s not how it works. She can only transfer the money by presenting herself at the bank, and after we freeze the accounts, the funds won’t be available to her.”

“If she shows up there, what will she be told?”

“That the accounts are frozen.”

“Alice will go down there, anyway. She’ll try to find a way to withdraw the money.”

Officer Stern said, “No, she won’t, Bennie. We’ll pick her up tonight. She won’t get on that plane.”

Engel gestured. “There you have it, Bennie. Your ultimate solution is with the authorities. That’s what Legal tells me, too.”

Bennie thought something felt wrong. Her brain stalled, and she wondered if it was the pill working, or if she needed another. She looked at the cops, from one to the other. “What if you don’t stop her?”

“We will.” Officer Stern was confident. “We’ll leave right now. She won’t get past us. She can’t.”

“Then let’s go,” Bennie said, on fire.

Alice handed the cabbie back his phone and perched on the edge of her seat. The car wasn’t going any faster than a crawl, and it was making her crazy. She had to get to the airport. “Can’t you go any faster?” she asked, again. “I told you, rock this crate!”

“Rain’s terrible. Can’t see a damn thing. Doin’ my best.”

“Do better.”

The cab lurched forward, and Alice thought ahead, taking a mental inventory. She had an ID, passport, and money, but she was pretty sure her gun hadn’t survived the swim.

“I need to buy a gun,” she said.

“There’s a gun shop, but it’s not on the way.”

“No good. You know anybody who could meet us on the way with one? There’s a hundred bucks in it for you.”

“Lady, you can’t take a gun on the plane, anyways.”

“Let me worry about that. You know anybody or not?”

“Matter o’ fact, I do.” The cabbie looked in the rearview. “I got one.”

“Of course you do!” Alice almost cheered. “Let me see it.”

The cabbie seemed to stall, his eyes on the road.

“I’m not gonna shoot you, grandpa.”

The cabbie reached under the seat, straightened up, and passed her a revolver, its dull muzzle glinting in the darkness.

She pushed out the chamber and gave it a slow whirl. Six round gold circles smiled back at her. “I’ll give you two hundred bucks.”

“S’worth three.”

“Okay.”

“You expensin’ it?” the cabbie asked, chuckling.

“You’re a funny guy, you know that?”

“Tell my wife, would ya?”

The bright lights of the airport lay ahead, in the distance. “We almost there?”

“Sure enough.”

Alice smiled. Home, free.

Mary’s emotions came rushing back at the sight of Anthony. His eyes were troubled and his expression dark with concern.

“ANT, HOW YOU DOIN’?” Her father gave him a bear hug, and her mother waddled after, clucking.

“Ant’n’y, what’s a matta, you no love my Maria no more? You no happy no more?”

“Ma!” Mary’s head exploded. “Please!”

“It’s… not like that, Mrs. DiNunzio,” Anthony stammered, and Judy waved from the bed with a weak grin.

“Yoo hoo! I’m over here and I’m fine, thanks.”

“Hiya.” Anthony walked to the bedside. “So you’re alive. Way to go.”

“I know, right?” Judy smiled. “Nice of you to come.”

“It’s all over the news, did you see?” Anthony gestured at the TV in the corner, but it was off. “Anyway, how are you?”

“I’ve been better.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Not yet.”

“They said you were shot. When do you get out of the hospital?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Not really. The troops are here, and Frank’s on the way.”

“Great.” Anthony shifted his feet, plainly uncomfortable. “Well, I guess I’d better go. On the news they said you were critical.”

“I am,” Judy said, and everybody laughed except for Mary’s mother, who couldn’t follow the conversation.

“Okay, well, see you all.” Anthony gave Judy a peck on the cheek, then turned awkwardly away. He went to the doorway and paused on the threshold. “Judy, hope you feel better soon.”

“I will, thanks.”

“Good-bye.” Anthony left, closing the door behind him. Everybody fell quiet a minute, and all the heads turned to Mary.

“They got a cardiac unit here?” she asked.

Bennie leaned forward in the backseat of the cruiser, where she was sitting with Grady, her purse in her lap. A long line of red taillights snaked ahead of them, and they were barely moving. “Can’t we go any faster?” she asked, through the metal grate.

“No. It’s the traffic and the weather.”

“Can’t we use the siren?”

“It’s not procedure. The plane isn’t going anywhere, and we don’t want to tip her off, either.”

“You got all the flights covered, right?”

“Yes. We know what we’re doing. Sit back and relax.”

Bennie tried to stay calm, and the traffic finally loosened. The cruiser broke free, accelerating as a minivan and an SUV cleared out of the fast lane.

Grady patted her arm. “We’re almost there. You feeling okay?”

“Fine.”

“How’s that hand? It looks kind of raw.”

“It’s fine.” Bennie boosted herself up in the seat. Just ahead, the bright lights of the airport cut through the rain, making a halo in the dark sky.

“Go, go, go,” she said under her breath.

“Go, go, go,” Alice said under her breath, boosting herself up in the backseat. The cab turned onto the ramp to the airport, leaving the highway traffic behind.

“Finally, eh?”

“Hurry, hurry, hurry.”

“I’m on it.”

Alice opened the soggy messenger bag and withdrew the droopy bills, including the fare and the gun. She unstuck her wet blouse from her shirt, smoothed back her hair, and got ready to hustle. Only a few cars were parked in front of the terminal, dropping people and luggage off. There were no cops in sight.

The cabbie hit the gas, and she felt a smile spread across her face. She was almost out of the country, safe from Q, the cops, and Bennie. She’d have enough money to go anywhere and do anything. She’d be free.

The cab pulled up in front of the terminal. “Here we are. Safe travels.”

Alice got her bag and handed him the wad of bills. “Remember, you didn’t see me.”

“Didn’t see who?” The cabbie laughed.