The manager kept looking over his shoulder, as if fearful he’d get a sharp object shoved between his ribs through his back because of his initial poor attitude.
Jack thought it was smart of the man not to turn his back on them. He turned down another short hallway, one directly across from a door with his name emblazoned on it, and stopped.
Mr. Preston pulled a keyring from his front pocket and opened a door. A large step past the threshold was another door. It looked like a big metal grate with holes no bigger than half dollars. The manager opened it quickly and they all stepped inside. He relocked the grate.
On the opposite side of the room was a vault with a large metal door that was slightly ajar. On the left side of the room were five doors that looked like they went into small rooms—likely where safety deposit box owners could look at their boxes in privacy.
Jack had never had a safety deposit box, but it seemed like a logical setup.
Mr. Preston held out his hand for the key and Jack deposited it in his palm. Madelaine removed her hand from Jack’s arm and followed the manager into the vault.
From where he stood outside the big door, Jack could see rows of boxes on either side of the vault. He thought it looked just like it did in the movies.
Mr. Preston and Madelaine each put a key in a lock and turned at the same time. Mr. Preston opened the little door wide, pulled the long safety deposit box out and led the way to the first door on the left, juggling the box carefully under one arm as he opened the door for Madelaine. She entered and regally waited for the bank manager to place the box on the counter.
As soon as he’d done that, he hurried out with a mumbled statement to the effect that Madelaine should take her time. Madelaine closed the door with a snap and Mr. Preston, who waited beside Jack, looked relieved to be out of her presence.
Jack had only made it to a count of nineteen before Madelaine opened the door and reemerged.
She looked at Mr. Preston, pointed at the safety deposit box on the counter and demanded, “Put it back.”
Jack loved how she kept her Romanian accent in place without faltering. If it were him doing the accent, he likely would have forgotten by now and ruined everything.
Mr. Preston, moving faster than Jack thought anyone capable of doing, snagged the long, skinny safety deposit box from Madelaine’s room without a scintilla of attitude. He returned to the vault, put the box back in place and slammed the little door shut. He pulled both keys out and left the vault.
Mr. Preston set the vault door slightly ajar, as it was when they’d come in. He handed the customer key back to Jack, who dutifully deposited it in his pocket. The manager moved quickly to unlock the grate so they could exit and locked everything back up behind them.
When they were in the short hallway in front of Mr. Preston’s office door, he stopped moving as if he didn’t plan to escort them out of the bank.
Jack thought it was cowardly, but understood. Madelaine’s very well-acted snotty rich girl attitude was intimidating.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Mr. Preston asked, one hand on the door to his office.
“No. You have been adequate,” Madelaine said, not looking in his direction, gazing loftily toward the lobby and their exit.
“Thank you. Well, have a nice day.” He ducked into his office like his life depended on it.
Madelaine’s high-brow attitude slipped as a half-smile emerged. Clearly, toying with the manager had been fun for her.
“Don’t smile yet. We still need to get out of here,” Jack reminded her in a whisper, lifting his arm so she could drape one hand on him for show.
She nodded and the snotty expression reappeared. Madelaine put her hand back on Jack’s forearm and they walked slowly down the hallway.
Jack had his focus on Madelaine as they walked. His face was forward but his eyes were fixed to one side, keeping her in his peripheral vision. Even with the slight changes in her gait, hair length and overall appearance, she was still the woman he remembered. Still the woman he loved.
If luck was with them, the lobby would be just as empty on their way out as it had been when they’d arrived. Apparently, that was too much to hope for. Several customers were lined up at Norma’s window when they exited the hallway into the lobby.
Unfortunately, Jack knew one of them. He mentally sighed and silently ordered that person not to turn and see the two of them trying to escape notice.
Again, no such luck.
“Jack!” Ashleigh Graves said enthusiastically as he and Madelaine were five steps from the doors and freedom.
Under his breath, he said, “Space potatoes, Ashleigh Graves. We need to brush her off fast and get out.”
“What areyoudoing here?” Ashleigh’s gaze went directly to Madelaine and a quick frown shaped her mouth. “And who might this be?”
“Sorry, Ashleigh. That’s classified,” Jack said with a wink, hoping to escape without further comment. Once more, no such luck.
