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“Unusually big crowd out there today ready to come in, don’t you think, Sven?” Garrett stared out two sets of clear doors, trying to catch Jessica’s eye and failing.
Sven shrugged. “It happens more often than you might think.”
“I’ve never seen so many lawyers before.”
His guard glanced out at the crowd as if only now noticing how many were in business suits. “True. And the sheriff, too. Wonder what’s going on.”
“How long before we open?”
Sven straightened. “Two minutes.” His tone suggested he would not be willing to open the doors even one second early.
“Great. I’m going to put my things in my office. I’ll be back to help you greet the crowd.”
He nodded, remaining still, crossing his arms as if in sentry mode.
Garrett made a bee-line for his office, passing his assistant’s desk without pausing like he usually did. On his way back out, Kelli tried to hand him a stack of messages, but he put her off. “Later. There’s an unruly mob at the door.”
“Given a couple of the messages in this stack, I’m not surprised,” she said cryptically. She held them out again.
Garrett had almost paused to scan through the pile, but shook it off, feeling like he needed to be near Jessica’s side as soon as possible today. “Later,” he said again firmly.
He made it back to Sven with thirty seconds to spare, never managing to catch Jessica’s gaze. Her focus was fixed somewhere to her right. Perhaps it was simply her game face.
Sven moved into the vestibule centered between the two sets of glass doors to unlock the outer doors while Garrett waited inside the bank.
Duke entered first, followed by Warrick, the prosecutor. He handed Garrett a piece of paper. “This is a court order to open the safe deposit box of one Jessica Hoyt, housed in this bank. Will you comply?”
“Do I have to?”
Duke nodded, but he didn’t look happy. “Yes. I’m sorry, but you do.” Garrett glanced in Jessica’s direction, but she was pointedly not looking at him. Her gaze was currently fixed on Hunter’s left shoulder.
Beside her was Duke’s good friend, Jack Gallagher. He was a very good defense attorney. Garrett assumed he was there for Jessica and relaxed a bit.
“Follow me.” Garrett went to Abby’s desk, retrieved the log book for visits to the safe deposit room inside the vault. As he stood there stalling, Clay moved closer to him, leaning in to whisper something in his ear. He thought it was odd, but he nodded over his shoulder at Clay, letting him know he’d do as requested. He would have anyway.
The huge steel vault door was already open seconds before the bank opened. Garrett led the large group to the door.
“The room we’re going to is not large enough for everyone here,” Garrett said.
Clay nodded at him. “I’ll stay out here.”
“So will I,” Hunter said.
Chucky’s young wife and her father also stayed behind.
That left Warrick, Duke, Jessica, Jack, and Chucky following behind Garrett past the open vault door. On the right-hand side, at the end of the narrow hallway, was the room with the boxes. Across from that were three rooms, two smaller ones, and a larger one housing tables for patrons to look at their box contents in private.
He directed everyone in the group into the larger room, made sure they were secure, retrieved the box, duly noting it in the log, along with several sentences on the unusual nature of the box being procured today. He brought the box to the large room and opened it.
Duke removed several papers, a passport, and assorted other folded documents before reaching deeply inside.
Seemingly at the end of her safe deposit box, Duke pulled out a battered, carved wooden box. He compared it to a photo he’d pulled out of his pocket, unfolding it carefully, although Garrett could tell immediately that it looked exactly like the box in question.
Chucky suddenly danced around in their limited space, shouting, “That’s my box! Jessica stole it from me. I want it back this instant. Arrest her! Put her in jail! She’s a thief!” Duke gave him a resolute look, like he hated being in the position he was in.
“Shut the fuck up,” Garrett said in a low tone, already sick of her ex being such a prick.
