Page 37 of Mission: Possible

"I'd appreciate a glass of water," I told him, stepping into the corridor after him. "Mind if I join you?"

"No, ma'am. It's nice to have company. There's a kitchenette right next door to this room." By the time Gerald finished his sentence, I stepped into the kitchenette after him. The far wall had a long, rectangular sliver of a window high up. The wall to my left had cabinets and there was a coffee pot, an electric tea kettle and a toaster on the counter. The sink was empty and the drainer held three dry mugs. A small refrigerator was hidden under the counter. A typed note said, "Please wash and dry whatever you use" and was taped to the cabinet above the coffee pot. Except for one barstool in the corner of the small room, there was no place to sit.

Gerald pulled a glass out of the cabinet and filled it from the faucet.

"You don't seem too shaken," I said as I took it with athanks.

Gerald ran a hand over his graying hair. "I'm good at compartmentalizing stuff. I can't change what happened. No one died and none of my co-workers were injured. That seems like a good outcome for a bad afternoon."

"That's one way of looking at it."

Gerald turned away to pour his coffee and I waited while he added creamer. "I wonder why they headed straight for the vault without taking the cash," I said, waiting for the security guard to comment on my musing.

"Probably every bank robber knows cash is traceable now," he said with a shrug. "There're dye packs and serial numbers. You can't bank it. Or spend it. I'd go for the vault too. That's where the really valuable stuff is kept."

"Oh? Like what?"

Gerald turned to me and rested his arm on the counter, crossing his ankles. "I wish I knew. I figure if you want a security box in a bank vault, you have to have something pretty expensive to put into it." He grinned.

I nodded, smiling. "The robbers must have thought that too. They probably got wind of something precious. I suppose some of the employees must see what's inside those boxes."

"I don't think so. Only Mr. Sampson and a couple of the assistant managers take customers down there. Discretion is part of the service. The tellers don't have any business being anywhere but in the public areas."

"It's good that they all seem to know what their job entails. I guess everyone must be happy working here." It was a leading question and not subtle but I didn't have much time. Gerald seemed like a diligent man who wouldn't take longer than necessary away from his job requirements.

"I don't hear any complaints. None, that is, except from Martin but he got fired two weeks ago and things soon returned to normal."

"Was Martin employed for a long time?"

"Just a couple of months. He wasn't a good fit. I think he made a couple of passes at the tellers and bossed everyone around. I could hear them talking about him when they got their refreshments. Then one day, Martin was called into Mr. Sampson's office and after that meeting, he left."

"Did you know Martin personally?"

Gerald shook his head. "No, just to say hello in passing like I do with everyone else working here." He ducked his head into the corridor, half stepping out before turning back to me. "I should check to see if they have everything they need."

"Sure," I agreed, smiling. "Thanks again for the water."

Lucas sat in Gerald's chair, busily tapping the keyboard while Solomon rested his back against the wall, his arms crossed. For a moment, I was spirited back to the first moment I saw him. We were in another small room like this and Solomon was smoldering, speaking only very briefly. I thought he took an instant dislike to me but later found out that wasn't the case.

Solomon caught me observing him and raised his eyebrows. While Gerald had his back turned, I blew my husband a small kiss and he gave me a smile intended just for me.

"How's it going?" asked Gerald. "Can I help with anything?"

"We found the time period that covers the robbery and now we're examining the exterior cameras to see what happened on either side of that," explained Solomon.

"Why?" asked Gerald.

"Because they arrived one way and left by another. I'm curious to know how," said Solomon.

Lucas paused the screen and pointed to something I couldn't quite make out. He turned to Gerald, asking, "The angle of the camera doesn't show who tampered with the doors or put the sign out on the sidewalk. Do you know what building this is?"

Gerald leaned in, squinting. "That's straight across the street. It's a dental practice. I think they are responsible for all those sparkling Hollywood smiles."

"It looks like their camera is pointed directly towards the bank, covering the angle through which the robbers entered." Lucas rewound the footage and we watched the masked team jog through the entryway, the doors already partially closed. The last pair of thieves closed the doors the rest of the way. It was a smooth entrance. "I can't identify the vehicle they used from the footage here but I might have better luck with that camera. They can't have parked too far away to unload the crew."

"I agree," said Solomon. "They wouldn't risk being seen on a long walk to the bank, if only for fear someone could sound the alarm before they completed their mission."

"They didn't leave by the front entrance," I told them. "The remaining robbers bolted through the internal door so they must have all left through the rear exit. Why come in one way and leave by another?"