Page 84 of Dark OZ

Crowe spent the entire ride spouting facts about the old bank. It was kind of adorable watching him fanboy out over a building. This was the most secure location in all of Ozmandria. Accounts were determined through legacies handed down from generation to generation. Danny grumbled with each new fact. According to Nick, Danny tried and was denied three times to open an account with them.

The Wizard’s only instructions for today were given in an envelope. Inside were three things: a time, a random string of numbers, and an old bronze key with a giant emerald in the head.

Currently, said key was sitting in Danny’s breast pocket.

Both he and Nick were wearing custom-tailored black suits, looking the part of old money. I was trying very hard not to focus on how good they both looked. Danny’s three-piece ensemble highlighted his defined chest, and Nick had the top two buttons of his shirt undone, exposing the upper tattoos that were in direct opposition to the clean lines of his suit. It was enough to make a girl weak.

Not that I hadn’t come dressed to kill and accessorized with my own heart-stopping arsenal. I’d chosen to pin my hair up in curls and left my makeup simple, except for a bright red lip, which I’d had to reapply three times already.

I crossed my ankles, the tall stiletto heels clicking against the marble. After waiting for so long in the lobby, I was grateful for the high-cut slit in the back of my pencil skirt. Without it, even that simple motion would have been impossible. Dressed in this costume, I felt nothing like myself but had to admit that I looked like I belonged among the elite snobs strutting in and out of the bank. For all his faults, Danny certainly had an eye for detail.

I fiddled with the necklace he’d given me, twisting the tube idly between my fingers. Knowing its ruby blade was close kept my anxiety at bay, but only barely. For the past ten minutes, I’d been bouncing my knee, nervously scrutinizing every person who walked by. Was The Wizard already here? Why hadn’t he shown yet? Was it because this was actually an elaborate set-up?

Danny rested his heavy hand on my thigh, stilling my shaking. I’d thought through my request for the Wizard a dozen times. While things between Danny and I had softened, I still wasn’t sure if he’d make a play for The Farm or not. Regardless of anything that had transpired between us or truths we’d bared, I needed the Wizard to make Dorothea Rosen disappear. He was the only person who could do that and it was the only way I would survive Oz’s anarchy. Stealing the money out from under Em would be the sugar coating on top.

“Movement, 3 o’clock.” The thick walls and iron doors were interfering with the signal, making Crowe’s voice crackle over the comms device. He was surveilling from the cab, hardlinked into the security feed, and watching for any signs of a double cross. We could hear each other now, but when we descended into the bowels of the building, where even the granite walls were reinforced with steel, it was unlikely that we’d be able to communicate.

None of them were comfortable with sending me to the basement vault alone. My insistence that I didn’t need a chaperone fell on deaf ears, and they wouldn’t entertain a single one of the completely logical arguments I’d made.

I still didn’t understand why the Wizard was picking a bank to meet in. It added all kinds of complications to the exchange. Only spouses and children were allowed to accompany patrons into the vault. So, Danny was posing as my husband, complete with a matching wedding band that I couldn’t stop spinning around my finger. Nobody would ever buy that Nick was our son, so he was standing in as personal security. Bank policy would allow him to come as far as the vault door but not inside. Which was fine by us, since, then he’d be able to stand watch for any unexpected deception.

An elegant woman with silver hair tied in a neat bun greeted us. In the high fashion of Emerald City, the gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose had a slightly green tint to the lenses. Her expression was tight yet cordial. The designer heels and pantsuit she wore spoke volumes about her position in the bank. This woman wasn’t merely a handler. She’d come down from her emerald tower to greet us directly.

“Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Kalidah.”

Danny stepped forward to shake her hand. “Please, call me Daniel.”

“Of course.”

I tried not to stumble over his introduction. The name Daniel Kalidah tugged at the back of my memory, but I wasn’t sure where I’d heard it. The woman looked expectantly at me, and I shook her hand in turn.

“My name is Melinda. I’m the manager of the bank and will be your liaison today.”

“Is it customary for the manager to meet with clientele?” Danny flashed a glance at the security camera in the corner, where Crowe was undoubtedly watching the exchange.

“On it.”There was the quiet clicking of his keyboard.

Melinda shifted the portfolio in her hands. “No, but I wanted to welcome you personally. I understand this is your first visit with us.”

I opened my mouth to answer her but was cut off by Danny. “I’ve had dealings with several other branches, but this is our first occasion here.” He brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear tenderly. “My beautiful wife was recently bequeathed a vault key.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.Beautiful wife.I shouldn’t have liked the way he said that so much. Especially since he was using the flattery to steamroll over me. I’d have to remind him of that when we didn’t have an audience.

“Focus, Thea. Danny’s a professional. Let him do his job,”Crowe said in my ear, pulling my thoughts back on point. How did that man always know what I was thinking? “Melinda checks out. She’s been bank manager for the past five years.”

“That happens all the time. Keys are often left in wills.” Melinda held out her hand. “I will need to do a quick inspection for authenticity. It’s a formality, nothing to worry about.”

I swallowed, realizing that if the Wizard wanted to set us up, then this would be the perfect way to do it. If we were found with a fraudulent key, then the only way we’d be leaving this bank was in handcuffs or a body bag. Crowe had been clear that the bank had its own corrupt way of handling business, fraud being at the tippy top of their no-no list.

“Of course,” Danny said, pulling the key from his pocket and placing it in her manicured hand.

“Lovely, if you’ll follow me, please.” Melinda sat the key into a kiosk installed in the wall. “This will only take a moment.” The screen flared to life, and a purple light traveled over the surface of the key, reading the key’s coding. In my mind, all I could hear was Crowe’s stories about what they’d done with past people who’d tried to break into the vault with false keys. A thin beam centered on the stone embedded in the head, glittering beams filled the chamber. It was beautiful.

A number appeared on the screen, which Melinda quickly typed into the tablet in her hands. She hesitated for a second and then looked up at me in surprise. My heart skipped, thinking that it was all over before we’d even left the lobby. Nick moved into position behind me, ready to shield or act as prompted.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Gallant. I didn’t realize it was you joining us today. Premier Gallant was a great man. His death was a tragedy.”

“Thank you.” I flicked hesitant eyes up at Danny, and his jaw tightened. Had the key belonged to my father? How did The Wizard getmyfamily key?

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