Page 16 of Waiting for Him
“’Kay. I’m putting my phone on vibrate if you need me.” He disconnected the call and scanned the bank’s parking lot one more time before getting out of the rental they were using. On full alert, his head swiveled as he walked around to the passenger door and opened it for Kat. He hurried her across the lot and into the large brick building which housed the Wells Fargo Bank. There were a few occupants, but no one paid them any attention as they strode past the tellers and approached the only desk of three, which didn’t have a rep already assisting a customer.
The man stood and gestured for them to sit across the desk from him. “Good morning, my name is Brad. How may I help you today?”
“My friend’s father passed away, and we found out afterward that he had a deposit box here,” Boomer told him as they all sat down. It was a small lie since they weren’t positive this was where Mr. Maier had opened the account. “The number on the key is 522, and we have his death certificate.”
“Okay, I’ll need a proper form of ID, and then I’ll look up the account to see if there are any restrictions on it.”
Kat handed the man the certificate and Florida ID, which an FBI agent had dropped off last night. It was the first time in twelve years she had a driver’s license in her birth name. The picture was one Ian had snapped two nights ago at the office and then emailed to his contact in the federal agency. Since she hadn’t been wearing her wig in the photo, they’d left it in the car. Boomer had been nervous about it, but they didn’t want to make anyone in the bank suspicious.
Her knee bounced as the banker studied the document, then began tapping away on his computer. Boomer reached over and placed his hand on her thigh, stilling her nervous movement. The contact sent tingles and heat up his arm, and a quick glance at her face told him she also felt the electricity between them. Giving his brain a mental shake, he focused on Brad across the desk from them.
The banker stopped typing and frowned. Kat’s muscles clenched under his hand as Boomer asked, “Is there a problem?”
“Uh, no, sir. I was just surprised to see the box hasn’t been accessed in over twelve years. But it was paid in full for twenty, so there’s no problem. The joint box-holders included Ms. Maier here, as well as Alexei Maier and Sylvia Maier.”
Kat’s eyes filled up. “Alex was my brother, and Sylvia was my mom. They’re both deceased as well.”
An expression of sympathy crossed the man’s face. “I’m sorry for your loss, Ms. Maier.”
“Thank you.”
He stood and skirted the desk. “If you give me a moment, I have to retrieve the bank’s access key from my superior.”
“Sure,” Boomer replied. “No problem.” He watched as the banker walked toward a closed door labeled “Branch Manager” and knocked.
“So, we lucked out, right?”
From that angle, he couldn’t see into the now-open door but kept it in his peripheral as he turned back to Kat. “Huh?”
“No court order needed.”
“Right.” He gave her a tentative smile, scanning the faces of the bank occupants as the two of them waited. The hair on the back of his neck raised in caution. His inner alert system told him something was wrong, but he couldn’t see anyone or anything out of place. Pulling out his phone, he shot off a brief text to Jake. However, the “all clear” response did nothing to ease his sudden anxiety.
About two minutes later, Brad returned with a large keyring. “Sorry for the wait. If you’ll follow me, it’s right this way. I’ll retrieve the box, and you can examine the contents privately.”
Leading them into the security box vault, the banker quickly located the long-ignored box, number 522, and placed his key in one of the two slots. He then stepped back to allow Kat to do the same. After it was unlocked, he slid it from the wall and handed it to her. “You can use the room on the right outside the vault. I’ll wait here until you’re done.”
“Thank you.” Despite her calm outward demeanor, Boomer knew Kat’s insides must be a bowl of Jell-O. Whatever her father had hidden here in the bank, it was something people wanted to kill for. He followed her into the room and shut the door behind them. The space was the size of a closet, and there was nothing in it except a shelf and an overhead light. Her hands shook as she set the box down.
The tension rolling off her did nothing to calm his thoughts that something wasn’t right. “Do you want me to open it?”
Kat bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “No. I’ve got it.” After taking a deep breath, she lifted the lid and stared at the contents in confusion and disappointment.
“That’s it?” he asked over her shoulder. It couldn’t be it.
“I don’t understand. My father had a security box all these years for a . . . a picture?” She picked up the old, three-by-five color photo and studied it. “This is my dad when he was a kid. He’s what, about four or five years old here?”
Boomer checked the box for anything more and found it completely empty. He took the photo from Kat and turned it over, but the back was blank. No name, date, or message. Strange. Flipping it over again, he examined it. “Looks like it. Any idea where it was taken? Is that his childhood home he’s standing in front of?”
“I’m not sure. If I remember correctly, they moved twice before settling in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, when my dad was eleven or twelve. But I don’t know where they lived before that.” Her eyes flashed to Boomer’s face as a thought must have occurred to her. “My aunt would know. Last I heard, she was still alive. Chris told me that about . . . I don’t remember. A year ago, I think.”
“Where does she live?” he asked as he replaced the lid and picked up the box.
She tucked the photo into her purse. “In Murfreesboro. She still lives in my grandparent’s old house. It’s just over an hour from here. It’s where we were going when . . .”
Not needing her to finish her statement about the tragic day so long ago, he took her hand and headed for the door. “Let’s get out of here.”
* * *
