Christy Barritt - Key Witness

“What are you doing?” Ringleader shouted at Julie.

Elle wanted nothing more than to lay a steady hand on the young woman’s shoulder and encourage her to just do what the man said. Instead, Elle hunkered down on the cool floor, her back against the wall. The best thing she could do would be to remain quiet and unseen.

Shortie paced over to her, his job obviously to guard the customers as Ringleader grabbed the money.

Elle tried to remember each detail so she could tell the police when they arrived. She soaked in the robbers’ demeanors, their clipped words, the color of their eyes. As a campaign manager for her father’s senate reelection bid, she was paid to pay attention to details. Shortie’s gaze darted toward Elle, and she sucked in a breath, waiting to see what he would do.

Don’t make this any worse than it has to be, buddy.

He waved his gun at her, and Elle noticed his hand trembling. The man was a novice at this. Was that a good or bad thing? The other man, Ringleader, didn’t seem nervous at all.

“I need more money than that. Open the other drawers!” Ringleader leaned toward Julie, his gun aimed at her temple.

Julie shook her head, tears glimmering in her eyes. “I can’t. I don’t have their keys!”

“What do you mean, you don’t have their keys? Can’t you get them?”

“Only the branch manager has access to all the keys. You have to have them to open the drawers.” Tears glistened in her eyes.

“You’re messing with me! Just get the keys, give me the money and nobody gets hurt.”

Denton’s strong, steady voice broke through the mayhem. “Can I see if I can help her?”

Shortie pointed his gun at him. “You know something about banks?”

Denton raised his hands. “No, but I want to help. You’re making her nervous. Maybe I can help her open the drawer.”

The gun trembled in Shortie’s hands. “I want you to stay right where you are.”

“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.” Denton’s gaze remained level and even.

Elle had to admire Denton’s calm demeanor. She glanced at him again, at the chisel of his features, at the dark hair that formed the shadow of a beard across his face. Dark, thick hair. Tall, broad form. Put it all together, and he was the picture-perfect definition of a heartbreaker.

Elle noted that Denton wasn’t wearing his customary suit and tie today. Instead, he’d donned a black jacket over a T-shirt and jeans. In all of their casual conversation, Elle had never thought to ask him what he did for a living. Perhaps he was in law enforcement of some sort? How else could he be so calm in this situation?

Ringleader pointed his gun at the other teller. “Put your money in now!” The teller filled his bag, but then he turned his attention back to Julie. “Figure out how I can get more money.” He reached over and grabbed Elle’s arm, pulling her to her feet. The gun went to her head. “Do it now or she dies.”

Elle gasped and trembles overtook her.

“Calm down,” Denton said. He still leaned against the wall, his knees propped up, his voice and movement as calm and controlled as if he were merely talking everyone else through a training exercise. “Let her go.”

Ringleader paced over to him, Elle in tow. “Are you in charge here? I didn’t think so. You’re going to be next if you don’t keep your mouth shut.”

Elle’s throat burned. She was acutely aware of the gun at her temple. One accidental jerk of the finger and she’d be dead, just like that.

There was so much she still wanted to do, needed to do. Life came into an odd and complete clarity when the end appeared close enough to touch. Her necklace, the one her grandmother gave her before she passed, seemed to sear into her skin at the moment. It reminded her that she’d made a promise to her grandmother that she still needed to fulfill.

“I’m telling you—I can’t get into the other drawers or the vault. They’re all locked, and I don’t have the keys. The manager’s out to lunch.” Sweat glistened across Julie’s forehead.

Something hard hit Elle in the face. She blanched before sinking to her knees. The robber quickly pulled her right back up. Her legs would hardly hold her. It didn’t matter. Ringleader held her up by her coat collar.

Her cheek throbbed from where the man had pistol-whipped her. Tears rushed to her eyes as pain continued to send shocks through her.

“That’s only the start of what’s going to happen if you don’t get me more money.” The man’s hot breath hit her cheek, along with a splattering of spittle.

“Boss, you said no one would get hurt,” Shortie said.

“I’ve got this. You shut your mouth and keep the crowd under control.”

“Let me—let me...let me search my manager’s desk, see if I can find any keys,” the second teller said.

Ringleader pushed Elle back to the ground. She stumbled until she hit the wall and sank to the floor. Her hand went to her cheek, and she felt moisture there. Blood? Tears? Both?

Denton looked over at her, his eyes full of concern. “Are you okay?” he mouthed.

She nodded, grateful to be alive. But how much longer would that be the case? The robbers were obviously losing it, getting out of control. This whole situation could spiral into something much bigger than even they had planned.

“Thank you,” she whispered back.

The men were pacing now, as if trying to figure out what to do next.

“Good gravy, you didn’t know the manager was gone for lunch?” Ringleader let out an expletive and stared at his partner in crime.

“He usually goes earlier.”

“Usually isn’t good enough.” He turned back to Julie. “You need to figure out a plan B.”

“Me? Me? How am I supposed to figure out a plan B?” Panic claimed her voice, her limbs.

“You have to know another way to get into that vault.”

Julie’s head swung back and forth. “Not without a key and a code.”

Ringleader cocked the gun at her. “Think a little harder.”

She half moaned, half screamed. “I’ve been trying. I have. There’s nothing I can do!”

The gun fired. Elle screamed as Julie disappeared from sight, sinking below the counter.

Denton jumped to his feet. Elle slapped her hand over her mouth, disbelief filling her.

Julie. The robber had just shot Julie.

She lifted a prayer as tears rushed to her eyes. The seriousness of the situation hit her at full force. This was bad. Really bad.

“Stay down!” Ringleader swung around, his gun aimed at the crowd, as if telling them that any one of them could be next.

Elle’s gaze flew to the potted plant beside her. She’d seen something fly from the man’s belt when he swung around. Her eyes widened when she spotted a cell phone there. Had the robber’s cell phone really just flown off his belt and into the plant?

Elle glanced back up at him. He didn’t seem to notice the device had slipped off. If she reached her hand out just a little, she could grab it.

But if he caught her, what would he do? Slap her again? Something worse? The thought of Julie flashed through her mind.

She glanced over and saw Denton staring at her. He’d obviously noticed the phone also. What was he trying to tell her? To forget about it? To grab it? What was the right thing to do? She wrestled with her choice. Flexed her fingers. Glanced back up at the robbers. They all seemed distracted by the second teller fumbling through her boss’s desk.

This was Elle’s chance.

She willed herself to move quickly and without notice, for her motions to be as fluid as flowing water. Before she could second-guess herself, she extended her hand. She grabbed the phone and slipped it into her coat pocket.

Her gaze darted around the room. No one appeared to see her...except Denton. His furrowed eyebrows showed his apprehension.